U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
U.S. stock index futures edged higher Wednesday evening, driven by tech sector gains following Alphabet Inc.’s strong quarterly results and President Donald Trump’s announcement of new initiatives to boost the artificial intelligence industry.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) jumped 1.8% in after-hours trading after reporting second-quarter earnings per share of $2.31, beating Wall Street estimates of $2.18. The company raised its 2025 capital spending outlook to $85 billion, citing increased demand for cloud services and rapid AI integration into its core search platform, which helped lift advertising revenue by 10%.
Trump also fueled optimism with the White House’s first AI summit, unveiling a 90-part plan and signing three executive orders to strengthen U.S. leadership in AI. The measures aim to streamline federal regulations, expand AI technology exports, and prevent the use of politically biased AI. The president praised chipmakers Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) as central to the country’s AI ambitions.
Futures tracked Wall Street’s earlier rally, spurred by Trump’s trade deal with Japan. The agreement imposes a 15% tariff while securing $550 billion in Japanese investment and expanded U.S. agricultural and auto exports. Hopes are rising for additional trade agreements before Trump’s proposed global tariffs of 15%-50% take effect on August 1.
As of 20:09 ET (00:09 GMT), S&P 500 Futures gained 0.1% to 6,402.25, Nasdaq 100 Futures rose 0.3% to 23,387.50, while Dow Jones Futures slipped 0.3% to 45,097.00. The S&P 500 closed earlier at a record 6,358.97. Attention now shifts to next week’s Federal Reserve meeting, where rates are expected to remain unchanged.
