Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
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 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Dollar Steadies Ahead of ECB and BoE Decisions as Markets Turn Risk-Off 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
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 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.–Iran Talks Ease Supply Disruption Fears 
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings 
U.S. stocks moved higher on Friday during a shortened post-Thanksgiving trading session, supported by renewed optimism for a potential Federal Reserve rate cut in December and solid gains across retail and technology shares. The low-volume session still delivered steady momentum, helping major indexes extend their weekly advance.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.61% to 47,716.42, while the S&P 500 gained 0.54% to close at 6,849.09. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.65%, ending at 23,365.69. Most S&P 500 sectors finished in positive territory, with healthcare the sole laggard as Eli Lilly slipped 2.6%.
Tech stocks helped lift the broader market, driven in part by Intel’s 10.2% surge after an analyst at TF International Securities reported that the chipmaker is expected to begin supplying Apple’s lowest-end M processors by 2027. The news helped bolster sentiment surrounding semiconductor and AI-linked names, even as concerns about stretched valuations persisted.
All three major indexes posted solid weekly gains. The S&P 500 rose 3.73% for the week, the Nasdaq advanced 4.91%, and the Dow gained 3.18%. The S&P 500 and Dow also stabilized enough to edge into slightly positive territory for the month. The Nasdaq, however, ended November down 1.51% as investors continued trimming exposure to high-growth tech and AI stocks following months of strong rallies.
Friday’s session was briefly disrupted after a CME Group technical outage temporarily halted futures trading for currencies, commodities, and equity contracts worldwide. CME attributed the issue to a cooling malfunction at a CyrusOne data center. Although the impact was limited due to the holiday-light volume, market analysts noted that such incidents highlight the vulnerabilities in globally interconnected markets.
With the holiday shopping season officially underway—spanning Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the upcoming Cyber Monday—investors are watching retail performance closely as consumer spending remains a key driver for year-end market direction.
