U.S.–Venezuela Relations Show Signs of Thaw as Top Envoy Visits Caracas 
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
S&P 500 Rises as AI Stocks and Small Caps Rally on Strong Earnings Outlook 
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data 
Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors 
Dollar Holds Firm as Markets Weigh Warsh-Led Fed and Yen Weakness Ahead of Japan Election 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
Japan Finance Minister Defends PM Takaichi’s Remarks on Weak Yen Benefits 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
Philippines Manufacturing PMI Hits Nine-Month High Despite Weak Confidence Outlook 
Asian markets surged Thursday as positive earnings and easing trade tensions boosted risk sentiment. Japan’s Topix index reached a record high, tracking Wall Street’s gains after Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) beat earnings estimates, sparking optimism for the “Magnificent Seven” tech results driving U.S. markets.
The rally followed a U.S.-Japan trade pact that fueled speculation of more agreements to mitigate tariffs. The United States recently secured trade deals with the Philippines and Indonesia, while a U.S.-EU agreement imposing 15% tariffs on select European imports and exempting others is reportedly nearing completion. Additionally, U.S. and Chinese officials are set to meet in Stockholm next week to discuss trade.
Second-quarter earnings season in the U.S. is underway, with 23% of S&P 500 companies reporting so far; 85% have exceeded Wall Street forecasts, according to LSEG data. Alphabet highlighted soaring demand for its cloud services and announced increased capital spending, while Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) reported its steepest sales decline in over a decade, missing profit expectations.
MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index outside Japan rose 0.3%, while Japan’s Topix advanced 1.4%. The Australian dollar, viewed as a risk proxy, climbed to $0.66, its highest level since November 2024. The U.S. dollar slipped 0.1% to 146.38 yen.
Commodities also gained: U.S. crude rose 0.4% to $65.5 per barrel, and spot gold edged up 0.1% to $3,390.84 an ounce. European futures mirrored the bullish sentiment, with Euro Stoxx 50 and German DAX futures up 1.3%, while U.S. S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures added 0.13% and 0.4%, respectively, signaling continued global market momentum.
