Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data 
Philippines Manufacturing PMI Hits Nine-Month High Despite Weak Confidence Outlook 
BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
Why Trump’s new pick for Fed chair hit gold and silver markets – for good reasons 
Dollar Holds Firm as Markets Weigh Warsh-Led Fed and Yen Weakness Ahead of Japan Election 
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient 
Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets 
China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook 
China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy 
The Nasdaq closed slightly lower on Friday, capping its steepest weekly decline since early April as investors reassessed the rapid gains in artificial intelligence (AI) and technology shares. The index dropped about 3% for the week, while chip and tech-related stocks were the biggest losers. Despite this setback, the Nasdaq remains up more than 50% since April, driven by optimism around AI following President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff announcements.
Market sentiment cooled after The Financial Times reported Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s warning that China may surpass the U.S. in the AI race. “We’re seeing this AI selloff continue after those comments,” said Michael O’Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading. “It’s a recalibration of valuations, along with some profit-taking after a strong rally this year.”
All three major U.S. stock indexes opened sharply lower but pared losses later in the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 74.80 points, or 0.16%, to 46,987.10; the S&P 500 gained 8.49 points, or 0.13%, to 6,728.81; while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 49.45 points, or 0.21%, to 23,004.54. Global markets also softened, with MSCI’s world stock index down 0.07% and Europe’s STOXX 600 off 0.55%.
Meanwhile, weaker China trade data highlighted the impact of U.S. tariffs. China’s exports fell 1.1% in October, their worst drop since February. U.S. Treasury yields edged down as consumer sentiment hit its lowest level since mid-2022 amid the ongoing government shutdown. The 10-year Treasury yield slipped to 4.091%.
The U.S. dollar weakened slightly, with the dollar index down 0.11% to 99.57, while oil and gold prices edged higher. U.S. crude settled at $59.75 per barrel, and Brent rose to $63.63, supported by hopes of energy cooperation between the U.S. and Hungary.
