US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated 
US Stock Futures Rise as US-Iran Ceasefire Hopes Boost Market Sentiment 
Oil Prices Rise as US-Iran Tensions Threaten Strait of Hormuz Oil Shipments 
Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms 
Canada Grants C$7 Million to Greenland Molybdenum Mine to Strengthen Critical Minerals Supply 
China Expands Export Controls, Adds 20 Japanese Companies to Restricted List 
Gold Prices Rise Above $4,000 as Inflation Data and Weaker Dollar Boost Demand 
Oil Prices Rebound as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Return After Ship Attack Near Oman 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
Japan Targets 1%+ Real Economic Growth With ¥370 Trillion Investment Plan 
Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns 
Asian Stocks Slip as US-Iran Ceasefire Hopes Lift Oil, Dollar Strength Persists 
Asian Currencies Stay Range-Bound as Investors Eye China Data, RBNZ Outlook and U.S.-Iran Ceasefire 
Asian Currencies Trade Mixed as Yen Hovers Near 40-Year Low, Dollar Holds Firm on Fed Outlook 
Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
World Bank Approves $1.1 Billion Emergency Funding for Bangladesh Amid Food and Energy Price Pressures 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
European stock markets traded higher on Wednesday as investors anticipated more corporate earnings. Germany’s DAX climbed 0.7%, while the UK’s FTSE 100 and France’s CAC 40 gained 0.2% each.
Global debt surged by $7 trillion in 2024, hitting a record $318 trillion, according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF). The global debt-to-GDP ratio jumped to 330%, marking the first annual increase since the pandemic. The IIF expects debt growth to slow in early 2025 due to high borrowing costs.
Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) reported a sharp 70% drop in net profit for 2024, plunging to €5.5 billion from €18.6 billion in 2023. The automaker, which owns brands like Jeep, Dodge, and Peugeot (OTC: PUGOY), is implementing cost-cutting measures to improve profitability.
Meanwhile, Deutsche Telekom (OTC: DTEGY) exceeded its 2024 financial targets, reporting a 3.4% rise in revenue to €115.8 billion and a 6.2% jump in adjusted EBITDA AL to €43 billion. Free cash flow AL soared 18.7% to €19.2 billion, while adjusted net profit increased 18.3% to €9.4 billion. The company forecasts continued growth in 2025, with adjusted EBITDA AL expected to reach €44.9 billion (+4.5%) and free cash flow AL to rise 4% to €19.9 billion.
Anheuser-Busch InBev (EBR: ABI) posted record revenue despite volume declines in China and Argentina. Revenue rose 2.7% to $59.77 billion, driven by a 4.3% increase in revenue per hectoliter, while normalized EBITDA climbed 8.2% to $20.96 billion.
Crude oil prices rebounded from two-month lows after U.S. stockpile declines. Brent crude rose 0.3% to $72.69 per barrel, while WTI crude increased 0.3% to $69.14.
