Oil Prices Surge Toward Biggest Monthly Gains in Years Amid Middle East Tensions 
South Korea Exports Surge in January on AI Chip Demand, Marking Fastest Growth in 4.5 Years 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S. 
India Budget 2026: Modi Government Eyes Reforms Amid Global Uncertainty and Fiscal Pressures 
Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Closes Unchanged Amid Mixed Global Signals 
Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry 
Why Trump’s new pick for Fed chair hit gold and silver markets – for good reasons 
U.S.–Venezuela Relations Show Signs of Thaw as Top Envoy Visits Caracas 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
Indonesia Stocks Face Fragile Sentiment After MSCI Warning and Market Rout 
Gold Prices Pull Back After Record Highs as January Rally Remains Strong 
Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors 
Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets 
China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook 
China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy 
Asian stock markets advanced on Monday, recovering part of last week’s losses as renewed expectations of a U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate cut in December strengthened investor confidence. Buying interest returned to the region’s beaten-down technology sector, although overall trading activity was somewhat subdued due to a market holiday in Japan.
Market sentiment improved after Wall Street closed higher on Friday, boosted by dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials. Futures tracking the S&P 500 climbed 0.5% in early Asian hours, signaling broader optimism ahead of key U.S. economic data releases for September, including inflation and labor market indicators. Traders are now pricing in a roughly 67% chance of a 25-basis-point rate cut in December—up sharply from last week’s estimates—according to CME FedWatch, driving demand for risk assets.
Across Asia, South Korea’s KOSPI led gains with a 1.2% rise, followed by Australia’s ASX 200, which climbed 1%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 1.3% as investors cautiously returned to tech names. India’s Nifty 50 futures were flat, reflecting a more measured market response.
Chinese stocks, however, underperformed. Mainland markets slipped about 0.3% as chipmaking shares experienced steep declines. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp dropped more than 7%, while AI chip firm Cambricon Technologies also weakened. The sell-off followed reports that the U.S. may allow NVIDIA to resume sales of its advanced H200 AI chips in China, potentially reducing demand for domestically produced semiconductors and raising concerns over China’s tech self-sufficiency goals.
Still, some Chinese tech giants posted modest gains. Tencent edged up 0.7%, Alibaba added 0.3% ahead of earnings, and Baidu rose nearly 2% after a JPMorgan upgrade citing strong AI and cloud growth potential.
Despite recent volatility, investors remain focused on the potential boost that lower U.S. interest rates could bring to global liquidity and risk-driven markets.
