BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action 
Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S. 
U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy 
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
Gold Prices Pull Back After Record Highs as January Rally Remains Strong 
South Korea Exports Surge in January on AI Chip Demand, Marking Fastest Growth in 4.5 Years 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets 
China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market 
U.S. Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions to Boost American Investment After Maduro Ouster 
Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
Wall Street closed sharply lower Friday following Iran’s missile strike on Israel, a retaliatory move after Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites. The conflict has triggered fears of a broader Middle East war, shaking global investor confidence.
Explosions rocked Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as Israel’s military confirmed missile launches from Iran. The geopolitical tension sent oil prices soaring nearly 7%, raising concerns about disruptions in Middle East crude supply. Analysts warned that if the Strait of Hormuz is affected, global markets could face serious turmoil.
Energy stocks surged in response, with ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) up 2.2% and Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG) climbing 3.7%. In contrast, airline shares tumbled on rising fuel cost fears—Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) dropped 3.8%, United Airlines fell 4.4%, and American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) sank 4.9%.
Defense stocks gained as investors looked to military suppliers. Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), RTX, and Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) all rose over 3%.
The S&P 500 declined 1.13% to 5,976.97, the Nasdaq lost 1.30% to 19,406.83, and the Dow fell 1.79% to 42,197.79. Financial and tech sectors led the decline, with financials down 2.06% and tech off 1.5%. For the week, the S&P 500 slipped 0.4%, Nasdaq 0.6%, and Dow 1.3%.
Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) dropped 5.3% over AI adoption concerns, while Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) surged 7.7% on strong AI-driven forecasts. Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) dipped 2.1% and 1.4%, respectively. Visa (NYSE:V) and Mastercard (NYSE:MA) both fell over 4% amid reports that retailers are exploring crypto alternatives.
Despite rate-hike concerns easing, the market remains volatile, with declining S&P 500 stocks outnumbering gainers by over 6 to 1.
