Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.–Iran Talks Ease Supply Disruption Fears 
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Asian stocks climbed on Tuesday, with technology shares extending gains alongside U.S. peers, fueled by ongoing optimism over artificial intelligence (AI). Japanese markets outperformed regional peers, hitting record highs after the election of a fiscally dovish prime ministerial candidate eased expectations for further interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan (BOJ). However, overall trading volumes were subdued due to holidays in China, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
The upbeat sentiment across Asia followed Wall Street’s record-setting session on Monday, where chipmakers led a strong rally. Still, S&P 500 Futures edged down 0.1% in Asian trading, signaling a potential pause amid lingering concerns over a possible U.S. government shutdown. Global investor confidence was also tempered by political turmoil in France and caution ahead of speeches from Federal Reserve officials, including Chair Jerome Powell, later this week.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged up to 1% to a historic high of 48,544.0 points, while the TOPIX touched 3,248.39 points before easing slightly. Gains were driven by industrial and semiconductor stocks, with the market cheering the election of Sanae Takaichi as leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Takaichi, set to become Japan’s first female prime minister, is known for her expansionary fiscal stance and opposition to BOJ rate hikes. Her policies are expected to boost spending on manufacturing and defense, though uncertainty remains about how additional fiscal programs will be financed.
Asian tech stocks were another bright spot. Chipmakers surged after AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) soared nearly 24% on news it would supply AI chips to OpenAI, boosting expectations of sustained AI-related demand. Taiwan’s TSMC (TW:2330) gained 2.5%, Japan’s Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857) rose 2.2%, Tokyo Electron added 1%, and Renesas Electronics (TYO:6723) jumped 4.6%.
Elsewhere, Singapore’s STI rose 0.9%, while Australia’s ASX 200 slipped 0.3% as ASX Ltd. (ASX:ASX) fell nearly 2% following Cboe’s approval to operate as a securities listing market. India’s Nifty 50 futures signaled a positive open after surpassing 25,000 points on Monday.
