US 10-Year Treasury Yield at 6% Emerges as New Market Risk Threshold 
Wall Street Ends Flat as Oil, Treasury Yields and Fed Jitters Rattle Markets 
Oil Prices Fall on U.S.-Iran Hormuz Deal Hopes 
Asian Stocks Fall as Bond Yields Surge Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit 
US Comfortable With Canada Trade Standoff as Import Bans Loom 
China’s ‘Lipstick King’ Says AI Won’t Replace Livestream Hosts 
Gold Holds Near $4,275 as Rising Treasury Yields Fuel Fed Rate Hike Bets 
Asian Currencies Mixed as Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High 
Australia Unemployment Hits Five-Year High Despite Strong Jobs Growth 
Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High as Yen Approaches 160 
US Stock Futures Fall as Treasury Yields Surge Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit 
European Stocks Fall as Bond Yields and Geopolitical Risks Weigh 
Fed Unveils Stablecoin Rules Under GENIUS Act 
Soybean Futures Slip as Traders Await Trump-Xi Trade Signals 
Fed’s Hammack Says Bond Yield Surge Is Not Driven by Inflation Fears 
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Asian stock markets traded mostly higher on Friday, taking cues from a mixed close on Wall Street overnight as investors remained cautious ahead of the closely watched U.S. nonfarm payrolls report. The upcoming U.S. jobs data is expected to play a crucial role in shaping expectations around future Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, keeping global market sentiment subdued.
U.S. stocks ended Thursday with little overall movement. Technology stocks slipped after recent gains, placing pressure on the Nasdaq, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 closed nearly unchanged. Wall Street index futures were also largely flat during Asian trading hours, reflecting investor uncertainty before the key labor market release.
Across Asia, stock markets mirrored this cautious tone. South Korea’s KOSPI index traded flat after reaching record highs earlier in the week, driven by semiconductor sector gains. Shares of major chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix declined between 1.5% and 3%, weighing on the index. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.3%, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index remained flat. Futures for India’s Nifty 50 also showed little change.
Japanese equities stood out as regional outperformers. The Nikkei 225 climbed 1%, and the broader TOPIX index gained 0.3%. The rally was supported by a weaker yen against the U.S. dollar, which improved earnings prospects for export-focused companies and boosted investor confidence in Japanese stocks.
In China, fresh economic data offered cautious optimism. Official figures showed that China’s consumer price index rose 0.8% year-on-year in December, marking its fastest pace in nearly three years. Monthly inflation increased 0.2%, while producer price deflation eased, suggesting stabilization in factory-gate prices. These trends indicate that China may be nearing the end of a prolonged deflationary phase that has weighed on economic growth, corporate profits, and consumer spending.
Chinese equities responded positively, with the CSI 300 index gaining 0.3% and the Shanghai Composite rising 0.6%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index, however, traded flat. Overall, Asian markets remained cautious but resilient as investors awaited clearer signals from U.S. economic data and global monetary policy direction.
