Asian Markets Slip as Precious Metals Cool, Geopolitical Tensions Weigh on Sentiment 
U.S. Dollar Slides Toward Biggest Annual Loss Since 2017 as 2026 Risks Loom 
South Korea Inflation Rises to 2.3% in December, Matching Market Expectations 
China Manufacturing PMI Rebounds in December, Offering Boost to Economic Growth Outlook 
USDA $12 Billion Farm Aid Program Draws Mixed Reactions from Row Crop Farmers 
Asia Manufacturing PMI Rebounds as Exports and Tech Demand Drive Growth into 2026 
U.S. Stocks Slip as Gold Rebounds Ahead of Year-End, Markets Eye 2026 Outlook 
Asian Stock Markets Start New Year Higher as Tech and AI Shares Drive Gains 
Trump Delays Tariff Increases on Furniture and Cabinets for One More Year 
South Korea Factory Output Misses Forecasts in November Amid Ongoing Economic Uncertainty 
Federal Reserve Begins Treasury Bill Purchases to Stabilize Reserves and Money Markets 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Year-End Trading Turns Cautious 
Oil Prices Slide in 2025 as Oversupply and Geopolitical Risks Shape Market Outlook 
U.S. Dollar Starts 2026 Weak as Yen, Euro and Sterling Hold Firm Amid Rate Cut Expectations 
Oil Prices Slip Slightly as Markets Weigh Geopolitical Risks and Supply Glut Concerns 
Singapore GDP Growth Surges in 2025 but Outlook Remains Cautious Amid Global Trade Risks 
South Korea Factory Activity Returns to Growth in December on Export Rebound 
The coronavirus pandemic will pull down South Korea's economy by 0.3 percent this year, according to a forecast by Hyundai Research Institute (HRI).
The said forecast by the private research institute is more optimistic than that made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which said that Korea's economy would diminish by 1.2 percent.
IMF predicted the global economy to contract 3 percent this year, expected to be its worst since the 1930's Great Depression.
According to HRI's forecast, Korea's economy would shrink 0.9 percent in the first half, but and bounce back with a 1.4 percent growth in the second half.
The government's massive stimulus packages, according to HRI, would revive growth.
South Korea's economy dipped by 1.4 percent on-quarter in the first quarter, which is the sharpest quarterly contraction it experienced since the fourth quarter of 2008.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki warned last week that the pandemic's effects on the country's exports and job markets could worsen in the second quarter.
