Gold and Silver Prices Climb in Asian Trade as Markets Eye Key U.S. Economic Data 
South Africa Eyes ECB Repo Lines as Inflation Eases and Rate Cuts Loom 
Australian Household Spending Dips in December as RBA Tightens Policy 
Yen Slides as Japan Election Boosts Fiscal Stimulus Expectations 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Russian Stocks End Mixed as MOEX Index Closes Flat Amid Commodity Strength 
Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Yen Firms on Intervention Talk 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Gold Prices Fall Amid Rate Jitters; Copper Steady as China Stimulus Eyed 
The Japanese government bonds surged at close Wednesday as investors await the country’s industrial production data for the month of September, scheduled to be released today by 23:50GMT and the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) monetary policy meeting, due to be held on October 31 for further direction to the debt market.
At close, the yield on the benchmark 10-year JGB note, which moves inversely to its price, suffered 6 basis points to -0.117 percent, the yield on the long-term 30-year slumped 2 basis points to 0.404 percent and the yield on short-term 2-year suffered 9 basis points to -0.216 percent.
Hopes that the Phase 1 of the US-China trade deal will be signed on November 17 in Chile slipped after an US administration official cautioned the text may not be ready in time. Over in the UK, PM Johnson is likely to get his wish fulfilled to have snap elections on 12 December after he got the backing of opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, OCBC Treasury Research reported.
The S&P500 edged lower overnight, albeit US bank stocks got boosted by Treasury Secretary Mnuchin’s comments about loosening bank rules, while UST bonds saw modest gains with the 10-year yield at 1.84 percent, the report added.
Meanwhile, the Nikkei 225 index closed -0.57 percent lower at 22,843.12 by 06:50GMT.
