Oil Prices Rise Amid U.S. Tariff Threats on Mexico and Canada 
Tokyo Inflation Hits Near Two-Year High, BOJ Rate Hike Impact in Focus 
Wall Street Futures Fluctuate as Fed Maintains Rates, Signals Extended Pause 
Asian Markets Mixed Amid Thin Trading; Fed Signals Rate Pause 
Tech Stocks Rally in Asia-Pacific as Dollar Remains Resilient 
Stock Market Dips as Fed’s Hawkish Pause Dampens Sentiment; Big Tech Earnings Await 
US economy grows slower than expected in Q4 
Federal Reserve Set to Hold Rates Steady: Balancing Inflation and Political Pressure 
Oil Prices Steady Amid Inventory Data, Trade Tariff Concerns 
Australia's Q4 Inflation Slows Slightly, RBA Rate Outlook Unclear 
Stock Market Gains as Tech Rebounds, Fed Decision Looms 
Brazil Hikes Interest Rates Again as Inflation Pressures Mount 
Stock Futures Rise Slightly as Investors Await Key Inflation Data 
Trump and Modi Discuss Trade, Security, and Immigration in Call 
The S&P 500 closed lower Friday in a sharp reversal after the White House confirmed that tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China would take effect Saturday. The Dow Jones fell 337 points (-0.8%), the S&P 500 dropped 0.5%, and the Nasdaq slid 0.3%, despite trading over 1% higher earlier in the day.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the U.S. will impose 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods and 10% on Chinese imports. Investors had hoped for a last-minute reversal of the decision, which caused uncertainty in the markets. Macquarie analysts had previously speculated that tariffs on Mexico and Canada wouldn’t take effect on February 1.
Meanwhile, inflation surged in December, with the PCE price index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure, rising 0.3% month-over-month and 2.6% annually. Core PCE, excluding food and energy, increased 2.8% year-over-year. Personal spending also climbed 0.7%, surpassing forecasts of 0.5%, driven by a strong labor market and wage growth. The Fed, which left interest rates unchanged this week, continues to monitor inflationary trends.
In corporate news, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) closed lower despite forecasting sales growth in the low- to mid-single digits for Q2. Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) dipped 2.5% despite exceeding Q4 profit estimates. Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL) lost 4.6% after missing revenue expectations. AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) jumped 5% on strong immunology drug sales, while Deckers Outdoor (NYSE: DECK) plummeted 20% following weak revenue guidance.
Market uncertainty persists as traders react to tariff concerns, inflation data, and earnings reports.
