Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
Fed Governor Lisa Cook Warns Inflation Risks Remain as Rates Stay Steady 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Wall Street surged to new heights on Friday as cooler-than-expected inflation data and strong corporate earnings lifted all three major U.S. stock indexes to record closes. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq logged their biggest weekly gains since August, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average marked its largest weekly rise since June.
The Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for September showed inflation remained elevated but slightly below analyst forecasts, easing concerns over tariff-driven price pressures. The softer CPI data strengthened expectations for a 25-basis-point interest rate cut when the Federal Reserve meets next week. The report was especially notable amid the ongoing U.S. government shutdown that has delayed many economic releases.
“We got some good news on the inflation front as the benign CPI data opened the door for Fed rate cuts next week and likely in December,” said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group.
Third-quarter earnings have been outperforming expectations. Of the 143 S&P 500 companies that have reported so far, 87% beat earnings estimates and 83% topped revenue forecasts. Analysts now project overall S&P 500 earnings growth of 10.4% year-over-year, up from 8.8% at the start of October, according to LSEG data.
Tech giants including Meta, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Apple are set to report next week, potentially driving further market momentum. On Friday, Alphabet rose 2.7% after Anthropic expanded its deal to use up to one million of Google’s AI chips. Coinbase gained 9.8% following a JPMorgan upgrade, while Ford jumped 12.2% after strong quarterly results.
The Dow climbed 472.51 points to 47,207.12, the S&P 500 advanced 53.25 points to 6,791.69, and the Nasdaq gained 263.07 points to close at 23,204.87.
As investors anticipate a Fed rate cut and more tech earnings, optimism for a strong year-end rally continues to build across Wall Street.
