Nomura analysts led by Cindy Park say the KOSPI appears oversold after an 18% decline since August, trading near 5,400. They set a three‑month KOSPI target range of 7,500–8,000 to reflect macro and AI-related risks and kept a long-term target of 10,000 unchanged. Nomura flags AI investment, larger share buybacks and market reforms aimed at lifting corporate value as potential catalysts for a rebound.

India's gold demand is recovering as retreating prices and the start of the wedding season lift retail activity, S&P Global's India ratings unit Crisil Ratings said. Crisil reported rising footfall and higher purchase conversion in the Oct–Dec quarter based on a 76-retailer sample that accounts for about one-third of industry revenue. MMTC-PAMP India, the country's largest precious metals refiner, said buyers are favoring smaller-denomination coins and bars and making smaller, more cautious purchases rather than one-off large buys at current price levels. The World Gold Council expects India's gold imports to fall to a six-year low this year.

WBG data show emerging-market external debt climbed to a record $9.4 trillion in 2025, driven in part by borrowing costs for the poorest countries reaching multi-decade highs. Low-income countries eligible for WBG grants and concessional finance faced average rates of 8.2% on new private loans and 9.4% on new bond issuance, versus 5.5% for stronger developing-country bond issues. WBG warns many frontier-market issuers now confront affordability rather than access constraints. Private financing accounted for most of the external-debt increase in low- and lower-middle-income countries (ex-China) in 2025, with net debt inflows near $360 billion. Many governments issued new bonds to buy back maturing debt or smooth maturities without materially reducing debt stocks, leaving countries with large financing needs and limited policy space more vulnerable to external shocks.