US stocks lift and ASX 200 set to follow

It also said it expects to keep generating cash through the just-started fiscal 2027.Investors have been rattled by rising AI costs at big technology firms even as they report strong earnings It is unlikely when a coalition would start to protect shipping.US inflation slowed in June. with the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index rising 3.7% in the 12 months through June, after an unrevised 4.1% gain in May — the largest increase since April 2023.US economic growth slowed too due to the widening trade deficit, though other factors, including accelerating consumer spending and robust business investment in AI infrastructure, pointed to underlying strength.The Japanese yen rallied suddenly on Thursday, sparking speculation that Japanese authorities had stepped in to steady the currency after it weakened to a 40-year low against the US dollar.“The further it falls the more likely intervention becomes as an explanation," said Nick Rees, head of macro research at Monex Europe. "It’s a fairly sizeable fall and there’s no other obvious catalyst and the timing makes sense, coming at month-end and after weak U.S