Bloomberg Daybreak: Asia Edition

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks dropped, diverging from a chip-led rally on Wall Street, as sentiment toward the artificial intelligence trade remained jittery ahead of key earnings this week that will test the strength of gains in the technology sector. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.8%, with nine of its 11 subgroups in the red and two shares declining for every one that gained. Regional losses were led by a 2.7% drop in South Korea's Kospi Index — a bellwether for AI investments — as chip heavyweight SK Hynix Inc. headed for its lowest close since April. Also...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

US equity-index futures rebounded from last week's chip rout, offering some respite ahead of key earnings that may set the market's direction amid mounting pressure on the artificial intelligence trade. Oil slipped. Asian shares, reacted to that move and fell with MSCI Inc.'s regional equities gauge dropping 0.5%, with losses in Japan and in South Korea. Bloomberg's Yvonne Man and David Ingles spoke to Natixis Investment Managers Head of Global Market Strategy Mabrouk Chetouane.

And - The annual Bund summit began in Shangahi, bringing together policymakers, academics, and...

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian equities rose as dip buyers stepped in following a chip-stock selloff fueled by concerns about the artificial intelligence trade. Crude oil edged lower. MSCI Inc.'s Asia Pacific equities gauge climbed 1%, with five shares advancing for every one that declined. Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. gained in Seoul, helping South Korea's Kospi Index rise almost 3% after slumping on Thursday to its lowest level since April. Bloomberg's Paul Allen and Haidi Stroud-Watts spoke to Vantage Markets Senior Market Analyst Hebe Chen.

And -  The situation in eu...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

A selloff in equities spread to Asia after chip stocks tumbled on Wall Street, as hotter-than-expected US inflation fueled bets on more aggressive Federal Reserve rate hikes. Treasuries rallied.
MSCI Inc.'s Asia Pacific equities gauge dropped 1.5%, heading for a fourth straight decline, led by losses in South Korea, a bellwether for artificial intelligence investment. The Kospi Index slumped as much as 6.5% to its lowest since late July, with chip heavyweights Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. tumbling at least 7%. Tech sentiment remained weak, with Nasdaq 100 Index futures...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks rebounded from two days of losses on expectations the Federal Reserve may not need to raise interest rates aggressively next year. The shift in sentiment for stocks came after New York Fed President John Williams said he saw no need for further tightening in 2027, while continuing to view one more rate hike as appropriate this year. Meantime, earnings season is underway in the US, kicked off by big banks. Bloomberg TV hosts Paul Allen and Haidi Stroud-Watts spoke to Dilin Wu, Research Strategist at Pepperstone.

The...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks declined as the artificial intelligence trade, one of the hottest corners of the market this year, came under renewed pressure ahead of a key earnings season. Elsewhere, Brent crude oil dropped 0.8% to around $105.80 a barrel. A Bloomberg gauge of the dollar's strength broadly held its gains from the previous session, when it climbed to its highest since mid-May 2025. Bloomberg TV hosts Paul Allen and Haidi Stroud-Watts spoke to KCM Trade Chief Market Analyst Tim Waterer.

And - Bangkok plays host to the IMF and World Bank...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Saudi Arabia's main airport came under renewed attack from Houthi rebels, a day after a strike on the facility killed 12 people and heaped pressure on the Middle East's biggest economy as it prepares to host major events that seek to boost foreign investment. An unidentified projectile hit a passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, with authorities tackling a blaze, the Saudi-led coalition that's fighting Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, said in a statement. The Houthis swiftly claimed the attacks, saying they were a response to "...

