Trump Faces Uphill Battle Seeking China’s Help on Iran Conflict 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Strong U.S. Inflation Data Boosts Dollar 
Trump Says Iran Ceasefire ‘On Life Support’ as Oil Prices Surge Above $104 
Oil Prices Hold Above $100 as Trump-Xi Meeting and Iran Conflict Keep Markets on Edge 
OECD Sees Bank of Japan Raising Interest Rates to 2% by 2027 
Trump, Xi Begin High-Stakes China Summit Focused on Trade, Taiwan and Global Tensions 
ASX Names Former Euronext Executive Anthony Attia as New CEO 
Dollar Surges as Inflation Data Fuels Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
US Inflation Expected to Rise Again in April as Fed Signals Higher Interest Rates 
Japan Considers Extra Budget Aid Amid Rising Fuel and Utility Costs 
Trump Administration Seeks Court Pause to Reinstate 10% Global Tariffs 
U.S. Urges China to Help Curb Iran’s Actions in Gulf, Rubio Says 
Rubio Discusses Iran Crisis and Strait of Hormuz Disruptions With UK and Australia 
Australia Housing Tax Reform Sparks Debate Over Property Investor Tax Breaks 
US Stock Futures Slip as Iran Tensions and Hot Inflation Data Pressure Wall Street 
US, Japan Reaffirm Strong Currency Coordination Amid Yen Volatility 
Oil Prices Slip as Strait of Hormuz Disruptions and U.S. Inventory Data Keep Markets on Edge 
U.S. stock index futures moved higher Wednesday evening as investors remained optimistic about technology and semiconductor stocks ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The positive momentum followed another strong session on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs thanks to renewed strength in artificial intelligence and chip-related shares.
By late evening trading, S&P 500 Futures gained 0.1% to 7,480.25, while Nasdaq 100 Futures climbed 0.5% to 29,631.0. Dow Jones Futures also edged up 0.2% to 49,905.0. Investor sentiment improved after reports suggested the Trump-Xi discussions could ease tensions between the United States and China, particularly regarding technology exports and trade restrictions.
Market attention is now centered on Thursday’s summit in Beijing, where Trump arrived alongside major U.S. business leaders including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla chief Elon Musk. Analysts expect talks to address tariffs, Taiwan, artificial intelligence cooperation, and broader economic relations between the two global powers.
Chipmaking stocks rallied strongly after hopes emerged that Washington may soften export controls on semiconductor sales to China. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index surged 2.6%, recovering losses from the previous session and nearing record territory once again. Nvidia and other AI-linked companies continued to attract strong investor interest amid growing optimism surrounding the global AI industry.
Despite concerns over inflation and geopolitical risks linked to the Iran conflict, investors largely favored growth and technology sectors. Earlier this week, hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data raised expectations that the Federal Reserve could maintain higher interest rates for longer. Adding to market focus, the U.S. Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve Chairman, replacing Jerome Powell whose term ends this week.
