Japan Revises Economic Growth Forecast as Stimulus Fuels Consumption and Investment 
U.S. Stocks Rally to Record Highs as AI Rebound Fuels Holiday-Shortened Session 
US and Japan Fast-Track $550 Billion Strategic Investment Initiative 
Yen Stabilizes Near Lows as Japan Signals Readiness to Intervene Amid Dollar Weakness 
Asian Stock Markets Trade Flat as Holiday Liquidity Thins and BOJ Minutes Watched 
Asian Stocks Rise as Wall Street Tech Rally Lifts Markets, Yen Slumps Despite BOJ Rate Hike 
BOJ Governor Signals Gradual Rate Hikes as Japan’s Inflation Nears 2% Target 
U.S. Dollar Slips as Yen Finds Support on Intervention Signals and Geopolitical Risks Rise 
German Exports to the U.S. Decline Sharply as Tariffs Reshape Trade in 2025 
Oil Prices Ease in Asia as Geopolitical Risks Clash With Weak Demand Outlook 
Global Demand for Yuan Loans and Bonds Surges as China Pushes Currency Internationalization 
China’s Power Market Revamp Fuels Global Boom in Energy Storage Batteries 
IMF Reaches Staff-Level Agreement With Egypt, Opening Path to $3.8 Billion in Funding 
Asian Markets Rise as AI Rally Caps 2025, Gold and Silver Hit Record Highs 
China Keeps Benchmark Lending Rates Steady as Economic Outlook Remains Cautious 
Gold Prices Surge to Record Highs as Geopolitical Tensions Fuel Safe-Haven Demand 
UBS Warns of Short-Term Risks as Precious Metals Rally to Record Highs 
U.S. stock index futures remained largely unchanged Wednesday night as investors weighed mixed tech earnings and escalating U.S.-China trade tensions. Wall Street saw modest gains during the session, supported by easing Treasury yields.
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) led a rally in chip stocks, offsetting Alphabet’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) sharp 7% drop after weaker-than-expected cloud revenue. The S&P 500 Futures held at 6,088.0 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures dipped to 21,758.75 points. Dow Jones Futures remained flat at 45,011.0 points.
Stocks climbed as purchasing managers index data signaled a cooling U.S. economy, fueling speculation that the Federal Reserve might ease rates. However, fresh U.S. tariffs on China and Beijing’s retaliation kept markets uneasy. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) slipped on reports of a Chinese probe into its App Store.
Wall Street closed higher, with the Dow up 0.7% to 44,873.22 points, the S&P 500 gaining 0.4% to 6,061.47, and the Nasdaq Composite rising 0.2% to 19,692.33. Meanwhile, strong ADP nonfarm employment data stoked fears of a robust jobs report that could delay rate cuts.
Chipmakers Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) and Arm Holdings (NASDAQ: ARM) saw steep declines after issuing underwhelming forecasts. Qualcomm dropped over 4% as it projected no revenue growth in 2025 following its expired Huawei licensing deal. Arm slid more than 6% after its earnings outlook merely matched Wall Street expectations, dampening hopes for AI-driven demand.
Investor attention now turns to Amazon’s (NASDAQ: AMZN) upcoming earnings and the official nonfarm payrolls report for further market direction.
