Gold and Silver Prices Climb in Asian Trade as Markets Eye Key U.S. Economic Data 
South Africa Eyes ECB Repo Lines as Inflation Eases and Rate Cuts Loom 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Indian Refiners Scale Back Russian Oil Imports as U.S.-India Trade Deal Advances 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
UK Starting Salaries See Strongest Growth in 18 Months as Hiring Sentiment Improves 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Russian Stocks End Mixed as MOEX Index Closes Flat Amid Commodity Strength 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
Yen Slides as Japan Election Boosts Fiscal Stimulus Expectations 
Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Yen Firms on Intervention Talk 
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 
U.S. stock index futures edged lower Wednesday evening as investors awaited key inflation data and monetary policy signals from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The dip followed a mixed day on Wall Street, where tech stocks outperformed amid ongoing optimism around artificial intelligence, while broader sectors showed weakness.
S&P 500 futures slipped 0.1% to 5,896.25, Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 0.1% to 21,372.25, and Dow Jones futures led declines, down 0.5% to 41,929.0 as of 8:00 p.m. ET.
Markets are now focused on Thursday’s U.S. producer price index (PPI) release, expected to show moderating factory-level inflation for April. The report comes on the heels of softer-than-expected consumer price index (CPI) data, which sparked hopes of potential interest rate cuts if inflation continues to cool.
All eyes are also on Jerome Powell’s speech Thursday, where he will review the Fed’s policy framework. Investors are looking for hints on future rate decisions, especially after the Fed recently held rates steady and signaled caution due to economic uncertainty.
On Wednesday, Wall Street indexes saw varied performance. The Nasdaq climbed 0.7% to 19,146.81, lifted by gains in AI-linked tech stocks like SuperMicro, which surged over 15%, and CoreWeave, up 6.6% during the session before tumbling nearly 8% after hours on margin concerns. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 5,892.58, while the Dow fell 0.2% to 42,051.06.
In after-hours trading, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) dropped more than 7% following a Wall Street Journal report that the company is under DOJ investigation for alleged Medicare fraud. The stock is now down nearly 39% year-to-date, amid rising regulatory pressure and leadership changes.
