Asian Currencies Hold Firm as Dollar Rebounds on Fed Chair Nomination Hopes 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors 
U.S. Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions to Boost American Investment After Maduro Ouster 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market 
South Korea Exports Surge in January on AI Chip Demand, Marking Fastest Growth in 4.5 Years 
Dollar Holds Firm as Markets Weigh Warsh-Led Fed and Yen Weakness Ahead of Japan Election 
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
U.S.–Venezuela Relations Show Signs of Thaw as Top Envoy Visits Caracas 
Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Closes Unchanged Amid Mixed Global Signals 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action 
China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook 
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand 
Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S. 
The U.S. dollar regained ground on Monday after an early selloff, as traders speculated that Washington might soften its stance in the escalating trade conflict with China. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback’s performance against six major currencies, edged up to 99.002, recovering from losses sparked by President Donald Trump’s announcement of 100% tariffs on Chinese imports. The move initially revived fears of a repeat of Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff shock in April, which triggered a selloff across global markets, including stocks and cryptocurrencies.
Market sentiment improved slightly after Trump posted on Truth Social, saying, “Don’t worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment… The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it!” Investors interpreted the comment as a possible sign of a softer tone from Washington. “It looks like Trump has done a bit of a TACO again and softened his tone,” noted Tim Kelleher, head of institutional FX Sales at Commonwealth Bank in Auckland, referring to the trader adage that “Trump always chickens out.”
Holiday-thinned trading also influenced market moves, with U.S. markets closed for Columbus Day and Japan observing Health and Sports Day. Against the yen, the dollar strengthened 0.5% to 151.985, as investors assessed political uncertainty following Japan’s ruling coalition split. The euro slipped 0.1% to $1.1609 after France unveiled its new cabinet, reappointing Roland Lescure as finance minister. Meanwhile, Bitcoin edged up 0.4% to $115,486.04 after Friday’s sharp drop, and gold hit a new record of $4,059.30. The offshore yuan rose 0.1% to 7.137 per dollar, while the Australian and New Zealand dollars climbed 0.6% and 0.3%, respectively. Sterling also gained 0.1% to trade at $1.33415.
