China Sets 1.25% Overnight Reverse Repo Rate Below Market Expectations 
Economic pessimism has set in – but there are reasons for Australians to be hopeful 
Trump Urges Gasoline Retailers to Cut Prices to $2.50 Per Gallon, Warns of Legal Action 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated 
Gold Price Falls as Fed Rate Hike Fears and U.S.-Iran Tensions Weigh on Bullion 
Canada Grants C$7 Million to Greenland Molybdenum Mine to Strengthen Critical Minerals Supply 
Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.-Iran Peace Talks and Strait of Hormuz Risks Keep Markets on Edge 
Yen Falls to 40-Year Low as Markets Watch Japan Intervention and U.S. Jobs Report 
US Stock Futures Steady as Investors Await Payrolls Data and Monitor Iran Tensions 
Japan Targets 1%+ Real Economic Growth With ¥370 Trillion Investment Plan 
Gold Price Hits Annual Low as Fed Rate Hike Bets and Sticky Inflation Weigh on Bullion 
Trump Suspends Some Morocco Fertilizer Tariffs to Ease U.S. Supply Shortage 
China Expands Export Controls, Adds 20 Japanese Companies to Restricted List 
Dollar Slips Ahead of Key U.S. Jobs Data as Fed Rate Outlook, ECB, and Iran Talks Shape Forex Markets 
Central Banks Eye Gold, Reduce Dollar Exposure as AI Adoption Accelerates: OMFIF Survey 
Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms 
Asian stock markets traded in a narrow range on Wednesday as investors remained cautious over the ongoing Iran conflict and its potential impact on global inflation. Market sentiment also stayed focused on the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which could influence trade relations and technology cooperation between the world’s two largest economies.
South Korea’s KOSPI emerged as the strongest performer in the region, climbing 1.4% after recovering from the previous session’s losses. The rebound was largely driven by renewed buying in semiconductor stocks, particularly after reports revealed that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang would join Trump’s delegation during the China visit. The news fueled optimism that restrictions on chip sales to China could ease, potentially boosting demand across the semiconductor sector.
SK Hynix surged 4%, while Samsung Electronics recovered from earlier weakness despite ongoing labor concerns related to wage negotiations at a major semiconductor facility. Investor confidence also improved after South Korean officials clarified that proposed artificial intelligence profit-sharing plans would not involve new corporate windfall taxes.
Chinese markets remained mostly flat ahead of the highly anticipated Trump-Xi meeting. The CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite indexes posted minor gains, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index edged slightly higher. Investors are closely watching discussions expected to cover trade tariffs, Taiwan, artificial intelligence, and broader economic cooperation.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indexes advanced as technology stocks strengthened and fresh economic data showed the country’s current account surplus reached a record high in March. Analysts attributed the improvement to strong AI-related demand and continued yen weakness.
Meanwhile, Australia’s ASX 200 slipped 0.4% after Commonwealth Bank of Australia plunged 10% due to increased risk provisions tied to Middle East tensions. Losses in the banking sector weighed heavily on the broader Australian market.
