Gold Price Holds Near Record High as Cooling U.S. Inflation Offsets Fed Caution 
South Korea Raises Interest Rates to 2.75% as Inflation and Weak Won Drive Tightening 
Goldman Sees Foreign Investors Driving India Stock Market Recovery 
Dollar Holds Steady Ahead of U.S. CPI as Oil Surge, Middle East Tensions Keep Markets on Edge 
Australian Business Conditions Hold Steady as Easing Cost Pressures Face New Oil Price Risks 
Oil Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates and Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
Japanese Yen Holds Steady as Intervention Hopes Grow Ahead of U.S. CPI Data 
Dollar Eases as Middle East Conflict, Fed Outlook and Japan Pension Policy Drive FX Markets 
China Q2 2026 GDP Misses Forecast as Weak Domestic Demand Offsets Export Strength 
Australia Consumer Sentiment Rises in July as Fuel Price Relief Lifts Confidence 
China Home Prices Fall Again in June Despite Slower Pace of Decline 
US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions 
Asian Stocks Rise as Softer U.S. Inflation Boosts Sentiment Despite Middle East Tensions 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index 
Oil Prices Climb as Trump Escalates Iran Pressure, Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
U.S. stock futures were little changed Wednesday evening following a muted session on Wall Street, as investors weighed a stronger-than-expected jobs report that dampened expectations for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts. Market participants are now turning their attention to upcoming inflation data for further direction.
By 8:04 p.m. ET, S&P 500 futures edged up 0.1% to 6,963.75, Dow Jones futures gained 0.1% to 50,228.0, while Nasdaq 100 futures slipped 0.1% to 25,262.75. The modest moves came after major U.S. indexes closed nearly flat in regular trading. The S&P 500 ended unchanged, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1%, snapping a three-day winning streak, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.2%.
Investor sentiment shifted after fresh labor market data showed the U.S. economy added 130,000 nonfarm payrolls in January, surpassing economist expectations. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate dipped to 4.3%, signaling continued economic resilience. While strong employment growth supports the broader economic outlook, it also reduces the likelihood of imminent interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. Traders have since scaled back bets on monetary policy easing in the coming months.
However, revisions to prior months’ data pointed to softer underlying job trends, suggesting pockets of weakness beneath the headline numbers. Analysts noted that outside of sectors such as leisure and hospitality, private healthcare, and government, job growth has been less consistent. This mixed picture keeps the debate over future Fed policy moves open, with some economists still forecasting potential rate cuts later this year.
Markets are now closely watching Friday’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, which could provide critical insight into inflation trends and shape expectations for future Federal Reserve decisions.
In corporate news, McDonald’s reported quarterly earnings that beat revenue and sales estimates, though its stock showed limited after-hours movement. Meanwhile, Cisco Systems shares fell 7% in extended trading after issuing disappointing earnings and guidance, adding pressure to technology stocks.
