Asian Stocks Tumble as Tech Selloff Deepens Ahead of Fed Decision, Big Tech Earnings 
US Dollar Slips Ahead of Fed Decision as Oil Prices Ease Inflation Fears 
TSMC Gradually Restarts Japan Chip Plant After Kumamoto Earthquake 
Gold Prices Fall 1% Ahead of Fed Decision as Markets Watch Warsh, Iran Talks 
Unilever Raises 2026 Sales Outlook After Strong Q2 Volume Growth 
Asian Stocks Sink as AI Spending Fears and China Chip Advances Hit Tech Shares 
Galp Shares Fall After Q2 EBITDA Miss Despite Profit Beat and Higher Dividend 
Johnson & Johnson Proposes $5.5 Billion Talc Settlement to Resolve U.S. Ovarian Cancer Lawsuits 
Barclays Q2 Profit Beats Forecasts as Investment Banking Strength Offsets Higher Costs 
European Natural Gas Prices Sink as Middle East Tensions Ease, Oil Slumps 
Brown-Forman Rejects Sazerac’s $15 Billion Takeover Bid as Family Backs Independence 
Stellantis Sells Free2move Car-Sharing Business to Mutares to Strengthen Core Auto Strategy 
Air Liquide Q2 Sales Growth Tops Forecast as Electronics Business Drives Strong Performance 
BHP, Port Hedland Unions Fail to Reach Wage Deal as Negotiations Continue 
Zhongji Innolight Raises $6.8 Billion in Hong Kong IPO as AI Demand Fuels Growth 
US Stock Futures Slip as AI Spending Fears, Fed Decision Weigh on Markets 
Sika Raises 2026 Sales Outlook After Strong First-Half Results Beat Expectations 
Top global investment banks (IB) forecast the South Korean economy to grow 3.4 percent this year, up by 0.1 percentage point from their previous estimate.
Credit Suisse upgraded its estimate by 0.7 percentage point to 3.6 percent and HSBC by 0.5 percentage point to 2.7 percent.
Others surveyed in late December, Barclays, BoA-Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Nomura Securities, and UBS, have retained their previous projections ranging from 3 percent to 4.1 percent.
UBS gave the rosiest outlook of 4.1 percent.
South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance recently forecasted a 3.2 percent growth, while the Bank of Korea gave a 3 percent outlook.
The average 2021 outlook for the global economy stood at 5.7 percent.
The forecast for China was an 8.4 percent growth, while the US was given a 4.4 percent growth outlook. Japan is expected to grow 3 percent.
