Australia Unemployment Hits Five-Year High Despite Strong Jobs Growth 
Japanese Yen Rebounds as Trump Flags Currency Weakness 
Oil Prices Jump 3% as Houthi Attack Revives Supply Fears 
U.S. Treasury Yields Surge as 30-Year Hits 22-Year High 
Trump, Xi Focus on Trade and AI at White House Summit 
Asian Stocks Fall as Bond Yields Surge Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit 
US Comfortable With Canada Trade Standoff as Import Bans Loom 
Fed Unveils Stablecoin Rules Under GENIUS Act 
Fed’s Hammack Says Bond Yield Surge Is Not Driven by Inflation Fears 
Asian Currencies Mixed as Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High 
RBI Uses $10 Billion Currency Swaps to Drain Excess Rupee Liquidity 
U.S. Dollar Hits Two-Month High as Oil, Treasury Yields Surge 
Dollar Falls as Oil Eases, Yen Jumps on Intervention Signals 
Asian Stocks Fall as Surging Bond Yields Rattle Markets 
Japanese Bank Stocks Surge as Bond Yields Fuel Rate Hike Bets 
Germany’s 2026 Growth Outlook Strengthens on Fiscal Spending 
Gold Prices Fall as Treasury Yields Rise on Fed Rate Hike Bets 
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Asian stocks mostly climbed Thursday, tracking Wall Street’s rally after the Federal Reserve kept rates unchanged and made no major policy shifts. However, Chinese markets lagged due to profit-taking following a strong rally.
Markets reacted positively to the Fed’s decision, with U.S. stock futures rising in Asian trade. Investors were relieved that the central bank did not take drastic action despite concerns over a global economic slowdown and trade tensions. However, the Fed trimmed its annual growth forecast and warned of rising inflation.
In Asia, trading volumes were limited due to a Japanese holiday, with Nikkei 225 Futures slipping 0.1%. Australia’s ASX 200 gained 1.1%, rebounding from a seven-month low. Weaker-than-expected employment data fueled speculation of another rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia, as the central bank remains focused on inflation and labor market trends.
Broader Asian markets followed Wall Street’s lead, supported by optimism over potential Chinese stimulus. South Korea’s KOSPI rose 0.5%, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index added 0.7%. India’s Nifty 50 futures signaled a positive open, extending gains from a recent nine-month low.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 1.1%, retreating from a three-year high. Tech and internet stocks led losses as investors took profits after a strong rally driven by optimism over China’s AI sector and stimulus hopes. Despite Thursday’s dip, the Hang Seng remains up nearly 25% in 2025.
China’s Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite fell 0.6% and 0.3%, respectively, as traders awaited further fiscal measures from Beijing. The People’s Bank of China, as expected, kept its benchmark loan prime rate unchanged.
