Gold Prices Hold Firm as Markets Await Fed Rate Cut; Silver Surges to Record High 
Mexico Moves to Increase Tariffs on Asian Imports to Protect Domestic Industries 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Indian Rupee Slides to Record Low on Fed Outlook 
Global Markets Slide as Tech Stocks Sink, Yields Rise, and AI Concerns Deepen 
S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
Russia Stocks End Flat as Energy and Retail Shares Show Mixed Performance 
US Signals Openness to New Trade Deal as Brazil Shows Willingness, Says USTR Greer 
Asian Stocks Slip as Oracle Earnings Miss Sparks AI Profitability Concerns 
Gold Prices Slip Slightly in Asia as Silver Nears Record Highs on Dovish Fed Outlook 
Asian Stocks Rally as Tech Rebounds, China Lags on Nvidia Competition Concerns 
Gold Prices Dip as Markets Absorb Dovish Fed Outlook; Silver Eases After Record High 
Australia’s Labour Market Weakens as November Employment Drops Sharply 
Oil Prices Rebound in Asia as Venezuela Sanctions Risks Offset Ukraine Peace Hopes 
Fed Rate Cut Signals Balance Between Inflation and Jobs, Says Mary Daly 
U.S. Dollar Slides for Third Straight Week as Rate Cut Expectations Boost Euro and Pound 
ADB Approves $400 Million Loan to Boost Ease of Doing Business in the Philippines 
Asian markets were mostly subdued on Tuesday as investors assessed the fragile U.S.-China trade truce and growing concerns over renewed technology tensions. South Korea’s KOSPI led regional losses, retreating sharply after a record-setting rally, while investors in Australia awaited the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) latest interest rate decision.
On Wall Street, stocks ended mixed overnight, supported by gains in the tech sector following a $38 billion cloud partnership between Amazon and OpenAI. However, U.S. stock futures slipped slightly during Asian trading hours, signaling investor caution amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.
Tensions resurfaced after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Nvidia’s next-generation Blackwell AI chips would be reserved for domestic use, effectively restricting exports to China. In a “60 Minutes” interview, Trump emphasized that these advanced chips would “stay in the U.S.,” highlighting the persistence of tech export curbs even after the recently agreed one-year trade truce. The move raised fresh concerns over potential supply-chain disruptions and the impact on China’s technology sector.
Following the Trump-Xi summit in South Korea, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng urged Washington to respect Beijing’s “red lines,” stressing that while the truce has “recalibrated” relations, tensions could easily reignite if issues such as Taiwan and human rights are challenged.
In regional markets, China’s CSI 300 slipped 0.5%, while the Shanghai Composite dipped 0.3%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was flat, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 was little changed after a holiday, though the TOPIX rose 0.4%. Singapore’s Straits Times Index edged down 0.2%, and India’s Nifty 50 futures also moved slightly lower.
Attention turned to the RBA, which was widely expected to keep rates unchanged at 3.60% amid sticky inflation. Investors are watching closely for signals on potential rate cuts in 2026 as global economic uncertainty lingers.
