Australia’s Labour Market Weakens as November Employment Drops Sharply 
Ireland Limits Planned Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements to Goods Only 
Modi and Trump Hold Phone Call as India Seeks Relief From U.S. Tariffs Over Russian Oil Trade 
Gold Prices Slip Slightly in Asia as Silver Nears Record Highs on Dovish Fed Outlook 
S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
US Signals Openness to New Trade Deal as Brazil Shows Willingness, Says USTR Greer 
Global Markets Slide as Tech Stocks Sink, Yields Rise, and AI Concerns Deepen 
Asian Stocks Slip as Oracle Earnings Miss Sparks AI Profitability Concerns 
Fed’s Dovish Tone Sends Dollar Lower as Markets Price In More Rate Cuts 
Fed Near Neutral Signals Caution Ahead, Shifting Focus to Fixed Income in 2026 
Oil Prices Edge Higher as U.S. Seizes Sanctioned Venezuelan Tanker 
Gold Prices Dip as Markets Absorb Dovish Fed Outlook; Silver Eases After Record High 
ADB Approves $400 Million Loan to Boost Ease of Doing Business in the Philippines 
Russia Stocks End Flat as Energy and Retail Shares Show Mixed Performance 
Japan Weighs New Tax Breaks to Boost Corporate Investment Amid Spending Debate 
Gold Prices Hold Firm as Markets Await Fed Rate Cut; Silver Surges to Record High 
Asian stock markets traded mostly lower on Tuesday as investors weighed new U.S. diplomatic moves in the region and awaited key central bank decisions later this week. Wall Street’s major indexes hit record highs overnight, boosted by strong gains in the tech sector, while U.S. stock futures held steady during Asian trading hours.
In Tokyo, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, to discuss defense cooperation, trade, and a $550 billion U.S. investment package unveiled earlier this year. The plan targets joint projects in infrastructure, clean energy, and advanced technology. Despite optimism surrounding the meeting, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.4% after reaching an all-time high of 50,549.60 points in the previous session, while the broader TOPIX index declined 0.6%.
Investor sentiment across Asia was supported by progress in U.S.-China trade relations. Negotiators in Kuala Lumpur finalized a draft framework to avert new tariffs, which will be reviewed later this week when Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. Both leaders are expected to finalize the deal’s details during the summit.
China’s Shanghai Composite and the blue-chip CSI 300 were little changed, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dipped 0.3%. South Korea’s KOSPI led regional losses, falling over 1% despite stronger-than-expected third-quarter GDP growth—the fastest pace in more than a year. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.4%, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index gained 0.6%, diverging from the broader regional trend. India’s Nifty 50 futures were mostly flat ahead of market open.
Attention now turns to major central bank decisions. The U.S. Federal Reserve began its two-day meeting Tuesday and is widely expected to cut rates by 25 basis points amid cooling inflation and labor market weakness. Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan is expected to maintain its current policy stance when it announces its decision Wednesday, as internal divisions remain but have not shifted the board’s majority outlook.
