Investing.com-- U.S. stock index futures moved little in holiday-thinned trade on Sunday evening, amid persistent caution over U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans for trade tariffs and signs of sticky inflation. 

Futures steadied after a mixed session on Wall Street on Friday, where the S&P 500 ended just below record highs amid sustained gains in technology stocks. But most other sectors lagged.

Focus this week is now on a slew of Federal Reserve speakers, as well as the minutes of the central bank’s January meeting, where it kept interest rates steady. Strong inflation readings from last week kept investors anticipating no near-term cuts in interest rates. 

S&P 500 Futures rose slightly to 6,135.50 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures rose 0.1% to 22,212.50 points by 19:25 ET (00:25 GMT). Dow Jones Futures steadied at 44, 646.0 points. 

Trading volumes were muted, with U.S. markets set to remain closed for a holiday on Monday. 

Trump tariff caution persists 

Investors remained on edge over more tariff action under Trump, who last week imposed 25% tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum.

Trump also signed an executive order outlining plans for reciprocal tariffs against U.S. trading partners, which could ramp up a global trade war. Trump had earlier this month also imposed 10% tariffs against China.

Still, Trump said that his reciprocal tariffs will only be imposed by April, offering markets some relief. 

The S&P 500 ended flat at 6,114.63 points on Friday, while the NASDAQ Composite rose 0.4% to 20,026.77 points. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4% to 44,546.08 points. 

By Ethan Wang and Kevin Yao

BEIJING (Reuters) -New bank loans in China surged more than expected to a record high in January as the central bank moved to shore up a patchy economic recovery, reinforcing expectations for more stimulus in coming months as U.S. tariffs threaten to pile more pressure on the economy.

Chinese banks extended 5.13 trillion yuan ($706.40 billion) in new yuan loans in January, more than quadrupling the December figure, data from the People's Bank of China showed on Friday, beating analysts' forecasts

Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted new yuan loans would rise to 4.5 trillion yuan last month, up sharply from 990 billion yuan in December and compared with 4.92 trillion yuan a year earlier - the previous record.

Chinese banks usually rush to lend at the beginning of the year as they compete for higher-quality customers and win market share, but analysts cautioned that lingering economic uncertainty continues to weigh on credit demand.

"While the headline figures for new local currency loans hit a record high in January, that's only due to the usual season pattern. Net lending is always the strongest in the start of the year," Capital Economics said in a note.

"Bank loan growth continued to slide to record lows, but this was offset by a pick-up in non-bank credit growth. Robust government bond issuance should continue supporting credit growth in the coming quarters, but weak private demand will likely keep credit growth subdued."

Household loans, including mortgages, rose to 443.8 billion yuan in January from 350 billion yuan in December, while corporate loans jumped to 4.78 trillion yuan from 490 billion yuan, central bank data showed.

New bank lending totalled 18.09 trillion yuan last year, down from a record 22.75 trillion yuan in 2023 and hitting the lowest level since 2019, as businesses and consumers remained cautious about taking on more debt amid an uncertain economic outlook.

The economy grew 5% in 2024, meeting the government's official target, but the post-pandemic recovery has been patchy, with exports and manufacturing making up for weak domestic consumption.

Beijing is expected to maintain a growth target of around 5% this year, but analysts are uncertain over how quickly policymakers can revive sluggish domestic demand, even as U.S. President Donald Trump's punitive trade measures put more pressure on Chinese exporters.

To sustain growth and counter rising external pressures, Beijing has pledged higher fiscal spending, increased debt issuance and further monetary easing.

The central bank said on Thursday it would adjust its monetary policy at the appropriate time and use policy tools such as interest rates and bank reserve requirement ratios (RRR) to support the economy, amid rising external headwinds.

China is facing a renewed trade war with the United States after President Donald Trump slapped sweeping 10% tariffs on all Chinese imports.

In response, Beijing announced tariffs up to 15% on some U.S. imports starting February 10.

Still, the measures so far have been more modest than markets had feared, raising hopes there was room for negotiating.

Since September, Beijing has stepped up efforts to get the economy back on track, including interest rate cuts, a 10 trillion yuan debt relief package for local government, and tax incentives to spur demand in the crisis-hit property market.

