Moody's Upgrades Argentina's Credit Rating Amid Economic Reforms 
Asian Stocks Rise as Weak US Jobs Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears 
UK Markets Face Rising Volatility as Hedge Funds Target Pound and Gilts 
Iran-Oman Near Strait of Hormuz Deal as Shipping Tensions Persist 
Rupee Marginally Weaker Amid Dollar Demand and RBI Intervention 
Wall Street Declines as Tariff Concerns Weigh on Markets 
S&P 500 Hits Record High Amid Earnings and Trump's Davos Speech 
Fed Governor Hints at Potential Rate Cuts Amid Positive Inflation Trends 
U.S. Treasury Yields Expected to Decline Amid Cooling Economic Pressures 
BOJ Rate Hike Expectations Rise Ahead of September Meeting 
South Korea to End Short-Selling Ban as Financial Market Uncertainty Persists 
Bank of America Clients Pour $1.1B into US Equities Amid Sector Shifts 
U.S. Stock Futures Steady Amid Bank Earnings and Inflation Focus 
US Stock Futures Flat as Iran Strait of Hormuz Demands Fuel Oil Concerns 
Asian Currencies Steady as Markets Await U.S. Jobs Data 
China Trade Surplus Beats Forecasts in July as Exports Stay Strong 
Asian markets mostly rose on Wednesday, led by a rally in technology stocks following OpenAI’s announcement of a $500 billion AI infrastructure partnership in the U.S. Key players in the venture include Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and Japan’s SoftBank Group, which soared over 7%. The initiative, named "Stargate," boosted demand prospects for AI chips and data center infrastructure, driving gains in tech-heavy markets.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.5%, with chipmakers Advantest, Tokyo Electron, and SK Hynix rising between 2.2% and 4%. Taiwan’s TSMC added over 2% in trade, while South Korea’s KOSPI climbed 0.6%. Broader optimism from Wall Street, where Netflix surged 10% after strong earnings, also lifted sentiment across the region.
Other Asian markets followed suit, with Australia’s ASX 200 up 0.4%, and India’s Nifty 50 futures signaling a mildly positive open despite a prior slump.
However, Chinese shares lagged after U.S. President Donald Trump reignited trade war concerns by threatening a 10% tariff on Chinese imports by February, citing issues such as fentanyl trafficking. The Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite dropped 0.9% and 0.8%, respectively, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.3%.
Trump’s tariff remarks underscored lingering trade tensions, though the proposed 10% tariff is far below his earlier 60% threat. Markets remain cautious as China is expected to introduce new stimulus measures to counter U.S. trade challenges.
Investors are also eyeing the Bank of Japan’s upcoming meeting, where a potential interest rate hike could signal confidence in improving economic growth and inflation. The tech rally, combined with global market cues, continues to dominate sentiment in Asian markets.
