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☆ Singapore’s Lawrence Wong sworn in as new prime minister — the first leadership change in 20 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Lawrence Wong was sworn in on May 15 as Singapore's new prime minister, after Lee Hsien Loong stepped down following two decades in office. Edgar Su | Afp | Getty ImagesSINGAPORE — Singapore's Lawrence Wong was inaugurated as the city-state's fourth prime minister on Wednesday, taking over from former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, who has led Singapore for 20 years. Trade and industry minister Gan Kim Yong will be promoted to deputy prime minister and work alongside current DPM Heng Swee Keat. Lee, the eldest son of Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, announced last month he will hand over power to the new prime minister in mid-May. Wong also served as principal private secretary to then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong from 2005 to 2008.

Persons: Lawrence Wong, Lee Hsien Loong, Edgar Su, Singapore's Lawrence Wong, Lee, Gan Kim Yong, Heng, Kim Yong, Swee Keat, Wong, Gan, Ong Ye Kung, helming, Singapore's, Lee Kuan Yew Organizations: Afp, Getty, SINGAPORE, Trade, Monetary Authority of, Party Locations: Singapore, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Gan

Asia-Pacific markets were largely higher Tuesday even as stocks on Wall Street stumbled, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average snapping an eight-day winning streak. Investors in Asia assessed India's inflation numbers. Data released Monday showed consumer price index climbed 4.83% year on year, nearly in line with the 4.8% expected by economists polled by Reuters. India's wholesale inflation reading is due to be released later in the day. Data from the Bank of Japan showed that corporate inflation was steady in April compared with a year earlier, but import prices jumped 6.4% year over year last month, most likely due to the yen's sharp declines.

Organizations: Dow Jones, Reuters, Bank of Japan Locations: Jama, New Delhi, India, Asia, Pacific

☆ Asia markets largely lower as investors assess China inflation data, await Japan GDP print
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Federal Reserve regional presidents Neel Kashkari of Minneapolis and Austan Goolsbee of Chicago said they are taking a patient approach to monetary policy as they weigh surprisingly strong inflation data this year. Let's get a lot more data to see if this inflation is going to continue or if it's stalling," Kashkari said during a joint live interview on CNBC. "We are all committed to getting inflation back" to the Fed's 2% goal. Goolsbee noted the rapid disinflation that occurred in 2023 and said he is hopeful that can resume following the sticky upward trend seen so far this year. Or did we kind of use up all of our good luck and this bump of the beginning of the year is actually a sign of overheating?"

Persons: Neel Kashkari, Kashkari, Goolsbee, Jeff Cox Organizations: Reserve, CNBC Locations: Minneapolis, Chicago

☆ Japan stocks lead gains in Asia markets as renewed rate cut hopes lift sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Cherry trees in bloom near the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesJapan led gains in Asia-Pacific markets on Friday after stronger-than-expected, year-on-year consumer spending data, and as renewed rate cut hopes by the U.S. Federal Reserve bolster market sentiment. Japan's overall household spending in March fell 1.2% year on year, less than the 2.4% expected by a Reuters poll of economists. However, on a month-on-month basis, household spending rose 1.2%, compared with estimates of a 0.3% drop. Should the index reach the futures level, it would be its highest in about nine months.

Persons: Cherry, Kospi Organizations: Nippon Budokan, Bloomberg, Getty Images Japan, U.S . Federal Reserve, Nikkei Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, Pacific

☆ Asia markets mixed ahead of China trade data and Japan pay figures
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Yaorusheng | Moment | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets were mixed ahead of China's April trade data, as well as pay statistics from Japan. Economists polled by Reuters are expecting a 1.5% rise in China's exports, a reversal from the 7.5% fall in March. Imports are also expected to grow 4.8% year-on-year in April, compared with a 1.9% fall in March. Separately, investors will assess pay statistics from Japan as they look for any signs of the "virtuous cycle" of increasing wages and prices envisioned by the Bank of Japan. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 18,277, pointing to a weaker open compared to the HSI's close of 18,313.86.