FURTHER POLICY EASING EXPECTED

While the central bank has been firmly supporting the yuan currency in the face of Trump's threats, analysts expect it will deliver further cuts in interest rates and RRR as early as the first quarter.

Investors are looking to the annual parliament meeting in March, when the government is expected to unveil fresh stimulus measures, alongside economic targets.

Reflecting credit demand concerns, outstanding yuan loans rose 7.5% in January from a year earlier - the lowest on record - down from 7.6% pace in December. Analysts had expected 7.3% growth.

Broad M2 money supply grew 7.0% from a year earlier, the central bank data showed, below analysts' 7.2% forecast in a Reuters poll. In December, M2 expanded 7.3%.

The narrower M1 money supply climbed 0.4% in January from a year earlier, compared with a 1.4% fall in December.

Starting from January, the central bank included personal demand deposits and non-bank payment institutions' client provisions in M1, which previously covered only cash in circulation and corporate demand deposits.

Annual growth of outstanding total social financing (TSF), a broad measure of credit and liquidity in the economy, came in at 8.0% in January, unchanged from December.

Acceleration in government bond issuance to boost the economy could help boost growth in TSF.

TSF includes off-balance sheet forms of financing that exist outside the conventional bank lending system, such as initial public offerings, loans from trust companies, and bond sales.

TSF surged to 7.06 trillion yuan in January from 2.86 trillion yuan in December . Analysts polled by Reuters had expected 6.4 trillion yuan.

($1 = 7.2622 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Investing.com-- Gold prices moved little in Asian trade on Friday, remaining close to record highs even as U.S. President Donald Trump postponed plans for reciprocal tariffs, sparking a risk-on move in financial markets.

But steep losses in the dollar aided gold, as the greenback gave up a bulk of its recent gains on Trump’s move. The dollar was also dented by some mixed inflation data, which drove up optimism over lower interest rates this year. 

Weakness in the dollar also helped gold move past diminished safe haven demand, as Trump flagged potential peace talks over Russia and Ukraine. 

Spot gold steadied at $2,928.91 an ounce, while gold futures expiring in April rose 0.4% to $2,957.19 an ounce by 00:22 ET (05:22 GMT). Spot gold remained close to a record high of $2,943.25/oz hit earlier this week. 

Gold heads for seventh positive week as haven demand persists 

Gold prices were set to add about 2.4% this week- their seventh consecutive week of gains, as demand for safe havens remained in play amid uncertainty over Trump’s policies.

Trump on Thursday signed an executive order exploring potential reciprocal tariffs on major U.S. trading partners, which will be imposed by April, as compared to earlier threats that they would come this week.

Market sentiment improved on this notion, given that the April deadline gives countries more time to negotiate with Washington.

But Trump still kept up his harsh trade rhetoric, having imposed 25% duties on steel and aluminum imports earlier this week.

Uncertainty over Trump kept safe haven bids for gold squarely in play, even as near-term risk sentiment appeared to have improved.

Copper, industrial metals benefit from tariff speculation

Industrial metals surged this week, as Trump’s tariffs on the sector spurred bets that U.S. companies will struggle to source domestic supplies. While copper was not subject to any tariffs, traders were seen betting that the red metal will also eventually face duties.

Additionally, China also imposed export controls on several key materials as retaliation for Trump’s tariffs, drumming up hopes of a supply shortfall. 

Benchmark copper futures on the London Metal Exchange rose 0.9% to $9,572.05 a ton, while March copper futures rose 0.4% to $4.8045 a pound. 

Softer dollar benefits metal markets amid mixed inflation

The dollar fell sharply over the past two sessions, giving up most of its recent gains made on Trump’s tariffs.

But the dollar was also pressured by somewhat mixed inflation data, which spurred bets on eventual interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.

While both producer and consumer inflation readings read higher than expected for January, certain components of the two which factor into PCE price index inflation, softened slightly.

PCE data is the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, and a downtrend in the reading could give the central bank more headroom to cut rates.

Other precious metal prices rose on this notion. Platinum futures rose 0.2% to $1,050.45 an ounce, while silver rallied nearly 2% to $33.352 an ounce.

