Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Business confidence in Australia slightly eased during the third quarter of this year, following depressing sales and profits during the period that hampered corporate earnings; despite this, firms still turned out more confident on the outlook for activity and employment.
National Australia Bank's (NAB) quarterly survey of more than 920 firms showed its index of business conditions fell 4 points to +7 in the third quarter, though that remained above its long-run average. The monthly version of this survey showed weakness in July but a recovery in September.
The business confidence index rose 2 points to +5 and firms were more optimistic on the outlook for the next 12 months. The measure of employment ticked up a point to +3 and forward orders improved to +4, a promising sign for labor demand.
"Leading indicators were once again encouraging and remain consistent with NAB's expectation for activity in the non-mining economy to be solid in the near-term," said Riki Polygenis, Head, Australian Economics, NAB.
However, the survey also found producer and retail prices barely grew during the quarter, suggesting the official inflation report for the third quarter due on Oct 26 may also be soft. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) this week highlighted the importance of the inflation report for its next monetary policy meeting in November.
