Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.–Iran Talks Ease Supply Disruption Fears 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
Fed Governor Lisa Cook Warns Inflation Risks Remain as Rates Stay Steady 
Gold Prices Slide Below $5,000 as Strong Dollar and Central Bank Outlook Weigh on Metals 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings 
Asian Markets Slip as AI Spending Fears Shake Tech, Wall Street Futures Rebound 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
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.