(Reuters) - Japanese investors withdrew heavily from foreign stocks in the week through February 8, snapping an eight-week buying spree as U.S. President Donald Trump's widening tariffs threat sparked fears of global trade relationships reshaping in the U.S.' favour.

Japanese investors divested 1.27 trillion yen ($8.31 billion) worth of foreign equities on a net basis, the most for a week since November 2022, according to Japan's Ministry of Finance data.

Trump has previously announced steep tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China -- although he has delayed implementing some of those -- and towards the end of last week, widened his focus by threatening to slap reciprocal tariffs on countries that tax the import of U.S. products.

In response, Japanese investors sought the relative safety of bonds, pumping in a robust 1.75 trillion yen into foreign long-term bonds, the largest amount in any week since September 2024. They also snapped up a net 18 billion yen worth of short-term bills.

At the same time, Japanese shares suffered a net 384.4 billion yen worth of foreign outflows, the second week of net sales in a row.

Foreigners also ditched 187.2 billion yen worth of long-term Japanese bonds, snapping a three-week-long buying trend. They, however, purchased short-term bills of a net 508.1 billion yen, registering a fifth weekly net purchase in six weeks.

($1 = 152.7900 yen)

Most Asian stocks moved in a flat-to-low range on Friday amid growing concerns over increased U.S. trade tariffs and sticky inflation, while an artificial intelligence-fueled rally in Chinese stocks powered on.

Regional markets took limited cues from a strong overnight close on Wall Street, as investors were relieved by U.S. President Donald Trump not immediately imposing reciprocal tariffs, as he had earlier threatened. 

But U.S. stock index futures were flat in Asian trade, given that Trump still signed an order outlining plans to impose higher duties on major U.S. trading partners. Hotter-than-expected producer inflation data also added to angst over higher for longer interest rates, following a strong consumer inflation reading earlier this week. 

Chinese shares- particularly major tech stocks in Hong Kong- remained key outperformers in Asia, especially after the release of the DeepSeek AI in late-January.

Australian markets also hit record highs, as investors positioned for an interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia next week. 

Other Asian markets were less upbeat. Japan’s Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indexes fell 0.5% and 0.1%, respectively, as local exporters were pressured by a sharp overnight recovery in the yen.

Singapore’s Straits Times index fell 0.4%, even as the country’s fourth-quarter gross domestic product grew much more than expected.

South Korea’s KOSPI added 0.4% on persistent gains in tech stocks, while futures for India’s Nifty 50 index pointed to a flat open, as investors digested mixed signals from a meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

While Modi and Trump flagged plans for greater trade, defense and policy cooperation between Washington and Beijing, Trump still chided India’s steep duties on U.S. imports- which could attract greater reciprocal tariffs. 

Hong Kong stocks up as DeepSeek rally powers on

China’s Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite indexes moved in a flat-to-low range. But Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index soared 1.6% and remained close to a four-month high.

Gains were fueled chiefly by sustained buying into heavyweight tech stocks, as the release of DeepSeek R1 in late-January fueled renewed optimism in China’s AI capabilities.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) analysts said that DeepSeek had helped shore up sentiment towards Chinese markets, especially the blue-chip A shares. But they warned that lingering weakness in other aspects of the country, especially a rampant disinflationary trend, had caused a divergence between tech and non-tech sectors. 

Australia shares hit record high on RBA rate cut bets 

Australia’s ASX 200 rose 0.5% to a record high of 8,615.20 points, on gains across most heavyweight sectors.

Local stocks were boosted by growing confidence that the RBA will cut interest rates by 25 basis points at a meeting next week, and kick off a shallow easing cycle on concerns over a slowing Australian economy. 

Some soft inflation data in recent weeks also fueled bets on an RBA cut, although inflation remained well above the central bank’s 2% to 3% target range. 

Australian stocks were also boosted by gains in major mining stocks, as traders bet that tropical cyclone Zelia- which is set to hit key mining regions in the country- will disrupt supplies, pushing up commodity prices.

By Rahul Trivedi

BENGALURU (Reuters) - Thailand's economy likely grew at its fastest pace in over two years last quarter, driven by a surge in foreign tourists and strong exports that helped offset sluggish domestic demand, a Reuters poll of economists found.

