How the UK’s rollback of banking regulations could risk another financial crisis 
Deutsche Bank Warns of Persistent Inflation Risks in 2025 
Bank of America Clients Pour $1.1B into US Equities Amid Sector Shifts 
Gold Prices Rise as Markets Await Trump’s Policy Announcements 
U.S. Condemns China's Dominance in Global Shipbuilding and Maritime Sectors 
Asian Tech Stocks Surge Amid OpenAI’s $500 Billion AI Partnership 
Wall Street Declines as Tariff Concerns Weigh on Markets 
UK Markets Face Rising Volatility as Hedge Funds Target Pound and Gilts 
Wall Street Banks Plan to Sell $3 Billion of Elon Musk’s X Debt 
Investors value green labels — but not always for the right reasons 
U.S. Treasury Yields Expected to Decline Amid Cooling Economic Pressures 
Gold Hits Record High as Investors Eye Fed Chair Powell’s Speech on Tariffs 
U.S. Stocks Slip as Gold Rebounds Ahead of Year-End, Markets Eye 2026 Outlook 
SoftBank Eyes Up to $25B OpenAI Investment Amid AI Boom 
Infosys Shares Drop Amid Earnings Quality Concerns 
Investors Brace for Market Moves as Trump Begins Second Term 
Technology stocks led gains in Asia-Pacific markets on Wednesday, mirroring Wall Street's rally as concerns eased over the emergence of a low-cost Chinese AI model. Investors reconsidered the impact of DeepSeek’s AI, suggesting it may lack the scalability to disrupt the industry while potentially boosting demand for GPUs.
Japan's Nikkei gained 0.5%, snapping a three-day losing streak. Australia's ASX 200 climbed 0.8%, with tech stocks surging 2.2%. U.S. futures dipped slightly after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose 0.9% and 2% overnight, rebounding from a previous 3% drop triggered by concerns over Nvidia’s valuation.
Investors are now eyeing earnings reports from Meta (NASDAQ:META), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), with questions surrounding AI-driven computing costs. The Federal Reserve's policy decision is also in focus, though rates are expected to remain unchanged.
The U.S. dollar stayed firm as traders rotated back from safe-haven currencies. The dollar index held at 107.91, while the yen weakened to 155.66 per dollar. The offshore yuan remained stable at 7.2763 per dollar. The Australian dollar dropped 0.4% to $0.6229 after weaker-than-expected inflation data raised rate cut expectations.
Oil prices held gains, with Brent crude at $77.47 per barrel and WTI at $73.82. Traders also monitored renewed U.S. tariff concerns after the White House reaffirmed plans for levies on Canada and Mexico, while weighing potential new tariffs on China.
Trading was thin due to Lunar New Year holidays in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea.
