SNB’s Hildebrand: Will not allow any excess CHF appreciation that might generate deflation

USD has jumped on rumors Kevin Warsh will be new Fed Chair, announcement due Friday

Gold surges 1.4% on geopolitical fears & Fed rate cut hopes, hitting record highs. Silver up 2.4%.

Trump Org sues IRS for $10B over tax records leak; market impact uncertain, watch for regulatory shifts.

El Salvador adds $50M gold, boosting reserves to $360M. Nation also holds 7.5K BTC near $635M, buying the dip.

UK business confidence slipped in January as firms’ view of the global economy fell to a one-year low, a Lloyds survey showed. Optimism about firms’ own activity improved, with hiring plans and wage expectations firm.

Trump says he'll be announcing his Fed chair pick tomorrow morning

Tokyo CPI cooled in Jan, with core inflation easing to 2.0% y/y from 2.3% and headline CPI slowing to 1.5%. The softer data reduces near-term pressure on the BoJ to hike again, while labour market conditions remained firm.