Bank of Japan Poised for Historic Rate Hike as Inflation Pressures Persist 
U.S. Dollar Steadies Near October Lows as Rate Cut Expectations Keep Markets on Edge 
Oil Prices Rebound as Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Venezuelan Tankers 
Asian Currencies Slip as Dollar Strengthens; Indian Rupee Rebounds on Intervention Hopes 
Japan PMI Data Signals Manufacturing Stabilization as Services Continue to Drive Growth 
Oil Prices Slip in Asia as 2026 Supply Glut Fears and Russia-Ukraine Talks Weigh on Markets 
Australian Consumer Sentiment Slumps in Early December as Inflation Fears Resurface 
Asian Stocks Slide as AI Valuation Fears and BOJ Uncertainty Weigh on Markets 
BoE Set to Cut Rates as UK Inflation Slows, but Further Easing Likely Limited 
Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Oil Tankers, Raising Venezuela Tensions and Oil Prices 
Asian Technology and Chipmaking Stocks Slide as AI Spending Concerns Shake Markets 
Singapore Growth Outlook Brightens for 2025 as Economists Flag AI and Geopolitical Risks 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Micron Earnings Boost AI Sentiment Ahead of CPI Data 
Asian Stocks Edge Higher as Tech Recovers, U.S. Economic Uncertainty Caps Gains 
Chinese Robotaxi Stocks Rally as Tesla Boosts Autonomous Driving Optimism 
Asian Currencies Trade Sideways as Dollar Weakens Ahead of Key U.S. Data 
U.S. stock index futures held steady Wednesday evening after the S&P 500 hit a record high, driven by Netflix’s strong earnings and optimism over President Donald Trump’s AI investment initiative. S&P 500 Futures were flat at 6,118.0 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures dipped 0.1% to 21,970.50. Dow Jones Futures remained steady at 44,354.0 points.
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) shares soared 10% after reporting 19 million new subscriber additions in Q4 2024, smashing expectations. Revenue rose 8% to $9.5 billion, while net income increased 12% to $915 million. The streaming giant announced U.S. and international price hikes, citing higher programming investments.
AI stocks surged as Trump unveiled a $500 billion AI initiative, Stargate, a joint venture with OpenAI, Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), and SoftBank (TYO:9984). The project aims to build AI data centers and power facilities in Texas, boosting the sector’s growth. Oracle shares rose 7%, Microsoft gained 4.1%, and Nvidia climbed 4.4%.
Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) surged 16%, while Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) rose 2%, pushing the S&P 500 to a record high of 6,100.81 points before closing 0.6% higher at 6,086.28. The NASDAQ Composite rose 1.
