Daily Briefing · 2026-11-01

It has been reported that Iran's Supreme Leader has ordered a large-scale retaliation against an attack from the United States. Geopolitical risk in the Middle East is rapidly rising, intensifying concerns over a surge in crude oil prices. In North Korea, evaluation tests of cluster munitions were conducted. The display of military capability could lead to heightened regional tensions and increased defense spending by neighboring countries. Cryptocurrency industry. North Korean involvement has been confirmed in a cyberattack on major exchange Binance. Management and credit risks at the world's major cryptocurrency exchanges are becoming apparent. In the financial industry, a system vulnerability was discovered at a company under GMO. A user suffered a loss of 4.3 million yen, and it has also come to light that the issue had been flagged as early as 2024. GMO is scheduled to hold a press conference on November 2 with the president in attendance. In the US market, Intel shares saw their sharpest drop in 52 years, and the Nasdaq index also fell more than 3 percent at one point. Selling is spreading across AI and semiconductor-related stocks. Meanwhile, Kioxia indicated that net profit for the April-December 2026 period is expected to surge 24-fold year-on-year, driven by expanding demand for memory semiconductors. In France, 320,000 people took part in large-scale demonstrations demanding measures against rising prices, resulting in clashes with security forces. Growing social unrest raises concerns of a slowdown in economic activity and worsening inflationary pressure. The G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting has concluded, with Japan calling for strengthened cooperation to address supply chain vulnerabilities caused by China's overproduction. The four Quad nations have signaled a stance of jointly countering China's economic coercion. A Japan-Russia foreign ministers' meeting was held for the first time in 5 years, with both sides stating their intention to continue negotiations for the release of the detained Japanese journalist. In Oleshky, Ukraine, a local ceasefire has been achieved and the evacuation of residents has been completed. In the United States, early voting turnout for the midterm elections is exceeding 2022 levels. Domestically, the tax-free refund service at departure under the new tax exemption system has been simplified. In the retail industry, early Black Friday sales have begun, with increases in both sales and profits expected. In the secondhand clothing market, "Old Uniqlo" items have become popular, trading at several times their original retail price.