Japan

Eli Lilly's market value surpassed $1 trillion on Friday. It is the first pharmaceutical company to join the exclusive club of tech giants, and it highlights its growth as a weight loss powerhouse. The explosive growth in the weight loss drug market has been a major factor behind the more than 35% increase in the stock price of the company this year. As new and highly effective treatments for obesity have hit the market in the past two years, this category has become one of the most profitable segments in healthcare. The world's top-selling drug is now Lilly's Tirzepatide. It's...

Eli Lilly's market value surpassed $1 trillion on Friday. It is the first pharmaceutical company to join the exclusive club of tech giants, and it highlights its growth as a weight loss powerhouse. The explosive growth in the weight loss drug market has been a major factor behind the more than 35% increase in the stock price of the company this year. Obesity treatments, once considered a niche, are now among the most lucrative segments of healthcare. Demand is steadily increasing. Novo Nordisk was the first to market, but Lilly’s drugs Mounjaro & Zepbound have grown in popularity & helped...

The Japan Industry Ministry announced on Friday that it would temporarily increase gasoline and diesel subsides from next week to try and smooth out the impact of planned tax reductions on fuels. To ease the burden of households, the ruling and opposition parties in the country agreed to abolish the gasoline tax by December 31, and the diesel tax by April 1, next year. The government is hoping that by temporarily increasing subsidies on gasoline, diesel and other fuels, consumers won't be tempted into delaying purchases until the tax reductions are implemented. This move will also help Japan avoid long...

Yoshimichi M. Maruyama, chief financial officer of Japan's Seven & i, said that the company is working on a number of initiatives including potential M&A and partnership deals aimed at achieving substantial growth. 7-Eleven, the Japanese retailer that owns convenience stores in Japan, wants to show investors how it can grow after Canada's Couche-Tard pulled out of a $46 billion bid offer last July. Seven & i said that it would pursue a listing for its North American convenience-store subsidiary in the second half 2026 and buy back shares worth about 2 trillion yen (13 billion dollars) through fiscal year...

Albemarle announced on Monday that it would sell a 51 percent stake in its Ketjen refining catalyst solution business to KPS Capital Partners and its 50 percent interest in Eurecat to France's Axens SA in deals valued at approximately $660 million. Albemarle said that proceeds from the sale of lithium would be used to reduce debt and for general corporate purposes. This is part of Albemarle's efforts to increase financial flexibility and focus on its lithium and bromine core units. Albemarle has been attempting to reduce its portfolio in response to the recent drop in lithium prices, which has impacted...

The week will be dominated by trade talks between Washington and Beijing, and Canada, as well as central bank decisions from the United States, Canada, and Europe. Meanwhile, Argentina's stock markets are digesting the results of a decisive election for President Javier Milei. Dhara Ranasinghe, Alden B. Bentley, Lewis Krauskopf, and Rodrigo Campos in New York and Kevin Buckland, in Tokyo, give you all the information about what to expect in the world markets this week. 1/ A MIDTERM DRAMA Argentina’s bonds and shares are expected to rise on Monday, after President Javier Milei’s party won a decisive victory in...

Mark Carney, Canada's prime minister, will make his first official trip to Asia this Friday. He is hoping to strengthen trade and security links at a moment when North America struggles to reduce its dependence on the U.S. Canadian officials have said that Carney may also meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his week-long visit, as part of a possible attempt to restore a relationship previously strained by a trade war. Analysts say Carney will need to make it clear to Asian leaders that Canada is not as closely aligned to the U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened...

The week will be dominated by renewed trade tensions, talks between Washington and Beijing, and decisions made by the central banks of the United States, Canada, and Europe. Meanwhile, Argentina's voters go to the polls. Dhara Ranasinghe, Alden B. Bentley, Lewis Krauskopf, and Rodrigo Campos in New York and Kevin Buckland, in Tokyo, give you all the information about what to expect in world markets this week. 1/ A MIDTERM DRAMA The mid-term elections in Argentina on Sunday will be a crucial moment for the biggest reform story of emerging markets. Right-wing president Javier Milei wants to consolidate his minority...

