Public Markets 8-Hour Briefing
×Asian Markets
Japan's Nikkei 225 hit a record high as cooling rate hike bets and tech gains pushed the index higher. Meanwhile, Asian currencies strengthened against the dollar amid risk-on sentiment. In Japan's bond market, JGBs fell in Tokyo's morning session, tracking overnight price declines in U.S. Treasurys.
Commodities & Currencies
Gold ticked up on a softer dollar as markets watched US-Iran nuclear talks, with bullion extending gains as traders weighed geopolitical tensions. Lithium prices jumped after Zimbabwe, one of the world's top producers, suspended concentrate exports. Traders have boosted bearish wagers on the yuan to the highest since April, looking to protect against downside risks.
US Markets
US stock futures fell as Nvidia curbed post-earning gains, with Iran talks also in focus. The tech giant Nvidia beat back bubble fears with record $68 billion in fourth-quarter sales, with shares rising as guidance signals the AI boom remains alive and well. Meanwhile, Salesforce topped quarterly profit estimates as its AI push supported outlook, while Zoom fell on an earnings miss and weak profit guidance.
Corporate Earnings & Sector Performance
Portugal's EDP posted a 44% jump in 2025 profit, while Snowflake saw revenue jump 30% on cloud and AI demand. In a vote of confidence for the software sector, Sequoia's Lin stated that software companies will survive the current wave of artificial intelligence disruption. The Gold Bugs are already fighting back as traders seek alternative investments.
Fed & Policy
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President Alberto Musalem says the Fed rate is near neutral with balanced risks, noting the labor market has cooled but is stabilizing. Meanwhile, EQT's Vesely projects data center deals will top $100 billion as AI infrastructure demand is forecast to require more than $3 trillion in investments.