Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-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 
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
Dollar Steadies Ahead of ECB and BoE Decisions as Markets Turn Risk-Off 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.–Iran Talks Ease Supply Disruption Fears 
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.