While household consumption is expected to remain under pressure despite the government's cash handout to stimulate demand, exports and a steady flow of tourists during the holiday season probably helped growth.

Southeast Asia's second-largest economy was forecast to expand 3.9% in the October-December period, compared with the same period the previous year, according to the median prediction in a February 6-12 Reuters poll of 15 economists, up from 3.0% in the previous quarter.

Forecasts for the data, due on February 17, ranged between 3.1% to 4.6%.

"The good news is the recovery we saw in Thai exports last year continued (into) Q4, both on the goods and services side. Services mostly reflect the recovery in the tourism sector," said Miguel Chanco, chief emerging Asia economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

"Q4, in a one-liner, would be stalling domestic demand, which is going to be offset to some extent by the continued strength in exports," Chanco added.

But on a quarterly basis, gross domestic product (GDP) likely grew a seasonally adjusted 0.7%, down from 1.2% the previous quarter, according to a smaller sample of forecasts.

Several economists in the poll said the service sector continued to accelerate, driven by a revival in tourism, while manufacturing continued to struggle.

Eugene Tan, an associate economist at Moody's (NYSE:MCO), attributed the slowdown in manufacturing to declining demand in the auto industry.

"On the expenditure front, private consumption, the heavyweight of GDP, has faltered, signaling broader economic weakness," Tan said.

While the government expects Thailand's economy to grow 3.0%in 2024, up from 1.9% in 2023, central bank Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput cautioned that weak consumption could hold back growth.

In an interview with Reuters, he suggested actual growth might be closer to 2.7%, aligning with the Reuters poll median.

An economic slowdown in China - Thailand's largest trading partner and a key source of tourism revenue - along with weak global demand and the escalating U.S.-China trade war could further pressure the country's trade prospects and weigh on its growth outlook this year.

A separate Reuters poll projected Thailand's economic growth to average 2.9% in 2025. Deputy finance minister, Julapun Amornvivat, estimated the economy to grow 3.5%.

By Karen Braun

NAPERVILLE, Illinois (Reuters) - Relative to demand, world corn stocks later this year are predicted to hit 11-year lows.

But when considering corn supplies actually accessible to the global market, the milestone is closer to three decades.

On-and-off grain importer China has an extraordinary amount of corn in storage, more than five times that of the United States, the No. 2 corn stockpiler. As such, China is sometimes excluded from world grain balances to obtain a more realistic view of available supplies.

After subtracting China, estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show 2024-25 world corn ending stocks at a 12-year low of about 87 million metric tons.

Supplies are even tighter when measured against demand. In 2024-25, world corn stocks-to-use sans China is pegged at 7.8%, the lowest ratio since 1995-96. That compares with a four-year average of 9.2% and a 20-year average of 11%.

Corn supplies in No. 2 exporter Brazil are predicted at the lowest levels in more than two decades, and Ukrainian and European Union stocks are the thinnest in over a decade. U.S. inventory is now seen as modest versus prior expectations for ample volumes.

Things are still somewhat snug even when adding back China. USDA’s figures imply full world corn stocks-to-use in 2024-25 at 20.3%, the lowest since 2013-14. That compares with a decade average of 24.6% and a low within that period of 22.2%.

Stocks-to-use throughout most of the 2000s and early 2010s was notably lower, usually below 15%. That might make the current situation appear a bit less extreme, but a glance at Chinese stocks perhaps explains the difference.

CHINA CONUNDRUM

In the mid-2000s, China accounted for around 30% of global corn ending stocks, though that surged in the early 2010s as the country incentivized increasing production.

China’s share of global corn stocks has been above 60% over the last decade, and according to USDA will reach a 28-year high of 70% in 2024-25.

In 2008, Beijing began a government corn stockpiling program, paying farmers above-market rates for their crops. This ended in 2016 amid sky-high costs for the government, which was keeping domestic prices well above global ones, unintentionally encouraging imports.

China has continued to subsidize corn farmers and output has grown even further, hence the large stockpiles.

