Oil Prices Edge Higher as US-Iran Tensions and Strong Payroll Data Shape Market Sentiment 
China CPI Growth Slows While Producer Deflation Eases in January 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Tech Stocks Tumble Ahead of Key CPI Inflation Data 
Fed Governor Stephen Miran Warns Tight Monetary Policy Threatens U.S. Economic Growth 
Nikkei 225 Surges Past 58,000 as Japan Stocks Rally on Takaichi Stimulus Boost 
Oil Prices Steady but Head for Weekly Loss as Supply Glut Concerns Weigh 
Japan Warns on Yen Volatility as Currency Surges Against Dollar 
Yen Strengthens as Japan Election Boosts Confidence, Dollar Wavers Ahead of U.S. Jobs Data 
Japan Weighs Using Foreign Exchange Reserve Surplus to Fund Food Tax Cuts 
Gold and Silver Prices Slip After Strong U.S. Jobs Data, Fed Rate Cut Bets Fade 
Asian Stock Markets Rise as Australian Shares Rally; Investors Eye U.S. Jobs Data and China Inflation 
RBA Signals Further Interest Rate Hikes if Inflation Persists, Says Governor Michele Bullock 
Australian Central Bank Signals Tough Stance as Inflation Pressures Persist 
China Signals Strategic Rare Earth Push Amid Rising U.S. Competition 
ASX Shares Slide as 2026 Cost Outlook Jumps Amid CEO Exit and ASIC Probe 
India–US Trade Deal: Digital Tax Removal and $500 Billion Purchase Commitment Signal Major Policy Shift 
Asian stock markets retreated from record highs on Friday as concerns over shrinking profit margins in the technology sector triggered a broader shift toward safe-haven assets. The pullback followed a sharp selloff on Wall Street, where the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2% after Cisco Systems reported weaker-than-expected quarterly gross margins due to rising memory chip costs. Cisco shares plunged 12%, erasing nearly $40 billion in market value and dragging down other major tech stocks, including Apple, which fell 5% in its steepest decline since April last year.
The downturn in U.S. tech stocks spilled into Asia-Pacific markets. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.6%, trimming its weekly gain to 4.1%. Japan’s Nikkei dropped 0.9% but remained up 5.3% for the week. Chinese blue-chip stocks slipped 0.6%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index declined 1.5%. Despite the volatility, Nasdaq futures and S&P 500 futures edged 0.1% higher, and EURO STOXX 50 futures gained 0.2%.
Investors rotated into defensive sectors and U.S. Treasuries as bond yields declined sharply. The 10-year Treasury yield fell 7 basis points to 4.1154%, marking its biggest drop since October, while 30-year yields slid to 4.728% after strong demand at auction. Market expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in June strengthened, with traders pricing in a 70% probability and forecasting 60 basis points of easing this year.
Attention now turns to upcoming U.S. inflation data, with economists predicting a 0.3% monthly rise in core inflation and a slowdown in the annual rate to 2.5%. Meanwhile, gold rebounded 1% to $4,972 an ounce, silver climbed 2%, and oil prices steadied after a recent drop. Currency markets showed modest weakness in the Australian and New Zealand dollars as global investors await clearer signals on inflation and interest rates.
