Australia’s December Trade Surplus Expands but Falls Short of Expectations 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Concerns and Earnings 
Oil Prices Slip as U.S.–Iran Talks Ease Supply Disruption Fears 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Fed Governor Lisa Cook Warns Inflation Risks Remain as Rates Stay Steady 
Wall Street futures turned higher late Wednesday after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to end the longest government shutdown in American history. The move followed a volatile trading session that saw investors rotating out of major technology stocks and into cyclical sectors.
S&P 500 futures climbed 0.1% to 6,882.50, Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.2% to 25,684.50, and Dow Jones futures gained 0.2% to 48,449. The shift came after the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a record 48,225.07, lifted by gains in industrials and banks, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.3% amid tech sector weakness.
The House approved the government funding bill by a narrow 222–209 vote. The legislation, already passed by the Senate, will provide funding until at least January 30. President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law at 21:45 ET (02:45 GMT). The passage comes just hours before the shutdown would have entered its 43rd day, offering relief to investors optimistic about the resumption of federal operations.
Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) surged 7.6% in after-hours trading after beating fiscal Q1 earnings expectations, driven by stronger demand for AI-related network infrastructure. However, tech sentiment remained fragile. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) dropped nearly 3%, while Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) each lost around 2%. Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR) fell 3.6%, and Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) declined 1.6%.
Investor caution deepened following SoftBank Group’s $5.8 billion sale of its NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) stake, which fueled renewed fears of an AI valuation bubble. The Japanese conglomerate’s sale, intended to finance its $40 billion and $540 billion investments in OpenAI and the Stargate project, underscored growing concerns about excessive AI valuations.
As optimism builds around the government reopening, market focus remains on balancing exposure between high-growth tech stocks and value-driven cyclical sectors.
