Shafaqna English– A wave of buying swept through global stock markets on Friday(31 Jul 2026), fueled by impressive quarterly performances from tech heavyweights Amazon and Microsoft. The upbeat earnings gave investors who had been battered by previous market turmoil a reason to re-engage with AI-related stocks.
At the same time, foreign exchange traders were closely monitoring for any signs of intervention, particularly after a suspected round of yen-buying by Japanese officials on Thursday(30 Jul 2026) to halt the currency’s slide.
The yen’s sudden spike in value during the early part of the trading day proved temporary, as it later retreated from those gains. Ultimately, the dollar climbed 0.35% to settle at 160.09 yen, following the Bank of Japan’s announcement that it would keep interest rates unchanged. The central bank’s decision to hold rates steady likely contributed to the yen’s subsequent loss of momentum.