South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
Dollar Steadies Ahead of ECB and BoE Decisions as Markets Turn Risk-Off 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.–Iran Talks Ease Supply Disruption Fears 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings 
Gold Prices Slide Below $5,000 as Strong Dollar and Central Bank Outlook Weigh on Metals 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
The U.S. dollar opened December on weaker footing as global investors prepared for a pivotal month marked by a potential final Federal Reserve rate cut of the year and growing expectations for a dovish successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Currency markets in Asia were particularly focused on Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda’s upcoming speech, which could offer clues on whether Japan is ready to shift toward a rate hike to help stabilise the yen.
Following last week’s hours-long outage at CME Group that disrupted global trading across major asset classes, foreign exchange markets were back in full action on Monday. Even so, price movements were limited as traders awaited key data releases and policy signals expected throughout December.
The Japanese yen extended earlier gains after fresh data showed corporate investment rose 2.9% in the July–September period compared to the previous year. The figure suggested Japan’s economy is managing the impact of U.S. tariffs better than expected. The yen strengthened 0.2% to 155.84 per dollar, moving away from last month’s 10-month low of 157.90—a level that had prompted speculation of possible intervention. Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama reiterated concerns over recent “erratic” currency swings, saying they were not aligned with economic fundamentals.
Analysts expect Ueda may use his speech to guide markets toward a potential December rate hike, especially as officials have increasingly expressed concern about rapid yen depreciation. Meanwhile, the euro edged up to $1.1600, and the British pound held steady at $1.3240 after gaining broadly last week following the release of the UK’s long-awaited budget.
Market attention remained fixed on U.S. monetary policy, with traders pricing in an 87% chance of a 25-basis-point Fed rate cut next week. Reports naming White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett as the leading candidate for the next Fed chair also weighed on the dollar, which slipped to 99.42 against a basket of currencies.
In the crypto market, bitcoin fell 3.6% to $87,881.82, while ether dropped 5% to $2,871.59 as broader risk sentiment remained cautious.
