Japan

Investors rushed to purchase the latest dips in tech stocks on Tuesday, while oil prices fell after Israel and Iran agreed to?halt their attacks against each other for the time being. In Europe, ASML and Infineon led the way with a 0.7% rise in the 'STOXX 600. U.S. Stock Futures rose between 0.5% and 0.8% as Meta, Eli Lilly, Goldman Sachs and other shares grew in pre-market trade. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, filed a confidential U.S. IPO on Monday, just days before SpaceX made its highly anticipated debut in the market this week. Wall Street CEOs and bankers are...

What is important in the U.S. and international markets today by Mike Dolan Editor-at-Large of Finance and Markets On Wednesday, the?S&P 500 did not achieve its 10th consecutive daily gain and some clouds are forming in the markets. Broadcom, the sixth largest company in the world by market capitalization, has stumbled despite the frenzy surrounding the hot chip sector. Stocks of the chipmaker dropped by more than 13% overnight after a slight miscalculation in sales and revenue estimates. This?reaction is a sign of the high bar that companies have to meet in order to impress the markets during the AI...

The world stock market?was facing a second consecutive day of declines on Thursday, as a glitch with the AI rally and renewed fighting between the U.S.A. and Iran dampened?the mood. Meanwhile, oil prices eased following the agreement by Israel and Lebanon to a 'ceasefire. Europe's stock exchanges started the day steady as crude and bond yields fell. However, Wall Street futures pointed lower and Asia had a tough session due to weakness in technology stocks. The stock market in Korea fell as much as 2,6%. In Japan, the Nikkei225, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, all of these markets ended lower between...

Federal Reserve quarterly "dot-plot" rate forecasts could soon lose the last projected rate reduction, the so called easing dot. The plot itself may disappear altogether. Markets would then have to determine if Kevin Warsh was really the inflation-hawk he claimed to be. It might still be a surprise to some investors if he's right. Before his first policy meeting, the new Fed chairman is busy setting up his stall. He consults his staff and gets ready for his first policy session. The guidance he receives on policy direction is not going to be easy. The three-month-long war in Iran and...

Wild swings in stock prices could indicate a market that is in its final stages of a speculative frenzy. Wall Street's fear gauge is dozing. It may take some good news to get it moving again. The AI boom is accelerating and attracting more and more tech and chip names from around the world. Even companies with a market cap of more than $200 billion have seen a 20% to 30% one-day increase. Dell's stock soared by 32% after its disastrous results on Friday. Hewlett Packard Enterprise soared 28% Tuesday after its own earnings report. Marvell Technology gained 25 percent...

The dollar was on the verge of breaking above 160 yen on Wednesday as new hostilities flared up in the Gulf following the failure of U.S.Iran peace negotiations. U.S. crude futures jumped about 2%, to $95.40 per barrel. The?dollar reached 160 yen and then stopped as traders became 'wary' of possible Japanese intervention at that level. S&P 500 futures fell, but the AI bull ran in Asia continued, with stock indexes reaching record highs in Taiwan, Japan, and other Asian countries. South Korean markets are closed. U.S. Central Command reported that Iran launched missiles against Kuwait and Bahrain. These were...

What is important in the U.S. and international markets today by Mike Dolan Editor-at-Large of Finance and Markets The 'global markets' appeared to be calm early on Tuesday. However, the latest AI twist and another set of confusing signals regarding the Iran conflict were hidden. Anthropic, an AI startup, stole the show Monday when it announced that it had confidentially 'filed' for an IPO. It seemed to beat rival OpenAI and catch the slipstream of SpaceX IPO which is expected in this upcoming month. Below, I'll get into this and more. Check out my most recent column about how the...

Iran's energy boom may mask a larger inflation concern. AI prices are rising, and this boom will outlast any Gulf hiatus. Not least the major central banks are watching the crude price fluctuations around the Iran conflict to see how it will affect the cost of living. The AI investment frenzy has also been fueling a flurry of factory activity, a rise in construction, and a possible increase in prices. The massive business investment expenditure is expected to reach trillions of dollars in the future. Already, it is affecting company earnings, stock prices and projections, as well the aggregate GDP....

