Gold has climbed about $400 since August, putting it on track for its best monthly performance this century amid economic uncertainty and geopolitical strain. Dovish signals from the Federal Reserve, softer U.S. jobs data and low inflation have reinforced bullion’s role as a haven. Geopolitical risks, including the U.S.-Iran conflict and uncertainty over U.S. President Trump’s options ahead of the midterms, have added to demand. Central banks accelerated purchases in the second quarter, with the World Gold Council reporting record buying.

Gold fell on Thursday after US wholesale inflation slowed more than expected in July, helped by declines in energy and food costs. The data cooled markets’ expectations for a September Federal Reserve rate increase. Bullion slid as much as 1.5% to $4,343.91 an ounce, breaking below the $4,400 level. Silver also weakened, falling 1.4% to $64.42 an ounce.

ASX Ltd. shares jumped 9% after the exchange operator pointed to buoyant demand for new listings. The company said it listed 100 new entities in the 12 months through June, up 45% from a year earlier. Net income fell 3.5% to A$484.9 million, missing the A$509.3 million average analyst estimate in a Bloomberg survey, as total expenses rose 21%. ASX also guided for fiscal 2027 spending of A$170 million to A$190 million and declared a final dividend of A$1.047, down from a year ago.

IPD Group reported FY26 revenue of 414.3 million Australian dollars, up 16.8%, with underlying EBITDA rising 19.4% to 55.4 million Australian dollars. Underlying NPAT increased 17.9% to 30.9 million Australian dollars, while dividends rose 16.7% to 14.7 Australian cents per share. Data centre revenue climbed 27% to 71.5 million Australian dollars, and the Platinum Cables acquisition broadened the revenue base. Net debt fell to 16.4 million Australian dollars, and the company said the result exceeded its own guidance.

Reddit shares rose 11% in extended trading on Thursday after S&P Dow Jones Indices confirmed the platform will join the S&P 500. Reddit will become only the second pureplay social media stock in the benchmark index after Meta. The company is set to replace AvalonBay Communities before trading opens on Aug. 18, 2026, once Equity Residential completes its acquisition of AvalonBay, according to the announcement.

QBE Insurance Group reported 1H26 results, with adjusted net profit up 4% year on year to US$1,033 million and gross written premium rising 10% to US$15.1 billion. The combined operating ratio was steady at 92.8%. The insurer lifted its interim dividend to A$0.33 per share, up 6%, and said return on equity reached 17.7%, above its medium-term target of 15% or more.

Noncustodial Bitcoin bridge Boltz suspended its Bitcoin swap service on August 3 after suffering losses from AI-assisted attacks. The five-person, bootstrapped team said the risk was borne entirely by the project, while its design kept customer funds out of reach. Boltz had already disabled certain EVM swaps on August 1 to address a bug, but later said the issue had widened to the broader service. A group of veteran Bitcoiners is now preparing to take over the project.

Reddit said its stock will be added to the S&P 500 Index, sending shares up 11% in after-hours trading. As of mid-August, the stock was at $153.45, down about 31% year to date and lagging digital advertising peers. The addition comes as the S&P 500 Index is up nearly 14% in 2026, with constituent net profit margins at a record 16.9%. Softer inflation data has also pushed the market-implied probability of a Federal Reserve rate hike in September down to 35%.