The oil prices rose by about 5% after Washington imposed new sanctions against major Russian companies for the war in Ukraine. Major stock indexes also edged up as gains from U.S. energy stocks and European energy shares offset some disappointing earnings reports. The sanctions were announced late on Wednesday and targeted major Russian suppliers Rosneft, Lukoil. The U.S. announced it was ready to take additional action, as it urged Moscow to immediately agree to a ceasefire. Energy was the leading sector to gain on Wall Street, according to the S&P 500 index. Energy was the last sector to gain 1.2%....

The global stock market got a boost Thursday thanks to a series of positive earnings reports that helped offset some of the gloom in Wall Street due to a lacklustre performance by tech megacaps. Oil prices also rose following U.S. sanction against Russia. After the U.S. placed sanctions on Rosneft, and Lukoil, two major Russian oil companies over the Ukraine conflict. The STOXX 600 index rose 0.3% for the day, as positive earnings helped to boost the domestic indexes. The MSCI All-World Index, however, has slipped into the negative zone, and is on its way to its third consecutive day...

London Metal Exchange's zinc contract is on a wild ride this week, with time-spreads reaching record levels in the face of depleted stock. Since several months the zinc market has been sleeping-walking to this storm, believing that the falling LME inventories were not a true representation of a growing market surplus. Metal has been leaking out of LME's warehouses. There are only 35,300 tons left, which is barely enough for a day's global consumption. The arrivals have been very low despite the increasing premium for cash deliveries. It's a painful squeeze for the bears who misjudged zinc's changing dynamics. SINGAPORE...

Asian stocks dropped for a second consecutive day on Thursday, as Wall Street was hit by a sell-off due to lackluster earnings from the tech giants. Meanwhile, U.S. sanctions on Russia and possible export controls against China rekindled geopolitical concerns. After the U.S. placed sanctions on Rosneft, and Lukoil - two major Russian oil companies - over the Ukraine conflict, the price of oil jumped 3%. The broadest MSCI index of Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan fell 0.4% last week, while Japan's Nikkei225 dropped 1.5%. Chinese stocks dropped as much as 1,1% after sources claimed that the White House was considering...

This week, gold?discounts widened in India as demand declined despite the?wedding?season after prices reached record highs. Meanwhile, Chinese demand was muted amid high spot prices and volatility. Indian dealers are offering a discount This week, official domestic prices will be discounted by up to $34 per kilogram, including 6% import duties and 3% sales taxes. This is a larger discount than the $22 last week. A Mumbai-based dealer of bullion with a private banking firm said that jewellers had not been purchasing (gold), as the footfall in their stores has dropped due to a?price rise. On Friday, the price of...

Thyssenkrupp’s steel unit announced that it would temporarily stop production of electrical steel, a material key to wind turbines and electricity grids. It blamed 'cheap imports' from Asia, which it warned were putting an additional '1,200 jobs in danger. According to industry sources, the move was previously unknown and highlights the struggles Europe's steel industry faces in the face global trade frictions which have forced Chinese competitors to sell surplus capacity on the continent at a lower price, even by a quarter. Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, Europe's second largest steelmaker, has already cut or outsourced 11,000 jobs as a response to...

Marubeni Corp, a trading house, said that Japanese buyers will pay premiums between $85 and $203 per metric ton of aluminium in 2026 as overseas premiums are higher. This is because the flow to Asia has been reduced due to higher premiums, which have also slowed down. Japan is a major aluminum importer in Asia. The amount it pays for primary metal shipments above the London Metal Exchange Cash Price each quarter sets the benchmark for Asia. Japanese premiums have been lowered to $86 per tonne due to a combination of sluggish demand, ample supply and low prices. This quarter,...

Gold prices in India rose to near a record high this week. This slowed physical demand, as buyers waited on a correction in price. Demand in China was also relatively low, despite the volatility and high spot gold prices. This week, Indian dealers offered a discount Discounts of up to $18 per ounce on official domestic prices have been increased by as much as $22. Gold is getting more expensive as the rupee falls, and jewellers find it difficult to decide how much and when to buy, said a Mumbai bullion dealer working for a private bank. On Friday, domestic...