Gregor Stuart Hunter gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. Jensen Huang, Nvidia's CEO, says that the company is able to meet the demand for "very robust growth" due to the AI boom. It still needs more. He told a group of computer hardware and chipmakers at a conference in Taipei that supply issues remained a problem, just a day after Advanced Micro Devices unveiled its new chip, which will compete against Intel and Advanced Micro Devices. Nvidia's chips are used in data centres around the world, and as such they are often...

What's important in the U.S. market and globally today by Mike Dolan, Editor at Large, Finance and Markets The same obsessions with the market continue in a new month. Iran and AI are still competing for the attention of investors, but AI is currently winning. The momentum from last week looks to be continuing into Monday. Below, I'll explain more. Listen to the latest episode of the Morning Bid Daily Podcast. Subscribe to the Morning Bid daily podcast and hear 'journalists' discuss the latest news in finance and markets seven days a weeks. AI AND 1984 The U.S. and Iran...

Oil prices fell and were headed towards a weekly decline as traders awaited clarification on the efforts to reopen Strait of Hormuz, and extend an?U.S.Iran ceasefire. United States and Iran reportedly agreed to lift shipping restrictions and extend their ceasefire, according to sources. However, U.S. president Donald Trump is yet to approve this deal. Iranian state media also said that it was not finalized. Oil futures dropped around 2%, and are on course for their biggest weekly drop since early April. MSCI's global stocks index rose by 0.4%, reaching a new record high. Chipmakers led the gains after Dell's upgraded...

Tom Westbrook gives us a look at what the markets will be like tomorrow in Europe and globally. Markets will have to wait until the weekend, as sources claim that the U.S. has reached an agreement with Iran to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The final step is now up to U.S. president Donald Trump. As of now, the market has been relatively quiet in Asia. The dollar held steady, and bonds maintained gains from earlier in the week. Investors hope that higher fuel prices will give Trump less room to walk away. Markets are concerned...

Three sources with knowledge of the matter said that Sumitomo Corp provided financing to buyers of its 54% stake in Madagascar’s Ambatovy Nickel operation. This helped the company exit the losing project. Three sources familiar with the matter said that Sumitomo Corp, which invested $3 billion over 20 years in Ambatovy and has incurred $2.5 billion cumulative losses, provided financing to buyers of its 54% stake in Madagascar's Ambatovy nickel operation, smoothing their exit from the loss-making project. Sumitomo funded this transaction, while still retaining certain nickel offtake rights. "It needed someone to solve the problem for them," said one...

This month, activist investors have made a record-breaking number of proposals for Japanese companies to vote on during their annual general meetings. They also include a growing call for executives to resign. The Tokyo Stock Exchange and regulators have been pushing Japanese companies for years to increase shareholder returns, invest in growth as well as win some big activist victories. According to the data compiled at Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Bank, as of June 3, 139 activist shareholder proposals were submitted for voting at AGMs. This is two more than in previous years. Most of the proposals were from foreign investors....

The?Nikkei?share average in Japan retreated for a second straight session on Friday after closing at an all-time high earlier this week, as momentum slowed down in the?hot technology sector. The Nikkei Index, the benchmark index, fell 1.3% and closed at 66588.12, posting a gain of 0.3% for the week. The Topix index, which is a broader measure of the market, fell 0.07% to 3,599.09. The Nikkei closed at a record high of 68.402.13 on Wednesday, and it has gained 34% this year. The Nasdaq, the tech-heavy stock market in the United States, closed lower. Overnight, Broadcom missed its revenue targets...

Gold demand in India was subdued as buyers were on the sidelines because of?volatile overseas prices. Premiums?in China also eased slightly. On Friday, the price of domestic gold was around 158.400 rupees for 10 grams. Dealers quoted discounts This week you can save up to $87 per ounce on official domestic prices, including 15% import duty and 3% sales tax. Last week, you could save up to $106 per ounce. The wedding season is coming to an end. The retail demand is continuing to moderate and jewellery stores are reporting lower footfall in the country, said a Mumbai bullion dealer...

