Asian Stocks Edge Higher as Tech Recovers, U.S. Economic Uncertainty Caps Gains 
Japan Inflation Holds Firm in November as BOJ Nears Key Rate Hike Decision 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Micron Earnings Boost AI Sentiment Ahead of CPI Data 
Oil Prices Climb on Venezuela Blockade, Russia Sanctions Fears, and Supply Risks 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip After CPI-Fueled Rally as Markets Weigh Economic Uncertainty 
Asian Stocks Slide as AI Spending Fears and Global Central Bank Decisions Weigh on Markets 
New Zealand Business Confidence Hits 30-Year High as Economic Outlook Improves 
Asian Currencies Trade Sideways as Dollar Weakens Ahead of Key U.S. Data 
Austan Goolsbee Signals Potential for More Fed Rate Cuts as Inflation Shows Improvement 
South Korea Warns Weak Won Could Push Inflation Higher in 2025 
Dollar Holds Firm Ahead of Global Central Bank Decisions as Yen, Sterling and Euro React 
Singapore Growth Outlook Brightens for 2025 as Economists Flag AI and Geopolitical Risks 
BoE Set to Cut Rates as UK Inflation Slows, but Further Easing Likely Limited 
Gold and Silver Surge as Safe Haven Demand Rises on U.S. Economic Uncertainty 
Asian Markets Rebound as Tech Rally Lifts Wall Street, Investors Brace for BOJ Rate Hike 
Canada Signals Delay in US Tariff Deal as Talks Shift to USMCA Review 
Oil Prices Steady in Asia but Headed for Weekly Loss on Supply Glut Concerns 
U.S. stock futures rose sharply Wednesday night, driven by strong earnings reports from tech giants Microsoft and Meta Platforms. This positive momentum came after a choppy regular session where Wall Street posted modest gains despite weak economic data.
As of 8:13 p.m. ET, S&P 500 Futures were up 0.9% at 5,636.75, Nasdaq 100 Futures climbed 1.4% to 19,931.50, and Dow Jones Futures added 0.4% to reach 40,932.00.
Meta (NASDAQ:META) jumped 5.7% in after-hours trading following upbeat Q1 earnings and an increase in full-year capital expenditure guidance to $64–72 billion. The Facebook and Instagram parent plans to expand AI-focused data centers to support future growth.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) also surged 7% post-market after reporting a 13% rise in quarterly revenue and projecting robust cloud growth of 34–35% in the fiscal Q4, reinforcing investor confidence in its AI-driven cloud strategy.
However, earlier in the day, U.S. GDP data surprised markets, showing a 0.3% annualized contraction in Q1, versus a 2.4% expansion in Q4. Analysts had expected modest growth of 0.2%. The downturn was partly due to a 41.3% spike in imports—the largest in five years—as buyers rushed to make purchases ahead of potential Trump-era tariffs.
Despite the economic miss, Wall Street indexes ended Wednesday with small gains. The Dow rose 0.4%, the S&P 500 edged up 0.2%, and the Nasdaq slipped 0.1%.
Investors now await earnings from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), due Thursday. Meanwhile, Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) fell nearly 6% after weak global sales, and Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) posted a profit decline. AI server firm Super Micro (NASDAQ:SMCI) dropped 11.5% after lowering its Q3 outlook.
