Evening digest: Bitcoin ETF inflows surge, BOJ hikes rates, FTC Clears Nvidia-Intel deal

Global markets closed the week with a mix of policy shocks, earnings fallout, and renewed risk appetite.

Japan’s central bank delivered its boldest rate hike in decades, signaling a historic shift away from ultra-easy money.

US stocks steadied as tech rebounded despite Nike’s sharp tumble, while regulators cleared a surprise Nvidia-Intel deal.

In crypto, Bitcoin ETFs drew heavy inflows as institutional investors doubled down ahead of heightened volatility.

BOJ lifts rates to 30-year high

Japan's central bank hiked its key interest rate to 0.75% Friday, the highest in 30 years, signaling the end of decades-long ultra-easy policy as inflation sticks above the 2% target.

The unanimous 25 basis-point increase from 0.5% came after solid wage growth and steady core inflation, with Governor Kazuo Ueda stressing that accommodative conditions will persist, but more hikes loom if the economy tracks forecasts.

Bond yields spiked immediately, pushing 10-year JGBs past 2% while the yen weakened to 155.92 versus the dollar; Nikkei jumped 1.28%.

Under new PM Sanae Takaichi, the BOJ eyes 1% by mid-2026 amid US tariff risks, marking Japan's bold normalization push.

Tech rebound stock markets, Nike sinks

Wall Street nudged higher Friday as tech stocks kept rebounding from this week's nasty selloff, but Nike cratered over 10% after another earnings flop hammered by China's endless slump.

Greater China sales tanked 17%, the sixth quarter in a row, while gross margins shrank again amid inventory fire sales and a whopping $1.5 billion tariff hit from Trump's policies.

S&P and Nasdaq gained 0.3% and 0.4%, Dow dipped slightly on Nike's drag, with Nvidia and pals lifting sentiment despite tariff jitters.

Investors shrugged off Fed worries, eyeing a year-end rally amid choppy trading.

FTC clears Nvidia’s Intel investment

US antitrust regulators greenlit Nvidia's $5 billion investment in struggling Intel on Friday, a surprise lifeline amid Intel's manufacturing woes and market share bleed.

The FTC notice confirms clearance without drama, following Nvidia's September announcement to bolster US chipmaking against TSMC and AMD threats.

No merger, just cash infusion for AI infrastructure and personal computing tie-ups using Nvidia's NVLink tech.

Shares popped: Nvidia up 3% on China export hopes, Intel steady despite tariff clouds. Trump's team eyes domestic semis dominance, but rivals worry Nvidia gains unfair Intel insights.

Bitcoin ETFs see inflow surge

US spot Bitcoin ETFs sucked in $457 million Thursday, the biggest daily haul in over a month, led by Fidelity's FBTC with $391 million and BlackRock's IBIT at $111 million, pushing total assets past $112 billion.

This "flight to quality" bucks recent outflows, as Ether ETFs bled $22 million for a fifth straight day amid altcoin jitters.

Traders pile in ahead of a massive options expiry, with record open interest pinning BTC around key strikes and volatility primed to spike.

Bitcoin dominance hit 60%, signaling institutional bets on king crypto despite macro noise. Cumulative inflows now top $57 billion.