Excluding China from global grain analyses might be controversial because the original premise lies in the country’s minimal involvement in global trade. Although it has backed off significantly this year, China has been the world’s No. 1 corn importer within the last five years.

However, China’s corn imports in the last few years have accounted for about 7% of its annual corn consumption, extremely light versus other top importers. Nearly 100% of Japan and South Korea’s corn use comes from imports, and Mexico’s rate has climbed above 50%.

This statistic plus China’s enormous share of world stocks defends the exclusion of China from global corn balance sheets, but its sometimes-importer status means that both calculations are worthwhile.

U.S. STOCKPILES

Corn stocks in the United States, the leading exporter, will be thinner than originally assumed. But the situation is not as rare as the global one.

USDA figures peg 2024-25 U.S. corn stocks-to-use at 10.2%, below the year-ago 11.8% and the decade average of 12.5% but slightly above the levels of the early 2020s.

In mid-2024, the 2024-25 ratio was forecast above 14%, but strong demand plus a smaller crop pared inventory. This helped propel large speculators into their currently massive bullish bets on Chicago corn futures.

However, corn bulls know that U.S. farmers are ready and willing to boost supplies by planting a potentially huge area this spring.

Although an inherently bearish force, plentiful corn supplies are what allow the United States to dominate the global export market and provide for customers like China, should it ever resume the interest.

Karen Braun is a market analyst for Reuters. Views expressed above are her own.

Investing.com - European stock markets mostly rose Thursday, with sentiment boosted by hopes that the war in Ukraine could end shortly, while investors digested UK growth data as well as a raft of corporate earnings.

At 03:05 ET (08:05 GMT), the DAX index in Germany gained 1.2% and the CAC 40 in France climbed 1%, while the FTSE 100 in the UK fell 0.4%.

End to Ukraine war? 

The end of the war between Ukraine and Russia looks more likely after U.S. President Donald Trump held phone calls with both countries' leaders to discuss a potential peace deal.

Trump said that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had expressed a desire for ending their long-running conflict in separate phone calls with him on Wednesday. 

The U.S. President also said that he had ordered top officials to begin peace talks.

The move came after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Ukraine would drop its bid to join NATO - which had been a major point of contention for Moscow.

UK economy grew in Q4 

Data released earlier Thursday showed that Britain's economy unexpectedly grew by 0.1% in the final quarter of last year, belying expectations that gross domestic product would shrink by 0.1%.

GDP rose by 0.4% in December from November, much stronger than the 0.1% forecast and driven by stronger-than-expected 0.4% growth in the large services sector.

German inflation remained flat year-on-year in January at 2.8%, preliminary data from the federal statistics office showed on Friday, in line with a forecast.

Barclays reports rise in annual profit

There are more quarterly corporate earnings for investors to digest Thursday.

Barclays (LON:BARC) reported a 24% rise in annual pretax profit, slightly above expectations, as the lender’s investment bank reported strong performance for 2024 and slower than expected interest rate cuts sustained income in its domestic lending business.

Commerzbank (ETR:CBKG) reported strong results in 2024 on Thursday, with revenues growing 6.2% from the previous year, driven by heightened activity in securities trading and capital markets, with corporate clients contributing substantially to the uplift.

Unilever (LON:ULVR) reported underlying sales growth of 4%, slightly below expectations, and consumer goods giant said its ice cream business will be separated by way of demerger, through listing of the business in Amsterdam, London and New York.

Nestle (SIX:NESN) reported organic growth of 2.2% in 2024, a sharp decline from the 7.2% seen in 2023, reflecting a challenging macroeconomic environment and shifting consumer demand. 

Thyssenkrupp (ETR:TKAG) raised its outlook for free cash flow, with the German industrial conglomerate citing advance payments for a major submarine order from the German military.

Crude falls on Ukraine peace hopes 

Oil prices fell Thursday, on expectations that a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia would end sanctions that have disrupted supply flows.

By 03:05 ET, the US crude futures (WTI) slipped 1% to $70.66 a barrel, while the Brent contract fell 1% to $74.47 a barrel.

Both benchmarks fell more than 2% on Wednesday on raised hopes of a peace deal after President Trump spoke the presidents of both Russia and Ukraine.

