Squawk Pod 5 Things to Know Before the Opening Bell 12/19/2025
Dec 19, 2025
Japan's central bank has made a bold move by raising short-term interest rates to their highest in decades. In a significant financial milestone, data center deals have surged, hitting a record $61 billion this year. EU leaders are stepping up with a substantial $100 billion loan to support Ukraine's defense efforts. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers are preparing to vote on banning individual stock trading for themselves. Lastly, there’s buzzing news regarding the potential approval for Nvidia to sell its powerful chips to China.
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Bank Of Japan Tightens After Decades
- The Bank of Japan raised short-term rates to 0.75% and signaled readiness to tighten further, pushing the 10-year yield past 2%.
- This marks a major policy shift with global bond and currency market implications.
Data Center Deals Hit Record High
- Data-center deal activity hit a record $61 billion in 2025 according to S&P Global.
- That surge signals accelerating corporate and cloud infrastructure investment this year.
EU Pledges $100B Loan To Ukraine
- EU leaders agreed to loan Ukraine more than $100 billion for defense over the next two years.
- EU leaders could not agree to use frozen Russian assets, leaving that option unresolved.