China has blocked Japan from obtaining several rare earths, heavy materials, and other minerals for at least four months. This coincides with a dispute over Taiwan between the two nations, indicating that Beijing is using its control of critical minerals to gain diplomatic leverage. Japan is the second largest producer of rare-earth magnets outside of China, but, like the rest of the globe, it is largely dependent on Beijing to import certain heavy rare earths, which are used in magnets, aerospace, and defence as well as gallium. Chinese customs data show that since December, Chinese exports to Japan of rare...

This week, gold prices in India continued to be at a steep discount, due to price volatility, which dampened demand, while premiums in China were reduced. Dealers in India quoted discounts This week, you can save up to $78 per ounce on official domestic prices, including 15% import duty and 3% sales tax. That's a significant drop from the previous week when you could save up to $207 per ounce. Retail buyers are confused by the recent price fluctuations after the government increased import duty earlier in the month. "Most of them are waiting for the prices to come down,"...

Japan's Nikkei stock average rose by the most in two weeks Thursday, thanks to renewed interest?in technology stocks?and the easing of geopolitical tensions?related?to the Iran War. The Nikkei Index benchmark rose by 3.14%, closing at 61.684.14, the highest one-day gain since May 7. The Topix index, which is a broader measure of the Nikkei 225 Index, rose 1.64% to 3,5853.81. The Nikkei mirrors Wall Street gains ahead of earnings forecast by AI powerhouse Nvidia. The oil prices fell sharply overnight, after U.S. president Donald Trump said that negotiations to end war in Iran are in their final stages. This eased...

The Nikkei 225 index rose more than 3.5% Thursday, the biggest gain in two-weeks, thanks to renewed interest in 'technology stocks' and a easing of geopolitical tensions related to?the Iran War. If the current momentum continues, the benchmark Nikkei Index will be on track for its biggest daily gain since May 7 if it maintains this pace. The Topix index rose 2.21% to 3,875.34. The Nikkei was up ahead of Wall Street's gains before earnings from AI bellwether Nvidia. Nvidia forecasted sales that exceeded market expectations. Oil prices fell sharply overnight after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that negotiations to...

This week, gold discounts in India reached a new record as a sharp increase in import duties slowed demand and triggered investor sales. Meanwhile, Chinese premiums remained firm due to investment demand. Dealers in India quoted discounts This week, you can save up to $207 per ounce on official domestic prices, including 15% import duties and 3% sales taxes. A jeweller in Hyderabad said that the'sudden rise in price' prompted investors and jewellers to sell while retail buyers and jewellers stayed out of it. India increased import duties on gold and Silver to 15% this week from 6%. India, the...

Honda Motors posted its first loss as a publicly listed company in more than 70 years on Thursday. The firm was hit with a restructure of its electric vehicle?business that cost?more $9 billion, and the firm canceled its long-term sales target for EVs. Honda's worst financial report released since it listed on the stock exchange in 1957 shows how a legacy automaker can lose money if they make a bet on EVs and then find that demand is weaker than expected. Toshihiro Mibi, the CEO of Japan's largest automaker, announced on Thursday that Honda has scrapped its goal to have...

In the seven days leading up to May 9, foreign flows into Japanese shares jumped to an all-time high. A rally in AI-linked stocks, as well as strong tech and banking sector earnings, boosted risk sentiment. Data from the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Thursday showed that foreigners continued to buy Japanese stocks for a sixth consecutive week. The Nikkei?225 posted a record high of 63,799.32 points on Thursday. AI-linked demand?and rising interest rate boosted earnings for Japanese tech companies and banking stocks. Sumco, Kioxia, and Ibiden are tech sector suppliers that have set records this week. Sumco, Kioxia, and...

Nippon Steel is Japan's largest steelmaker. On?Wednesday, it said that its net profit for the fiscal year ending in March will?increase dramatically to a?220 billion ($1.4 billion). This is because the effects of one-off losses are fading from its results. Nippon Steel also reported a 95% decline in profits for the previous financial year, to 17.2 billion Japanese yen. In February, the company announced that it "expected" to lose 70 billion yen in the fiscal year ending in March. This was due to an explosion at a blast-furnace and to costs related to the U.S. Steel transaction. Nippon Steel said...