伊朗与阿曼达成霍尔木兹海峡航运协议，能源市场或迎缓解

HASLINDA: LIVE FROM SINGAPORE, THIS IS "INSIGHT" WHERE WE DIVE INTO THE STORIES THAT MATTER WITH CRUCIAL CONTEXT AND SHARP ANALYSIS. IRAN AND OMAN AGREE ON A SHIPPING ACCORD FOR THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, SIGNALING POTENTIAL RELIEF FOR ENERGY MARKETS AS REGIONAL NEGOTIATIONS ADVANCE. CHINA PUSHES BACK AGAINST U.S. CURBS USING ITS DRONE DOMINANCE, TESTING A FRAGILE TRADE TRUCE AS XI AND TRUMP MOVED TOWARD THEIR UPCOMING SUMMIT. PROFIT NEARLY DOUBLED LAST QUARTER. THE OPERATOR OF INDIA'S LARGEST ONLINE INSURANCE MARKETPLACE, PB FINTECH'S CHAIRMAN AND CEO WILL JOIN US FOR AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW. ONE COMPANY JUMPED ON ITS DEBUT AFTER A NEARLY $1 BILLION RACE. AHEAD, ITS COO DISCUSSES WHAT IS PLANNED FOR ONE OF WHAT IS ONE OF INDIA'S LARGEST HOSPITAL NETWORKS. AND EX-PATS FLOCKED BACK TO HONG KONG AS IPO ACTIVITY ACCELERATES AND TAX INCENTIVES ATTRACT TALENT. WORK VISA APPROVALS MORE THAN DOUBLED FROM FIVE YEARS AGO. OUR TOP STORY TODAY, IRAN SAYS IT REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH HIM ON A PROPOSED SHIPPING ROUTE THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. IT IS A POTENTIAL STEP TOWARD THE REOPENING OF THE WATERWAY FOR ENERGY SUPPLIES, ACCORDING TO THE IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, A JOINT STATEMENT FROM TEHRAN IS UNDERWAY AND IN THE FINAL DRAFTING STAGE. MEANWHILE, BRENT CRUDE IS HOLDING RECENT LOSSES AND REMAINS JUST UNDER $80 A BARREL. TRADERS MONITOR THE DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS. FOR MORE, OUR MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT JOINS US. ABEER: YOU JUST SAID IT, WE ARE WAITING FOR THAT DRAFT STATEMENT BETWEEN IRAN AND OMAN. OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THEY REACHED AN AGREEMENT ON TEMPORARILY OPENING UP THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. HOW THAT MECHANISM WOULD WORK, WE STILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR DETAILS, BUT WHAT WE UNDERSTAND PRELIMINARY IS OUTBOUND SHIPS IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ WOULD GO THROUGH THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STRAIT, CLOSEST TO THE OMANI BORDER, AND SHIPS GOING OUT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE OMANI BORDER SIDE, OR THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE STREET OF HORMUZ. WE HAVE REPORTED MULTIPLE TIMES THAT THE TWO COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS OVER THE PAST 10 DAYS TO FIND A MECHANISM THAT WOULD OPEN UP THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND MANAGE TO GET A TRICKLE OF MOVEMENT THROUGH THE WATERWAY. MUCH-NEEDED TRICKLE OF MOVEMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN THE REGION, ESPECIALLY IN THE RED SEA THAT HAS BEEN UNDER QUESTION FROM THE YEMEN-BASED HOUTHIS. WHAT WE KNOW FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTRY, THE SPOKESPERSON SAID THE DEAL IS STRUCK IF THIRD PARTIES DO NOT OBSTRUCT THIS PROCESS, REFERRING TO THE UNITED STATES. HE SAID WASHINGTON WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS. WE HEARD FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP YESTERDAY ON THAT TARMAC IN L.A. HE SAID A DEAL IS IMMINENT AND WE WILL HEAR MORE AND THE NEXT 48 HOURS. WASHINGTON'S INVOLVEMENT IN THESE TALKS IS NOT CLEAR FOR THE TIME BEING. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT FORMAL TALKS FOR THE TIME BEING. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT NAMELY THE NUCLEAR COMPONENT, MERELY A MECHANISM THAT WOULD OPEN UP THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND GET ENERGY FLOWS TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. ANY OF THE OTHER CONCESSIONS THAT WERE REACHED IN SWITZERLAND IN JUNE ARE PRETTY MUCH OUT OF THE WINDOW. THE QATARIS MEDIATING A RESTART TO THOSE NEGOTIATIONS, BUT NOTHING IS CLEAR ON WHEN OR WHERE THOSE WOULD TAKE PLACE. HASLINDA: WE DID HEAR FROM VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE, SAYING REVELRIES WITHIN IRAN ITSELF IS HINDERING NEGOTIATIONS. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THAT?

WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS? ABEER: THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION, SOMETHING I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING. WE REPORTED THE PRESIDENT AND IRAN HAD A TELEVISED STATEMENT YESTERDAY. HE SAID IRAN IS FACING THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME SINCE THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IN THE 70'S. HE ALSO ADDED REACHING THE SUPREME LEADER IS A VERY DIFFICULT TASK RIGHT NOW. REALLY THIS GETS TO SHOW YOU HOW DIFFICULT IT IS WITHIN THE ECHELONS OF POWER IN IRAN ITSELF. SOMETHING TO BEAR IN MIND ACCORDING TO NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, A FEW NAMES COME TO MIND, THAT IS THE PRESIDENT, THE FOREIGN MINISTER, THE SPOKESPEOPLE AND PEOPLE FROM THE IRGC THAT HAVE BEEN ON TOP OF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS. IRAN HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED THIS SINGLE FRONT THE NEGOTIATIONS. THE OFFICIALS THERE HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO PRESENT A UNIFIED FRONT TO THE WORLD. JD VANCE HAS SAID THOSE DIFFERENCES IN POWER ARE HINDERING THE WIDER TALKS. THIS IS A LITTLE BIT PRESENT IN THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS YESTERDAY. MAY BE SOME TRUTH TO THAT. HASLINDA: HOW ABOUT IN TERMS OF A REAL DIPLOMATIC BREAKTHROUGH?

WE HAVE SEEN THAT BEFORE, BUT IT LASTED ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME. WHAT ARE THE REAL PROSPECTS OF THAT HAPPENING? ABEER: ANOTHER VERY GOOD QUESTION. SINCE THAT MOU WAS REACHED IN SWITZERLAND IT ONLY TOOK A MONTH FOR THE HOSTILITIES TO RETURN TO THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY ONLY STOPPED REALISTICALLY A WEEK OR SO AGO. PRESIDENT TRUMP THREATENED IN THE BIGGEST ATTACK AGAINST IRAN SINCE WORLD WAR II, THEN GOING BACK ON HIS WORDS. REPORTS ABOUT DIFFERENT REASONS BEHIND THAT COULD BOIL DOWN TO THE U.S. RUNNING LOW ON AMMUNITION. WHEN IT COMES TO THE PROSPECTS OF A REAL BREAKTHROUGH IN THE REGION, THE SHORT AND REAL ANSWER TO THAT IS IT'S JUST UNCLEAR AT THE MOMENT. WE KNOW THAT DIFFER PARTIES -- THAT DIFFERENT PARTIES ARE TRYING TO MEDIATE BETWEEN THE U.S. AND IRAN TO ACTUALLY GET FORMAL TALKS RESTARTED. THAT IS THE KEY, FORMAL TALKS HAVE NEVER RESTARTED BETWEEN IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES. IRAN HAD ALWAYS MAINTAINED IT WOULD SEND DELEGATES AND MEDIATORS TO DELIVER ITS MESSAGES, BUT THOSE FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT THE WIDER CONCESSIONS NEVER REALLY HAPPENED. WE UNDERSTAND QATAR IS DRAFTING ITS OWN BLUEPRINT FOR BOTH PARTIES TO LOOK AT TO START THOSE DISCUSSIONS. BUT A REAL BREAKTHROUGH IS NOWHERE IN