Asian Futures Poised for Gains Amid Optimism from Trump's Trade Tone

Asian futures anticipate growth after U.S. stocks surged due to President Donald Trump's favorable remarks on global trade and expectations of policy boosts for Corporate America.

Equities

* Australian equities opened higher.
* Tokyo stocks are set to rise.
* Hong Kong stocks may decline.
* U.S. equity contracts gained after the S&P 500 jumped almost 1% due to Trump's anticipated investment push for artificial intelligence.

U.S.-China Relations

* Despite the lack of a concrete tariff plan for China, Trump has hinted at a 10% levy against fentanyl imports.
* China Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang pledges expanded imports to foster balanced trade.
* President Xi Jinping emphasizes cooperation with Russia in light of "external uncertainties."

Central Bank Policy

* The Bank of Japan reportedly considers an interest rate hike at its upcoming meeting, potentially by 25 basis points.

Economic Data

* New Zealand's annual inflation remains steady in Q4, supporting the target band.

Equity Performance

* S&P 500: +0.9%
* Nasdaq 100: +0.6%
* Dow Jones Industrial Average: +1.2%
* Russell 2000: +1.8%
* "Magnificent Seven" megacaps: +0.3%
* Netflix reports record-breaking quarterly subscriber gains.

Commodities

* Oil and industrial metals dip amid concerns over trade wars.
* Gold gains as investors seek safe havens.

Key Upcoming Events

* US Conference Board leading index
* Samsung Galaxy launch
* Eurozone consumer confidence
* US jobless claims
* Bank of Japan policy meeting
* Eurozone HCOB Manufacturing & Services PMI
* US University of Michigan consumer sentiment, existing home sales, S&P Global Manufacturing & Services PMI

Index and Currency Movements

Stocks

* S&P 500 futures: +0.1%
* Hang Seng futures: -0.7%
* Australia's S&P/ASX 200: +0.2%

Currencies

* Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index: Little change
* Euro: -0.2% to $1.0406
* Japanese yen: Little change at 155.67 per dollar
* Offshore yuan: -0.2% to 7.2807 per dollar
* Australian dollar: -0.2% to $0.6262

Cryptocurrencies

* Bitcoin: -1% to $105,752.68
* Ether: -0.5% to $3,316.85

Bonds

* Australia's 10-year yield: +4 basis points to 4.44%

Commodities

* West Texas Intermediate crude: Little change
* Spot gold: Little change