April 3 Morning News Summary

【Morning News Highlights】 [TaoGuBa]

1. At the regular press conference held yesterday, in response to a question about China-U.S. economic and trade relations, He Yaodong, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce, said that both China and the U.S. should implement the important consensus reached by the two countries and the outcomes of the previous economic and trade consultations, further play the role of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism, strengthen dialogue and communication, appropriately manage differences, expand practical cooperation, and promote the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations.
2. Ma Ning, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted a regular press conference yesterday. A reporter asked that according to reports, Iran has sought security assurances from China, and if those assurances can be provided, the U.S. and Iran could reach a ceasefire agreement. Ma Ning said that China supports all efforts conducive to peace, and we are also willing to strengthen communication and coordination with all parties and continue to play a role in helping restore peace in the Middle East.
3. On April 2, the Ministry of Commerce held a regular press conference. When a reporter asked what measures China would take regarding Meta’s acquisition of Manus and related issues concerning cross-border business operations by companies, He Yaodong, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce, responded that the Chinese government supports enterprises in conducting cross-border operations and technology cooperation as needed. Such actions must comply with China’s laws and regulations and fulfill statutory procedures.
4. On April 2, Abbas Araqei, a spokesperson of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that ships that are not associated with aggressors, are not linked to them, and do not support their acts of aggression against Iran will be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after necessary coordination with our authorities.
5. The General Office of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released a notice on launching a special campaign for inclusive computing power to empower the development of small and medium-sized enterprises. It will explore innovative businesses such as “computing power banks” and “computing power marketplaces,” support small and medium-sized enterprises in depositing idle computing power resources, and achieve flexible allocation through cross-regional and cross-cycle scheduling.
6. Information released on April 2 by the State Grid shows that in the first quarter, the company completed capital investment in fixed assets of nearly RMB 130 billion, up about 37% year over year, driving investment in the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain of more than RMB 250 billion.
7. The People’s Bank of China added China Citic Bank, China Everbright Bank, Huaxia Bank, China Minsheng Bank, Guangfa Bank, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, Zhejiang Commercial Bank, Ningbo Bank, Jiangsu Bank, Beijing Bank, Nanjing Bank, and Suzhou Bank as banking-type digital renminbi business operation institutions, and connected them to the central bank-side digital renminbi system.
8. The official website of the People’s Bank of China published on March 2026 the liquidity injection status of various tools used by central banks. The data show that in March, the net injection under the Medium-Term Lending Facility (MLF) was RMB 50 billion, the net injection under the Standing Lending Facility (SLF) was RMB 0.8 billion, and other structural monetary policy tools had a net injection of RMB 172.8 billion.
9. Data from the Shanghai Stock Exchange show that in March 2026, there were 4.6014 million new accounts opened for A-shares, up 82.38% month-over-month and up 50.10% from 3.0655 million in March 2025. For 2026 to date, a total of 12.0402 million new accounts have been opened, up 61.15% year over year.
10. Caixin Media reporter learned from multiple companies in the industrial chain that since this year, shortages in domestic supply combined with disruptions in overseas supply have pushed bromine prices into an upward channel. Entering March, the bromine price curve became extremely steep, with the latest transaction price already rising to 78,000 yuan/ton, with a monthly increase as high as 90%. From bromine to bromine-based flame retardants, companies in the industry are almost all in a zero-inventory state.
