Australia’s Labour Market Weakens as November Employment Drops Sharply 
Asian Stocks Rally as Tech Rebounds, China Lags on Nvidia Competition Concerns 
South Korea Extends Bond Market Stabilization Measures Amid Rising Financial Risks 
U.S. Stock Futures Mixed as Tech and AI Stocks Face Pressure Ahead of CPI Data 
Asian Stocks Slide as Central Bank Decisions and Key Data Keep Investors Cautious 
BOJ Expected to Deliver December Rate Hike as Economists See Borrowing Costs Rising Through 2025 
Fed Near Neutral Signals Caution Ahead, Shifting Focus to Fixed Income in 2026 
U.S. Dollar Slides for Third Straight Week as Rate Cut Expectations Boost Euro and Pound 
Oil Prices Rebound as U.S.-Venezuela Tensions Offset Oversupply Concerns 
Mexico Moves to Increase Tariffs on Asian Imports to Protect Domestic Industries 
China’s November Economic Data Signals Slowing Industrial Output and Weak Consumer Demand 
Fed’s Dovish Tone Sends Dollar Lower as Markets Price In More Rate Cuts 
Oil Prices Rebound in Asia as Venezuela Sanctions Risks Offset Ukraine Peace Hopes 
Gold Prices Slip Slightly in Asia as Silver Nears Record Highs on Dovish Fed Outlook 
Asian stock markets rose on Thursday, supported by renewed optimism in artificial intelligence and expectations of a U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut. China’s markets led gains, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged to a fresh record high despite political turmoil.
The Nikkei jumped over 1% to 44,288.47 points, marking its second time above 44,000 this week. The rally followed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation after election losses, fueling hopes for more aggressive fiscal and monetary policies from his successor. Sentiment was further lifted by a U.S.-Japan trade deal cutting tariffs on Japanese auto exports by mid-September. The broader TOPIX index edged up 0.2%, hovering near record highs.
In China, the Shanghai Composite gained 1.1% and the CSI 300 advanced nearly 2%, tracking Wall Street’s rally driven by AI stocks. Oracle’s multibillion-dollar AI contracts boosted global chipmakers, fueling optimism in the sector. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng pared losses to trade 0.3% lower, while its TECH sub-index rebounded from a 1.3% drop to trade flat.
Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea’s KOSPI rose 0.4%, Singapore’s Straits Times Index remained steady, while Australia’s ASX 200 slipped 0.5% and India’s Nifty 50 traded flat.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ closed at record highs for the second consecutive session, supported by strong tech momentum. U.S. stock futures also traded slightly higher during Asian hours.
Economic data continued to drive investor sentiment. U.S. producer price inflation unexpectedly eased in August, bolstering expectations of a Fed rate cut at its September 17 meeting. Traders now await U.S. consumer price data due later Thursday, which could provide clearer signals on the pace of monetary easing.
