Monday, June 29, 2026 — Trump’s Iran sanctions U-turn jolts oil. Takaichi’s approval hits 68% locking Japan’s political trade. South Korea tees up massive AI and chip investment.

Geopolitics: Trump ready to unravel decades of Iran curbs. Crude volatility jumps. Tokyo and Singapore defense names twitch. Tech/AI: South Korea’s chip-spend pledge lifts Samsung, Hynix. Nvidia-backed Firmus builds AI factory in Indonesia. Google blocks Meta from Gemini — AI stack wars heat up. Macro: Takaichi at 68% approval gives Nikkei policy cover. China retail and IP data land flat. Koo’s ‘battle against time’ warning haunts both Tokyo and Beijing. China/HK: NDRC tightens Indonesia ties on maritime and nickel. Anti-dumping on nickel stainless steel hits — supply chain realignment ain’t free. So what? Iran flip could whip crude. Japan’s stability trade holds. Korea chip names pop on capex tease. Asia’s AI and commodity corridors are rewiring fast — price the pivot, not the past. Quant Picks (model confidence >= 70): $EIX — +5.4% vs Utilities (6m), confidence 88 $INTU — +4.2% vs Technology (6m), confidence 88 $HPQ — +4.1% vs Technology (6m), confidence 87 $CLX — +3.6% vs Consu

Geopolitics: Trump ready to unravel decades of Iran curbs. Crude volatility jumps. Tokyo and Singapore defense names twitch.