The Indian rupee is set to come under pressure this week as investors reassess the chance of a U.S. Federal Reserve rate hike and Brent crude climbs back toward $90 a barrel. At home, a Reuters poll forecasts April–June GDP growth of 7.1%, slower than the prior quarter, though some economists expect a stronger reading that could tilt the RBI toward tightening if inflation rises. Government bonds also look vulnerable, with traders warning that firmer growth could trigger further selling.

Indian equities are expected to open lower on 31 August as weak global cues and renewed US-Iran tensions weigh on risk appetite. In the previous session, the Sensex rose 330 points to 77,264 and the Nifty 50 gained 84 points to 24,175. Brent climbed to $89.18 and WTI to $84.32 after US strikes near the Strait of Hormuz lifted supply-disruption concerns, according to the report. Technicians said a sustained break lower could pull the Nifty 50 toward the 23,800–23,650 band.

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh struck a hawkish tone on Friday, suggesting the central bank may raise rates if inflation does not move back toward its 2% target. Markets lifted the implied probability of a September hike to 57% from 36% on that signal. Spot gold was flat on Monday at $4,455.29 an ounce after touching its lowest level since August 19 and dropping more than 3% on Friday. December gold futures slipped 0.6% to $4,504.90 as investors awaited U.S. labor-market reports due this week.

Asia-Pacific stock markets broadly fell on Monday after Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh signaled a possible rate hike in September. South Korea’s Kospi at one point sank more than 3%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.69% and the MSCI Asia Pacific index slipped 0.8%. U.S. equity futures also moved lower, with S&P 500 futures down 0.5% and Nasdaq 100 futures off 0.7%.

Tesla has stopped selling its Solar Roof product and is pivoting to conventional solar panels and energy storage. The company recently filed plans to build a $10.1 billion solar-cell factory near Houston. In the second quarter, revenue rose 26% year over year to $28.24 billion and vehicle deliveries hit a record 480,126, but operating margin fell to 1.4% and free cash flow turned negative at about $1.1 billion. Tesla expects 2026 capital expenditures to exceed $25 billion.

BHP reported FY27 revenue up 15% to US$58.8 billion, with underlying EBITDA rising 27% to US$32.9 billion and underlying attributable net profit gaining 30% to US$13.2 billion. Copper led the growth as the average realised price climbed to US$5.74 per pound, pushing copper EBITDA up 48%. The company raised its full-year dividend per share to US$1.72.

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh warned at the Jackson Hole symposium that inflation remains entrenched, signalling the US central bank may still need to raise interest rates. US stocks fell, with the S&P 500 down 0.25% and the Nasdaq down 0.5%. Tech shares were mixed as Nvidia dropped 4.3% and Marvel Technology fell more than 10% while Alphabet and Apple rose. ASX 200 futures indicate a 0.4% decline at the open.

Bitcoin broke above $80,000 this week for the first time in about 15 weeks, rising more than 25% in 10 days. Strategy, the largest institutional Bitcoin holder, rose 32% over the past month but remains 65% below its 52-week high. Executive Chairman Michael Saylor said that since the company began buying Bitcoin in August 2020, BTC has gained 32% while MSTR stock has risen 42%.