U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Gold Prices Slide Below $5,000 as Strong Dollar and Central Bank Outlook Weigh on Metals 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
Dollar Steadies Ahead of ECB and BoE Decisions as Markets Turn Risk-Off 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
Asian stocks ticked up on Thursday, lifted by optimism over Nvidia’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) brief surge to a $4 trillion market cap and expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts later this year. The MSCI Asia-Pacific index (excluding Japan) rose 0.2%, as investors shrugged off U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats targeting copper imports and several countries, including Brazil and Japan.
Despite Trump's announcement of a 50% copper tariff starting August 1 and a similar threat against Brazil, market reaction was muted. Japan’s Nikkei slipped 0.56%, while China’s CSI300 gained 0.2% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.1%. U.S. futures dipped slightly in Asian trade, with S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures down 0.2%.
Nvidia's valuation milestone reinforced strong investor sentiment toward AI stocks. Meanwhile, Fed minutes released Wednesday showed most policymakers anticipate rate cuts later this year, suggesting any inflation shock from tariffs will likely be temporary. This buoyed risk appetite as investors bet on looser monetary policy.
The U.S. dollar weakened against major currencies, falling 0.4% versus the yen to 145.79, while the euro rose to $1.1742 and the pound to $1.3605. The Brazilian real neared a one-month low at 5.5826 per dollar following tariff threats.
Bitcoin hovered near its all-time high at $111,234.63, with ether up 1.3% to $2,775.54. OKX Singapore’s CEO noted investors are focusing on digital assets with real-world utility, with Bitcoin remaining the top choice.
In commodities, Brent crude dipped 0.16% to $70.08, U.S. crude fell 0.22% to $68.23, and spot gold rose 0.3% to $3,322.69, reflecting cautious optimism across global markets.
