UK PM Burnham to Unveil Economic Vision at Labour Conference 
Japanese Yen Rebounds as Trump Flags Currency Weakness 
Trump, Xi Focus on Trade and AI at White House Summit 
U.S. Dollar Hits Two-Month High as Oil, Treasury Yields Surge 
China Agrees to Buy 20 Million Tons of U.S. Coal 
Australia Unemployment Hits Five-Year High Despite Strong Jobs Growth 
US 10-Year Treasury Yield at 6% Emerges as New Market Risk Threshold 
Canadian Dollar Faces Pressure as Fed-BoC Policy Gap Widens 
US Comfortable With Canada Trade Standoff as Import Bans Loom 
European Stocks Fall as Bond Yields and Geopolitical Risks Weigh 
Fed’s Hammack Says Bond Yield Surge Is Not Driven by Inflation Fears 
Oil Prices Fall on U.S.-Iran Hormuz Deal Hopes 
Soybean Futures Slip as Traders Await Trump-Xi Trade Signals 
Fed Unveils Stablecoin Rules Under GENIUS Act 
Asian Stocks Fall as Surging Bond Yields Rattle Markets 
Asian Currencies Mixed as Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High 
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Asian stocks showed mixed performance in light trading Thursday, with several markets closed for the Lunar New Year. The U.S. dollar remained steady after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, signaling no rush to cut them.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated that while the economy remains strong, it is not overheating. However, uncertainty looms over U.S. trade policies, with potential new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China set for Saturday.
On Wall Street, major tech earnings were mixed. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) exceeded revenue expectations, but Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) missed profit margin estimates. Meta (NASDAQ: META) provided a weaker-than-expected first-quarter revenue forecast, while Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) reports earnings later Thursday. The results had little impact on concerns about Chinese AI startup DeepSeek challenging U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence, which had sparked a global tech selloff earlier in the week.
U.S. stock indexes closed slightly lower Wednesday, with tech dragging down the S&P 500 by 0.5%. However, futures pointed to a 0.4% rebound. Australia's benchmark index rose 0.5%, while Japan's Nikkei remained flat.
The U.S. dollar index held at 107.89, with the euro at $1.0420 ahead of the European Central Bank's expected rate cut. The yen strengthened 0.4% to 154.55 per dollar before a speech from Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino.
Oil prices edged higher after U.S. crude closed at its lowest level this year. WTI crude rose 0.3% to $72.84 per barrel, while Brent crude added 0.2% to $76.73, with markets watching Trump’s potential tariffs on Canada and Mexico, key U.S. oil suppliers.