The gold price fell by 1% on Monday, mainly due to rising U.S. Treasury rates and profit booking after a six-week-high was reached in the previous session. Silver prices also declined from their record high. After falling more than 1% earlier, spot gold fell 0.7%, to $4,204.50 an ounce, by 1215 GMT. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery were down 0.9%, at $4,235.50 an ounce. The combination of a strong dollar, higher Treasury rates and profit-taking has conspired to reduce the shine of gold," said Ross Norman, an independent analyst. The U.S. Dollar rebounded from a two-week high in the...

The copper prices fell on Tuesday due to the stronger dollar and a lower risk appetite. Investors also locked in profits after a rally that reached a record-high in the previous session. The benchmark three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange fell 0.4% by 1015 GMT to $11,202 per metric ton, after hitting a record high of $11,334 Monday. LME copper is up 27% this year so far, mostly due to fears about possible shortages. Ole Hansen is the head of commodity strategy for Saxo Bank, Copenhagen. He said: "We are pausing today as we have seen the dollar...

The demand for gold was muted across the major Asian markets during this week. High prices slowed retail purchases even as India began its wedding season. In China, the elimination of tax exemptions on gold purchases lowered consumer interest. This week, Indian dealers offered a discount The discount is now up to $18 an ounce, inclusive of import duties and sales taxes. This is a smaller discount than the one of last week of up $21. On Friday, domestic gold prices traded at around 126.100 rupees for 10 grams, an increase of 4.4% over the previous week's lowest price of...

Mitsubishi Materials, a Japanese company, said it would shift its focus to secondary smelting in order to increase profitability. Due to a tight supply of concentrates and the expansion of smelting capacity by China, Japanese copper smelters face a tumbling treatment charge and refining charge (TC/RC) as well as shrinking smelting profits. Mitsubishi Materials announced in October it would cut the refined copper production at its Onahama Smelter & Refinery in the period October-March by a quarter. It plans to integrate its copper products sales and procurement of copper concentrates with rival Pan Pacific Copper owned by JX Advanced Metals...

Bitcoin and ether fell to multi-month-lows on Friday. cryptocurrencies were swept up as part of a wider flight from riskier investments, as investors became worried about high tech valuations. They also lost bets that the U.S. would soon cut interest rates. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency in the world, dropped 5.5% to $81,668, its lowest level in seven months. Ether fell more than 6%, to $2,661.37. This is its lowest level in four months. Both tokens have fallen by about 12% this week. Cryptocurrencies can be a good indicator of the risk appetite in the market. Their recent slide shows how...

Bosch said that thousands of employees are facing production interruptions due to a global shortage of chips caused by a dispute with the manufacturer Nexperia. China and the Netherlands are locked in a fight for control of Nexperia. However, there is hope that the standoff will ease with the Dutch government sending an official delegation to Beijing to try to reach a compromise. Bosch reported that it was experiencing disruptions at three of its sites: Ansbach, Salzgitter and Braga (both in Germany) and Braga (Portugal). It said: "We continue to do everything possible to serve our clients and to avoid...

Yum China Holdings (the parent company of KFC in China and Pizza Hut there) said on Monday that it would continue to run a vigorous campaign in order to improve profitability and open new stores in the future. Smaller cities will be a key target. Yum China stated that by 2028 KFC plans to have over 17,000 stores in China, with an operating profit of 10 billion yuan (1,41 billion dollars). The company will use lower-capex store models in order to expand into smaller, untapped cities. The group expects to double the operating profit for Pizza Hut in China by...

Mitsubishi Materials, JX Advanced Metals and its partners announced on Tuesday their intention to integrate Mitsubishi Material’s copper concentrates procurement into Pan Pacific Copper. PPC, Japan's largest supplier of refined metals, is owned by JX to the tune of 47.8%. Mitsui Mining and Smelting holds 32.2% and Marubeni 20%. In a joint announcement, the companies stated that they proposed an integration to create a framework for boosting profitability through consolidation of copper concentrate procurement and cost reductions, as well as streamlining their sales operations. The conditions for buying copper concentrates from mines have significantly worsened as the competition with overseas...