Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
Fed Governor Lisa Cook Warns Inflation Risks Remain as Rates Stay Steady 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
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 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Global financial markets ended Friday on a weaker note as major stock indexes declined, led by a sharp selloff in technology shares amid renewed skepticism over artificial intelligence investments. Rising U.S. Treasury yields and a firmer dollar further pressured equities, highlighting investor caution despite the traditionally strong year-end period for stocks.
Technology stocks were the worst-performing sector in the S&P 500, falling nearly 3% as concerns about high spending and shrinking margins in the AI and cloud computing space intensified. Shares of chipmaker Broadcom plunged more than 11% after it warned about margin pressures, while Oracle extended losses with another drop following weak forecasts and heavy investment spending. Nvidia, a key AI bellwether, also declined, reflecting broader uncertainty around the sustainability of the AI-driven rally.
Market sentiment was further weighed down by comments from U.S. Federal Reserve officials who opposed this week’s interest rate cut. They emphasized that inflation remains too elevated to justify aggressive easing, pushing U.S. Treasury yields higher. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed above 4.19%, marking its second consecutive weekly increase, and rising yields added pressure on equity valuations.
Despite the Fed’s 25-basis-point rate cut earlier in the week, policymakers signaled a pause in further reductions, even as concerns grow about a cooling U.S. labor market. Recent jobless claims data showed the largest weekly increase in new unemployment filings in over four years, adding complexity to the outlook for monetary policy.
Global markets mirrored the cautious tone. European stocks fell, with bond yields in Germany reaching multi-year highs as investors began pricing in the possibility of future euro zone rate hikes. Currency markets saw the U.S. dollar edge higher, while sterling weakened after data showed the UK economy unexpectedly contracted. The yen remained under pressure ahead of an anticipated Bank of Japan rate hike.
Commodities also retreated, with copper sliding sharply from record highs on fears of an AI-driven demand bubble bursting. Oil prices posted a weekly decline as supply concerns outweighed geopolitical risks, underscoring the broader risk-off mood across global markets.
