On September 11, 2025, global financial markets recorded strong momentum as Asian equities particularly in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea hit fresh record highs, led by the technology sector and an impressive surge in Oracle shares, fueled by optimism surrounding cloud computing and AI-driven demand.
According to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool, the probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut at the September 2025 meeting has risen above 90%, underscoring investor conviction that a new easing cycle is underway.
In the United States, the S&P 500 posted back-to-back all-time closing highs, while the Nasdaq Composite continued its upward momentum. In Asia, the Nikkei 225 (Japan), Kospi (South Korea), and Straits Times Index (Singapore) also reached historic highs this week. This demonstrates the breadth and global nature of the rally.
At a high-level meeting between the U.S. and the European Union (EU) in Washington, President Donald Trump made a dramatic proposal: the EU should impose 100% tariffs on imports from China and India.
Global financial markets are currently focused on two major factors.
On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, major Asia-Pacific equity benchmarks posted gains as investors digested China’s August inflation figures. The data release, viewed as a key indicator of domestic demand and policy direction in the world’s second-largest economy, provided fresh momentum for regional risk assets despite ongoing local uncertainties.
Major benchmarks such as South Korea’s KOSPI and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng posted solid gains on the back of expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) is edging closer to rate cuts, while Japan and Indonesia came under pressure from domestic political uncertainty and profit-taking.
Wall Street moved in the opposite direction: major indexes rallied, with some hitting fresh record highs.
Amazon’s stock (AMZN) became the highlight of the U.S. stock market, surging more than 4% and leading the Dow Jones index, while also helping to lift the broader market.
Tariffs on cars and auto components were reduced significantly from 27.5% to 15%, with retroactive effect from August 7, 2025, and under the “non-overlapping” principle, meaning items previously taxed below 15% are now raised to that baseline.