Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Fed Governor Lisa Cook Warns Inflation Risks Remain as Rates Stay Steady 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
Gold Prices Slide Below $5,000 as Strong Dollar and Central Bank Outlook Weigh on Metals 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.–Iran Talks Ease Supply Disruption Fears 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
Dollar Steadies Ahead of ECB and BoE Decisions as Markets Turn Risk-Off 
U.S. stock index futures stabilized on Thursday evening after a strong rebound in technology stocks helped Wall Street snap a two-day losing streak. The recovery was driven largely by blockbuster earnings from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), along with upbeat results from major U.S. banks such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. However, broader market gains remained capped as investors continued to monitor rising geopolitical tensions involving Iran, which have recently weighed on global risk sentiment.
By 18:35 ET, S&P 500 futures edged up 0.1% to 6,988.50 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures also gained 0.1% to 25,727.0 points. Dow Jones futures traded slightly higher at 49,670.0 points. The modest uptick reflected cautious optimism as investors balanced strong corporate earnings against ongoing macro and geopolitical risks.
Technology and semiconductor stocks led the advance after TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, reported a record-high profit for the fourth quarter. The company also reinforced confidence in the artificial intelligence-driven demand outlook, positioning itself as a key beneficiary of the global AI infrastructure buildout. TSMC’s U.S.-listed shares jumped 4.4%, lifting sentiment across the chip sector. NVIDIA, a major TSMC customer, climbed 2.2%, while AMD added nearly 2%. TSMC’s CEO highlighted strong customer demand and signaled a sharp increase in capital expenditure planned for 2026 to meet long-term growth needs.
The positive momentum in semiconductors spilled over into broader tech stocks, although gains were tempered by some profit-taking after a strong start to January. Meanwhile, Wall Street also drew support from the banking sector. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley surged 4.6% and 5.8%, respectively, after reporting robust December-quarter earnings, helping offset earlier mixed results from other banks.
The S&P 500 rose nearly 0.3% on Thursday, the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.25%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average outperformed with a 0.6% rise, led by financial stocks. With the fourth-quarter earnings season accelerating next week and key reports from companies like Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, and Intel ahead, investors remain focused on corporate fundamentals amid a complex global backdrop.
