Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns 
Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated 
Oil Prices Drop as Middle East Supply Recovery Eases Market Concerns 
Gold Prices Fall Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar, Fed Rate Hike Bets Weigh on Bullion 
Asian Currencies Trade Mixed as Yen Hovers Near 40-Year Low, Dollar Holds Firm on Fed Outlook 
Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms 
Asian Stocks Slip as US-Iran Ceasefire Hopes Lift Oil, Dollar Strength Persists 
S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges 
China Factory PMI Seen Returning to Growth in June as AI Export Demand Supports Economy 
Economic pessimism has set in – but there are reasons for Australians to be hopeful 
China Sets 1.25% Overnight Reverse Repo Rate Below Market Expectations 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
Asian markets declined on Tuesday as renewed U.S. tariffs under former President Donald Trump fueled risk-off sentiment. A holiday in Japan kept trading volumes low, while U.S. stock index futures also slipped during Asian hours.
Investors remained cautious ahead of the U.S. consumer price index (CPI) data set for release on Wednesday, which could influence the Federal Reserve’s rate outlook. The latest tariffs on aluminum and steel, along with existing levies on Chinese imports, intensified concerns over escalating trade tensions, potentially disrupting supply chains and slowing economic growth.
China’s Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.5%, while the CSI 300 lost 0.7%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 0.7% after a recent rally driven by optimism in DeepSeek AI technology stocks. The Philippines' PSEi Composite Index slid more than 1%, Singapore's Straits Times Index lost 0.5%, and Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite fell 0.6%. India's Nifty 50 Futures edged down 0.1%.
However, South Korea’s KOSPI bucked the trend, gaining 0.5%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 remained mostly unchanged, as weak consumer sentiment persisted despite expectations of an interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).
A survey by Westpac revealed that Australian households continued to feel financial pressure despite growing bets on a rate cut at the RBA’s February 17–18 meeting. Economists expect a 25-basis-point reduction as inflation nears the central bank’s target faster than anticipated.
With global markets reacting to trade tensions and monetary policy signals, investors are bracing for key economic data that could impact future rate decisions.
