MONEY MASTER

 Asian equities slipped on Tuesday while the US dollar held steady, as investors positioned cautiously ahead of a widely expected  Federal Reserve rate cut  this week. The Japanese yen was calm after a magnitude-7.5 earthquake struck northeastern Japan, with limited market impact. Sentiment was subdued across the region as traders looked ahead to a series of central bank decisions. The  Reserve Bank of Australia ,  Swiss National Bank , and  Bank of Canada  are all expected to keep rates unchanged, while the Fed is set to deliver a quarter-point cut on Wednesday. The market’s focus, however, is shifting toward the  pace of easing in 2026 . Many major Wall Street banks expect fewer cuts next year due to persistent inflation concerns and stronger-than-anticipated US economic resilience. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell  0.28%  after a weak session on Wall Street. Japan’s  Nikkei  edged down  0....

Market Overview U.S. stocks extended their rally for a  third consecutive session  on Tuesday, with all three major indexes —  S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq Composite  — setting fresh  record closing highs . The bullish momentum was driven by optimism over a potential  U.S.–China trade agreement , expectations of a  Federal Reserve rate cut , and robust gains in mega-cap tech names. Index Close % Chg Note S&P 500 6,890.89 +0.23% New record close Dow Jones IA 47,706.37 +0.34% Third straight record Nasdaq Composite 23,827.49 +0.80% All-time high All three benchmarks also notched  intraday records , underscoring the strength of current market sentiment. Macro Highlights U.S.–China Trade Hopes: Investors remain optimistic ahead of Thursday’s  Trump–Xi meeting  at the South Korea summit. Reports suggest potential easing of  rare-earth and software trade curbs , and a U.S. proposal to  halve tariffs from 20% to 10% if China ...

U.S. equities surged to fresh record highs overnight as optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) reignited investor sentiment. A sharp rally in  Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.US)  shares lifted chipmakers broadly, propelling the  S&P 500  and  Nasdaq  to their seventh straight day of gains — the longest winning streak since May. AMD soared  24%  after securing a multi-year AI chip supply deal with  OpenAI , fueling expectations of a new wave of AI-driven data center investments. The benchmark  Philadelphia Semiconductor Index  jumped nearly  3% , while  Tesla (TSLA.US)  advanced  5.5%  on speculation of a new model announcement. Despite ongoing U.S. government shutdown risks, investors continued to bet on growth and earnings resilience, pushing the  S&P 500  to around  6,740 , marking the bull market’s  three-year anniversary . Market Recap S&P 500:  +0.4% to 6,740...

Wall Street’s major indexes gained on Friday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hitting intraday record highs. The boost came as traders increased bets on a December Federal Reserve rate cut, fueled by stronger-than-expected November jobs data. Jobs Data Sparks Optimism U.S. job growth surged in November, rebounding from hurricane and strike disruptions. While the labor market showed resilience, analysts said the report suggests a steady easing in conditions, paving the way for the Fed to lower interest rates. “This jobs report hits the Goldilocks zone — not too hot to derail rate cuts, but not too cold to spark economic fears,” said Josh Jamner, investment strategy analyst at ClearBridge Investments. Traders now see a 90% probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut at the Fed’s Dec. 17-18 meeting, up from 67% before the jobs report. Market Highlights Indexes: Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.11% to 44,815.17. S&P 500 gained 0.36% to 6,097.33. Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.72% to 19,84...

Bursa Malaysia opened on a positive note this morning, mirroring Wall Street's gains, which were driven by bargain hunting following recent declines and anticipation of a Federal Reserve rate cut in the coming week. At 9:14 am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was up by 0.31%, gaining 5.08 points to reach 1,656.57, compared to the previous close of 1,651.49. The broader market also showed positive momentum, with 418 gainers outpacing 153 losers, while 308 counters remained unchanged. Thong Pak Leng , Equity Research Vice-President at Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd , noted that despite some buying activity during most of yesterday's session, the FBM KLCI dipped slightly, nearing the 1,650 level due to persistent selling pressure on YTL-related companies . He highlighted that the daily trading volume had improved, largely fueled by the debut of 99 Speed Mart Retail Holdings Bhd . "However, overall market sentiment remains cautious , even though net foreign fund inflows ar...