Persons: Korea's Kospi Organizations: Reuters, Bank of Japan, Japan's Nikkei Locations: Shanghai, Asia, Pacific, Japan

☆ HD Hyundai Marine Solution doubles in South Korea's largest IPO since January 2022
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Employees of HD Hyundai Marine Solution Co., during the company's listing ceremony at the Korea Exchange in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Shares of maintenance and repair firm HD Hyundai Marine Solution spiked nearly 50% in their trading debut Wednesday, marking a strong start to South Korea's largest IPO since January 2022. Shares traded as high as 166,100 South Korean won ($121.59) apiece, representing a 99.1% surge from the IPO price of 83,400 won. The ship-repair unit of South Korea's largest shipping conglomerate HD Hyundai Group sold 8.9 million shares in the initial public offering. The IPO totaled 742.26 billion won, valuing the newly public unit around 3.71 trillion won at the offering price.

Organizations: Korea Exchange, Hyundai, South Korean, Street, KKR Locations: Korea, Seoul, South Korea, South

DavidCallanAsia-Pacific markets are mixed on Wednesday, mirroring moves in Wall Street's Tuesday session. Investors in the region will parse through earnings reports including those of Japanese giants Toyota and Mitsubishi, as well as Singapore's UOB. Traders will also brace for key economic data out of China and Japan on Thursday, with China releasing its April trade data and Japan announcing its March pay statistics. Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.33% on its open, while the broad based Topix was down 0.3%. South Korea's Kospi extended gains and rose 0.1% after leading Asian markets on Tuesday.

Persons: HSI Organizations: Toyota, Mitsubishi, Traders, Nikkei Locations: DavidCallan Asia, Pacific, Wall, China, Japan

☆ Asia markets extend gains on rate cut optimism; RBA decision in focus
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In Asia, investors await the Reserve Bank of Australia decision on rates as the bank concludes its two-day monetary policy meeting. Economists polled by Reuters expect the RBA to hold its benchmark lending rate at 4.35% for its fourth meeting in a row. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 inched up 0.23% ahead of the decision, on course to gain for a fourth straight day. South Korea's Kospi popped 1.6% as trading resumed after a public holiday, while the small-cap Kosdaq rose 1.08%. Japan's Nikkei 225 also resumed trading after a holiday to rise 0.96%, while the broad-based Topix gained 0.61%.

Persons: Australia's Organizations: Opera, Vivid, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Federal, Reserve Bank of Australia, Reuters, Nikkei Locations: Sydney, Australia, Asia, Pacific

☆ Asia stocks track Wall Street gains as softer-than-expected U.S. jobs data fuels rate cut hopes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's and Australia's flags are seen on the tables where China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong held their bilateral meeting at Parliament House in Canberra on March 20, 2024. Asia-Pacific markets tracked Wall Street gains on Monday as a softer-than-expected U.S. jobs report fueled hopes that the Federal Reserve could start cutting rates soon. Investors, meanwhile, awaited the Reserve Bank of Australia's rate decision on Tuesday and China's April trade data on Thursday. ING said in a note last week that the RBA meeting was "worth watching closely," adding that recent inflation data from Australia showed growth in prices was starting to accelerate. However, the analysts said Australia's inflation data was better than they had expected, and compared to the US, the country's economy had slowed more with the labor market softening substantially.

Persons: Wang Yi, Penny Wong Organizations: House, Wall, Federal Reserve, Investors, Reserve Bank, ING, Global Locations: Canberra, Asia, Pacific, Australia, Hong Kong, China, India, Japan, South

☆ Australia and Japan markets slip as Fed decision looms, most Asian markets closed
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Australian and Japanese markets fell Wednesday as investors brace for the U.S. Federal Reserve's rate decision, due early Thursday in Asia. Investors will also keep an eye on the yen , which saw a volatile start to the week amid suspected intervention on Monday. The currency currently trades around the 157.7 level against the greenback. Most Asian markets are closed on Wednesday due to the Labor Day holiday.

