Oil Prices Slip as U.S.–Iran Talks Ease Supply Disruption Fears 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
Dollar Steadies Ahead of ECB and BoE Decisions as Markets Turn Risk-Off 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings 
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Asian markets struggled for direction on Wednesday as growing concerns over stretched artificial intelligence valuations weighed on sentiment ahead of Nvidia’s highly anticipated earnings report. The Nasdaq fell 1.2% overnight, marking a second straight day of losses and placing the index more than 6% below its late-October record, as investors reassessed lofty tech valuations.
U.S. stock futures were flat in early Asian trading, while Japan’s Nikkei managed a modest 0.4% rise and South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.8%. Nvidia, a key driver of the global AI-fueled stock rally, will report results after the U.S. market close. Analysts expect a sharp 56% jump in fiscal Q3 revenue to $54.92 billion, according to LSEG data. With Nvidia’s share price widely viewed as “priced for perfection,” analysts say continued strong GPU demand will be critical to justify its premium.
Broader market caution is also driven by shifting expectations for U.S. monetary policy. Traders now price only a 42% chance of a Federal Reserve rate cut in December, down sharply from near certainty a month earlier. Concerns over fiscal policy—amplified by worries about President Donald Trump’s declining approval ratings and the potential for increased government spending—have kept U.S. Treasury yields elevated. The 10-year yield held steady at 4.11%.
Japan’s bond market also faced pressure as fears over expanding fiscal spending pushed long-end yields higher. Benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond yields hit a 17-year high of 1.765% ahead of a key 20-year auction.
In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin recovered slightly to $92,000 after briefly dipping below $90,000, though it remains down 27% from its October peak. Analysts attribute the drop to equity market weakness, fading rate-cut hopes, and leverage unwinding rather than the start of a prolonged downturn.
Meanwhile, currency markets remained steady, with the yen weakening to 155.45 per dollar—approaching levels that previously prompted intervention warnings. Gold hovered near $4,066 after recent declines, while Brent crude dipped to $64.51 a barrel.