11. Xiaomi Group announced in an evening filing that in order to improve administrative management efficiency, adjustments will be made to the shareholder structure of four subsidiaries, increasing Lei Jun’s shareholding ratio. Specifically, Lei Jun’s shareholding ratio in Xiaomi Technology will rise to 97.48%, and his shareholding ratio in Youpin Information Technology will rise to 87.5%.
12. Tesla’s deliveries in the first quarter were 358,023 vehicles, up 6.3% year over year, including 341,893 Model 3/Y vehicles delivered, up 5.6% year over year.
13. Zijin Mining Co., Ltd. said in a filing that in March 2026, through centralized bidding transactions, the company had cumulatively repurchased 53.0301 million shares, accounting for 0.20% of the company’s total share capital; the cumulative amount paid was RMB 1.682 billion (excluding transaction fees).
14. Robotic Technology Company announced that it signed a contract with Nasdaq-listed company F for RMB 246 million worth of production-scale coupling equipment for core processes applicable to high-speed optical module packaging.
15. Zhifei Biotech announced that, after adjusting its strategic cooperation agreement with Merck Sharp & Dohme, it will supply or arrange supply of three agreement products including the 9-valent HPV vaccine, etc. Yuekang Pharmaceutical announced that its new inhalation formulation, YKYY018 nebulized inhalation agent, received approval for phase clinical trials for treatment and prevention of human metapneumovirus infection by patients; worldwide, there are still no related drugs or vaccines approved for marketing.
16. Sun Zhongshan Public Utilities announced that Lian’an Life Insurance intends to acquire 5% of the company’s shares at 12.19 yuan/share, becoming a shareholder holding more than 5%.
17. Huayudian Mining announced that the controlling shareholder is planning a change in control, and the stock is suspended from trading. *ST Zhengping announced that the verification work has been completed, and the stock will resume trading today.
18. ST Xifa announced that the company has recently been unable to get in touch with its chairman, Luo Xi; he is temporarily unable to perform the duties of chairman, and the stock hit the daily trading limit down for two consecutive days.
19. The three major U.S. stock indexes closed mixed. The Dow fell 0.13%, the Nasdaq rose 0.18%, and the S&P 500 rose 0.11%. Popular Chinese concept stocks closed mixed, with the leader index of Chinese concept stocks of Limwell falling 0.72%.
20. Late on April 2 local time, Sardar Shekaki, a senior spokesman of Iran’s armed forces, said that the Strait of Hormuz will continue to close to the United States and Israel.
21. A White House announcement said that Trump signed a document under the Section 232 provisions of the “Trade Expansion Act of 1962,” and the U.S. will impose a 100% tariff on imported patented drugs and pharmaceutical ingredients.
22. A statement issued by the Navy Command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out strikes on the U.S. Oracle company data center in Dubai, UAE, and the Amazon company data center in Bahrain.
23. A spokesman for the Yemeni Houthis said that the Houthis and Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon have again launched joint military operations, firing a batch of ballistic missiles at targets in central Tel Aviv, Israel, to strike key facilities in Israel.
24. A source said on Thursday that strikes by Ukraine on port infrastructure, pipelines, and refineries have weakened export capacity by about 1 million barrels per day (about one-fifth of total capacity). The source said that at least 20% of Russia’s total export capacity is in a stalled state, down from 40% at March’s peak.
25. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they attacked steel and aluminum facilities in Gulf countries associated with the United States, and the IRGC said that these attacks are a warning; if Iran’s industry is attacked again, Tehran’s next response will be “more painful.”
26. The WTI crude oil May contract settled at $111.54 per barrel, up 11.41%; the Brent crude oil June contract settled at $109.03 per barrel, up 7.78%.
27. International precious metals fell. After a four-day streak, gold prices stopped rising. Spot gold closed down 1.71% at $4,677.1 per ounce; spot silver fell 2.73% to $73.05 per ounce.
28. SpaceX, it is reported, has raised its IPO target valuation to above $2 trillion.

