Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
Wall Street Slips as Tech Stocks Slide on AI Spending Fears and Earnings Concerns 
China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market 
U.S.–Venezuela Relations Show Signs of Thaw as Top Envoy Visits Caracas 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
Asian Currencies Hold Firm as Dollar Rebounds on Fed Chair Nomination Hopes 
Gold Prices Pull Back After Record Highs as January Rally Remains Strong 
BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action 
UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
Dollar Holds Firm as Markets Weigh Warsh-Led Fed and Yen Weakness Ahead of Japan Election 
Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry 
India Budget 2026: Modi Government Eyes Reforms Amid Global Uncertainty and Fiscal Pressures 
South Korea Exports Surge in January on AI Chip Demand, Marking Fastest Growth in 4.5 Years 
Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S. 
China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook 
U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
Wall Street’s major indexes closed mixed on Tuesday as gains in Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) offset losses in Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA). Investors assessed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s latest comments, with the Fed in no rush to cut interest rates despite persistent inflation and a strong labor market.
Powell, speaking before the Senate Banking Committee, emphasized that inflation remains above the 2% target, suggesting rate cuts are unlikely in the near term. Meanwhile, traders anticipate at least one 25-basis-point rate cut this year, with a 44% chance of another reduction, per LSEG data.
Investor attention also turned to trade policies after President Donald Trump raised steel and aluminum tariffs, hinting at further reciprocal duties on countries imposing levies on U.S. goods. Market volatility remains high amid economic uncertainties, inflation concerns, and ongoing tariff discussions.
The S&P 500 edged up 0.03% to 6,068.50, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.28% to 44,593.65. The Nasdaq dipped 0.36% to 19,643.86. Trading volume was above average, with 15.4 billion shares exchanged.
Coca-Cola surged 4.7% after beating Q4 revenue estimates due to higher prices and strong demand. Apple rose 2.2% following reports of an AI partnership with Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) in China. Tesla plummeted 6.3% after reports that Elon Musk's consortium bid $97 billion to acquire OpenAI’s controlling nonprofit.
Other notable movers included Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX), up 4.7% after Elliott Investment’s $2.5 billion stake revelation, and DuPont de Nemours (NYSE:DD), which soared nearly 7% after raising its 2025 profit forecast. Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) jumped 6.2% on strong earnings guidance, while Fidelity National Information Services (NASDAQ:III) tumbled over 11% due to a weak profit outlook.
