Gold Prices Hold Firm as Markets Await Fed Rate Cut; Silver Surges to Record High 
U.S. Dollar Slides for Third Straight Week as Rate Cut Expectations Boost Euro and Pound 
Modi and Trump Hold Phone Call as India Seeks Relief From U.S. Tariffs Over Russian Oil Trade 
Asian Stocks Slip as Oracle Earnings Miss Sparks AI Profitability Concerns 
Asian Currencies Steady as Fed Delivers Hawkish Rate Cut; Aussie and Rupee Under Pressure 
Brazil Holds Selic Rate at 15% as Inflation Expectations Stay Elevated 
US Signals Openness to New Trade Deal as Brazil Shows Willingness, Says USTR Greer 
Asian Stocks Rally as Tech Rebounds, China Lags on Nvidia Competition Concerns 
Fed Near Neutral Signals Caution Ahead, Shifting Focus to Fixed Income in 2026 
Australia’s Labour Market Weakens as November Employment Drops Sharply 
S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
Fed Rate Cut Signals Balance Between Inflation and Jobs, Says Mary Daly 
Wall Street Futures Slip as Oracle Earnings Miss Reignites AI Spending Concerns 
Hong Kong Cuts Base Rate as HKMA Follows U.S. Federal Reserve Move 
Gold Prices Slip Slightly in Asia as Silver Nears Record Highs on Dovish Fed Outlook 
Japan Weighs New Tax Breaks to Boost Corporate Investment Amid Spending Debate 
Global Markets Slide as Tech Stocks Sink, Yields Rise, and AI Concerns Deepen 
Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index surged beyond the 51,000 mark for the first time on Wednesday, fueled by strong investor confidence in artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor-related sectors. The tech-heavy benchmark climbed 2.05% to a record 51,249.82 by midday, building on momentum after breaching the psychological 50,000 level earlier this week.
The broader Topix index rose marginally, up less than 0.1%, as a firmer yen curbed gains across non-tech sectors. However, tech and AI-linked shares continued to dominate the rally, driving Japan’s equity market to new highs.
Leading the charge, Advantest Corporation — a key supplier of semiconductor testing equipment — soared more than 20% after raising its full-year profit forecast by 25%, citing robust global demand for AI chips. SoftBank Group, a major player in AI and chip investments, advanced 2.1%, ranking as the second-biggest contributor to the Nikkei’s rise. Semiconductor manufacturer Lasertec also surged 7.8%, further highlighting investor enthusiasm in Japan’s tech sector.
“Stocks such as Advantest and SoftBank are essentially driving the stock market,” said Nomura Securities strategist Wataru Akiyama. “It’s unclear how long this will last. Once the initial wave passes, the upward momentum may ease.”
Meanwhile, global market sentiment was buoyed by AI-related developments in the United States. Nvidia announced plans to build AI supercomputers for the U.S. Energy Department, pushing all three major U.S. stock indexes to record highs. Microsoft shares also jumped following news that the company secured a 27% stake in OpenAI after approving its restructuring into a public benefit corporation.
Despite the rally, 160 stocks on the Nikkei declined versus 65 gainers. Nidec Corp. tumbled 7.3% after being dropped from the index, while SHIFT Inc. fell 5.3%.
