{"id":74172,"date":"2026-11-04T21:38:23","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T01:38:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-react-to-us-midterm-shifts-and-boj-rate-signals\/74172\/"},"modified":"2026-11-04T21:38:23","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T01:38:23","slug":"global-markets-react-to-us-midterm-shifts-and-boj-rate-signals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-react-to-us-midterm-shifts-and-boj-rate-signals\/74172\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets React to US Midterm Shifts and BOJ Rate Signals"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/gold\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"gold price today\">Gold prices<\/a> surged to $4,098.29 per ounce<\/strong>, gaining nearly <strong>1%<\/strong> as a weakening <strong>U.S. Dollar<\/strong> and projected political gridlock following the <strong>U.S. Midterm Elections<\/strong> drove demand for safe-haven assets.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Bank of Japan (<a href=\"\/stock\/8301\">8301<\/a>)<\/strong> signaled a hawkish path in its September meeting minutes, with policymakers emphasizing the need for <strong>accelerated rate hikes<\/strong> if inflation deviates upward from its <strong>2% target<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Taiwanese equities (TAIEX)<\/strong> extended losses, dropping over <strong>2%<\/strong>, primarily weighed down by a sell-off in semiconductor giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (<a href=\"\/stock\/TSM\">TSM<\/a>) amid concerns over AI project regulations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The U.S. Dollar weakened 0.26% against the Yen<\/strong>, falling to <strong>157.9850<\/strong>, as markets priced in a potential shift toward easier <strong>Federal Reserve<\/strong> policy following Democratic gains in Congress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>BOJ Minutes Signal Hawkish Shift as Yen Strengthens<\/h2>\n<p>Minutes from the <strong>Bank of Japan (<a href=\"\/stock\/8301\">8301<\/a>)<\/strong> September monetary policy meeting revealed a growing consensus among board members to continue raising interest rates. One member specifically noted that the central bank should be prepared to <strong>accelerate the pace of hikes<\/strong> if price deviations are observed, moving away from the &quot;hasty action&quot; caution of previous cycles. This hawkish tone, combined with the broader <strong>U.S. Dollar<\/strong> weakness, pushed the <strong>USD\/JPY<\/strong> pair down to <strong>157.9850<\/strong>, a <strong>0.26%<\/strong> decline for the greenback.<\/p>\n<h2>Gold Hits Record Territory Amid Election Uncertainty<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Gold prices<\/strong> reached a fresh milestone of <strong>$4,098.29 per ounce<\/strong>, up nearly <strong>1%<\/strong> in early Thursday trading. The rally was fueled by the results of the <strong>U.S. Midterm Elections<\/strong>, where projections of a Democratic sweep in both chambers of Congress suggested a period of legislative gridlock. Analysts at <em>Kitco<\/em> and <em>Trading Economics<\/em> noted that such gridlock typically stalls aggressive fiscal expansion, pressuring <strong>Treasury yields<\/strong> and the <strong>U.S. Dollar Index<\/strong>, which fell to a five-week low.<\/p>\n<h2>Tech Sell-Off Drags Taiwan Shares Lower<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Taiwan Stock Exchange (TAIEX)<\/strong> faced significant downward pressure, dropping more than <strong>2%<\/strong> as investors reacted to the shifting U.S. political landscape. Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (<a href=\"\/stock\/TSM\">TSM<\/a>) fell as much as <strong>2.2%<\/strong>, leading a broader retreat in the technology sector. Market participants expressed concern that a Democratic-controlled Congress might increase scrutiny on <strong>AI data center projects<\/strong>, potentially slowing the capital expenditure cycle that has fueled the recent semiconductor boom.<\/p>\n<h2>Energy Markets and Geopolitical Tensions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Tokyo Gas (<a href=\"\/stock\/9513\">9513<\/a>)<\/strong> announced it is closely monitoring developments in the <strong>Middle East<\/strong> and their impact on <strong>LNG and <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">oil prices<\/a><\/strong> following the U.S. elections. The company highlighted that while <strong>U.S. natural gas<\/strong> remains relatively cheap due to high production, Asian spot <strong>LNG prices<\/strong> have remained volatile due to the ongoing conflict involving <strong>Iran<\/strong>. Meanwhile, a <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> report detailed how ultra-left factions &quot;living off the grid&quot; have reportedly fueled recent riots in <strong>France<\/strong>, contributing to a broader sense of geopolitical instability that has kept energy markets on edge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Gold prices surged to $4,098.29 per ounce, gaining nearly 1% as a weakening U.S. Dollar and projected political 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