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks dropped, tracking declines on Wall Street, as speculation about OpenAI's revenue revived concerns over the sustainability of the artificial-intelligence spending boom. Oil edged lower. The MSCI Asia Pacific equities index edged 0.1% lower early Friday. Japan's Nikkei fell over 1%, with Softbank Group Corp. declining more than 5%. The regional moves came after the Nasdaq 100 Index sank 1.4%, its worst day in seven weeks, while a US gauge of chipmakers slumped 3.4%. The S&P 500 Index dropped 0.5%. Markets are closed in South Korea and Taiwan.  The declines in the US followed a Financial T...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks retreated for a second day and Treasuries edged lower as rising oil prices fueled concerns that inflation may stay elevated and nudge central banks to raise interest rates. MSCI's Asia Pacific equities index fell 0.9%, with nine of its 11 industry groups in the red. Benchmarks in Japan, South Korea and Singapore declined, along with mainland China as trading resumed after a holiday. We speak to Bloomberg MLIV Strategist Mark Cranfield.

And -  Samsung Electronics Co. reported a nearly nine-fold rise in quarterly operating profit, though that was s...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks failed to join a rally on Wall Street that took it to record highs on optimism over earnings outlook. Treasuries dropped as oil climbed. MSCI's Asia Pacific equities gauge fell 0.4%, with the regional benchmark now about 2% from its peak. Stocks dropped in Japan and South Korea, while they rose in Taiwan. The All Country World Index — a key barometer of global stocks — is about 0.5% away from its peak hit in August. Earlier, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 Index closed at record highs ahead of the US earnings seas...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian shares rose after a tech-led rally sent the Nasdaq 100 Index to a record as equity investors shrugged off concerns about elevated oil prices and multi-decade high bond yields. Treasuries extended losses. MSCI's Asia Pacific equity index added 0.3%, with shares advancing in Hong Kong, Japan and Australia. Earlier, Wall Street benchmarks climbed as gains in large-cap companies including Nvidia Corp. and Microsoft Corp. helped the S&P 500 Index close near an all-time high. US equity-index futures also edged up in Asian trading. We speak to Bloomberg MLIV Strategist David Savage.<...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks rose after softer US jobs data reduced pressure on the Federal Reserve to keep raising interest rates. Oil erased early gains, while bonds crept higher.

MSCI’s Asia Pacific equities index gained 1.1%, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average rallying 2.5% as technology shares advanced. Chip bellwether Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. jumped 3% on a potential collaboration with Elon Musk’s Terafab. Tech sentiment remained buoyant, with Nasdaq 100 futures gaining 0.4% after the underlying gauge closed at a record high Friday.

Following Friday's economic data in the US, market...

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US added fewer jobs than expected in September and wage growth slowed, signaling some caution among employers amid rising costs.  

Nonfarm payrolls increased 29,000 last month after a downward revision to the prior two months, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Friday. That missed all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. 

The unemployment rate rose to 4.2%, partly reflecting a growing workforce. 

Bloomberg’s Tom Keene and Paul Sweeney get reaction from: 

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Under the shadow of Beijing's single-minded focus on artificial intelligence, China's consumer stocks are trapped in a lost decade. The industry is showing a stark contrast with the high-flying tech sector. MSCI China's consumer goods sub-indexes plunged roughly 18% over the past six months to near 10-year lows, while the AI-heavy technology gauge surged to more than double its 2016 level. During the latest earnings season, consumer staples firms in the MSCI gauge missed profit expectations by nearly 50%.  We speak to Winnie Hsu, Asia Equities Reporter.

Plus - Yukio Kani, G...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Confidence among Japan's largest firms remains elevated with sentiment among manufacturers rising to the highest level in more than eight years, a result that suggests the Bank of Japan can continue raising interest rates without buckling corporate optimism. The sentiment index climbed to 24 in September from 22, improving for a sixth straight quarter, the BOJ's quarterly Tankan business survey showed Thursday. Economists in a Bloomberg survey had forecast a rise in the gauge to 25. The survey is one of the bank's most closely watched data sets. We speak to Bloomberg's FX...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks gained for the first time in three sessions and bonds steadied after a bruising selloff as traders awaited a crucial US inflation reading for clues on the path of interest rates. The dollar was set for its best month since June. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 0.8%, led by technology shares after a key gauge of US semiconductor stocks advanced. SoftBank Group Corp., an investor in OpenAI, rose 6% after the artificial intelligence startup aimed to raise at least $30 billion in fresh funding at a $1.4 trillion valuation, according to...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Bond investors got a respite in Asian trading from a bruising selloff after surging oil prices and mounting bets on further Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes drove Treasury yields to multi-year highs. Asian stocks fell. The US 10-year yield held at 5.23% after climbing as much as 11 basis points Monday to the highest since 2007. Two- and 30-year yields were steady as traders braced for the Fed to keep tightening policy to rein in inflation. We speak to Paul Dobson, Bloomberg's Executive Editor for Asia Markets.

