Stocks
The Exchange That Runs Everyone Else’s IPO Is Finally Getting Its Own.
NSE kicks off its $2.5B IPO process after a decade of delays — as Asia Pacific listings hit $90B and Manila rewrites float rules to lure mega-caps.
Commodities
Oil Has $10 of Iran Premium Baked In. Geneva Will Decide If It Stays.
Oil drops 2% as US-Iran nuclear talks open in Geneva with $10/bbl of geopolitical premium at stake and the White House signalling a strike this weekend.
Stocks
Samsung Won the DRAM War. Now Nobody Can Afford the Product.
Samsung reclaims the DRAM crown with $19.3B in Q4 sales — as AI-driven shortages push memory prices up 90–100% and reshape consumer electronics in 2026.
Economy
Freedom 250 Signed in Seoul. Everything Around It Is on Fire.
The US Embassy and AMCHAM Korea sign Freedom 250 MOU pledging 250+ events — as tariff disputes, a Yellow Sea standoff and Freedom Shield test the alliance.
Asia Pacific
Forty Companies, Two Targets, One Message: Beijing Is Done Waiting
China blacklists 40 Japanese firms over Taiwan as Trump's 15% tariff takes effect. Section 301 probes and a suspended rare earth truce raise the stakes.
Forex
China Outbuilds the US in Nuclear Submarines for the First Time — and the Gap Is Widening
China launched 10 nuclear submarines displacing 79,000 tonnes in 2021–2025, outpacing US output for the first time as American shipyards fall behind.
Asia Pacific
India’s Stock Market Seeks New Catalysts Despite Strong GDP Outlook
Indian equities hover near 82,800 after FIIs pulled a record $18 billion in 2025 — yet the government just unveiled a $200 billion AI infrastructure push, Morgan Stanley targets Sensex at 95,000, and corporate earnings are expected to rebound 12–15%.
Economy
China’s Semiconductor Output Surges 85% to Record 484 Billion Units
China produced a record 484.3 billion semiconductor units in 2024 — an 85% surge from 2020. Surging output masks collapsing foundry profits, a secret EUV prototype in Shenzhen, and a $47.5 billion state fund betting on self-sufficiency.
