Tech Stocks Rally in Asia-Pacific as Dollar Remains Resilient 
South Korea to End Short-Selling Ban as Financial Market Uncertainty Persists 
Dollar Holds Near Six-Week Low as Yen Loses Momentum Ahead of U.S. Jobs Data 
Oil Prices Set for Steep Weekly Losses as Hormuz Deal Stalls 
U.S. Stocks vs. Bonds: Are Diverging Valuations Signaling a Shift? 
UK Markets Face Rising Volatility as Hedge Funds Target Pound and Gilts 
Moody's Upgrades Argentina's Credit Rating Amid Economic Reforms 
Trump Unveils $3 Billion U.S. Critical Minerals Push 
Singapore Says One-Third of U.S. Exports Hit by New 12.5% Tariff 
Fed Governor Hints at Potential Rate Cuts Amid Positive Inflation Trends 
Gold Prices Surge 7% as Dollar Falls, Fed Rate Hike Bets Ease 
Gold Price Hits Seven-Week High as Fed Rate Hike Bets Fade and Hormuz Deal Hopes Grow 
Gold Hits Record High as Investors Eye Fed Chair Powell’s Speech on Tariffs 
US Stock Futures Hold Steady as Iran Hormuz Deal and Earnings Shape Market Sentiment 
JPMorgan Posts Strong Q4 Revenue Growth Amid Market Rally 
China Trade Surplus Beats Forecasts in July as Exports Stay Strong 
U.S. CPI Sparks Mixed Reactions, Shaping Fed Rate Cut Outlook 
U.S. stocks closed lower on Friday as investor sentiment weakened following the White House’s announcement that President Donald Trump will implement new tariffs on Canadian, Mexican, and Chinese imports. The tariffs—25% on Canadian and Mexican goods and 10% on Chinese imports—will take effect on Saturday, adding to economic uncertainty.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 337.47 points (0.75%) to 44,544.66, the S&P 500 declined 30.64 points (0.50%) to 6,040.53, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 54.31 points (0.28%) to 19,627.44. Energy stocks led losses, with Chevron (NYSE:CVX) plunging 4.6% after weak earnings and Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) falling 2.5%.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) ended down 0.7%, reversing earlier gains from upbeat earnings commentary. Tech stocks faced pressure earlier in the week after China’s DeepSeek unveiled a breakthrough in AI technology.
Despite Friday’s decline, indexes posted gains for January, with the Dow up 4.7%, the S&P 500 rising 2.7%, and the Nasdaq gaining 1.6%. However, for the week, the S&P 500 lost 1%, and the Nasdaq dropped 1.6%.
Economic data released Friday reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will maintain interest rates for longer. Strong consumer spending and moderate inflation in December supported Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s stance that rate cuts are not imminent.
After the closing bell, Trump hinted at new tariffs related to oil and gas, set to be announced by Feb. 18. However, he provided no details on affected countries or specifics.
Declining stocks outpaced gainers on both the NYSE and Nasdaq, with U.S. exchange volume reaching 15.78 billion shares, slightly above the 20-day average.
