Yen Near Two-Week Low as Policy Concerns Weigh; Yuan Strength Pressures U.S. Dollar 
U.S. Conducted January Rate Checks to Support Yen, Nikkei Reports 
Dollar Stalls as Trump Tariff Turmoil Shakes Global Markets 
Trump Touts Stock Market Gains and 401(k) Boost Amid Tariff Uncertainty 
U.S.-Canada Trade Talks Resume as Trump Administration Reviews USMCA 
Australia Inflation Rises Above Forecast in January, Fueling Interest Rate Hike Concerns 
Asian Markets Rally as AI Stocks Surge; Yen and BOJ Rate Outlook in Focus 
Trump Weighs New National Security Tariffs on Key U.S. Industries After Supreme Court Ruling 
UOB Q4 Net Profit Misses Estimates as Trading Income Slips, FY25 Earnings Down 23% 
Gold Prices Pull Back from Three-Week High as Dollar Strengthens and Trade Tensions Resurface 
Oil Prices Near Seven-Month Highs as U.S.-Iran Tensions Fuel Supply Concerns 
Asian Markets Slip as Wall Street Selloff Deepens on Trump Tariff Uncertainty and AI Fears 
AI Selloff Fears: DoorDash, Uber, Salesforce and Visa Slide After Citrini Research Report 
China Holds Loan Prime Rates Steady as PBOC Maintains Cautious Monetary Policy 
BOJ Signals Possible April Rate Hike as Ueda Eyes Inflation and Wage Growth Data 
IMF Urges U.S. to Cut Fiscal Deficit to Reduce Trade and Current Account Gaps 
Bank of Korea Expected to Hold Interest Rates at 2.50% Through 2026 Amid Currency and Housing Market Risks 
U.S. stocks closed sharply higher on Wednesday as investors positioned themselves ahead of Nvidia’s highly anticipated quarterly earnings report. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% to 6,947.98, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.3% to 23,152.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.6%, ending the session at 49,482.27. The rebound extended a recovery in the technology sector after Monday’s sharp sell-off, signaling renewed confidence in AI-driven growth stocks.
Market sentiment improved as fears surrounding artificial intelligence disruption across multiple industries began to ease. Investors welcomed fresh developments in the AI space, including Meta Platforms’ multi-year partnership with Advanced Micro Devices and new strategic collaborations announced by Anthropic. These updates helped stabilize software and data-related stocks that had recently faced pressure.
All eyes are now on Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), whose earnings are expected to serve as a bellwether for the broader AI industry and global chip demand. The company has surpassed revenue expectations for 13 consecutive quarters. Analysts forecast a 62% jump in quarterly profit and a 68% surge in revenue, according to LSEG data. Nvidia shares climbed 1.4% ahead of the results, reflecting cautious optimism across Wall Street. Earnings from Salesforce and Snowflake are also scheduled after the closing bell.
Outside the tech sector, MercadoLibre shares dropped nearly 8% after reporting lower quarterly profits due to increased spending on credit and logistics expansion.
Meanwhile, investors continue monitoring U.S. tariff policy. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for temporary 10% global tariffs during his State of the Union address, despite a recent Supreme Court decision challenging prior trade measures.
In commodities markets, oil prices hovered near seven-month highs. Brent crude rose 0.3% to $70.76 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate slipped 0.2% to $65.47, as traders focused on upcoming U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations and heightened geopolitical tensions.
