China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy 
Philippines Manufacturing PMI Hits Nine-Month High Despite Weak Confidence Outlook 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand 
U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry 
Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S. 
UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
U.S.–Venezuela Relations Show Signs of Thaw as Top Envoy Visits Caracas 
South Korea Exports Surge in January on AI Chip Demand, Marking Fastest Growth in 4.5 Years 
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data 
Asian Currencies Hold Firm as Dollar Rebounds on Fed Chair Nomination Hopes 
U.S. stock futures edged lower Thursday evening as investors digested fresh tariff measures announced by President Donald Trump and mixed quarterly earnings from Amazon and Apple. The market also awaited Friday’s key nonfarm payrolls report, following new economic data showing mild inflation and slightly higher jobless claims.
By 20:26 ET, S&P 500 Futures slipped 0.3% to 6,358.50, Nasdaq 100 Futures fell 0.4% to 23,278.75, and Dow Jones Futures dropped 0.2% to 44,227. In Thursday’s regular session, the S&P 500 declined 0.4%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.7%, while the NASDAQ Composite closed nearly flat.
Amazon shares plunged over 7% in extended trading after issuing weak operating income guidance and disappointing AWS cloud results, falling short of investor expectations set by rivals’ stronger performances. Conversely, Apple stock gained 2% after beating revenue and earnings forecasts and providing an upbeat outlook for the current quarter.
Investors are also reacting to Trump’s new reciprocal tariffs, set to take effect August 1, ranging from 10% to 41% on imports from multiple countries. The order imposes 25% tariffs on goods from India, 20% on Taiwan, and 30% on South Africa, while raising Canadian tariffs to 35% from 25% over fentanyl-related concerns. A separate 15% tariff was announced earlier on imports from South Korea.
Economic data showed initial jobless claims rose slightly to 218,000 last week, signaling a still-resilient labor market. Meanwhile, June consumer spending increased, and the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index rose 0.3%, matching forecasts and slightly above May’s 0.2%, providing fresh signals on U.S. inflation trends amid heightened trade tensions.
