Gold Prices Steady Ahead of U.S. Inflation Data and Fed Decision 
Iran Threatens Gulf Energy Assets as U.S. Tensions Escalate 
China Exports Surge 25% in August as Trade Surplus Hits $119 Billion 
Japan GDP Growth Beats Forecast, Boosting BOJ Rate Hike Bets 
US Stock Futures Mixed as Fed Rate Hike Bets Rise 
US Bans Canadian Alcohol, Motorcycles as Trade War Escalates 
Japan, U.S. Stay Aligned on Yen as Currency Surges 
Oil Prices Rally as Brent Nears $100 on U.S.-Iran Escalation 
Canada Retaliatory Tariffs on U.S. Goods Take Effect 
Hungary Industrial Output Beats Forecasts With 4.7% July Growth 
UK Food Inflation Forecast to Hit 6.4% by Mid-2027 
China Inflation Accelerates in August as CPI, PPI Rise 
Hormuz Shipping Slows as Iran Threats Lift Oil Risks 
Asian Stocks Mixed as AI Chip Rally Meets Oil Surge 
China Boosts Gold Reserves by 650,000 Ounces as Prices Rally 
Oil Prices Hold Near Highs as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates 
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Asian stocks showed mixed performance in light trading Thursday, with several markets closed for the Lunar New Year. The U.S. dollar remained steady after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, signaling no rush to cut them.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated that while the economy remains strong, it is not overheating. However, uncertainty looms over U.S. trade policies, with potential new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China set for Saturday.
On Wall Street, major tech earnings were mixed. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) exceeded revenue expectations, but Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) missed profit margin estimates. Meta (NASDAQ: META) provided a weaker-than-expected first-quarter revenue forecast, while Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) reports earnings later Thursday. The results had little impact on concerns about Chinese AI startup DeepSeek challenging U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence, which had sparked a global tech selloff earlier in the week.
U.S. stock indexes closed slightly lower Wednesday, with tech dragging down the S&P 500 by 0.5%. However, futures pointed to a 0.4% rebound. Australia's benchmark index rose 0.5%, while Japan's Nikkei remained flat.
The U.S. dollar index held at 107.89, with the euro at $1.0420 ahead of the European Central Bank's expected rate cut. The yen strengthened 0.4% to 154.55 per dollar before a speech from Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino.
Oil prices edged higher after U.S. crude closed at its lowest level this year. WTI crude rose 0.3% to $72.84 per barrel, while Brent crude added 0.2% to $76.73, with markets watching Trump’s potential tariffs on Canada and Mexico, key U.S. oil suppliers.
