Gold Falls Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Weigh on Prices 
Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns 
Asian Markets Rally as Micron and Qualcomm AI Outlook Lifts Global Tech Stocks 
Oil Prices Rebound as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Return After Ship Attack Near Oman 
SpaceX Eyes Starlink Mobile Phone Service to Challenge Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile 
Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms 
Gold Drops Below $4,000 as Strong US Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Pressure Bullion 
Gold Prices Fall Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar, Fed Rate Hike Bets Weigh on Bullion 
S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges 
Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
U.S. Dollar Reaches One-Year High as Tech Sell-Off and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Support Demand 
BOJ Hawk Signals Faster Interest Rate Hikes Amid Inflation Risks 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
White House Seeks $87.6 Billion Emergency Funding for Iran War, Farmers, and Ebola Response 
U.S. stock index futures stabilized on Thursday evening after a strong rebound in technology stocks helped Wall Street snap a two-day losing streak. The recovery was driven largely by blockbuster earnings from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), along with upbeat results from major U.S. banks such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. However, broader market gains remained capped as investors continued to monitor rising geopolitical tensions involving Iran, which have recently weighed on global risk sentiment.
By 18:35 ET, S&P 500 futures edged up 0.1% to 6,988.50 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures also gained 0.1% to 25,727.0 points. Dow Jones futures traded slightly higher at 49,670.0 points. The modest uptick reflected cautious optimism as investors balanced strong corporate earnings against ongoing macro and geopolitical risks.
Technology and semiconductor stocks led the advance after TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, reported a record-high profit for the fourth quarter. The company also reinforced confidence in the artificial intelligence-driven demand outlook, positioning itself as a key beneficiary of the global AI infrastructure buildout. TSMC’s U.S.-listed shares jumped 4.4%, lifting sentiment across the chip sector. NVIDIA, a major TSMC customer, climbed 2.2%, while AMD added nearly 2%. TSMC’s CEO highlighted strong customer demand and signaled a sharp increase in capital expenditure planned for 2026 to meet long-term growth needs.
The positive momentum in semiconductors spilled over into broader tech stocks, although gains were tempered by some profit-taking after a strong start to January. Meanwhile, Wall Street also drew support from the banking sector. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley surged 4.6% and 5.8%, respectively, after reporting robust December-quarter earnings, helping offset earlier mixed results from other banks.
The S&P 500 rose nearly 0.3% on Thursday, the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.25%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average outperformed with a 0.6% rise, led by financial stocks. With the fourth-quarter earnings season accelerating next week and key reports from companies like Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, and Intel ahead, investors remain focused on corporate fundamentals amid a complex global backdrop.
