Australia Briefing
Good morning, it’s Angus here in Sydney. Here’s what you need to know this Tuesday.Today’s must-reads:• Super funds look beyond the US• Cent
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Good morning, it’s Angus here in Sydney. Here’s what you need to know this Tuesday.

Today’s must-reads:
• Super funds look beyond the US
• Central banks’ rate decisions loom
• Mushroom murder guilty verdict

What's happening now

The top funds in Australia’s A$4.1 trillion ($2.7 trillion) pension industry are eyeing opportunities beyond the US, saying stock valuations there look stretched and President Donald Trump’s policies are increasing volatility. AustralianSuper has ended its overweight position in global equities, of which US shares make up the largest proportion. Colonial First State has tilted toward emerging markets.

New Zealand’s central bank is expected to keep interest rates on hold tomorrow amid uncertainty over the inflation outlook while leaving the door open to further easing if needed to bolster the weak economy. Across the Tasman, the Reserve Bank of Australia is today expected to deliver its first back-to-back interest-rate cuts in six years, lowering the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.6%.

President Donald Trump unveiled the first in a wave of promised letters that threaten to impose higher tariffs rates on key trading partners, including levies of 25% on goods from Japan and South Korea beginning Aug. 1. The nations were the first in what the president promised would be a flurry of unilateral warnings and trade deals announced on Monday, two days before agreements are due from trading partners facing his April 2 so-called reciprocal levies. 

Australian woman Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murdering three of her estranged husband’s relatives by deliberately serving them poisonous mushrooms for lunch. The bizarre and tragic case has gripped large parts of Australia and provoked fervor in the media. Five separate podcasts analyzed each day of the proceedings, and at least one television drama and a documentary are slated for production.

What happened overnight

Here’s what my colleague, market strategist Mike “Willo” Wilson says happened while we were sleeping…

US stocks fell from all-time highs after Trump began unveiling his tariff plans, with the US setting levies for nations such as Japan, South Korea, and South Africa starting in August. Treasuries fell, with longer end tenors pricing in tariff fueled inflation. The dollar rose as a haven at the expense of kiwi and Aussie, with the latter under further threat from a possibly dovish RBA decision later today. NAB business data precedes that, but may be redundant after overnight’s bruising impact on sentiment. ASX futures are off about 0.5%, pointing to initial losses in local indexes.

Tesla shares fell after Elon Musk announced he’s forming a new political party, digging deeper into a pursuit that’s been a drag on his most valuable business. Tesla’s stock slid 6.8% Monday in New York, wiping out $15.3 billion from his net worth. That marked the biggest decline for the shares since Musk’s initial falling out with Donald Trump over the president’s tax bill in early June.

Three days after cataclysmic floods tore through a stretch of the Texas Hill Country, officials have confirmed the deaths of 27 children and counselors who had been missing from a girls’ summer camp. Authorities counted more than 90 deaths statewide and said the number was almost certain to climb as rescuers sorted through mounds of debris.

Thailand’s government will withdraw a controversial bill to legalize casinos from parliament following mounting public opposition and a fresh bout of political turmoil that has reduced the ruling coalition’s majority. 

Nissan Motor plans to sell about $5 billion in debt to help fund Chief Executive Officer Ivan Espinosa’s turnaround of the ailing automaker, part of a broader financing initiative to keep operations on track.  

What to watch

One more thing...

How should we regulate AI? Like airlines, writes Bloomberg Opinion writer Gautam Mukunda. An agency similar to the Federal Aviation Administration could be established to regulate and promote AI, ensuring safety and fostering the technology, while allowing states to create diverse regulatory environments. Read Mukunda’s column here.

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