{"id":58571,"date":"2026-02-16T05:08:37","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T09:08:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-update-snb-sight-deposits-rise-boj-eyes-tightening-despite-weak-gdp-and-anthropic-expands-in-india\/58571\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T05:08:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T09:08:37","slug":"global-markets-update-snb-sight-deposits-rise-boj-eyes-tightening-despite-weak-gdp-and-anthropic-expands-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-update-snb-sight-deposits-rise-boj-eyes-tightening-despite-weak-gdp-and-anthropic-expands-in-india\/58571\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets Update: SNB Sight Deposits Rise, BoJ Eyes Tightening Despite Weak GDP, and Anthropic Expands in India"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Swiss sight deposits surged to CHF 452.7 billion<\/strong> for the week ending February 13, indicating a significant increase in banking system liquidity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Japan&#39;s Q4 GDP grew by only 0.2% annualized<\/strong>, missing the 1.6% forecast, yet the <strong>Bank of Japan (BoJ)<\/strong> is expected to maintain its hawkish tightening path.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Anthropic launched a new office in Bengaluru<\/strong>, marking India as the second-largest global market for its AI assistant, Claude.<\/li>\n<li><strong>UBS Group AG (<a href=\"\/stock\/UBS\">UBS<\/a>)<\/strong> faces intense backlash in China after a valuation benchmark shift for its <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/silver\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"silver price today\">silver<\/a> fund triggered a <strong>31.5% plunge<\/strong> in net asset value.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran signaled readiness for nuclear compromises<\/strong>, offering the U.S. access to its energy and aviation sectors in exchange for the removal of crippling economic sanctions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>SNB Liquidity and Japan\u2019s Monetary Outlook<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Swiss National Bank (SNB)<\/strong> reported a notable rise in total sight deposits, which climbed to <strong>CHF 452.7 billion<\/strong> for the week ending February 13, up from <strong>CHF 447.4 billion<\/strong> the previous week. <strong>Domestic sight deposits<\/strong> also saw an uptick, reaching <strong>CHF 437.0 billion<\/strong> compared to the prior <strong>CHF 430.6 billion<\/strong>. This increase suggests a shift in liquidity management by the central bank as it navigates a low-inflation environment where <em>SNB President Martin Schlegel<\/em> has signaled tolerance for temporary negative price growth.<\/p>\n<p>In Japan, preliminary data revealed a fragile economic recovery as <strong>Q4 GDP rose just 0.2% annualized<\/strong>, significantly trailing market expectations of <strong>1.6%<\/strong>. Despite this soft growth print, the <strong>Bank of Japan (BoJ)<\/strong> appears undeterred in its efforts to normalize monetary policy. The <strong>BoJ Yen-Index<\/strong> rose slightly to <strong>75.62<\/strong> on February 15, and analysts suggest that persistent inflationary pressures\u2014evidenced by a <strong>3.4% rise in the GDP deflator<\/strong>\u2014will keep the central bank on track for further rate hikes in 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>Corporate Developments: Anthropic and UBS<\/h2>\n<p>AI safety pioneer <strong>Anthropic<\/strong>, backed by tech giants Amazon.com, Inc. (<a href=\"\/stock\/AMZN\">AMZN<\/a>) and Alphabet Inc. (<a href=\"\/stock\/GOOGL\">GOOGL<\/a>), officially opened its new operations hub in <strong>Bengaluru, India<\/strong>. The expansion follows a massive <strong>$30 billion funding round<\/strong> that valued the company at <strong>$380 billion<\/strong>. India has rapidly become the second-largest market for Anthropic\u2019s Claude AI, and the new office will focus on localizing AI for the region\u2019s diverse languages and sectors like agriculture and law.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, <strong>UBS Group AG (<a href=\"\/stock\/UBS\">UBS<\/a>)<\/strong> is embroiled in a controversy regarding its <strong>UBS SDIC Silver Futures Fund LOF<\/strong> in China. The joint venture abruptly switched its valuation benchmark from local Shanghai settlement prices to international market prices, resulting in a <strong>31.5% one-day drop<\/strong> in net asset value. Investors, who had anticipated losses would be capped at approximately <strong>17%<\/strong> due to local price limits, have voiced outrage, leading to a temporary suspension of trading to protect remaining capital.<\/p>\n<h2>Geopolitical and Regional Economic Trends<\/h2>\n<p>In diplomatic news, <strong>Tehran<\/strong> has intensified its efforts to negotiate the removal of U.S. sanctions. Iran\u2019s Deputy Foreign Minister <strong>Majid Takht-Ravanchi<\/strong> stated that the &quot;ball is in America&#39;s court,&quot; suggesting that Iran is willing to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium if economic relief is provided. Tehran is reportedly offering a pragmatic deal that includes <strong>joint investments in oil and gas fields<\/strong> and the purchase of civilian aircraft to ensure the durability of any new agreement.<\/p>\n<p>In Southeast Asia, <strong>Thailand\u2019s economy<\/strong> is showing signs of a U-shaped recovery despite a decline in traditional tourism and ongoing global trade uncertainties. The <strong>Ministry of Finance<\/strong> maintains a <strong>2.0% GDP growth forecast for 2026<\/strong>, driven by a resilient manufacturing base and a shift toward high-value medical tourism. While household debt remains a structural headwind, the <em>rebound in private consumption<\/em> and government stimulus measures are expected to support a stable recovery through the fiscal year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Swiss sight deposits surged to CHF 452.7 billion for the week ending February 13, indicating a significant increase 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