SIGHT FOR THE TIME BEING. EVERYONE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND WHETHER THAT WOULD OPEN UP IMMEDIATELY. FROM THE IRANIAN SIDE WE UNDERSTAND EVEN THAT COULD NOT HAPPEN ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS, ACCORDING TO RAINEY IN STATE TV YESTERDAY DOWNPLAYING THE PROSPECTS OF AN IMMEDIATE OPENING TO THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. THERE ARE DIFFERENCES EVEN ON THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, LET ALONE PRESIDENT TRUMP'S MAIN GOAL, THE NUCLEAR COMPONENT. HASLINDA: GREAT REPORTING AS ALWAYS. IN THE MEANTIME, LET'S DO A CHECK ON MARKETS. THE MSCI ASIA PAC INDEX DOWN 1%, EXTENDING THE LOSS FOR THE DAY. THE TECH RALLY STALLING ON WALL STREET. CHIPMAKERS IN PARTICULAR LEADING THE PACK LOWER. IN TERMS OF BRENT CRUDE, UP BY 0.4%. WE HAVE GOLD TRADING HIGHER BY 0.8%. SILVER IN POSITIVE TERRITORY AS WELL. GOLD JUMPING THE MOST SINCE FEBRUARY. WE ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON THE YEN. DOLLAR-YEN AT 157.71, FOLLOWING FOUR DAYS OF RALLY FOR THE JAPANESE CURRENCY. IN TERMS OF THE ASIAN MARKETS WE HAD THE CSI 300, THE HANG SENG LEADING THE PACK LOWER. THE HANG SENG DOWN ALMOST 2%. LET'S GET MORE ON MARKETS WITH OUR GUEST WHO SEES ROOM FOR ASSET CLASS ROTATION AND BELIEVES GOLD COULD BE A BENEFICIARY. HEAD OF INVESTMENT SERVICES ASIA AT BNP PARIBAS WEALTH MANAGEMENT. LET'S START WITH GOLD. MORE UPSIDE FROM HERE. WHY?

>> INDEED, GOLD SEEMS TO HAVE ALMOST FORESHADOWED OUR DISCUSSION TODAY. OF COURSE HEADLINE DRIVEN. THE ASSET CLASS HAS NOT PERFORMED THE WAY WE EXPECTED AND HAS BEEN DOWN FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. A COUPLE REASONS FOR THIS. THE STRONGER DOLLAR OBVIOUSLY HAS CONTRIBUTED, AS HAS CONCERNS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR RAISING OF RATES. GOLD NOT BEARING ANY INTEREST ALWAYS SEEMS TO SUFFER IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. GEOPOLITICAL RISK HAS PLAYED INTO IT, WHICH SOMETIMES COMES AS A SURPRISE TO MANY INVESTORS GIVEN THAT GOLD IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE ASSET YOU DIVERSIFY TO. WE THINK THERE IS PLENTY MORE UPSIDE FROM HERE. WE HAVE BEEN FANS OF GOLD FOR A WHILE. GOLD AND PRECIOUS METALS IN GENERAL. PARTLY BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT HAVING STRENGTHENED A FAIR AMOUNT WE EXPECT SOME WEAKENING IN THE DOLLAR. AND THAT SHOULD PLAY INTO GOLD. ALSO INFLATIONARY SITUATIONS TEND TO CAUSE A MOVE BACK INTO GOLD AS A CLASSIC INFLATIONARY HEDGE. IT IS ALSO THE SEMI-CURRENCY, QU ASI CURRENCY WHERE THERE IS NO OBLIGATION WHERE YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT DEBT TO GDP RATIOS OF SOME OF THE BIGGER