Oil Prices Surge Toward Biggest Monthly Gains in Years Amid Middle East Tensions 
China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook 
Asia Stocks Pause as Tech Earnings, Fed Signals, and Dollar Weakness Drive Markets 
U.S. Dollar Slides for Second Week as Tariff Threats and Iran Tensions Shake Markets 
Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets 
U.S.–Venezuela Relations Show Signs of Thaw as Top Envoy Visits Caracas 
Copper Prices Hit Record Highs as Metals Rally Gains Momentum on Geopolitical Tensions 
Asian Currencies Trade Flat as Dollar Retreats After Fed Decision 
Wall Street Slips as Tech Stocks Slide on AI Spending Fears and Earnings Concerns 
South Korea Industry Minister Heads to Washington Amid U.S. Tariff Hike Concerns 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market 
Gold Prices Pull Back After Record Highs as January Rally Remains Strong 
Indonesian Stocks Plunge as MSCI Downgrade Risk Sparks Investor Exodus 
Dollar Struggles as Policy Uncertainty Weighs on Markets Despite Official Support 
U.S. Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions to Boost American Investment After Maduro Ouster 
South Korea Exports Surge in January on AI Chip Demand, Marking Fastest Growth in 4.5 Years 
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.
