Canada Grants C$7 Million to Greenland Molybdenum Mine to Strengthen Critical Minerals Supply 
Oil Prices Drop as Middle East Supply Recovery Eases Market Concerns 
Gold Price Falls as Fed Rate Hike Fears and U.S.-Iran Tensions Weigh on Bullion 
SpaceX Eyes Starlink Mobile Phone Service to Challenge Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile 
Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns 
China Sets 1.25% Overnight Reverse Repo Rate Below Market Expectations 
US Stock Futures Rise as US-Iran Ceasefire Hopes Boost Market Sentiment 
Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen 
Asian Currencies Trade Mixed as Yen Hovers Near 40-Year Low, Dollar Holds Firm on Fed Outlook 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
Morgan Stanley Sees Chinese Auto Market Recovery Gaining Momentum in Late Summer 
Economic pessimism has set in – but there are reasons for Australians to be hopeful 
Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
Oil Prices Rise as US-Iran Tensions Threaten Strait of Hormuz Oil Shipments 
Oil Prices Rebound as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Return After Ship Attack Near Oman 
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.
