Gold prices advanced for a third straight session on Tuesday, with investors keenly anticipating the forthcoming Federal Reserve meeting minutes that could shape monetary policy. The softness in U.S. economic indicators has sparked optimism that the Fed may maintain rates. In light of escalating geopolitical uncertainties, gold is once again being viewed as a safe-haven investment, alongside gains in silver and platinum.

Ethereum Foundation protocol architecture team member Toni Wahrstätter said the Ethereum Hegotá upgrade is taking shape. The recommended core plan would make FOCIL the main upgrade to improve censorship resistance. It would also add Frame Transactions as an execution-layer upgrade to enhance transaction expressiveness and user experience.

BHP Group Ltd reported record FY26 earnings, with underlying EBITDA up 27% year on year, and declared a fully franked dividend of US$1.72 per share, equivalent to about AU$2.41. Following the announcement, the miner’s shares rose about 4% in early trading. The stock is up about 41% year to date.

India’s mid- and small-cap companies posted strong June-quarter earnings, led by a 20% year-on-year rise in aggregate revenue among Nifty MidCap 150 constituents, a 16-quarter high. Operating profit rose 27%, extending a run of double-digit growth to 13 quarters. Aggregate net profit increased 23%, marking a second consecutive quarter of double-digit growth despite a 17.2% rise in total costs.

South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI opened higher on Tuesday, led by gains in chip stocks. As of 9:15 a.m., the index was up 2.39% at 7,144.85. Samsung Electronics rose 3.64% and SK hynix gained 6.38%. The tech-led advance came even after a drop in U.S. stocks overnight and as Middle East concerns kept oil prices high, adding to inflation worries.

SKS Technologies reported record FY26 results, with sales revenue rising 33.0% year on year to A$347.93 million. Net profit after tax surged 93.2% to A$27.11 million, supported by major contracts in the data centre segment. EBITDA increased 80.8% to A$42.43 million. Earnings per share climbed to 23.45 cents.

Pro Medicus reported full-year revenue of A$261.7 million, up 22.9% year on year, with underlying NPAT rising 24.1% to A$144.7 million. The company remained debt-free as cash and financial assets increased to A$252.3 million. It lifted its full-year dividend by 25.5% to 69 cents per share. During the year, it signed 10 new contracts worth at least A$407 million, including a 10-year deal with UC Health Colorado.

BHP reported FY26 results with underlying EBITDA of US$32.9 billion, up 27% year on year, and underlying attributable profit of US$13.2 billion, up 30%. The company determined dividends of US$8.7 billion, equal to 172 US cents per share. Copper contributed 54% of group EBITDA, iron ore production reached a record, and unit costs across major assets fell 6%.