RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
South Africa Eyes ECB Repo Lines as Inflation Eases and Rate Cuts Loom 
Russian Stocks End Mixed as MOEX Index Closes Flat Amid Commodity Strength 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Asian stocks traded mixed on Wednesday, supported by record highs on Wall Street while Australian shares declined after inflation data reduced prospects of near-term rate cuts. Investor sentiment was dominated by the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, widely expected to conclude with a 25-basis-point rate cut later in the day.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged over 2% to a new record of 51,311.47, driven by strong gains in chipmakers and AI-related stocks. Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) jumped 5% overnight after announcing plans to build seven AI supercomputers for the U.S. Department of Energy. The broader TOPIX index remained steady. In South Korea, the KOSPI hit an all-time high of 4,078.99, with SK Hynix (KS:000660) soaring on record third-quarter earnings fueled by booming demand for high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI servers.
Market optimism in Japan was further supported by a new U.S.-Japan rare earths agreement signed during former President Donald Trump’s visit to Tokyo. Attention also turned to Trump’s upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, where discussions are expected to focus on easing trade tensions and avoiding new tariffs.
China’s blue-chip CSI 300 rose 0.5%, and the Shanghai Composite added 0.3%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dipped 0.3%. Singapore’s Straits Times Index slipped 0.3%, and Nifty 50 futures edged 0.2% higher.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.8% after third-quarter CPI data came in above expectations. Headline inflation rose 1.3% for the quarter, while the trimmed mean climbed 1.0%, bringing the annual rate to 3.0%. The stronger inflation figures prompted traders to delay bets on rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of Australia, with Westpac analysts noting that even a February cut “is far from certain” following the upside surprise.
