Fed Governor Lisa Cook Warns Inflation Risks Remain as Rates Stay Steady 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
Gold Prices Slide Below $5,000 as Strong Dollar and Central Bank Outlook Weigh on Metals 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 
U.S. stock index futures rose slightly on Sunday evening, as investors monitored ongoing bipartisan negotiations aimed at preventing a government shutdown later this week. The modest gains followed a positive Friday session on Wall Street, where inflation data in line with expectations boosted bets on at least two more Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year. Still, the S&P 500 ended its three-week winning streak, pressured by weakness in technology stocks.
By 19:25 ET (23:25 GMT), S&P 500 Futures rose 0.1% to 6,704.0, Nasdaq 100 Futures added 0.1% to 24,761.25, and Dow Jones Futures climbed 0.1% to 46,606.0.
The focus now turns to U.S. lawmakers as funding for government operations is set to expire at midnight on September 30. Republicans are advocating a short-term stopgap funding bill through November, while Democrats insist on reversing recent cuts to healthcare and Medicaid. Congressional leaders from both parties are scheduled to meet President Donald Trump on Monday to hammer out a resolution. Trump expressed optimism, telling Reuters he believed Democrats were willing to reach an agreement.
A government shutdown could delay the release of Friday’s crucial labor market report and, if prolonged, risk disrupting other economic data and broader economic activity. The last major shutdown, lasting 35 days between late 2018 and early 2019, was estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to have reduced GDP by about $11 billion.
On Friday, Wall Street gained after the PCE price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, showed expected results for August. The data suggested that Trump’s tariffs did not trigger as sharp a rise in inflation as feared, reinforcing market expectations for further monetary easing. According to CME FedWatch, traders now price a 90.8% chance of a 25 basis-point rate cut in October and a 63.8% chance of another cut in December.
The S&P 500 closed Friday up 0.6% at 6,643.70, the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.4% to 22,484.07, and the Dow Jones added 0.7% to 46,247.29. However, all three indexes ended the week lower, retreating from recent record highs amid tech-driven losses.
