US Signals Openness to New Trade Deal as Brazil Shows Willingness, Says USTR Greer 
Asian Currencies Steady as Fed Delivers Hawkish Rate Cut; Aussie and Rupee Under Pressure 
Australia’s Labour Market Weakens as November Employment Drops Sharply 
Gold Prices Dip as Markets Absorb Dovish Fed Outlook; Silver Eases After Record High 
Wall Street Futures Dip as Broadcom Slides, Tech Weighed Down Despite Dovish Fed Signals 
Oil Prices Edge Higher as U.S. Seizes Sanctioned Venezuelan Tanker 
Russia Stocks End Flat as Energy and Retail Shares Show Mixed Performance 
ADB Approves $400 Million Loan to Boost Ease of Doing Business in the Philippines 
Mexico Moves to Increase Tariffs on Asian Imports to Protect Domestic Industries 
Global Markets Slide as Tech Stocks Sink, Yields Rise, and AI Concerns Deepen 
Fed Rate Cut Signals Balance Between Inflation and Jobs, Says Mary Daly 
Asian Stocks Slip as Oracle Earnings Miss Sparks AI Profitability Concerns 
Ireland Limits Planned Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements to Goods Only 
Fed Near Neutral Signals Caution Ahead, Shifting Focus to Fixed Income in 2026 
Hong Kong Cuts Base Rate as HKMA Follows U.S. Federal Reserve Move 
U.S. stock index futures edged higher Tuesday evening following President Donald Trump's announcement of a trade agreement with Japan, which included a 15% tariff on Japanese exports to the U.S. The move, while lighter than the initially proposed 25%, signals ongoing progress ahead of the August 1 tariff deadline. Trump also revealed Japan’s commitment to invest $550 billion in the U.S. and open its markets further to American cars and agriculture, including rice.
The trade news helped support sentiment after a mixed Wall Street session. While the S&P 500 reached a new record high at 6,309.59, gains were muted by losses in major technology stocks. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.4% to 20,892.69, pressured by chipmakers after Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) issued a disappointing quarterly outlook. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4% to 44,502.19.
Futures reflected modest optimism: S&P 500 Futures rose 0.2% to 6,358.50, Nasdaq 100 Futures gained 0.1% to 23,249.0, and Dow Futures added 0.2% to 44,795.0 as of 00:03 GMT.
Investors are now awaiting Q2 earnings reports from Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) due after the bell Wednesday. Tesla’s report is expected to show margin pressure due to weak vehicle sales and a price war in China. Market watchers are also eager for updates on Tesla’s AI and robotics ventures. Alphabet’s results will offer insight into AI-driven growth and the company’s infrastructure investments, as it remains a key player in the AI hyperscaler space.
Additional earnings are expected from IBM (NYSE:IBM), ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW), AT&T (NYSE:T), NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE), and Moody’s (NYSE:MCO), providing broader cues for market direction. Traders remain cautious amid lingering concerns about trade policy and inflation risks.
