Global markets are exhibiting a mixed performance as Friday winds down, with precious metals reaching record highs amid waning confidence in U.S.assets, while Asian markets show broad gains despite lingering geopolitical uncertainties. A notable legal advancement is also unfolding, as former U.S. President Trump has initiated a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase adn CEO Jamie Dimon, alleging politically motivated account closures, adding another layer of complexity to the financial landscape.
09:31 Uhr
Precious Metals Hit Record Highs
Table of Contents
- Precious Metals Hit Record Highs
- “DAX Searching for Direction”
- Amazon Preparing for Further Job Cuts
- Kospi Continues to Gain
- High Gold Price Raises Concerns
- Currency Market Snapshot
- Intel Disappoints Investors
- Japan Interest Rates Remain a Focus
- Trump Sues JPMorgan and CEO Dimon for Billions
- China to Lower Growth Target
- TikTok Averts U.S. Ban
- Inflation in Japan Cools
- Arms Maker to List, DAX Above 25,000?
Diminishing confidence in U.S. assets is driving prices for precious metals to new record levels. Gold rose as much as 0.6 percent to $4,967.03 per troy ounce, bringing the psychologically important $5,000 mark within reach. Silver is trading near the $100 level, up 3.3 percent at $99.37 per troy ounce. Platinum is up as much as 2.1 percent, trading at $2,684.43 per troy ounce.
A loss of faith in the U.S. and its assets is pushing capital into safe-haven metals, according to Kyle Rodda, senior market analyst at Capital.com. Investors have grown increasingly uncertain in recent months due to the unpredictable U.S. foreign and trade policy, as well as the potential erosion of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s independence by President Donald Trump. The dollar index has fallen more than nine percent since the beginning of 2025, making metals priced in U.S. dollars more affordable for foreign buyers.
09:15 Uhr
“DAX Searching for Direction”
The DAX opened with little movement on Friday. Germany’s benchmark stock index, which closed 1.2 percent higher at 24,856 points yesterday, is currently trading around 24,850.
“The DAX is currently searching for direction,” commented ntv stock market correspondent Corinna Wohlfeil, noting that the issue of Greenland has largely been resolved. “Now, economic data and, above all, the earnings season are coming back into focus.”
08:59 Uhr
Amazon Preparing for Further Job Cuts
Amazon is planning a second major round of layoffs next week, according to sources. The online retailer aims to reach its goal of cutting approximately 30,000 administrative positions, said two people familiar with the matter. The new round is expected to be similar in scope to the approximately 14,000 job cuts in October and could begin as early as Tuesday.
08:40 Uhr
Kospi Continues to Gain
Asian stock markets are showing a slightly positive trend as the week draws to a close. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) confirmed its key interest rate at 0.75 percent, as expected. The central bank raised rates to this level – the highest in three decades – in December. The first BOJ meeting of the year took place against a backdrop of turbulence in the bond market, concerns about government policy, and a volatile yen. In its quarterly outlook, the BOJ maintained its assessment that underlying inflation – excluding volatile and temporary factors – will reach its 2 percent target in the near future.
The Nikkei is up a moderate 0.2 percent. Chinese stock markets are also showing slight gains. The Shanghai Composite is up 0.2 percent and the Hang Seng Index is up 0.4 percent. The Kospi in Seoul is gaining 0.5 percent. Yesterday, the index briefly surpassed the 5,000-point mark for the first time. In Sydney, the S&P/ASX-200 finished trading with a gain of 0.1 percent.
08:21 Uhr
High Gold Price Raises Concerns
Traders anticipate a somewhat directionless trading session. Following the World Economic Forum in Davos and President Trump’s withdrawal of threats regarding Greenland and additional tariffs, the market is seeking new catalysts. “The big, overarching theme is now gone,” said one trader. The market must now readjust to economic themes and individual companies during the earnings season, a process that will take several days. Adding to the uncertainty are the details of the agreement reached regarding Greenland. The continued high gold price is being described as “suspicious,” indicating a continued need for safe-haven assets, according to XTB analyst Kathleen Brooks.
The focus is now on the new Purchasing Managers’ Indices (PMI) for manufacturing around the globe. The German figures are of particular importance. Early data from Asia paints a mixed picture of the global industry: India continues to perform strongly with very high values, while Japan is seeing stronger production growth accompanied by increasing inflationary pressure, according to S&P Global.
08:03 Uhr
Currency Market Snapshot
In Asian currency trading, the dollar gained 0.1 percent to 158.58 yen and fell 0.1 percent to 6.9632 yuan. Against the Swiss franc, it is up 0.2 percent at 0.7903. Meanwhile, the euro remains almost unchanged at $1.1744 and edged up to 0.9281 francs. The dollar index, which measures the value of the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, is trading near its year-to-date lows.
07:47 Uhr
Intel Disappoints Investors
Intel reported quarterly results that exceeded market expectations due to strong demand for server processors. However, the chipmaker disappointed with its outlook, citing supply bottlenecks for raw materials. “Our inventories will fall to their lowest level in the first quarter before recovering,” Intel CEO David Zinsner predicted. Shares of the struggling company fell five percent in after-hours trading on Wall Street following the announcement.
