Asian Stocks Waver as Trump Signals Fed Pick, Shutdown Deal and Tech Earnings Stir Markets 
Oil Prices Surge Toward Biggest Monthly Gains in Years Amid Middle East Tensions 
China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market 
Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S. 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
South Korea Exports Surge in January on AI Chip Demand, Marking Fastest Growth in 4.5 Years 
Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Closes Unchanged Amid Mixed Global Signals 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
Asian Currencies Hold Firm as Dollar Rebounds on Fed Chair Nomination Hopes 
U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
Wall Street Slips as Tech Stocks Slide on AI Spending Fears and Earnings Concerns 
India Budget 2026: Modi Government Eyes Reforms Amid Global Uncertainty and Fiscal Pressures 
U.S.–Venezuela Relations Show Signs of Thaw as Top Envoy Visits Caracas 
Dollar Holds Firm as Markets Weigh Warsh-Led Fed and Yen Weakness Ahead of Japan Election 
Asian equities advanced on Thursday, lifted by a renewed rally in global technology stocks and growing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in December. The positive sentiment followed Wall Street’s continued rebound, with major U.S. indexes marking a fourth consecutive session of gains and S&P 500 futures edging up roughly 0.1% in early Asian trade.
Chinese markets saw modest gains as investors positioned themselves for potential new stimulus measures from Beijing, even as concerns over the country’s property market resurfaced. The Shanghai Composite and CSI 300 rose between 0.5% and 0.7%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.4%. Tech and industrial stocks supported the uptick, but persistent pressure in real estate limited broader upside. China Vanke shares dropped more than 6% after investors aggressively sold off its bonds amid doubts about the company’s ability to meet upcoming debt obligations. Vanke’s request to delay several bond payments marked a first for the developer, fueling fears of one of the sector’s worst potential defaults. Other property names, including Sunac China and China Overseas, also slipped over 1%.
Weak economic indicators in recent months have intensified expectations that Beijing will introduce more support for the slowing economy, with reports suggesting additional property market assistance and consumer-focused subsidies are under consideration.
Across the region, technology-led gains helped lift broader Asian benchmarks. South Korea’s KOSPI climbed 1.3% after the Bank of Korea held interest rates steady, though policymakers remained divided on future cuts. Japan’s Nikkei 225 also gained 1.3%, supported by stronger tech sentiment and eased diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Shares of SoftBank Group surged 3.6% as they continued to recover from recent lows.
Australia’s ASX 200 rose 0.1%, held back by concerns the Reserve Bank of Australia may delay further rate cuts following stronger inflation data. Singapore’s Straits Times Index edged up 0.3%, while India’s Nifty 50 futures added 0.1% after a solid prior session.