And - Climbing oil prices...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Bonds resumed their decline after a brief reprieve as Middle East tensions flared following President Donald Trump's rejection of Iran's latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Oil rose and Asian stocks fell. Oil remains a key driver for markets as elevated energy costs add to inflation pressures and bolster expectations for further rate increases. Bloomberg's Shery Ahn spoke to Nomura International Wealth Management North Asia CIO Julia Wang.

And - Australia's central bank is poised to resume raising interest rates on Tuesday as policymakers lose patience...

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

The surge in Treasury yields has pushed yield gaps with emerging Asia bonds toward record levels, raising the risk of capital outflows from the region, according to strategists. A selloff in US government bonds deepened this week, with the 30-year yield surging to its highest level since 2004 on Thursday and the benchmark 10-year yield hitting its highest since 2007. Bloomberg's David Ingles and Rebecca Choong-Wilkins spoke to Quadratic Capital Management Founder and CIO Nancy Davis.

And - Donald Trump and Xi Jinping addressed their intense competition over artificial intelligence...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country won't allow freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while sanctions and a US blockade remain in place, underscoring the difficulty in reaching a peace deal with Washington despite efforts to revive talks this week. Even so, oil fell as the US suggested that major volumes of crude are getting through the Strait of Hormuz despite risks to shipping. We speak to Stephen Stapczynski, Bloomberg's Asia Energy Team Leader.

And - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the US and China...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian equities started the day stronger after a rally in US chipmakers drove the Nasdaq 100 Index to its first record since June. Meta Platforms Inc.'s new Muse AI agent was again in the spotlight, with Shopify Inc. shares jumping 7.1% after the companies struck a partnership. Meanwhile, concerns that AI could erode margins and fees at financial brokerages drove US financial stocks lower. We spoke to Sunny Bangia. He covers Asia Equities for Bloomberg.

And - President Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Global AI stocks rallied as early signs of success for Meta Platforms Inc.'s new personal agent revived optimism over chip demand, bolstering the sector after a recent rough patch driven by calls for slower AI development. The rally followed Meta's Muse AI Agent climbing to the top of rankings on Apple Inc.'s free applications list after its launch earlier this month. Lower oil prices, amid hopes for diplomatic progress in the Iran war, further supported risk appetite. The moves are also offering reprieve for the hot AI trade...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian equities and Wall Street stock-index futures advanced after the US described talks with China as “very successful” ahead of a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping this week. Oil fell for a fourth day. In the discussions the two sides agreed to set up a dialogue on AI aimed at reaching a common understanding on goals and threats, Bessent said.

Subsequently, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to speak before the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday. For a look ahead at Takaichi's visit, we s...

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks and bonds edged up as a pullback in oil prices eased inflation concerns. MSCI's regional equities gauge advanced 0.5%, with South Korea's Kospi index leading gains. Chipmakers Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. climbed after a key US semiconductor gauge rallied. Adding to the positive tone, Brent crude declined for a third day, falling 1.2% to $103.56 a barrel as supply concerns eased and traders turned their attention to the next round of diplomacy over the US-Iran war. We speak to Bloomberg's MLIV Strategist David Savage.

