U.S. CPI Sparks Mixed Reactions, Shaping Fed Rate Cut Outlook 
Australian Consumer Sentiment Drops in June as Financial Concerns Weigh on Households 
Indonesia Plans Higher Asset Yields to Boost Rupiah and Restore Investor Confidence 
Tech Stocks Rally in Asia-Pacific as Dollar Remains Resilient 
Japan Q1 2026 GDP Growth Revised Lower as Weak Investment and Middle East War Pressure Economy 
SoftBank Eyes Up to $25B OpenAI Investment Amid AI Boom 
Cleveland Fed President Warns of Ongoing Inflation Challenge 
Bank of America Posts Strong Q4 2024 Results, Shares Rise 
S&P 500 Hits Record High Amid Earnings and Trump's Davos Speech 
Asian Currencies Stabilize as Strong U.S. Jobs Data Boosts Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Rising Bond Yields Pose Risks to US Stocks and Boost Dollar 
U.S. Stock Futures Steady Amid Bank Earnings and Inflation Focus 
Gold Prices Ease as Markets Await Key U.S. Inflation Data and Fed Rate Outlook 
Switzerland Population Cap Referendum Sparks Economic and Immigration Debate 
Asian Stocks Sink as AI Rally Cools and Middle East Tensions Rattle Markets 
U.S. stocks closed lower on Friday as investor sentiment weakened following the White House’s announcement that President Donald Trump will implement new tariffs on Canadian, Mexican, and Chinese imports. The tariffs—25% on Canadian and Mexican goods and 10% on Chinese imports—will take effect on Saturday, adding to economic uncertainty.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 337.47 points (0.75%) to 44,544.66, the S&P 500 declined 30.64 points (0.50%) to 6,040.53, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 54.31 points (0.28%) to 19,627.44. Energy stocks led losses, with Chevron (NYSE:CVX) plunging 4.6% after weak earnings and Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) falling 2.5%.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) ended down 0.7%, reversing earlier gains from upbeat earnings commentary. Tech stocks faced pressure earlier in the week after China’s DeepSeek unveiled a breakthrough in AI technology.
Despite Friday’s decline, indexes posted gains for January, with the Dow up 4.7%, the S&P 500 rising 2.7%, and the Nasdaq gaining 1.6%. However, for the week, the S&P 500 lost 1%, and the Nasdaq dropped 1.6%.
Economic data released Friday reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will maintain interest rates for longer. Strong consumer spending and moderate inflation in December supported Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s stance that rate cuts are not imminent.
After the closing bell, Trump hinted at new tariffs related to oil and gas, set to be announced by Feb. 18. However, he provided no details on affected countries or specifics.
Declining stocks outpaced gainers on both the NYSE and Nasdaq, with U.S. exchange volume reaching 15.78 billion shares, slightly above the 20-day average.
