Asian Currencies Trade Sideways as Dollar Stabilizes, Yen Weakens Ahead of Japan Election 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Fed Governor Lisa Cook Warns Inflation Risks Remain as Rates Stay Steady 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Australia’s Corporate Regulator Urges Pension Funds to Boost Technology Investment as Industry Grows 
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
US-India Trade Bombshell: Tariffs Slashed to 18% — Rupee Soars, Sensex Explodes 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
India Services Sector Rebounds in January as New Business Gains Momentum: HSBC PMI Shows Growth 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Gold prices stayed close to record highs in Asian trading on Monday, supported by expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this week. Spot gold rose 0.1% to $3,645.03 per ounce at 01:29 ET (05:29 GMT), just below last week’s record of $3,673.95. U.S. gold futures dipped 0.1% to $3,682.70 per ounce.
The precious metal gained 1.5% last week, marking a fourth straight weekly rise, and is up nearly 40% year-to-date as investors flock to safe-haven assets amid global economic uncertainty and trade policy concerns under President Donald Trump.
Markets are pricing in over a 96% chance that the Fed will cut rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday, with some bets on a deeper cut. Confidence in a rate reduction strengthened after revised U.S. labor data revealed weaker job growth. August payrolls added only 22,000 jobs, pushing unemployment to 4.3%, the highest in months. Despite a slightly hotter August Consumer Price Index at 0.4% monthly growth, annual inflation held steady at 2.9%. Analysts believe the Fed will prioritize the cooling labor market over inflation concerns.
Gold is particularly sensitive to interest rate changes, as lower rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets while typically pressuring the dollar, further boosting bullion demand.
Other metals showed limited movement. Silver futures slipped 0.2% to $42.76 per ounce, while platinum futures hovered at $1,410.45. Copper prices gained modestly, with London Metal Exchange futures up 0.3% to $10,083.3 a ton and U.S. copper futures rising 0.2% to $4.66 a pound.
Meanwhile, weak Chinese economic data weighed on broader metal sentiment. Industrial production growth slowed to its weakest pace in a year, while retail sales also underperformed expectations, highlighting ongoing challenges for the world’s largest commodity consumer.
