Singapore Says One-Third of U.S. Exports Hit by New 12.5% Tariff 
Gold Prices Surge 7% as Dollar Falls, Fed Rate Hike Bets Ease 
U.S. Stocks vs. Bonds: Are Diverging Valuations Signaling a Shift? 
U.S. Stock Futures Steady Amid Bank Earnings and Inflation Focus 
China Trade Surplus Beats Forecasts in July as Exports Stay Strong 
Wall Street Banks Plan to Sell $3 Billion of Elon Musk’s X Debt 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as US Dollar Nears Seven-Week Low Ahead of Key Jobs Data 
German Bund Yields Hit Three-Week Low as Energy Prices Ease and ECB Outlook Softens 
Trump Unveils $3 Billion U.S. Critical Minerals Push 
Canada, US Hold Constructive Trade Talks as Tariff Negotiations Continue 
Oil Prices Set for Steep Weekly Losses as Hormuz Deal Stalls 
JPMorgan Posts Strong Q4 Revenue Growth Amid Market Rally 
SoftBank and OpenAI Lead $19B Investments in Stargate AI Initiative 
Wall Street Declines as Tariff Concerns Weigh on Markets 
Oil Prices Slip as Hormuz Shipping Progress and Rising U.S. Crude Stocks Weigh on Market 
Asian Currencies Steady as Markets Await U.S. Jobs Data 
Asian Stocks Mixed as Chip Selloff Hits KOSPI, Nikkei Ahead of US Jobs Data 
Asian markets mostly rose on Wednesday, led by a rally in technology stocks following OpenAI’s announcement of a $500 billion AI infrastructure partnership in the U.S. Key players in the venture include Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and Japan’s SoftBank Group, which soared over 7%. The initiative, named "Stargate," boosted demand prospects for AI chips and data center infrastructure, driving gains in tech-heavy markets.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.5%, with chipmakers Advantest, Tokyo Electron, and SK Hynix rising between 2.2% and 4%. Taiwan’s TSMC added over 2% in trade, while South Korea’s KOSPI climbed 0.6%. Broader optimism from Wall Street, where Netflix surged 10% after strong earnings, also lifted sentiment across the region.
Other Asian markets followed suit, with Australia’s ASX 200 up 0.4%, and India’s Nifty 50 futures signaling a mildly positive open despite a prior slump.
However, Chinese shares lagged after U.S. President Donald Trump reignited trade war concerns by threatening a 10% tariff on Chinese imports by February, citing issues such as fentanyl trafficking. The Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite dropped 0.9% and 0.8%, respectively, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.3%.
Trump’s tariff remarks underscored lingering trade tensions, though the proposed 10% tariff is far below his earlier 60% threat. Markets remain cautious as China is expected to introduce new stimulus measures to counter U.S. trade challenges.
Investors are also eyeing the Bank of Japan’s upcoming meeting, where a potential interest rate hike could signal confidence in improving economic growth and inflation. The tech rally, combined with global market cues, continues to dominate sentiment in Asian markets.
