On July 15, Morgan Stanley (MS.US) reported a second-quarter revenue of $21.3 billion, surpassing market estimates of $19.7 billion. The wealth management revenue for the second quarter was $8.9 billion.

On July 15, White House National Economic Council Director Hassett stated that data shows there is no reason for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. He believes that Waller will guide the Fed to the correct conclusion regarding interest rate issues. Iran's ability to threaten the global economy has diminished.

On July 15, Bloomberg reported that Chinese hedge funds, which have profited significantly this year from heavy investments in AI-related stocks, are beginning to gradually reduce their risk exposure. They have warned investors to remain highly vigilant regarding signals that this rebound may not be sustainable. An investor letter revealed that the 'Growth Strategy No. 3 Fund' under Shanghai Everlead Capital achieved a return of up to 164% as of May 31 this year. The firm has informed investors that they have recently cut back on their positions in optical communication and advanced packaging companies. Additionally, another private equity firm, Hunjin Capital, which manages over 5 billion yuan, indicated in a May investor letter that its 'Yueyang G1 Fund' had increased by one-third in the first five months of this year and has also sold some AI stocks. Their reasoning is based on concerns that the magnitude and speed of this surge are too great. Nevertheless, these funds have not yet issued warnings of an impending 'bubble burst.' Some institutions point out that solid industry fundamentals and real performance are driving this rebound, but they are also closely monitoring potential critical points that could trigger larger-scale cash-out exits. These institutions have identified specific trigger signals that, once reached, will prompt more significant cash-out exits.

On July 15, the US Central Command announced that at 6 AM Eastern Time (6 PM Beijing Time), US Central Command forces began a series of strikes against Iran. These strikes are aimed at further weakening Iran's military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. (Jinshi)

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio will host the inaugural meeting of the Economic Diplomacy Action Group (EDAG) on Wednesday. This mechanism was established during the Biden administration and has been in place for two years. A State Department official stated that the group consists of heads from various federal agencies, tasked with "determining the direction and priorities of U.S. economic policy to advance U.S. diplomatic objectives." These objectives include "maintaining U.S. leadership in the field of artificial intelligence." Officials from the State Department, Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, and Department of Treasury will also be in attendance, along with leaders from the U.S. Trade Representative, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Development Finance Corporation, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, Small Business Administration, Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

On the 14th, Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, stated in an interview regarding the June CPI report, "All 67 economists surveyed by Bloomberg got it wrong!" He noted that the June CPI decreased by 0.4% month-over-month, marking the largest monthly decline in six years, thanks to various cost-cutting measures implemented by President Trump.

On July 15, President Trump stated: Good news, the inflation caused by the Democrats has significantly decreased, and we will further reduce it.

On July 15, Baidu (BIDU.US) surged about 2% in pre-market trading. Media sources citing insiders revealed that Apple and Baidu will collaborate to develop AI features for iPhone users in China. Baidu is focusing on developing an AI-based search function as part of Apple's intelligent feature suite, capable of processing images and text, and upgrading to a China-specific version of the Siri voice assistant. On June 23, overseas blogger One Jailbreak discovered "Baidu Visual Search" in the ExtensionKit while dissecting iOS 27 Beta 2 code. Today, the Cyberspace Administration of China released filing information for seven mobile-side generative AI services, with Apple Intelligent included.

On July 15, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun, Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group, stated at the annual meeting 'SoftBank World' held in Tokyo on Tuesday that he expects there will be 100 trillion AI agents and 1 billion humanoid robots by 2040, with AI becoming 'the largest industry in human history.' He noted that by 2040, AI is projected to contribute approximately 20% to global GDP, and remarked, 'With 100 trillion AI agents interacting, society will shift to being agent-centered rather than human-centered, fundamentally altering the global landscape.' Regarding the impact of humanoid robots, Son stated that robots can operate 24 hours a day, equivalent to 3 billion human workers, and will perform tasks faster, more accurately, and more meticulously, becoming the core of the workforce. He also emphasized that expanding data centers is key to achieving this vision, with electricity consumption expected to double by 2040, requiring an annual investment of about $5 trillion (800 trillion yen). In terms of future business strategy, Son asserted that the AI revolution should not be limited to Japan and must concentrate resources on the United States as the core battleground.

On July 15, sources revealed that Zhongji Xuchuang is about to receive approval from Chinese securities regulators, with its Hong Kong listing plan expected to become one of the largest IPOs in Hong Kong in recent years. The sources indicated that once approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Zhongji Xuchuang could begin applying for a hearing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, potentially as early as this week. The company, which produces optical transceiver modules for artificial intelligence and data centers, is considering raising approximately $7 billion in this stock issuance. This amount would significantly exceed previous market expectations. However, they noted that details, including the issuance scale and the timing of final regulatory approval, may still change.