🌏 Asian Markets Mixed
Asian markets traded cautiously as concerns over 🇺🇸 U.S. trade tariffs and high interest rates weighed on sentiment. 📉 The Hang Seng surged +3% 📈, led by tech stocks, while Japan 🇯🇵 remained flat and China 🇨🇳 showed muted movement.
💥 Alibaba Soars 🚀
Alibaba’s 🇭🇰 Hong Kong shares jumped +8.5% 📊 after strong Q4 earnings, with AI-driven cloud growth and a new Apple 🤖 AI partnership in China boosting sentiment. Ryan Cohen’s $1B stake also added fuel to the rally.
🔥 Japanese Inflation Spikes 📈
🇯🇵 January Core CPI rose +3.2% YoY, exceeding expectations (3.1%). Overall inflation hit 4.0%, driven by soaring food prices 🥬 (cabbage prices tripled!). BOJ tightening fears grew, though bond yields eased after Governor Ueda’s reassurances.
⚠️ Nissan Credit Rating Cut ❌
📉 Moody’s downgraded Nissan to junk status (Ba1 from Baa3) due to weak outlook & restructuring struggles. Meanwhile, reports suggest 🇯🇵 Japanese investors are urging Tesla 🚗 to partner with Nissan following failed Honda talks, aiming to use Nissan’s underutilized U.S. plants amid tariff risks.
🛢️ Oil Holds Gains ⛽
Brent $76.45 | WTI $72.44 — best weekly performance since January ✅. JPMorgan noted global demand at 103.4M bpd, while the Caspian Pipeline faced 30–40% reduced flows after 🇺🇦 Ukrainian drone attacks.
⚡ EU Shifts Energy Strategy 🔋
EU Energy Commissioner 🇪🇺 Dan Jorgensen announced plans to increase U.S. gas imports 🛢️ & boost renewables as Europe faces two-year high gas prices 📈 and Trump’s tariff threats.
🥇 Gold Pauses After Record Highs
📊 Gold: Spot $2,925.06 | Futures $2,941.49 ✨ — 8th straight weekly gain 📈, supported by trade war concerns & a weaker U.S. dollar 💵.
💶 Euro Steady Before German Elections 🇩🇪
The euro 🇪🇺 held at $1.049 as markets brace for the collapse of Chancellor Scholz’s coalition. Traders eye February PMI data 📊 from the Eurozone, U.K. 🇬🇧, & U.S. 🇺🇸, assessing Trump’s tariff impact.
🔻 Copper Faces Weekly Losses
Despite AI hype, copper fell -1.9% this week 📉 (LME: $9,522.80/t, March: $4.5750/lb) as China’s rally momentum cooled 🇨🇳.
💴 Yen Weakens Despite Inflation ⚠️
🇯🇵 JPY at 150.35/$ 📉 as officials played down BOJ tightening speculation. Finance Minister Kato warned about rising bond yields 📊 impacting 🇯🇵 government spending.
📢 What’s Next?
Markets await PMI readings, German election updates, and further developments in the trade war & AI sector.
📈💬 Stay tuned for more market insights!
📊 Morning Update (21.02.2025) ☕ was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.