Public Markets 3h Briefing
×Market Volatility
Stocks steadied bloomberg.com after a sharp selloff driven by AI and tariff fears, with traders reassessing the impact of Trump's 10% global tariffs taking effect. The S&P 500 ended lower marking its first two-week decline since June, as uncertainty over trade policy and AI disruption weighed on sentiment.
Asia-Pacific Markets
Asian FX remained tepid investing.com while the dollar firmed as traders evaluated the fresh Trump tariffs. China's BYD wsj.com opened 2026 with blockbuster sales growth in Europe, logging a nearly threefold increase in monthly sales as electric and hybrid vehicles remained in high demand. Meanwhile, China's Zhipu AI investing.com shares rebounded after tumbling on compute shortage concerns, highlighting the sector's volatility.
Corporate Developments
Air France-KLM bloomberg.com and hotelier Accor SA will pay bond penalties for missing climate goals, as greenhouse gas targets become enforceable through financial instruments. Standard Chartered wsj.com launched a $1.5 billion buyback weeks after its finance chief's exit, with the Asia-focused bank hitting its 13% return on tangible equity target a year early.
Trade Tensions
China hit dozens of Japanese companies ft.com with export curbs, banning shipments of critical dual-use goods in the latest escalation of the bilateral dispute. The move follows China's export bans wsj.com on dual-use items to Japanese entities with military ties, marking a significant escalation in trade tensions between the Asian powers.
Commodity Markets
A forecast LNG glut bloomberg.com may pressure prices, but Woodside noted demand growth remains strong with supply additions uncertain. The Australian LNG producer emphasized that despite potential oversupply, robust demand fundamentals could limit price weakness in the global gas market.
Regional Economic News
South African rand traders bloomberg.com are most bearish in three years, with options bets at their highest level as questions mount about the currency's rally sustainability. Australian exporters bloomberg.com are bracing for Trump policy shifts, with the Chamber of Commerce warning businesses may be caught off guard by renewed uncertainty despite anticipating the Supreme Court's tariff decision.
Technology Sector
A rout in Indian IT stocks bloomberg.com deepened following a Citrini Research report amplifying concerns about AI's impact on software services businesses. The selloff reflects growing investor anxiety about whether established IT firms can adapt to or will be sidelined by AI agents in the evolving technology landscape.