BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action 
China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
Philippines Manufacturing PMI Hits Nine-Month High Despite Weak Confidence Outlook 
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient 
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S. 
Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Closes Unchanged Amid Mixed Global Signals 
Asian Currencies Hold Firm as Dollar Rebounds on Fed Chair Nomination Hopes 
U.S. Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions to Boost American Investment After Maduro Ouster 
Why Trump’s new pick for Fed chair hit gold and silver markets – for good reasons 
Global markets tumbled Friday after weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs data heightened recession concerns and boosted expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in September. MSCI’s global equities index fell 1.32% to 917.39, its sharpest drop since mid-April, while the dollar and Treasury yields slid amid economic uncertainty and political turmoil.
The U.S. Labor Department reported only 73,000 nonfarm payroll additions in July, far below forecasts of 110,000. June’s figures were revised sharply down to 14,000 from 147,000. Following the report, President Donald Trump ordered the dismissal of Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, a Biden appointee, sparking investor concerns over data integrity. Anxiety deepened as Fed Governor Adriana Kugler announced her early resignation, further fueling volatility in currency and bond markets.
CME’s FedWatch tool showed traders pricing an 87.5% chance of a September rate cut, up from 37.7% the previous day. The dollar index fell 1.37% to 98.66, with the euro climbing to $1.1589 and the yen strengthening to 147.32. U.S. 10-year Treasury yields plunged 14 basis points to 4.22%.
Wall Street mirrored the global sell-off: the Dow Jones dropped 542 points, the S&P 500 fell 1.6%, and the Nasdaq lost 2.24%, its steepest decline since April. Amazon shares sank over 8% after disappointing cloud growth figures.
Adding pressure, Trump announced new tariffs up to 41% on imports from Canada, India, Taiwan, Thailand, and South Korea, with Mexico receiving a temporary reprieve.
Oil prices fell nearly 3% on demand fears and possible OPEC output increases, while gold surged 2% to $3,360 per ounce as investors sought safety amid mounting economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
