Japan’s stock market saw an exceptional rally following the decisive election victory of Sanae Takaichi. The Nikkei 225 rose by about 5.7 percent to a new all time high, while the Topix index also climbed to a fresh peak. Markets expect the new government to pursue expansionary fiscal policies and higher public spending in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, defense industries, and machinery. Shares of companies linked to these sectors, especially chip equipment makers and defense firms, recorded the strongest gains.

Iran described the recent nuclear talks with the United States as “a step forward” and emphasized that dialogue has always been Tehran’s strategy for resolving disputes peacefully. At the same time, Tehran stated that it will not retreat from its right to enrich uranium domestically and once again stressed that it is not seeking nuclear weapons, even as talks continue under the shadow of US military threats and new sanctions. Market reactions to the negotiations have been mixed, with markets showing limited optimism. Iran’s stock market fell by 90,000 points in the first half of today’s session.

The UK labor market has shown signs of gradual stabilization, and according to recruitment firms, the economy is moving past the worst phase of the hiring downturn. Although permanent hiring continued to decline in January, the pace of contraction slowed to its lowest level in 18 months, and temporary hiring increased again after several months. Despite these developments, the labor market remains fragile, with job vacancies declining and the number of jobseekers rising.

Federal Reserve Board member Christopher Waller said in a speech that some of the optimism that emerged in the crypto market after Donald Trump’s election is fading. He described recent crypto market volatility as normal and attributed it to regulatory uncertainty and risk adjustments by major financial institutions. According to Waller, the growing presence of institutional investors has deepened the crypto market’s ties to the traditional financial system.