Organizations: U.S, Investors, Labor Locations: U.S . Federal, Asia

☆ HSBC beats expectations in first quarter earnings; Group CEO Noel Quinn to retire
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The HSBC Holding logo is being displayed on a smartphone with HSBC visible in the background in this photo illustration taken in Brussels, Belgium, on February 20, 2024. HSBC beat expectations in its first quarter earnings report on Tuesday. Pretax profit in the January to March period came in at $12.7 billion, falling 2% from a year ago when profit before tax came in at $12.88 billion. Still, that figure beat the $12.61 billion forecast from analyst estimates compiled by the bank. Profit after tax income decreased to $10.84 billion — lower than the $11.03 billion seen in the first quarter of 2023.

Organizations: HSBC, . Revenue Locations: Brussels, Belgium

☆ Asia markets mostly rise, tracking Wall Street gains; China factory activity data on deck
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

An editorial montage of the Japan flag and Japanese yen cash bank notes. Asia-Pacific markets were largely set to extend gains on Tuesday, tracking Wall Street moves, with investors awaiting China manufacturing purchasing managers' index for April. The currency weakened to its lowest level against the U.S. dollar yesterday at 160.03, before strengthening sharply to trade around the 155 level. The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, reported that Japan had intervened to support the yen by selling U.S. dollars and buying yen. Traders will also assess economic data from Japan and South Korea.

Persons: Masato Kanda Organizations: U.S, Street Journal, Traders Locations: Japan, Asia, Pacific, China, South Korea

☆ Asia markets rise as Fed meeting looms; Japan and China economic data in focus
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

An employee works on the assembly line of intelligent machinery at a workshop on March 31, 2024 in Qingzhou, Weifang City, Shandong Province of China. Asia-Pacific markets climbed Monday as traders look toward the Federal Reserve's meeting this week, following another hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation reading Friday. March's core personal consumption expenditures, excluding food and energy, rose 2.8% from a year ago, and came in ahead of the 2.7% expected by Dow Jones. Personal spending rose 0.8%, ahead of a 0.7% estimate. In Asia, China's official purchasing managers index for April is expected Tuesday ahead of the Labor Day holiday on Wednesday, along with Japan's industrial production and retail sales data from March.

Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: Labor Locations: Qingzhou, Weifang City, Shandong Province, China . Asia, Pacific, Asia

In this article JPY= Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTThe Japanese yen has weakened significantly against the dollar in 2022. Stanislav Kogiku | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty ImagesThe Japanese yen weakened to 160 against the U.S. dollar in Monday morning trading in Asia. The yen briefly touched 160.03 against the dollar, the weakest level since April 1990 when it touched 160.15, according to FactSet data. The yen has traded around 150 or weaker against the dollar since the Bank of Japan ended its negative interest rate regime in March. Japanese authorities have repeatedly warned against "excessive" moves in the yen, but have made no official announcements about bolstering the currency.

Persons: Stanislav Kogiku, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Vincent Chung, Rowe Price's, Chung Organizations: U.S, greenback, Bank of Japan Locations: Asia

☆ Bank of Japan keeps monetary policy unchanged, sees slightly higher inflation in fiscal 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A pedestrian walks past the Bank of Japan (BoJ) building in central Tokyo on July 28, 2023. The Bank of Japan kept its policy rate unchanged Friday after its monetary policy meeting, holding its benchmark policy rate at 0%-0.1%. While the move was expected, this comes after Tokyo's April inflation came in lower than expected, with the core inflation rate at 1.6% compared to expectations of 2.2% from Reuters. The bank previously said in March it bought about six trillion yen ($83.5 billion) worth of bonds per month in the past. No comment was made by the BOJ on the yen , which has steadily weakened since the BOJ ended its negative interest rate policy last month and abolished its yield curve control policy.

