India Budget 2026: Modi Government Eyes Reforms Amid Global Uncertainty and Fiscal Pressures 
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 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Closes Unchanged Amid Mixed Global Signals 
China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook 
U.S.–Venezuela Relations Show Signs of Thaw as Top Envoy Visits Caracas 
Wall Street Slides as Warsh Fed Nomination, Hot Inflation, and Precious Metals Rout Shake Markets 
Why Trump’s new pick for Fed chair hit gold and silver markets – for good reasons 
China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market 
Philippines Manufacturing PMI Hits Nine-Month High Despite Weak Confidence Outlook 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
U.S. stock futures traded flat Sunday evening after Wall Street ended last week with strong gains, as investors braced for a potential Federal Reserve interest rate cut. By 20:11 ET (00:11 GMT), S&P 500 futures held at 6,644.75, Nasdaq 100 futures hovered at 24,349.0, and Dow Jones futures remained steady at 45,859.0.
The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all closed at record highs last week, driven by growing optimism that the Fed will ease policy. The S&P 500 rose 1.6%, the Dow gained 1%, and the Nasdaq advanced 2% for the week. Weaker U.S. labor market data fueled these expectations, as non-farm payrolls grew by only 22,000 in August, unemployment climbed to 4.3%, and weekly jobless claims hit their highest level in nearly four years.
Inflation readings were mixed, with the Consumer Price Index rising 0.4% in August and annual inflation ticking up to 2.9%. Core CPI increased 0.3% month-over-month and 3.1% year-over-year, aligning with forecasts. Despite slightly hotter inflation, markets remain confident in a 25-basis-point Fed rate cut this week, with a slim chance of a deeper 50-basis-point move, according to CME’s FedWatch tool. Traders are now awaiting updated Fed projections and remarks from Chair Jerome Powell for guidance on monetary policy through year-end.
AI-driven optimism also lifted equities, particularly in the tech sector. Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) surged after raising its cloud infrastructure revenue outlook and securing major AI contracts, reinforcing hopes that corporate AI investment will continue to drive growth.
With record market highs, Fed easing expectations, and momentum in artificial intelligence, investors are closely watching whether this week’s Fed decision will sustain Wall Street’s rally.
