Gold Prices Pull Back After Record Highs as January Rally Remains Strong 
South Korea Exports Surge in January on AI Chip Demand, Marking Fastest Growth in 4.5 Years 
U.S.–Venezuela Relations Show Signs of Thaw as Top Envoy Visits Caracas 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors 
Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets 
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S. 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data 
Asian Currencies Hold Firm as Dollar Rebounds on Fed Chair Nomination Hopes 
Why Trump’s new pick for Fed chair hit gold and silver markets – for good reasons 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
Dollar Holds Firm as Markets Weigh Warsh-Led Fed and Yen Weakness Ahead of Japan Election 
U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
Asian stock markets wavered on Thursday after disappointing earnings from U.S. cloud computing giant Oracle raised fresh doubts about the profitability of artificial intelligence investments. Oracle shares plunged more than 11% in after-hours trading, dragging S&P 500 futures down 0.3% and Nasdaq 100 futures by about 0.5% during the Asian session. The company’s weaker-than-expected revenue outlook and warnings about rising infrastructure costs signaled that AI spending may not yet be translating into strong returns, pressuring AI-exposed stocks across the region.
Japan’s Nikkei fluctuated between gains and losses, weighed down by a sharp 5% drop in SoftBank Group, a major investor in AI-related ventures. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.8%, lifting MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index outside Japan by 0.5%.
Market sentiment improved slightly after the U.S. Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to a range of 3.5%–3.75%. Fed Chair Jerome Powell struck a balanced tone, easing concerns of future tightening and helping U.S. equities rally, with the S&P 500 rising around 0.7%. Powell emphasized that a rate hike is not the base-case scenario, prompting traders to price in at least two additional rate cuts next year and pushing the dollar lower.
The weaker dollar boosted the euro above $1.17, while the yen strengthened to 155.66 per dollar. Commodity markets also reacted to geopolitical tensions, with oil prices rising for a second day after the U.S. seized a sanctioned tanker off Venezuela’s coast, raising supply concerns. Brent crude traded at $62.53 and U.S. crude at $58.85.
U.S. Treasury yields slipped as the Fed announced plans to begin buying short-term Treasuries to support liquidity. Investors now turn their attention to the upcoming U.S. non-farm payrolls report on December 16, which may shape expectations for future rate cuts and influence year-end currency trends.
