Oil Prices Edge Higher as U.S. Seizes Sanctioned Venezuelan Tanker 
Wall Street Futures Dip as Broadcom Slides, Tech Weighed Down Despite Dovish Fed Signals 
Global Markets Slide as Tech Stocks Sink, Yields Rise, and AI Concerns Deepen 
Gold Prices Hold Firm as Markets Await Fed Rate Cut; Silver Surges to Record High 
US Signals Openness to New Trade Deal as Brazil Shows Willingness, Says USTR Greer 
Australia’s Labour Market Weakens as November Employment Drops Sharply 
Modi and Trump Hold Phone Call as India Seeks Relief From U.S. Tariffs Over Russian Oil Trade 
Asian Currencies Steady as Fed Delivers Hawkish Rate Cut; Aussie and Rupee Under Pressure 
ADB Approves $400 Million Loan to Boost Ease of Doing Business in the Philippines 
Fed Rate Cut Signals Balance Between Inflation and Jobs, Says Mary Daly 
Indonesia–U.S. Tariff Talks Near Completion as Both Sides Push for Year-End Deal 
Brazil Holds Selic Rate at 15% as Inflation Expectations Stay Elevated 
Wall Street Futures Slip as Oracle Earnings Miss Reignites AI Spending Concerns 
Asian Stocks Slip as Oracle Earnings Miss Sparks AI Profitability Concerns 
Oil Prices Rebound in Asia as Venezuela Sanctions Risks Offset Ukraine Peace Hopes 
Hong Kong Cuts Base Rate as HKMA Follows U.S. Federal Reserve Move 
Asian markets surged Thursday as positive earnings and easing trade tensions boosted risk sentiment. Japan’s Topix index reached a record high, tracking Wall Street’s gains after Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) beat earnings estimates, sparking optimism for the “Magnificent Seven” tech results driving U.S. markets.
The rally followed a U.S.-Japan trade pact that fueled speculation of more agreements to mitigate tariffs. The United States recently secured trade deals with the Philippines and Indonesia, while a U.S.-EU agreement imposing 15% tariffs on select European imports and exempting others is reportedly nearing completion. Additionally, U.S. and Chinese officials are set to meet in Stockholm next week to discuss trade.
Second-quarter earnings season in the U.S. is underway, with 23% of S&P 500 companies reporting so far; 85% have exceeded Wall Street forecasts, according to LSEG data. Alphabet highlighted soaring demand for its cloud services and announced increased capital spending, while Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) reported its steepest sales decline in over a decade, missing profit expectations.
MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index outside Japan rose 0.3%, while Japan’s Topix advanced 1.4%. The Australian dollar, viewed as a risk proxy, climbed to $0.66, its highest level since November 2024. The U.S. dollar slipped 0.1% to 146.38 yen.
Commodities also gained: U.S. crude rose 0.4% to $65.5 per barrel, and spot gold edged up 0.1% to $3,390.84 an ounce. European futures mirrored the bullish sentiment, with Euro Stoxx 50 and German DAX futures up 1.3%, while U.S. S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures added 0.13% and 0.4%, respectively, signaling continued global market momentum.