【Major Events to Note】

① Today there is 1 new stock subscription, DaPuWei (301666) on the ChiNext board.
② CSI Index: On April 3, CSI Index will release 15 index series, including the CSI Kechuangchuangye Equity and Bond Constant Proportion Index series.
③ The 2026 Space Computing Power Industry Conference will be held on April 3.
④ The 4th Conference on Brain-Body Interaction will be held from April 3 to April 4.
⑤ Tianbing Technology’s Tianlong-3 rocket has been adjusted for a launch on April 3.
⑥ Stocks such as Hunan Development, Guilin Tourism, and Qianli Technology will disclose their 2025 annual reports today.
⑦ Today, RMB 146.2 billion in 7-day reverse repos will mature.
⑧ Today, the U.S. March unemployment rate and other data such as the U.S. March seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment population will be released.

【Overnight Global News】

Middle East Situation

1. In a statement, the Navy Command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out strikes on the U.S. Oracle company data center located in Dubai, UAE, and the Amazon company data center located in Bahrain.
2. The U.S. Navy’s nuclear aircraft carrier “Ford” left the port of Split, Croatia on April 2; its next destination has not been disclosed by the U.S. side.
3. A spokesperson for the Yemeni Houthis said that the Houthis and Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon have again launched joint military operations, firing a batch of ballistic missiles at targets in central Tel Aviv, Israel, to strike key facilities in Israel.
4. Uzhakov, an aide to the President of Russia, said that the Strait of Hormuz is open to Russia.
5. The Israel Defense Forces said that Jamshid Eshaqi, head of Iran’s military oil department, was killed in an airstrike on Iran’s capital, Tehran, launched by the Israeli military earlier this week. In addition, during an Israeli strike on the western Kermanshah region of Iran, the Israeli military killed the commander of an Iranian central missile unit, Marklam Atimi.
6. The Karajdi city Beygak highway bridge in Iran, described as the highest bridge in the Middle East and an iconic engineering project in Iran, was damaged in attacks by the United States and Israel.
7. Iran’s Foreign Minister Aragchi spoke by phone with Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov. Aragchi said that the Strait of Hormuz is currently open to vessels of non-aggressor states and that it is being conducted in coordination with Iran’s armed forces.

Global Markets

1. Because Trump threatened to escalate the war with Iran in the coming weeks, U.S. crude oil settlement prices rose above $110 per barrel for the first time since 2022, while spot Brent prices surged to a 2018 high. WTI crude oil May contract settled at $111.54 per barrel, up 11.41%; Brent crude oil June contract settled at $109.03 per barrel, up 7.78%.
2. International precious metals fell. Gold prices ended a four-day winning streak. Spot gold closed down 1.71% at $4,677.1 per ounce; spot silver fell 2.73% to $73.05 per ounce.
3. Copper prices fell along with other industrial metals on Thursday. LME copper fell 0.6% to $12,359.50 per ton; LME aluminum fell 1.8%, and LME zinc fell 0.8%.
4. The three major U.S. stock indexes closed mixed. The Dow fell 0.13%, the Nasdaq rose 0.18%, and the S&P 500 rose 0.11%. Technology stocks closed mixed. Tesla fell more than 5% and posted its largest single-day decline since November last year. The U.S. stock market was closed on Friday for a holiday; for the week, the Dow rose 2.96% cumulatively, the Nasdaq rose 4.44% cumulatively, and the S&P 500 rose 3.36% cumulatively, also posting its largest weekly gain since November last year.
5. Popular Chinese concept stocks closed mixed. The leader index of Chinese concept stocks of Limwell fell 0.72%. Tencent Holdings ADR, JD.com, and Alibaba fell more than 1%; Bawangchaj i (Bawang Tea?) rose more than 10%; NIO and Trip.com rose more than 1%.
6. The Hang Seng Index main board night session closed up 0.58% at 25,233 points. The Hang Seng Tech Index main board night session closed down 0.64% at 4,689 points. The FTSE China A50 Index futures night session closed up 0.56% at 14,719 points.
7. Most of Europe’s major stock indexes closed lower. The Euro Stoxx 50 index fell 0.62%. The UK FTSE 100 index rose 0.74%. France’s CAC 40 index fell 0.24%. Germany’s DAX 30 index fell 0.54%. The FTSE MIB index of Italy fell 0.20%.

Global News

1. SpaceX, it is reported, has already raised its IPO target valuation to above $2 trillion.
2. A White House announcement said that Trump signed a document under the Section 232 provisions of the “Trade Expansion Act of 1962,” and the U.S. will impose a 100% tariff on imported patented drugs and pharmaceutical ingredients.
3. The National Capital Planning Commission in Washington, D.C. approved the White House banquet hall construction project proposed by U.S. President Trump, namely the “East Wing Modernization Project.”
4. John Williams, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, said that risks to U.S. inflation and employment from rising energy prices are “in balance,” and he tends to keep interest rates unchanged.
5. JPMorgan Chase said that if oil transport through the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked before mid-May, there is a risk that oil prices could rise to above $150 per barrel.
6. Trump removed Bondi from his position as U.S. Attorney General; Todd Blanche will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney General.
7. U.S. mortgage rates rose for the fifth consecutive week; the 30-year mortgage rate rose to 6.46%.

This article involves information, data, and other content from public sources on the internet; it is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice.