U.S.-China Trade Talks Head to Paris as Officials Push for Balanced Economic Relations 
U.S. Futures Slide as Oil Prices Surge on Middle East Shipping Attacks 
Asia FX Steady as Iran War Signals and U.S. Inflation Data Weigh on Sentiment 
Gold Prices Climb Above $5,200 as Iran War Uncertainty and Inflation Data Loom 
Dollar Strengthens Amid Oil Price Surge and Inflation Fears 
Gold Prices Slip as U.S.-Israel-Iran War Fuels Dollar and Oil Demand 
Trump Administration Launches Trade Investigations Against 16 Countries Over Industrial Overcapacity 
German Exports Drop 2.3% in January, Exceeding Forecast Decline 
Global EV Sales Slump in February as China Records Steepest Decline Since COVID-19 
ANZ and Westpac Forecast Two RBA Rate Hikes in March and May 2026 
Fed Rate Cut Hopes Fade as Oil Prices Stoke Inflation Fears 
USMCA Reaffirmed as Canada and Mexico Push Back Against U.S. Bilateral Trade Signals 
Asian Markets Retreat as Oil Prices Surge Toward $100 Amid Middle East Tensions 
U.S. Markets Slip Amid Iran Conflict Uncertainty as Oil Prices Retreat 
Oil Prices Surge Toward $100/Barrel After Tanker Attacks in Iraqi Waters 
RBA Set for Back-to-Back Rate Hikes, Westpac Forecasts 
Asian Stock Markets Rise as Oil Prices Pull Back; U.S. CPI in Focus 
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.
