At its November policy meeting, the Bank of Korea (BOK) decided to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.50%, in line with broad market expectations. This marks the second consecutive pause in the rate-cut cycle, even as the Korean economy continues to need support for a more sustainable recovery.
Just a month ago, financial markets were almost fully convinced that the Federal Reserve would proceed with another rate cut at its December 9–10 meeting. CME FedWatch showed expectations as high as 95%, reflecting strong confidence that the Fed would keep easing after two consecutive cuts.
On October 29, 2025, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted to cut its benchmark federal funds rate once again, bringing it down to a range of 3.75%–4.00%. However, what truly caught investors off guard wasn’t the cut itself — it was Chair Jerome Powell’s cautious tone, signaling that another reduction in December is far from guaranteed.
On October 15, 2025, shares of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton soared by 13% in a single trading session after the world’s largest luxury group reported its first quarterly sales growth of the year — a 1% organic increase year-on-year . The news not only brought relief to shareholders but also sparked optimism across the broader luxury sector, which has been weighed down by sluggish demand, currency volatility, and a weaker global economy.
On October 10, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump sent shockwaves through global financial markets by announcing a 100% tariff on all Chinese imports. This marked the most severe escalation in trade tensions in years, sparking widespread instability across stocks, currencies, and especially the cryptocurrency market. Within less than an hour of the announcement, Bitcoin (BTC) plunged sharply — at one point dropping to around $104,000, its steepest intraday decline in five years. According to data from CoinDesk and Cointelegraph, over $19 billion in leveraged positions were liquidated within just 30 minutes, triggering a domino effect across the crypto market.
On October 8 2025 (Asia time), the precious-metals market witnessed history: spot gold topped $4,000 per ounce for the first time ever. Reuters reported that spot gold rose about 0.9% to around $4,017/oz, while December futures had already broken the $4,000 barrier a day earlier and continued climbing during the October 8 session.
In 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had already implemented 100 basis points of rate cuts to support the economy. At its October policy meeting, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to hold the repo rate at 5.50%, in line with market expectations.
According to the Institute of International Finance (IIF), global debt climbed to an unprecedented $338 trillion by the end of Q2 2025. This figure represents more than 235% of global GDP, a level significantly higher than the pre-pandemic era. What is even more alarming is that global debt expanded by roughly $21 trillion in just the first half of 2025, underscoring the growing reliance of governments, corporations, and households on borrowed capital.
September 26, 2025 – Asian equity markets tumbled on Friday, with pharmaceutical shares leading losses after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 100% import tariff on all branded or patented pharmaceutical products, effective October 1.
Amid complex global economic turbulence, gold has once again reaffirmed its role as the ultimate safe-haven asset. In recent weeks, global gold prices have consistently broken new records, surpassing $3,750/ounce in the spot market and reaching nearly $3,789/ounce for December futures contracts.