Market Brief – 17 Dec 2025

In today’s episode of Market Brief - After Hours, Wall Street extended its decline as volatility in technology and AI stocks intensified, reinforcing a defensive tone across markets. The S&P 500 fell for a fourth straight session and the Nasdaq led losses as selling pressure hit major tech names following reports that raised doubts over funding for a large Oracle data centre project, renewing concerns about the sustainability of AI infrastructure spending. The Dow Jones showed relative resilience but still closed lower as investors rotated toward value sectors. In contrast, European markets were steadier, with the FTSE 100 outperforming after UK inflation cooled more than expected, strengthening the case for a Bank of England rate cut. Asia-Pacific markets were mixed, with gains in Japan and China supported by stronger trade data and IPO optimism. In FX markets, EUR/USD and GBP/USD eased but remained technically supported, USD/JPY pushed to fresh highs, and AUD/USD and USD/CAD reflected diverging commodity and rate dynamics. Commodities rebounded sharply, with oil prices surging on geopolitical developments, while gold and silver extended powerful rallies, with silver posting outsized gains. In equities, stock-specific moves dominated, including sharp losses in Oracle and crypto-linked stocks after Bitcoin fell, alongside strong gains in select AI infrastructure, pharmaceutical, and data-centre-linked names, as investors waited for key US inflation data to clarify the next market direction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.