Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.–Iran Talks Ease Supply Disruption Fears 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
Asian stock markets advanced on Monday, recovering part of last week’s losses as renewed expectations of a U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate cut in December strengthened investor confidence. Buying interest returned to the region’s beaten-down technology sector, although overall trading activity was somewhat subdued due to a market holiday in Japan.
Market sentiment improved after Wall Street closed higher on Friday, boosted by dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials. Futures tracking the S&P 500 climbed 0.5% in early Asian hours, signaling broader optimism ahead of key U.S. economic data releases for September, including inflation and labor market indicators. Traders are now pricing in a roughly 67% chance of a 25-basis-point rate cut in December—up sharply from last week’s estimates—according to CME FedWatch, driving demand for risk assets.
Across Asia, South Korea’s KOSPI led gains with a 1.2% rise, followed by Australia’s ASX 200, which climbed 1%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 1.3% as investors cautiously returned to tech names. India’s Nifty 50 futures were flat, reflecting a more measured market response.
Chinese stocks, however, underperformed. Mainland markets slipped about 0.3% as chipmaking shares experienced steep declines. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp dropped more than 7%, while AI chip firm Cambricon Technologies also weakened. The sell-off followed reports that the U.S. may allow NVIDIA to resume sales of its advanced H200 AI chips in China, potentially reducing demand for domestically produced semiconductors and raising concerns over China’s tech self-sufficiency goals.
Still, some Chinese tech giants posted modest gains. Tencent edged up 0.7%, Alibaba added 0.3% ahead of earnings, and Baidu rose nearly 2% after a JPMorgan upgrade citing strong AI and cloud growth potential.
Despite recent volatility, investors remain focused on the potential boost that lower U.S. interest rates could bring to global liquidity and risk-driven markets.