Russia is the world's third-largest oil producer and sanctions imposed on its crude exports as a result of its invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago have supported higher prices.

A build in crude oil inventories in the United States, the world's biggest crude consumer, also weighed on the market. 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai consumer confidence in January rose for a fourth consecutive month to the highest level in eight months, bolstered by government stimulus measures, tourism and exports, a survey showed on Thursday.

The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce increased to 59.0 in January from 57.9 in December, the university said in a statement.

Consumers felt government stimulus was helping the economy and that tourism continued to improve, the university said.

"Consumers believe that the economy will recover in the future if the government continues to drive and stimulate the economy well and there are no additional risk factors, both internal and external risks," it said.

The government has said its "digital wallet" handout scheme and other measures will help spur the economy as it aims for 3.5% growth this year.

The handout scheme provides 10,000 baht ($300) each to an estimated 45 million people to spend in their localities within six months. So far about 17.5 million people have received payments since it started in September, with the next phase scheduled for the second quarter of this year. 

Tourism, a key driver of the economy, saw a 17% year-on-year rise in foreign tourist arrivals to 4.8 million in the year up to February 9.

Exports, also a key growth driver, increased 5.4% to a record $301 billion last year.

($ 1= 33.83 baht)

Asian stocks rose on Thursday as an artificial intelligence-fueled rally in China and reports of dealmaking activity in Japan's technology sector helped offset headwinds from hot U.S. inflation data. 

Broader technology stocks in Asia also rose amid persistent hopes that AI will continue to underpin the sector in the coming years.

Risk appetite was also aided by U.S. President Donald Trump talking up a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine, which could mark an end to the three year-long conflict. Oil prices tumbled on this notion.

Regional markets mostly brushed off a middling lead-in from Wall Street, as U.S. stocks fell in overnight trade following stronger-than-expected consumer price index inflation data. The reading further dented expectations of lower interest rates.

But losses were limited by a batch of strong earnings, with U.S. stock index futures also rising in Asian trade.

Still, risk appetite remained skittish in the face of higher trade tariffs under U.S. President Donald Trump, who imposed steep tariffs on commodity imports this week and threatened to introduce reciprocal tariffs on major U.S. trading partners.

China tech rally powers on amid AI hype 

China’s Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite indexes rose slightly on Thursday, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index jumped 1.1% to a four-month high.  

Chinese markets are trading up between 5% and 15% since mid-January, with gains linked entirely to increased optimism over the country’s AI capabilities. This trend was sparked by the release of DeepSeek R1 in late-January. 

UBS analysts said the stock rally still had legs, at least based on historical, thematic rallies in Chinese markets. They added that Chinese markets were less than halfway through their ongoing rally. 

Still, barring tech and AI-related sectors, sentiment towards broader Chinese markets was less upbeat, especially in the face of a brewing trade war with the U.S.

Trump had last week imposed 10% tariffs on China, drawing ire and retaliation from Beijing. 

Japanese stocks rise on weak yen, tech M&A 

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index jumped 1.2%, while the TOPIX index added 0.9%. 

Gains were driven chiefly by export-oriented stocks, which rose tracking a sharp drop in the yen this week. The USD/JPY pair rose sharply from two-month lows hit earlier in February, even as Japanese producer price index inflation data read stronger than expected in January. 

Cybersecurity firm Trend Micro (OTC:TMICY) Inc. (TYO:4704) was the best performer on the Nikkei, rallying over 16% after Reuters reported that the firm was subject to a bidding war between several private equity giants, including Bain Capital, Advent International, and EQT (ST:EQTAB). 

Broader Asian markets were mostly higher, although investors were still bracing for higher-for-longer U.S. interest rates amid sticky inflation. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell also reiterated this trend during a Congressional testimony this week.

Australia’s ASX 200 rose 0.2%, while Singapore’s Straits Times index fell 0.2%.

South Korea's KOSPI jumped 0.9% on strength in chipmaking stocks, which have some exposure to China’s AI boom. 

Futures for India’s Nifty 50 index pointed to a mildly positive open, although the Nifty was nursing six straight sessions of losses amid worsening sentiment towards India. The threat of increased U.S. tariffs against India also weighed on local stocks.