Oil Prices Steady as U.S.-Iran Truce Uncertainty and Middle East Tensions Keep Markets on Edge 
Oil Prices Slide as U.S.-Iran Deal and Hormuz Reopening Ease Supply Concerns 
US Stock Futures Slip After Wall Street Rally Fueled by US-Iran Deal and Chipmaker Surge 
Trump Says No Hormuz Strait Tolls During 60-Day Iran Ceasefire 
Asian Stocks Surge as Oil Prices Fall and Strong US Dollar Weighs on Markets 
Canada, British Columbia Launch $5 Billion Infrastructure Partnership to Boost Housing, Transit, and Healthcare 
Asian Stocks Rally as Japan and South Korea Reach Record Highs on US-Iran Peace Deal 
Gold Prices Slide as Hawkish Fed and Strong Dollar Weigh on Bullion 
Yen Near 40-Year Lows Despite BOJ Rate Hike, Markets Brace for Possible Intervention 
Canada Imposes 10% Tariff on Canned Vegetable Imports to Protect Domestic Industry 
Australia Eases Capital Gains Tax Reforms to Support Small Businesses and Startups 
BOJ Signals More Rate Hikes as Inflation Risks Rise Amid Energy Price Pressures 
Asian Currencies Steady as Dollar Holds Firm Ahead of Fed Decision and US-Iran Deal Details 
Trump Questions USMCA Renewal as Trade Talks Continue 
Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Index Hits New 52-Week Low; Gold Falls and Oil Mixed 
Dollar Hits One-Month High as Hawkish Fed Outlook Boosts Greenback 
Fed Chair Kevin Warsh Signals Policy Overhaul as Hawkish Rate Outlook Rattles Markets 
Global financial markets ended Friday on a weaker note as major stock indexes declined, led by a sharp selloff in technology shares amid renewed skepticism over artificial intelligence investments. Rising U.S. Treasury yields and a firmer dollar further pressured equities, highlighting investor caution despite the traditionally strong year-end period for stocks.
Technology stocks were the worst-performing sector in the S&P 500, falling nearly 3% as concerns about high spending and shrinking margins in the AI and cloud computing space intensified. Shares of chipmaker Broadcom plunged more than 11% after it warned about margin pressures, while Oracle extended losses with another drop following weak forecasts and heavy investment spending. Nvidia, a key AI bellwether, also declined, reflecting broader uncertainty around the sustainability of the AI-driven rally.
Market sentiment was further weighed down by comments from U.S. Federal Reserve officials who opposed this week’s interest rate cut. They emphasized that inflation remains too elevated to justify aggressive easing, pushing U.S. Treasury yields higher. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed above 4.19%, marking its second consecutive weekly increase, and rising yields added pressure on equity valuations.
Despite the Fed’s 25-basis-point rate cut earlier in the week, policymakers signaled a pause in further reductions, even as concerns grow about a cooling U.S. labor market. Recent jobless claims data showed the largest weekly increase in new unemployment filings in over four years, adding complexity to the outlook for monetary policy.
Global markets mirrored the cautious tone. European stocks fell, with bond yields in Germany reaching multi-year highs as investors began pricing in the possibility of future euro zone rate hikes. Currency markets saw the U.S. dollar edge higher, while sterling weakened after data showed the UK economy unexpectedly contracted. The yen remained under pressure ahead of an anticipated Bank of Japan rate hike.
Commodities also retreated, with copper sliding sharply from record highs on fears of an AI-driven demand bubble bursting. Oil prices posted a weekly decline as supply concerns outweighed geopolitical risks, underscoring the broader risk-off mood across global markets.
