Gold Prices Stabilize but Head for Worst Weekly Drop in Six Years Amid Iran War Inflation Fears 
Tech Stocks Resilient Amid Bond Market Pressure and AI Boom 
Gold Hits Record High as Investors Eye Fed Chair Powell’s Speech on Tariffs 
Equities Face Uncertain Outlook in 2025 Amid High Valuations and Risks 
U.S. Stocks Hit Unprecedented Peaks Amid Growing Speculation of Federal Rate Cuts 
Australia's February Jobs Data Sends Mixed Signals on Rate Outlook 
Apple Loses Top Spot in China's Smartphone Market Amid Rising Competition 
PBOC Scraps Forex Risk Reserve as Yuan Rally Pressures Chinese Exporters 
Saudi Arabia Raises Oil Prices for Asia Amid Market Volatility and Middle East Tensions 
Global Central Banks Hold Rates Amid Iran War-Driven Energy Price Surge 
Asian Markets Mixed as Oil Volatility and Inflation Fears Weigh on Sentiment 
Goldman Sachs Delays Bank of England Rate Cut Forecast Amid Middle East Inflation Risks 
Japan's Parliament Backs Dovish BOJ Board Members, Raising Questions on Rate Hike Path 
Fed May Tighten Policy if Inflation Stalls Despite Weak Labor Market 
China Holds Benchmark Loan Prime Rate Steady for Tenth Consecutive Month 
The yen experienced volatile trading after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) raised interest rates by 25 basis points at its policy meeting, aligning with market expectations. The currency settled at 156 per dollar, with investors awaiting BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda's briefing for further guidance on rate hikes.
Other currencies saw notable movements, with the euro inching up 0.08% to 162.71 yen and the pound gaining 0.17% to 192.99 yen. Japan's core consumer prices rose 3.0% year-on-year in December, the fastest pace in 16 months, adding inflationary pressure.
The Australian and New Zealand dollars surged following U.S. President Donald Trump's softer stance on China tariffs, revealed during a Fox News interview. The Aussie climbed to $0.6321, while the kiwi reached $0.5708, both hitting five-week highs. These currencies, proxies for the Chinese yuan, benefited alongside the yuan itself, which hit its strongest levels since December at 7.2450 per dollar onshore and 7.2519 offshore.
Trump’s comments also triggered a broad decline in the U.S. dollar, which fell 0.23% to 107.89 against a basket of currencies, marking its worst weekly loss in two months. The euro rose 0.24% to $1.0441, and sterling advanced 0.32% to $1.2391, with both on track for strong weekly gains. Market sentiment shifted as investors priced out tariff risk premiums from the dollar.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin climbed 0.51% to $103,648.55, and Ether gained 1.75% to $3,305.51, as Trump announced a cryptocurrency task force to regulate digital assets and explore a national crypto stockpile, signaling a significant policy shift.
