U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
Dollar Holds Firm as Markets Weigh Warsh-Led Fed and Yen Weakness Ahead of Japan Election 
Philippines Manufacturing PMI Hits Nine-Month High Despite Weak Confidence Outlook 
Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Closes Unchanged Amid Mixed Global Signals 
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook 
U.S. Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions to Boost American Investment After Maduro Ouster 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data 
Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry 
Asian stock markets tumbled on Friday, marking steep weekly losses as a global tech sell-off intensified amid valuation concerns and renewed U.S.-China tensions. Technology shares in Japan and South Korea led the decline, while investors awaited China’s October trade data for further direction.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 slumped 2.3%, heading for a 5% weekly drop as major tech stocks dragged the index lower. SoftBank Group fell 9%, while chipmaker Advantest Corp lost over 7%. In South Korea, the KOSPI index plunged nearly 3%, extending its weekly loss to more than 4%, weighed down by declines in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Analysts warned that inflated valuations in semiconductor and AI sectors may be unsustainable, fueling fears of a market correction.
The sell-off mirrored heavy losses on Wall Street overnight, where tech shares extended declines amid caution from top U.S. banking executives who warned of an equities bubble. Futures tied to U.S. indexes remained mostly flat during Asian trading hours.
Elsewhere, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.6% and was set to drop over 1% for the week. India’s Nifty 50 opened 1% lower, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index traded mostly steady.
Adding to market jitters, China’s October trade figures disappointed investors, showing a surprise drop in exports and weaker imports, signaling sluggish global demand and domestic weakness. Meanwhile, escalating U.S.-China tech tensions added pressure. Reports suggested Washington plans to block Nvidia from selling scaled-down AI chips to China, while Beijing reportedly intends to restrict foreign-made AI chips in state-funded data centers—moves that could further strain global chip supply chains.
China’s Shanghai Composite and CSI 300 indices dipped 0.2%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.2%, dragged down by a 2% slide in the Hang Seng TECH Index.
