China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market 
U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
Indonesia Stocks Face Fragile Sentiment After MSCI Warning and Market Rout 
Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy 
UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
Wall Street Slips as Tech Stocks Slide on AI Spending Fears and Earnings Concerns 
China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook 
Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry 
Dollar Holds Firm as Markets Weigh Warsh-Led Fed and Yen Weakness Ahead of Japan Election 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
Oil prices remained largely stable in Asian trading on Friday, with traders assessing diplomatic developments between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia while anticipating a crucial OPEC+ meeting that could shape the global crude supply outlook for early 2026. Brent crude futures for January hovered at $63.35 per barrel, while WTI crude futures rose 0.6% to $59.02, supported by expectations of a potential Federal Reserve rate cut next month. Both benchmarks were on track to gain more than 1% for the week, recovering slightly from recent volatility.
Market sentiment was influenced by renewed diplomatic efforts led by Washington to advance a revised peace framework aimed at ending the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine. The proposal, reportedly discussed in Geneva, outlines phased security guarantees and territorial arrangements that Western officials hope could serve as the basis for broader negotiations with Moscow. Any meaningful progress could gradually ease sanctions-related pressure on Russian oil exports, potentially lowering the geopolitical risk premium priced into crude markets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that the U.S.-Ukraine draft could be a foundation for future talks but emphasized that no agreement had been finalized and that Moscow would not make significant concessions. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to visit Moscow next week, a move that could slightly temper supply concerns, though analysts remain skeptical of an imminent breakthrough.
At the same time, the oil market is looking ahead to the upcoming OPEC+ meeting. The alliance is widely expected to maintain current production levels rather than raise output. Delegates have indicated the group will likely prioritize a long-planned capacity review as it weighs rising non-OPEC production against uneven global demand. Analysts at ING noted that fundamental conditions remain broadly similar to those at the previous meeting, suggesting no major policy shifts are expected.
