Nvidia, ByteDance, and the U.S.-China AI Chip Standoff Over H200 Exports 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals 
Dollar Steadies Ahead of ECB and BoE Decisions as Markets Turn Risk-Off 
Once Upon a Farm Raises Nearly $198 Million in IPO, Valued at Over $724 Million 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
Nasdaq Proposes Fast-Track Rule to Accelerate Index Inclusion for Major New Listings 
Nintendo Shares Slide After Earnings Miss Raises Switch 2 Margin Concerns 
Missouri Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Starbucks’ Diversity and Inclusion Policies 
SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates 
Nvidia Nears $20 Billion OpenAI Investment as AI Funding Race Intensifies 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
Top global investment banks (IB) forecast the South Korean economy to grow 3.4 percent this year, up by 0.1 percentage point from their previous estimate.
Credit Suisse upgraded its estimate by 0.7 percentage point to 3.6 percent and HSBC by 0.5 percentage point to 2.7 percent.
Others surveyed in late December, Barclays, BoA-Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Nomura Securities, and UBS, have retained their previous projections ranging from 3 percent to 4.1 percent.
UBS gave the rosiest outlook of 4.1 percent.
South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance recently forecasted a 3.2 percent growth, while the Bank of Korea gave a 3 percent outlook.
The average 2021 outlook for the global economy stood at 5.7 percent.
The forecast for China was an 8.4 percent growth, while the US was given a 4.4 percent growth outlook. Japan is expected to grow 3 percent.
