Canada’s Trade Deficit Jumps in November as Exports Slide and Firms Diversify Away From U.S. 
Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry 
U.S.–Venezuela Relations Show Signs of Thaw as Top Envoy Visits Caracas 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook 
China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy 
U.S. Government Faces Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
U.S. Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions to Boost American Investment After Maduro Ouster 
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient 
Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets 
BOJ Policymakers Warn Weak Yen Could Fuel Inflation Risks and Delay Rate Action 
India Budget 2026: Modi Government Eyes Reforms Amid Global Uncertainty and Fiscal Pressures 
U.S. stock index futures traded flat Tuesday evening following a downbeat Wall Street session as investors reassessed the artificial intelligence (AI) rally and monitored ongoing political gridlock in Washington. Markets remained tense amid a persistent government shutdown, with Congress making little headway toward approving a spending bill despite President Donald Trump’s mediation efforts.
As of 19:20 ET (23:20 GMT), S&P 500 Futures hovered at 6,762.50 points, Nasdaq 100 Futures were unchanged at 25,047.0, and Dow Jones Futures steadied at 46,852.0.
Tuesday’s losses came largely from weakness in technology and AI-linked stocks. Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) dropped 2.4% during the session and another 0.5% after hours following a report from The Information suggesting thin margins in its chip rental business. The revelation raised doubts about Oracle’s AI expansion strategy. The news triggered a broader tech selloff, with NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) slipping 0.3% and Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) down 1.8%. However, Nvidia later steadied after Bloomberg reported it plans to invest up to $2 billion in Elon Musk’s xAI, a move expected to deepen its dominance in the AI chip market.
Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) also weighed on sentiment, plunging nearly 5% after unveiling new low-cost versions of its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Analysts viewed the pricing as insufficient to significantly revive slowing EV sales.
Despite the pullback, analysts note tech stocks are still supported by optimism surrounding AI innovation, following a strong rally that pushed Wall Street to record highs last week.
Looking ahead, attention turns to key Federal Reserve speeches and the release of September meeting minutes. Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan speaks Wednesday, followed by Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday. Markets expect a 25-basis-point rate cut in October, driven by signs of a cooling labor market, though economic clarity remains limited as the shutdown delays critical data releases.
