Dollar Holds Steady as Markets Shift Focus to 2026 Rate Cut Expectations 
Asian Markets Stabilize as Wall Street Rebounds and Rate Concerns Ease 
Gold Prices Edge Higher as Markets Await Key U.S. PCE Inflation Data 
U.S. Futures Steady as Rate-Cut Bets Rise on Soft Labor Data 
BOJ Faces Pressure for Clarity, but Neutral Rate Estimates Likely to Stay Vague 
Asian Currencies Edge Higher as Markets Look to Fed Rate Cut; Rupee Steadies Near Record Lows 
Asian Markets Mixed as RBI Cuts Rates and BOJ Signals Possible Hike 
European Stocks Rise as Markets Await Key U.S. Inflation Data 
China Urged to Prioritize Economy Over Territorial Ambitions, Says Taiwan’s President Lai 
RBI Cuts Repo Rate to 5.25% as Inflation Cools and Growth Outlook Strengthens 
Europe Confronts Rising Competitive Pressure as China Accelerates Export-Led Growth 
China’s Services Sector Posts Slowest Growth in Five Months as Demand Softens 
Dollar Slides to Five-Week Low as Asian Stocks Struggle and Markets Bet on Fed Rate Cut 
IMF Deputy Dan Katz Visits China as Key Economic Review Nears 
Citi Sets Bullish 2026 Target for STOXX 600 as Fiscal Support and Monetary Easing Boost Outlook 
Asian equities advanced on Thursday, led by a strong rally in South Korea’s KOSPI, which hit a record high as technology and healthcare stocks drove gains. Trading across the region remained thin due to a week-long holiday in China, while Indian markets were also closed.
The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high overnight on Wall Street, supported by strength in healthcare and technology, and futures ticked up 0.1% in Asian trading. Investors looked past concerns over a potential U.S. government shutdown, focusing instead on AI-driven growth.
South Korea’s KOSPI jumped 3% to a historic 3,565.71 points, with chipmakers SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics fueling the rally. Both companies signed a preliminary agreement with OpenAI to supply advanced memory chips and collaborate on building data centers in South Korea for OpenAI’s massive $500 billion Stargate AI infrastructure project. SK Hynix shares soared 11% to a record high, while Samsung gained 4.5%, reaching a near six-year peak. The two remain the world’s largest memory chip producers, with SK Hynix already supplying NVIDIA with high-bandwidth memory and Samsung recently cleared to provide advanced HBM chips as well.
Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.6% on strong demand for major Chinese internet stocks, Singapore’s Straits Times gained 1.1%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged up 0.3%, though the TOPIX slipped after a prior rally. Australian markets also advanced, with the ASX 200 climbing 1.1% as miners rallied. A Reuters report that the U.S. government may invest directly in Australian critical mineral firms to diversify away from China lifted shares of BHP, Rio Tinto, Lynas Rare Earths, and lithium producers Pilbara Minerals and Liontown Resources.
Despite higher-than-expected South Korean inflation data and a sharp drop in Australia’s trade balance, investor sentiment remained firmly positive, with technology and resource-linked stocks leading the charge across Asia.
