RBI Cuts Repo Rate to 5.25% as Inflation Cools and Growth Outlook Strengthens 
U.S. Soybean Shipments to China Gain Momentum as Trade Tensions Ease 
U.S. Futures Steady as Rate-Cut Bets Rise on Soft Labor Data 
Dollar Holds Steady as Markets Shift Focus to 2026 Rate Cut Expectations 
RBA Signals Possible Rate Implications as Inflation Proves More Persistent 
Oil Prices Rise as Ukraine Targets Russian Energy Infrastructure 
Dollar Slides to Five-Week Low as Asian Stocks Struggle and Markets Bet on Fed Rate Cut 
Asian Markets Mixed as RBI Cuts Rates and BOJ Signals Possible Hike 
BOJ Governor Ueda Highlights Uncertainty Over Future Interest Rate Hikes 
Asian Markets Stabilize as Wall Street Rebounds and Rate Concerns Ease 
Asian Currencies Steady as Markets Await Fed Rate Decision; Indian Rupee Hits New Record Low 
Citi Sets Bullish 2026 Target for STOXX 600 as Fiscal Support and Monetary Easing Boost Outlook 
Japan’s Nikkei Drops as Markets Await Key U.S. Inflation Data 
Asian Currencies Steady as Rupee Hits Record Low Amid Fed Rate Cut Bets 
Trump and Lula Discuss Trade, Sanctions, and Security in “Productive” Phone Call 
Wall Street futures turned higher late Wednesday after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to end the longest government shutdown in American history. The move followed a volatile trading session that saw investors rotating out of major technology stocks and into cyclical sectors.
S&P 500 futures climbed 0.1% to 6,882.50, Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.2% to 25,684.50, and Dow Jones futures gained 0.2% to 48,449. The shift came after the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a record 48,225.07, lifted by gains in industrials and banks, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.3% amid tech sector weakness.
The House approved the government funding bill by a narrow 222–209 vote. The legislation, already passed by the Senate, will provide funding until at least January 30. President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law at 21:45 ET (02:45 GMT). The passage comes just hours before the shutdown would have entered its 43rd day, offering relief to investors optimistic about the resumption of federal operations.
Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) surged 7.6% in after-hours trading after beating fiscal Q1 earnings expectations, driven by stronger demand for AI-related network infrastructure. However, tech sentiment remained fragile. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) dropped nearly 3%, while Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) each lost around 2%. Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR) fell 3.6%, and Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) declined 1.6%.
Investor caution deepened following SoftBank Group’s $5.8 billion sale of its NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) stake, which fueled renewed fears of an AI valuation bubble. The Japanese conglomerate’s sale, intended to finance its $40 billion and $540 billion investments in OpenAI and the Stargate project, underscored growing concerns about excessive AI valuations.
As optimism builds around the government reopening, market focus remains on balancing exposure between high-growth tech stocks and value-driven cyclical sectors.
