Japan Business Sentiment Hits Four-Year High, Boosting Expectations of BOJ Rate Hike 
Fed Rate Cut Signals Balance Between Inflation and Jobs, Says Mary Daly 
Oil Prices Rebound as U.S.-Venezuela Tensions Offset Oversupply Concerns 
Korea Zinc Plans $6.78 Billion U.S. Smelter Investment With Government Partnership 
Ireland Limits Planned Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements to Goods Only 
Asian Stocks Slide as Central Bank Decisions and Key Data Keep Investors Cautious 
Gold Prices Slip Slightly in Asia as Silver Nears Record Highs on Dovish Fed Outlook 
Dollar Struggles as Markets Eye Key Central Bank Decisions and Global Rate Outlooks 
Fed Near Neutral Signals Caution Ahead, Shifting Focus to Fixed Income in 2026 
Asian Currencies Trade Sideways as Dollar Weakens Ahead of Key U.S. Data 
Australian Consumer Sentiment Slumps in Early December as Inflation Fears Resurface 
Wall Street Futures Slip as Tech Stocks Struggle Ahead of Key US Economic Data 
S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
Asian Technology and Chipmaking Stocks Slide as AI Spending Concerns Shake Markets 
Gold and Silver Prices Dip as Markets Await Key U.S. Economic Data 
New Zealand Budget Outlook Shows Prolonged Deficits Despite Economic Recovery Hopes 
British homebuyers borrowed the most in new mortgages since September 2022, with net mortgage lending rising to £4.21 billion in January from £3.34 billion in December, according to Bank of England (BoE) data. This surpassed economists' forecasts of £3.55 billion and reflected heightened activity ahead of the end of a temporary stamp duty tax break.
Mortgage approvals, a key indicator of future lending, declined slightly to 66,189 from 66,505 in December, beating the expected drop to 65,650. The looming stamp duty change, coupled with lower mortgage rates and rising real wages, fueled borrowing activity. However, experts predict a slowdown in approvals in the coming months.
The UK housing market has shown signs of resilience, with recent data from Nationwide and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors indicating rising home prices. Despite economic uncertainty, demand remained steady, partly driven by favorable borrowing conditions.
In addition to mortgage trends, BoE data revealed a surge in consumer borrowing. Consumer credit grew 6.4% annually in January, down from 6.5% in December, marking the slowest rate since May 2022. However, in cash terms, consumer credit rose by £1.74 billion, the largest increase in a year, exceeding economists' expectations of £1.2 billion.
Retail sales data also suggested a pickup in consumer demand in January, despite broader economic challenges. The combination of strong mortgage lending and increased consumer borrowing underscores the complex dynamics of the UK economy as households navigate changing financial conditions.
