U.S. Stock Futures Steady Amid Bank Earnings and Inflation Focus 
UK Markets Face Rising Volatility as Hedge Funds Target Pound and Gilts 
Bank of America Clients Pour $1.1B into US Equities Amid Sector Shifts 
South Korea to End Short-Selling Ban as Financial Market Uncertainty Persists 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
How the UK’s rollback of banking regulations could risk another financial crisis 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
U.S. Treasury Yields Expected to Decline Amid Cooling Economic Pressures 
U.S. Stocks vs. Bonds: Are Diverging Valuations Signaling a Shift? 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
South Africa Eyes ECB Repo Lines as Inflation Eases and Rate Cuts Loom 
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.
