Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data 
China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
Why Trump’s new pick for Fed chair hit gold and silver markets – for good reasons 
Asian Currencies Hold Firm as Dollar Rebounds on Fed Chair Nomination Hopes 
Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S. 
U.S.–Venezuela Relations Show Signs of Thaw as Top Envoy Visits Caracas 
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action 
China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook 
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand 
U.S. Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions to Boost American Investment After Maduro Ouster 
U.S. stock futures posted modest gains Thursday evening, rebounding slightly after Wall Street’s sharp decline earlier in the day. By 19:29 ET (00:29 GMT), S&P 500 Futures rose 0.3% to 6,765.0, Nasdaq 100 Futures gained 0.3% to 25,318.75, while Dow Jones Futures slipped 0.2% to 47,129.0 points.
The recovery followed another volatile session driven by intensified selling in artificial intelligence and semiconductor stocks, with growing fears that high valuations in the tech sector may have overshot fundamentals. The NASDAQ Composite tumbled 1.9%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.4%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.8% as investors reacted to warnings from top Wall Street executives at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley about overheated equity markets.
Concerns were further compounded by the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, now stretching into its second month, delaying crucial economic data such as inflation and jobs reports. This lack of data has complicated the Federal Reserve’s decision-making process regarding potential interest rate cuts. Meanwhile, private data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas showed a staggering 183% increase in corporate layoffs in October—the steepest monthly rise in decades—adding to recessionary concerns.
In corporate developments, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) shareholders approved CEO Elon Musk’s record-breaking $1 trillion compensation package, contingent on achieving ambitious goals like an $8.5 trillion market valuation and mass deployment of robotaxis and humanoid robots. The approval reflects investor confidence despite recent volatility in tech shares.
Elsewhere, Airbnb Inc. (NASDAQ: ABNB) surged 5% in after-hours trading following strong quarterly earnings and upbeat guidance. Affirm Holdings (NASDAQ: AFRM) also jumped over 12% after reporting robust results that exceeded Wall Street forecasts.
The cautious optimism in futures trading suggests investors remain watchful of macroeconomic uncertainty, market valuations, and the broader impact of AI-driven growth.
