Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.–Iran Talks Ease Supply Disruption Fears 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
U.S. stock markets ended mostly lower on Thursday as investors reacted cautiously to a fresh round of corporate earnings and growing concerns over whether massive artificial intelligence investments will generate meaningful returns for mega-cap technology companies. While the major indexes recovered some of their intraday losses, weakness in the technology sector ultimately weighed on overall market performance.
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite both closed in the red, pressured by sharp declines in leading software and cloud stocks. Microsoft emerged as the biggest drag on the S&P 500, with shares plunging 10% after its cloud revenue growth failed to meet expectations. The results intensified investor worries that heavy spending tied to its OpenAI partnership may not be paying off quickly enough. Broader concerns about the profitability of AI investments rippled across the sector, sending SAP’s U.S.-listed shares down 15% after a cautious cloud outlook and pushing ServiceNow nearly 10% lower following its earnings report.
Market sentiment was further dampened by macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties. Investors are increasingly defensive amid questions about future Federal Reserve leadership, the timing and scale of interest rate cuts, potential political tensions involving Iran and Greenland, and the risk of a U.S. government shutdown. These factors have contributed to a “risk-off” mood, particularly for growth-oriented technology stocks.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average bucked the broader trend, inching up 0.11% to close at 49,071.56, supported by gains in industrial and financial stocks. The S&P 500 slipped 0.13% to 6,969.01, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.72% to 23,685.12. Technology was the worst-performing sector, declining 1.9%.
Not all mega-cap stocks struggled. Meta Platforms surged more than 10% after issuing a strong revenue forecast, despite announcing a sharp increase in capital expenditures. Apple shares were volatile in late trading after beating revenue estimates, helped by a rebound in China demand. Elsewhere, energy stocks rose alongside higher oil prices, while companies such as IBM, Caterpillar, Mastercard, and Lockheed Martin posted solid gains following upbeat earnings reports.
Overall trading volume was well above average, reflecting heightened investor activity as markets digest earnings, AI spending trends, and broader economic risks.
