Ireland Limits Planned Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements to Goods Only 
China’s Small Bank Consolidation Struggles as Profits Fall and Risks Persist 
Japan Business Sentiment Hits Four-Year High, Boosting Expectations of BOJ Rate Hike 
Fed Near Neutral Signals Caution Ahead, Shifting Focus to Fixed Income in 2026 
Wall Street Futures Dip as Broadcom Slides, Tech Weighed Down Despite Dovish Fed Signals 
Oil Prices Rebound as U.S.-Venezuela Tensions Offset Oversupply Concerns 
Asian Currencies Steady as Fed Delivers Hawkish Rate Cut; Aussie and Rupee Under Pressure 
Russia Stocks End Flat as Energy and Retail Shares Show Mixed Performance 
Gold Prices Slip Slightly in Asia as Silver Nears Record Highs on Dovish Fed Outlook 
Global Markets Slide as Tech Stocks Sink, Yields Rise, and AI Concerns Deepen 
S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
ASX Shares Slide After ASIC Imposes A$150 Million Capital Requirement 
Fed Rate Cut Signals Balance Between Inflation and Jobs, Says Mary Daly 
Australia’s Labour Market Weakens as November Employment Drops Sharply 
Asian Stocks Rally as Tech Rebounds, China Lags on Nvidia Competition Concerns 
Oil Prices Rebound in Asia as Venezuela Sanctions Risks Offset Ukraine Peace Hopes 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Indian Rupee Slides to Record Low on Fed Outlook 
U.S. stock index futures held steady Tuesday evening after a subdued trading session, as escalating trade tensions under President Donald Trump kept investor sentiment cautious. S&P 500 Futures were flat at 6,272.25, Nasdaq 100 Futures hovered at 22,905.25, and Dow Jones Futures stood at 44,500.00 by 19:30 ET.
The market remains on edge after Trump threatened steep tariffs on key imports, including 50% duties on copper and up to 200% on pharmaceuticals. The president sent letters to multiple major economies, signaling further tariffs may follow. Although the tariff start date was delayed to August 1, the threats weakened hopes for near-term trade deals, especially with South Korea and Japan. China also warned the U.S. against restarting a trade war, intensifying global trade uncertainty.
Wall Street struggled with the uncertainty, with the S&P 500 slipping 0.1% to 6,225.52, the Dow falling 0.4% to 44,240.76, and the NASDAQ Composite closing flat at 20,418.46. Investors are also closely watching for second-quarter earnings, which kick off next week.
Attention now turns to the Federal Reserve’s June meeting minutes, due Wednesday. The report may offer clues on interest rate policy, especially after strong jobs data last week tempered expectations for rate cuts. Trump has repeatedly called for lower rates and criticized Fed Chair Jerome Powell. While Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers claimed tariffs haven’t yet driven inflation, economists warn the delayed implementation could still impact consumer prices.
With earnings season approaching and tariff uncertainty mounting, markets remain highly sensitive to policy developments. Investors will be closely monitoring the Fed’s stance and any further trade policy shifts from the Trump administration.
