Japan Finance Minister Defends PM Takaichi’s Remarks on Weak Yen Benefits 
Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors 
Trump Announces U.S.–India Trade Deal Cutting Tariffs, Boosting Markets and Energy Ties 
Taiwan Urges Stronger Trade Ties With Fellow Democracies, Rejects Economic Dependence on China 
Asian Currencies Strengthen as Indian Rupee and Australian Dollar Rally 
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
Gold and Asian Stocks Rebound as Market Volatility Eases and Global Sentiment Improves 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
Gold, Silver, and Platinum Rally as Precious Metals Recover from Sharp Selloff 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data 
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand 
China and Uruguay Strengthen Strategic Partnership Amid Shifting Global Order 
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient 
Indian Rupee Strengthens Sharply After U.S.-India Trade Deal Announcement 
Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry 
UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
Asian stocks traded flat-to-lower on Tuesday, led by a sharp decline in Japanese markets as chipmaking stocks took a hit. Concerns emerged over DeepSeek’s new AI model, which rivals advanced AI technologies like ChatGPT but operates on older hardware, raising doubts about the demand for expensive AI chips and infrastructure.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index dropped nearly 1%, with major chipmakers Advantest Corp. and Tokyo Electron Ltd. sliding up to 10% and 4%, respectively. Tech giant SoftBank Group also fell 4.7%, while the TOPIX index showed minor gains.
China and South Korea markets remained closed for the Lunar New Year, leaving trading volumes muted. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index edged up 0.2%, supported by gains in tech heavyweights like Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba, which rose between 1% and 5%, reflecting optimism about China’s growing AI capabilities.
The sell-off in chip stocks followed a weak lead from Wall Street, where the NASDAQ Composite slumped over 3%, fueled by a $600 billion market value loss in NVIDIA. However, U.S. futures stabilized during Asian trading.
Australia’s ASX 200 remained steady ahead of inflation data expected on Wednesday. The report could shape expectations for potential interest rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of Australia. Still, persistently high inflation raises doubts about imminent rate adjustments.
Meanwhile, Indian stock futures pointed to a recovery after the Nifty 50 index hit a seven-month low on Monday. Investors also await key U.S. tech earnings and the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision this week.
The market sentiment remains cautious, influenced by global trends and regional holidays, as investors assess the impact of AI advancements on chip demand and inflation data on monetary policies.
