ADB Approves $400 Million Loan to Boost Ease of Doing Business in the Philippines 
Asian Stocks Slip Ahead of Fed Decision as China Deflation Concerns Deepen 
Hong Kong Cuts Base Rate as HKMA Follows U.S. Federal Reserve Move 
Wall Street Futures Slip as Oracle Earnings Miss Reignites AI Spending Concerns 
Fed’s Dovish Tone Sends Dollar Lower as Markets Price In More Rate Cuts 
Asian Stocks Rally as Tech Rebounds, China Lags on Nvidia Competition Concerns 
Modi and Trump Hold Phone Call as India Seeks Relief From U.S. Tariffs Over Russian Oil Trade 
Asian Currencies Steady as Fed Delivers Hawkish Rate Cut; Aussie and Rupee Under Pressure 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Indian Rupee Slides to Record Low on Fed Outlook 
S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
Oil Prices Edge Higher as U.S. Seizes Sanctioned Venezuelan Tanker 
Gold Prices Slip Slightly in Asia as Silver Nears Record Highs on Dovish Fed Outlook 
Mexico Moves to Increase Tariffs on Asian Imports to Protect Domestic Industries 
US Signals Openness to New Trade Deal as Brazil Shows Willingness, Says USTR Greer 
Ireland Limits Planned Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements to Goods Only 
Australia’s Labour Market Weakens as November Employment Drops Sharply 
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.
