🌏 Global markets
Asia-Pacific equities are trading mixed after a weaker session on Wall Street. US indices retreated from record highs as investors reacted to fresh policy headlines from Washington, adding a cautious tone to early trading.
🏛️ US policy & equities
US President Donald Trump shifted focus to the housing and defence sectors, announcing restrictions on large institutional investors buying single-family homes and signing an executive order limiting investment activity in defence companies. He also said defence firms should suspend dividends and buybacks until production accelerates, manufacturing capacity expands, and executive pay is reduced. These comments triggered sharp moves in US equities, with defence stocks falling around 3% and major real estate names dropping up to 6%.
🌏 Asia & central banks
In Japan, real wages fell 2.8% y/y in November, the steepest decline since January, as bonuses dropped and inflation remained elevated. This continues to weigh on household spending and complicates the Bank of Japan’s policy outlook. Bond markets reflected the pressure with softer demand for long-dated JGBs, while the Nikkei slipped below 52,000 amid profit-taking in AI-related stocks and renewed trade tensions with China.
🇦🇺 Australia
RBA officials maintained a hawkish tone, noting that inflation above 3% remains uncomfortably high. This has reinforced expectations that rate cuts are off the table for now and kept the risk of a February hike alive, supporting short-term yields and limiting weakness in the Australian dollar.
💱 FX markets
Defensive currencies are leading today, with the Japanese yen and Swiss franc outperforming. Commodity-linked currencies are under pressure, with the AUD and NZD posting the largest losses amid softer raw material prices.
🥇 Commodities
Precious metals are correcting from recent highs. Silver is down around 2.1%, while gold is easing by about 0.4% as traders reduce positions. Palladium and platinum are also under notable pressure. In energy markets, WTI crude has slipped below $56.5 per barrel, extending its broader downtrend.
🪙 Crypto
bitcoin opens the session lower by nearly 1%. Ethereum is showing a similar decline, reflecting a generally cautious risk mood across digital assets.
📌 Stay tuned for today’s market moves and key data — follow NordFX for the latest updates.
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