Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen 
Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms 
Asian Currencies Trade Mixed as Yen Hovers Near 40-Year Low, Dollar Holds Firm on Fed Outlook 
Trump Requests $11 Billion More in Farm Aid as Rising Costs Pressure U.S. Farmers 
SpaceX Eyes Starlink Mobile Phone Service to Challenge Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile 
Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated 
BOJ Hawk Signals Faster Interest Rate Hikes Amid Inflation Risks 
Asian Markets Rally as Micron and Qualcomm AI Outlook Lifts Global Tech Stocks 
Australia Jobs Growth Strengthens Rate Hike Outlook 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges 
White House Seeks $87.6 Billion Emergency Funding for Iran War, Farmers, and Ebola Response 
Gold Drops Below $4,000 as Strong US Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Pressure Bullion 
Japan Signals Preference for Low Interest Rates as BOJ Policy Debate Intensifies 
Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns 
U.S. stock index futures edged lower Thursday evening as Wall Street closed in the red, weighed down by renewed fears surrounding regional banks, escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, and the prolonged government shutdown.
S&P 500 Futures slipped 0.2% to 6,654.50 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures dropped 0.2% to 24,778.50 points. Dow Jones Futures declined 0.1% to 46,097.0 points. During regular trading, the S&P 500 fell 0.6%, the NASDAQ Composite lost 0.5%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 0.7%.
Regional bank stocks were among the biggest losers after Zions Bancorporation (NASDAQ: ZION) and Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE: WAL) reported significant loan losses linked to potential fraud. Zions said it would write off roughly $50 million following “misrepresentations and contractual defaults” at its California Bank & Trust unit. Western Alliance announced legal action against a borrower accused of presenting fraudulent collateral. The disclosures triggered steep selloffs, with Zions tumbling more than 13% and Western Alliance dropping nearly 10%, dragging the KBW Regional Banking Index down about 6%.
Investor sentiment also weakened amid rising geopolitical and political uncertainty. President Trump’s announcement of an additional 100% tariff on all Chinese imports, in response to Beijing’s rare earth export restrictions, further fueled concerns of deteriorating trade relations between the world’s two largest economies.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government shutdown, now entering its third week, continued to rattle markets, delaying key economic data and stoking fears about short-term growth prospects.
Despite early optimism from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE: TSM) earnings that briefly lifted tech stocks, broader market declines in industrials and financials erased those gains. JB Hunt (NASDAQ: JBHT) surged over 20% after posting strong results, while Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) fell as Trump hinted at sharp price cuts for obesity drugs.