And for...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

The yen's sharp drop after the Federal Reserve's hawkish hike is raising the stakes for the Bank of Japan's policy meeting Friday, with strategists warning the currency could weaken further unless officials convince markets that more tightening is coming. The Fed lifted borrowing costs Wednesday for the first time since 2023 and projected further increases, prompting traders to price three additional hikes by the middle of next year. That threatens to keep the US-Japan rate gap wide even as the BOJ is expected to raise its own policy rate this week. W...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

The Federal Reserve is expected to lift interest rates on Wednesday for the first time since 2023 as policymakers lose confidence that inflation will cool sufficiently without at least a nudge from the central bank. Meantime, bond traders have piled into bearish positions ahead of Wednesday's Federal Reserve meeting, betting that the Treasury selloff driving yields to their highest in almost two decades will continue. The benchmark US 10-year yield rose to its highest level since 2007 on Tuesday as traders braced for the Fed to hike interest rates in response to...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Investors are also assessing the outlook for technology shares after global equities retreated Monday following calls from leading AI developers for a slower pace of advances in the field. MSCI's Asia Pacific equities gauge slipped 0.1% on Tuesday after the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index tumbled 5.9% — its biggest drop in more than two months. We speak to Sunny Bangia, he covers Asia Equities for Bloomberg News.

And for more on the debate on AI safety and regulation, Bloomberg's Haidi Stroud-Watts spoke to University of New South Wales Scientia Professor of AI To...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Central banks from much of the Group of Seven face a pivotal week as mounting inflation risks heap pressure on them to raise interest rates. The US will be most closely watched in the wake of a higher-than-expected core inflation reading, which stoked investor bets that Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh and his colleagues will raise their benchmark rate. Meantime, the Reserve Bank of Australia is set to have their rate decision later in the month. We speak to James McIntyre, Bloomberg Economist for Australia and New Zealand.

Plus...

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks dropped, tracking losses on Wall Street, as surging oil prices stoked concern that inflation will accelerate. Brent crude held above $101 a barrel. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index slipped 1.3%, with benchmark gauges in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia all declining. The S&P 500 Index slid 0.5% on Wednesday, while the Nasdaq 100 Index dropped 0.3%, weighed down by losses in Nvidia Corp., Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc. Brent climbed as high as $101.94 before paring its gains, as Iran vowed it was prepared for a more intense war after hostilities flared...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent challenged traders to counter his efforts to strengthen Japan's currency, saying when he makes market calls these days he's effectively doing so with inside information. Bessent, a former hedge fund executive, was reviewing occasions when he's intervened in markets, including the joint purchases of yen he mounted with Japan's government on July 31. While the yen initially jumped, gains ebbed in subsequent sessions, in part as traders highlighted the Treasury's limited firepower to deploy in foreign-exchange purchases. We spoke to Bloomberg MLIV Strategist Mark Cranfield.

...

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

The yen extended Monday's rally to reach the strongest level since February, aided by rising expectations of a Bank of Japan interest-rate increase next week. Gains in South Korean chip stocks helped support Asian equities. Japan's currency rose as much as 0.8% to 153.16 per dollar after appreciating 1.2% on Monday. The latest advance suggests the currency's rally set in motion by the intervention push from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama may be taking on a life of its own. We speak to Bloomberg's MLIV Strategist David Savage.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks rose after US technology shares advanced on Friday. Oil climbed after the US and Iran traded tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. Bloomberg's Paul Allen spoke to Daan Struyven,  Goldman Sachs Co-head of Global Commodities Research.

And - in the US last Friday, yields were marginlly higher, more so at the front-end of the Treasury curve, given a very strong employment report for August. The American economy added 162,000 jobs last month. The data sparked a re-rating of expectations on a Fed rate hike later this m...

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Asian stocks and currencies rose as investors pared bets on a Federal Reserve interest-rate hike this month, weakening the dollar. The yen strengthened, with traders lifting bets on Bank of Japan rate hikes and remaining vigilant to the risk of official action to further boost the currency.

Fed Governor Christopher Waller said he'd be willing to support holding rates steady if price pressures continue to show signs of easing. Waller said his next decision on rates will be "heavily influenced" by August inflation data due next week. Waller's...