IMF Urges U.S. to Cut Fiscal Deficit to Reduce Trade and Current Account Gaps 
Hong Kong Economy Forecast to Grow 2.5%-3.5% in 2026, Budget Deficit Set to Narrow 
PBOC Scraps FX Risk Reserves to Curb Rapid Yuan Appreciation 
Gold Prices Rebound as U.S. Tariffs, Fed Policy and Iran Talks Drive Market Sentiment 
Gold Prices Edge Higher as U.S. Tariffs, Fed Policy and Iran Talks Shape Market Sentiment 
Asian Markets Slide as Nvidia Earnings, U.S.-Iran Tensions and AI Valuations Weigh on Investor Sentiment 
Australia Inflation Rises Above Forecast in January, Fueling Interest Rate Hike Concerns 
Tokyo Core Inflation Slows Below 2%, Complicating BOJ Rate Hike Outlook 
UBS Boosts Chinese Tech and AI Stocks for 2026 as Sector Eyes Strong Growth 
BOJ Signals Possible April Rate Hike as Ueda Eyes Inflation and Wage Growth Data 
Asian Markets Rally as AI Stocks Surge; Yen and BOJ Rate Outlook in Focus 
Oil Prices Near Seven-Month Highs as U.S.-Iran Tensions Fuel Supply Concerns 
U.S.-Canada Trade Talks Resume as Trump Administration Reviews USMCA 
Stock Market Movers: Dell, Block, Duolingo, Zscaler, CoreWeave, Autodesk, Rocket, MARA 
U.S. stock index futures moved lower Thursday evening, extending Wall Street’s losses after Nvidia’s post-earnings decline weighed heavily on technology stocks. Investors questioned the chipmaker’s shareholder return strategy, overshadowing its strong quarterly results and pressuring broader market sentiment.
By 19:00 ET (00:00 GMT), S&P 500 futures slipped 0.4% to 6,892.0, Nasdaq 100 futures declined nearly 0.4% to 24,994.0, and Dow Jones futures fell 0.6% to 49,260.0. The pullback followed a sharp sell-off in tech shares during regular trading hours.
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) dropped more than 5% despite reporting robust earnings driven by continued demand for AI chips and data center solutions. While the company posted bumper results, investors were disappointed by the lack of clarity around increased shareholder returns, especially after a significant rise in its cash reserves. Profit-taking after a strong pre-earnings rally also contributed to the decline. Concerns about rising competition in AI server chips added further pressure, as AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) recently secured a major supply agreement with Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META). Alphabet’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google is also expanding its tensor chip ambitions, reportedly signing a multibillion-dollar deal with Meta.
The Nasdaq Composite fell 1.2% to 22,878.38, putting it on track for a 2.5% monthly loss. The S&P 500 dropped 0.5% to 6,908.89 and is down 0.4% for February, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended flat at 49,499.20 but remains up 1.2% for the month, supported by gains in non-tech sectors.
In contrast, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) surged 9% in after-hours trading after confirming it would not raise its bid for Warner Bros Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD). The decision followed Warner’s preference for a $31-per-share offer from Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ: PSKY). Netflix stated that matching the higher bid was no longer financially attractive, though it stands to receive a $2.8 billion termination fee if the Paramount deal proceeds.
Elsewhere, Block (NYSE: XYZ) soared over 20% after announcing plans to cut 40% of its workforce, while CoreWeave tumbled 10% on a wider-than-expected loss and heavy capital expenditure forecasts, adding to volatility in the tech sector.
