ASX Shares Slide After ASIC Imposes A$150 Million Capital Requirement 
U.S. Dollar Slides for Third Straight Week as Rate Cut Expectations Boost Euro and Pound 
Japan Business Sentiment Hits Four-Year High, Boosting Expectations of BOJ Rate Hike 
Asian Currencies Steady as Fed Delivers Hawkish Rate Cut; Aussie and Rupee Under Pressure 
Wall Street Futures Dip as Broadcom Slides, Tech Weighed Down Despite Dovish Fed Signals 
China’s Small Bank Consolidation Struggles as Profits Fall and Risks Persist 
Korea Zinc Plans $6.78 Billion U.S. Smelter Investment With Government Partnership 
BOJ Expected to Deliver December Rate Hike as Economists See Borrowing Costs Rising Through 2025 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Indian Rupee Slides to Record Low on Fed Outlook 
Oil Prices Rebound in Asia as Venezuela Sanctions Risks Offset Ukraine Peace Hopes 
Indonesia–U.S. Tariff Talks Near Completion as Both Sides Push for Year-End Deal 
Fed Near Neutral Signals Caution Ahead, Shifting Focus to Fixed Income in 2026 
Asian Stocks Rally as Tech Rebounds, China Lags on Nvidia Competition Concerns 
South Korea Extends Bond Market Stabilization Measures Amid Rising Financial Risks 
Australia’s Labour Market Weakens as November Employment Drops Sharply 
S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
U.S. stock index futures gained on Wednesday evening, extending Wall Street’s momentum after a technology-led rally. Investors largely shrugged off mounting global and political risks, instead turning their attention to an upcoming speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, which could offer fresh clues on the central bank’s interest rate outlook.
S&P 500 Futures rose 0.1% to 6,806.75, Nasdaq 100 Futures climbed 0.2% to 25,370.75, and Dow Jones Futures added 0.1% to 46,895.0 by 20:04 ET (00:04 GMT). The optimism followed a strong session for U.S. equities, powered by big tech names and expectations of further monetary easing.
The Federal Reserve’s September meeting minutes, released Wednesday, indicated that most policymakers supported more rate cuts to cushion a cooling labor market. However, there was uncertainty about how far rates should fall given that inflation remains stubbornly high. Dovish voices like Governor Stephen Miran pushed for a 50-basis-point cut, though most officials favored a smaller move.
Markets are now focused on Powell’s remarks scheduled for Thursday at 08:30 ET (12:30 GMT), as traders price in another 25-basis-point rate cut in October, according to CME FedWatch data. The ongoing partial U.S. government shutdown has delayed several key economic reports, adding to uncertainty over the strength of the economy.
Despite political gridlock and global worries — including concerns over Japan’s fiscal health and political turmoil in France — investor sentiment remained upbeat. Gold prices surged to new highs as safe-haven demand grew amid global instability.
Wall Street rallied Wednesday, with the S&P 500 gaining 0.6% to a record 6,753.72 and the Nasdaq Composite jumping 1.1% to 23,043.38. Tech shares led the charge, driven by NVIDIA’s 2% rise after CEO Jensen Huang highlighted surging AI-driven demand and confirmed an investment in Elon Musk’s xAI. The market now looks ahead to the third-quarter earnings season, with reports from PepsiCo, Delta Air Lines, and major Wall Street banks on deck.
