BOJ Governor Ueda Highlights Uncertainty Over Future Interest Rate Hikes 
South Korea Inflation Edges Up in November as Food and Service Costs Climb 
Trump and Lula Discuss Trade, Sanctions, and Security in “Productive” Phone Call 
RBA Signals Possible Rate Implications as Inflation Proves More Persistent 
IMF Deputy Dan Katz Visits China as Key Economic Review Nears 
Tempus AI Stock Soars 18% After Pelosi's Investment Disclosure 
U.S. Futures Steady as Rate-Cut Bets Rise on Soft Labor Data 
Insignia Financial Shares Hit 3-Year High Amid Bain and CC Capital Bidding War 
South Korea Posts Stronger-Than-Expected 1.3% Economic Growth in Q3 
Oil Prices Slip as Russia-Ukraine Peace Hopes Fade and Oversupply Fears Grow 
Bitcoin Hits $100K Milestone Amid Optimism Over Trump Policies 
SoftBank Eyes Up to $25B OpenAI Investment Amid AI Boom 
S&P 500 Surges Ahead of Trump Inauguration as Markets Rally 
Infosys Shares Drop Amid Earnings Quality Concerns 
U.S. Soybean Shipments to China Gain Momentum as Trade Tensions Ease 
Gold Prices Rise as Markets Await Trump’s Policy Announcements 
China’s Services Sector Posts Slowest Growth in Five Months as Demand Softens 
U.S. stock futures edged higher Thursday evening after Wall Street’s sharp decline, fueled by uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s shifting tariff policies. Investors remained cautious ahead of a crucial employment report expected to offer insights into the U.S. economy.
S&P 500 Futures rose 0.3% to 5,674.65, Nasdaq 100 Futures gained 0.5% to 20,190.75, and Dow Jones Futures inched up 0.2% to 42,680.0.
Markets remained on edge after Trump announced a temporary exemption for Canadian and Mexican imports under USMCA, delaying a 25% tariff until April 2. In response, Canada postponed its planned $125 billion in retaliatory tariffs. Despite these delays, investor sentiment remained weak due to the White House’s unpredictable trade policies.
On Thursday, the Dow dropped 1%, the S&P 500 fell 1.8%, and the Nasdaq sank 2.6%, driven by sharp losses in the tech sector. NVIDIA (NVDA) plunged 5.7%, Tesla (TSLA) tumbled 5.6%, and Broadcom (AVGO) fell 6.3% despite strong earnings. Marvell Technology (MRVL) plummeted nearly 20% after disappointing AI-driven growth projections.
Meanwhile, labor market data showed jobless claims fell to 221,000 last week, suggesting strength in employment. However, federal unemployment claims surged due to mass layoffs by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, aiming to cut inefficiencies.
Investors now await Friday’s employment report for further clarity on economic stability and potential Federal Reserve rate decisions amid rising factory costs and tariff concerns.