Organizations: Bank of Japan, The Bank of Japan, Reuters, U.S Locations: Tokyo

Asia-Pacific markets were mixed on Friday as investors in Asia look to the Bank of Japan's policy decision and inflation figures out of Tokyo. Thirteen economists polled by Reuters unanimously forecast that the BOJ will leave its monetary policy unchanged. Tokyo's headline inflation rate for April came in at 1.8%, slowing from the 2.6% in March. Core inflation in the capital — which strips out prices of fresh food — sharply fell to 1.6% from March's 2.4%, missing expectations of 2.2% from economists polled by Reuters. Tokyo inflation data is widely considered as a leading indicator of nationwide trends.

Persons: Cherry Organizations: Nippon Budokan, Bank of, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, Pacific

Commercial and residential buildings seen from the rooftop of the Lotte Corp. World Tower at sunset in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. Asia-Pacific markets took a breather after two straight days of rallies, mirroring moves on Wall Street ahead of first-quarter gross domestic product figures from the U.S. due Thursday. In Asia, investors will assess South Korea's advance first-quarter GDP growth of 3.4% year on year, the highest quarterly growth since the fourth quarter of 2021. Separately, the Bank of Japan kicks off its monetary policy meeting Thursday as investors monitor for action against yen weakness. The yen slid past the 155 mark against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday, hitting a fresh 34-year low.

Organizations: Lotte Corp, Bank of Japan, U.S Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Asia, Pacific, U.S

☆ South Korea's largest K-pop agency Hybe accuses sublabel executives of breach of trust
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

South Korea's largest entertainment agency Hybe is set to file an official police complaint against executives of its sublabel ADOR on charges of breach of trust and other offenses. The move comes after Hybe, which manages K-pop sensation BTS, opened an audit into ADOR on April 22 over allegations that CEO Min Hee-jin was aiming to take the sublabel independent. Min denied the allegations and accused Hybe of copying the concept of ADOR's girl group, NewJeans, for another girl group under a different Hybe subsidiary. Reports from South Korean media show a screenshot provided by Hybe of a message between Min and ADOR's vice CEO. In the message, the vice CEO outlined various methods to take the label independent, including approaching other investors and convincing Hybe to sell its stake in the sublabel.

Persons: Min Hee, Min, Hybe, auditee Organizations: CNBC, South Locations: ADOR

Goldman Sachs' David Kostin expects earnings will be higher this year even amid concerns of margin pressures in the face of higher inflation. Of those companies, Kostin noted, roughly two-thirds have topped expectations on the bottom line, while about one-third beat estimates on the top line. "What that suggests to us is that companies are able and demonstrating the ability to kind of squeak over a little bit margin," Kostin told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Tuesday. The chief U.S. equity strategist said he anticipates inflation will eventually move lower this year, and interest rates will come down from their highs, helping to drive earnings growth. "Our forecast is that [the] market rises slowly in line with expectations for earnings," Kostin said.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, David Kostin, Kostin, CNBC's, Sarah Min

☆ SenseTime shares soar more than 30% after announcing its latest generative AI model
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

A logo of SenseTime is seen during 2021 China Content Broadcasting Network Exhibition at China International Exhibition Center on May 29, 2021 in Beijing, China. Shares of SenseTime Group surged more than 30% on Wednesday, after the Chinese AI giant announced its latest generative artificial intelligence model, called SenseNova 5.0. The company's shares traded as high as 82 Hong Kong cents a share, or 34.42% higher than its previous close of 61 cents. SenseTime said in a release that the major advancement in SenseNova 5.0 focuses on knowledge, mathematics, reasoning, and coding capabilities.

