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Oil prices steadied in Asian trading as traders weighed developments in the Middle East conflict against continued bearish expectations for demand. Goldman Sachs still expects a peak upside of $10-$20 per barrel for Brent in the case of disruptions in Iranian production as the development of the conflict remains uncertain. The call options implied volatility skew jumped to mid-April levels last week, while Brent implied volatility surged above its model-implied fair value for the first time this year, Goldman said.

TAIPEI (Reuters) -TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, reported on Wednesday third-quarter revenue that easily beat both the market and company's own forecasts as it reaped the benefit from artificial intelligence (AI) demand. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, whose customers include Apple and Nvidia, has been at the forefront of the march towards AI that has helped it weather the tapering off of pandemic-led demand. It is not a direct comparison as TSMC provides monthly revenue data only in Taiwan dollars, but gives quarterly revenue figures and its outlook on its quarterly earnings calls both in U.S. dollars.

Mars Inc. has been boosting its business in the U.K., including with the purchase of Hotel Chocolat.

The MOVE index, which measures expected volatility in U.S. Treasury notes, spiked to the highest since January, hinting at tighter financial conditions ahead.

Gravity brought China's soaring stock market back to earth with a thud on Wednesday. Disappointment about the lack - so far - of follow-through on stimulus promises has triggered a pullback in a spectacular rally and could be a harbinger of further weakness in China-exposed assets trading in London and Europe. Metals and other commodities were on the slide along with China proxies such as the Australian dollar.

WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand's central bank slashed rates by 50 basis points on Wednesday and said policy is still restrictive even though inflation has returned to target, prompting markets to bet on yet more aggressive easing and sending the kiwi dollar skidding. The decision to reduce the cash rate to 4.75% was in line with market pricing and most economists' expectations, with 17 of 28 economists in a Reuters poll having forecast the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) to cut the benchmark rate by half a percentage point. “The Committee agreed that it is appropriate to cut the OCR (official cash rate) by 50 basis points to achieve and maintain low and stable inflation, while seeking to avoid unnecessary instability in output, employment, interest rates, and the exchange rate," the central bank said in its policy statement.

Last week, CoinDesk's Sam Kessler reported that developers and IT workers employed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea – i.e. North Korea – had managed to get themselves hired by a number of crypto projects, giving them two different ways of raising funds for the national regime.

"Of course I'm not Satoshi," Todd told CoinDesk Tuesday, saying that filmmaker Cullen Hoback was "grasping at straws."

(Bloomberg) -- Leveraged equity positions in China surged at the fastest pace in more than a decade as traders boosted risky wagers upon their return from the Golden Week holiday. Most Read from BloombergUrban Heat Stress Is Another Disparity in the World’s Most Unequal NationFrom Cleveland to Chicago, NFL Teams Dream of Domed StadiumsSingapore Ends 181 Years of Horse Racing to Make Way for HomesChicago’s $1 Billion Budget Hole Exacerbated by School TurmoilShould Evictions Be Banned After Hurric

(Bloomberg) -- New Zealand’s central bank cut interest rates by half a percentage point, stepping up the pace of easing as policymakers become more concerned about the economic slowdown.Most Read from BloombergUrban Heat Stress Is Another Disparity in the World’s Most Unequal NationFrom Cleveland to Chicago, NFL Teams Dream of Domed StadiumsSingapore Ends 181 Years of Horse Racing to Make Way for HomesChicago’s $1 Billion Budget Hole Exacerbated by School TurmoilShould Evictions Be Banned After