Zinsner forecast revenue between $11.7 and $12.7 billion for the current quarter, with a breakeven adjusted earnings per share. “Demand remains strong thanks to the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI),” he emphasized. The global boom in data centers is driving demand not only for AI-specific processors but also for traditional server chips.
Revenue in the last quarter fell four percent to $13.7 billion. However, net profit rose 15 percent, exceeding analysts’ forecasts by nearly double at $0.15 per share.
07:28 Uhr
Japan Interest Rates Remain a Focus
Asian stock markets are largely higher as the week concludes, after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) left interest rates unchanged as expected. In Tokyo, the Nikkei Index is up 0.5 percent at 53,944.25 points, and the broader Topix is up 0.6 percent at 3,636.30. The Shanghai Composite is gaining 0.3 percent to 4,133.58 points. Against the trend, however, the index of leading companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen is down 0.3 percent at 4,707.04 points.
The focus for investors is on the Bank of Japan (BOJ), which left its key interest rate unchanged at 0.75 percent. Previously released inflation data showed a 2.4 percent increase in the core rate in December. The decision comes amid political uncertainty, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced new elections for February. Her plans for an expansionary fiscal policy have recently caused a sharp rise in government bond yields. “Political uncertainty remains high. Further twists and turns are likely,” analysts at Societe Generale noted.
07:10 Uhr
Trump Sues JPMorgan and CEO Dimon for Billions
U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against U.S. banking giant JPMorgan and its CEO Jamie Dimon, seeking $5 billion in damages. The claim alleges politically motivated account closures, known as “debanking.” Trump stated that JPMorgan was not authorized to do so. The complaint, filed in a Florida court, accuses the largest bank in the U.S. of closing accounts belonging to him and his hotel businesses to follow a political agenda. Dimon allegedly created a “blacklist” to warn other banks against doing business with the Trump Organization and the President’s family.
JPMorgan rejected the allegations. The bank said it regrets the President’s lawsuit and considers it unfounded, stating that account closures were not based on political or religious grounds but on legal risks or regulatory requirements. Trump argues that the bank violated its own policies to ride a “political wave.” He claims that being forced to seek new banking relationships has significantly damaged his reputation.
06:52 Uhr
China to Lower Growth Target
China is reportedly set to establish a lower growth target of 4.5 to 5 percent for 2026, according to the South China Morning Post, citing three insiders. Such a target would signal a tolerance for moderate slowdown as the government in Beijing emphasizes the importance of “high-quality” development. Slower global growth is weighing on the outlook for the world’s second-largest economy, despite recently posting a trade surplus of $1.2 trillion.
06:34 Uhr
TikTok Averts U.S. Ban
ByteDance has averted a potential U.S. ban on the video app TikTok through the establishment of a majority U.S.-led joint venture. According to the Chinese parent company of TikTok, Oracle, the cloud giant, Silver Lake, the investment firm, and MGX, an investment firm from Abu Dhabi, will each hold a 15 percent stake in the new company. User data from U.S. users will be secured in Oracle’s cloud going forward. The company will also retrain, test, and update TikTok’s recommendation algorithm based on U.S. user data. The agreement resolves a years-long dispute initiated by the U.S. government over national security concerns.
06:18 Uhr
Inflation in Japan Cools
Inflation in Japan has cooled in December, but remains above the Bank of Japan (BOJ)’s 2 percent target. The core consumer price index, which excludes volatile costs for fresh food, rose 2.4 percent year-on-year, according to data. This met the median market forecast. In November, the increase was 3.0 percent. The BOJ is expected to leave its key interest rate at 0.75 percent at the conclusion of its meeting on Friday, but could signal its willingness to raise rates further.
06:00 Uhr
Arms Maker to List, DAX Above 25,000?
The DAX staged a recovery just in time before the week’s close: In trading yesterday, Germany’s benchmark stock index gained 1.2 percent, closing at 24,856 points. Currently, markets are pricing in that U.S. President Donald Trump formally and predictably withdrew tariff threats related to Greenland, as Pepperstone strategist Michael Brown had predicted. This followed a “very productive” meeting with NATO Secretary General Rutte, where they reached a “framework” regarding Greenland and the “High North” in general. While further talks on the details of this deal will follow, these details are of little importance to financial markets. The key takeaway is that geopolitical risk has undeniably decreased by several levels with this news.
Today, investors are first looking to Tokyo, as Japan’s central bank is expected to hold rates steady after its recent increase. Experts anticipate that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will leave its key interest rate at 0.75 percent. This is the highest level in 30 years after a long period of monetary policy focused on low interest rates. However, the BOJ is expected to raise its growth forecast and signal its willingness to raise rates further to curb inflationary pressure.
On the corporate front, Czech arms manufacturer Czechoslovak Group (CSG) is set to debut on the Amsterdam stock exchange on Friday, likely the largest IPO in the industry worldwide. The Prague-based company aims to list up to 15.2 percent of its shares and raise approximately €3.8 billion, most of which will go to owner Michal Strnad. The company is valued at around €25 billion overall. CSG is one of the fastest-growing arms manufacturers in the world, producing ammunition and heavy equipment, and is expanding into the engine business.