Persons: SenseTime Organizations: China Content Broadcasting Network, China International Exhibition Center, SenseTime, Hong Locations: China, Beijing, Hong Kong

☆ Asia markets extend gains ahead of business activity figures from around the region
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets extended gains from Monday as tech shares rebounded on Wall Street and investors look toward flash business activity figures from Australia, Japan and India. Figures from S&P Global show that Australia's composite purchasing managers index hit a two-year high, coming in at 53.6 against March's 53.3. Japan and India's PMI numbers will be released later Tuesday. Japan's Nikkei 225 popped 0.8% at the open, while the broad based Topix was up 0.66%. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 16,681, pointing to a weaker open compared to the HSI's close of 16,511.69.

Persons: Kospi Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, March's, PMI, Nikkei Locations: Jama, New Delhi, India, Asia, Pacific, Australia, Japan

☆ Shares of Chinese bubble tea firm Chabaidao plunge nearly 40% in Hong Kong debut
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Shares of Chinese bubble tea chain Chabaidao tumbled almost 40% on its trading debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The stock, officially listed as Sichuan Baicha Baidao Industrial, fell as low as 10.84 Hong Kong dollars in the late morning — about 38% below its IPO price of HK$17.50. The bubble tea firm's IPO was the largest listing in Hong Kong in 2024 so far, with the company garnering net proceeds of HK$2.59 billion from its IPO, before listing expenses, according to its prospectus filed to the Hong Kong exchange. The company said it ranked third in China's freshly made tea shop market in terms of retail sales value in 2023, with a market share of 6.8%

Organizations: Hong, HK Locations: Hong Kong, Sichuan

Photo taken on January 21, 2024 shows a real estate project under construction in Huai 'an city, Jiangsu province, China. Asia-Pacific markets rebounded from Friday's sell-off as investors look to fresh data points out of China, Japan and South Korea this week. On Friday, markets in the region tumbled after Israel launched a strike at Iran, causing stocks to fall and safe-haven assets to climb. On Monday, investors will monitor China's one-year and five-year loan prime rates. The five-year LPR will be closely watched, as it acts as the peg for most property mortgages.

Persons: Huai Organizations: Israel Locations: Jiangsu province, China, Asia, Pacific, Japan, South Korea, Iran

☆ Japan and South Korea could coordinate currency intervention, but they may need U.S. support
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

SeongJoon Cho | Bloomberg via Getty ImagesInvestors have been monitoring for potential intervention in the Japanese yen, but recent comments have triggered discussion about "coordinated intervention" with South Korea. The currency has struggled, slipping past 150, since the Bank of Japan raised rates in March. Following that volatility, the U.S. last week acknowledged Japan and South Korea's "serious concerns" over the recent sharp depreciation in their currencies. The comments spurred chatter about possible coordinated currency intervention. Brady said South Korea and Japan could amplify their individual messages to the market by coordinating policy, which might also enhance the short-term impact compared to unilateral action.

Persons: SeongJoon Cho, James Brady, Brady Organizations: Korean, Woori, Bloomberg, Getty, U.S ., Bank of, South Korean, greenback, Authorities, Treasury, Bank of Japan Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Bank of Japan, U.S, Japan, South, Tokyo, Bank of Korea

☆ Asia markets trade lower tracking Wall Street's losses; Japan inflation numbers watched
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Asia-Pacific markets were all lower on Friday, tracking Wall Street's losses overnight and giving up gains from the previous day. Traders will also be watching chip stocks, after Taiwanese chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp beat first quarter revenue and profit expectations on Thursday. Japan released March inflation data, with the headline inflation rate coming in at 2.7%, down from the 2.8% seen in February. The core inflation rate — which strips out fresh food prices — stood at 2.6%, in line with expectations from economists polled by Reuters. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was down 1.88% after the inflation reading, while the broad based Topix fell 1.3%.

Organizations: Traders, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, Reuters, Nikkei Locations: Asia, Pacific

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