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☆ Sony reports 7% drop in annual profit as PlayStation 5 sales miss trimmed target
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The company also narrowly missed its forecast for unit sales of its flagship PlayStation 5 gaming console for the full year. Here's how Sony did in the March quarter versus LSEG consensus estimates:Revenue: 3.5 trillion yen ($22.4 billion) versus 2.89 trillion yen expected. Operating profit: 229.4 billion yen versus 236.81 billion yen expected. Sony's operating profit for the full year, though, came in at 1.2 trillion yen, down 7% year-over-year. That's slightly lower than the revised 21 million unit target that Sony gave investors in February.

Organizations: Sony, PlayStation

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

☆ Meet the students stacking internships and battling each other to get a foot in Goldman Sachs' and JPMorgan's doors
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

All this, the business administration student says, is part of his quest to land a job with a big bank like Goldman Sachs or JPMorgan. Advertisement"I have to grind a lot for academics and then do internships on top of that," Loh said. Many Singapore students have adopted a similar playbook to Loh's, padding their résumés with stacks of internships in the hopes of landing a spot at a top bank. AdvertisementHussain ended up doing five internships throughout his college career, including stints at a hedge fund and a private bank. Tan is slated to join a top European bank as an investment banking analyst this summer.

Persons: —, Channon Loh, he's, Loh, Goldman Sachs, Mike Kemp, Eric Sim, Sim, It's, Adnan Hussain, Hussain, Adnan Hussain Adnan Hussain, you'll, Nicholas Tan, Tan, Duo Geng Goh, Goh, it's, Chi Ang, gunning, Ang, Adrian Choo, Choo Organizations: Service, National University of Singapore, NUS, JPMorgan, Business, Getty, Goldman, Harvard, Crazy Rich, UBS Investment Bank, BI, Singapore Management University, SMU, Students, Banking Locations: Singapore, Crazy

☆ 3 reasons the dollar can't be dethroned as the world's dominant currency, according to Morgan Stanley
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

De-dollarization efforts won't do much to dethrone the dollar, Morgan Stanley said. There are no true alternatives to holding the US dollar at the moment, Morgan Stanley strategists said. AdvertisementThe dollar's status as the top currency of central banks and for international trade probably isn't fading soon, according to Morgan Stanley. "Now, reasonable people can disagree about whether cryptocurrencies are going to appreciate or depreciate, but I'd argue that the best outcome for a dominant currency is neither." Displacing a dominant currency is something that happens over the course of decades, economists previously told Business Insider, as it takes time for people to shift to other currencies once a dominant currency is recognized as "safe."

Persons: Morgan Stanley, —, James Lord, Michael Zezas, That's, Lord, there's, Zezas, Crypto, David Adams, Morgan Stanley's Organizations: Service, Rivals, greenback, Business Locations: Beijing, China

☆ SoftBank's Arm to reportedly launch AI chips by 2025 to capture explosive demand
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SoftBank Group subsidiary Arm is planning to launch artificial intelligence chips by next year, according to a Nikkei Asia report, as the battle for AI chip dominance intensifies. SoftBank is in discussion with contract manufacturers including Taiwan's TSMC to produce the AI chips, the report added. Arm designs the fundamental architecture upon which the chips are built. The company will bear the initial development costs of the AI chips, which could reach "hundreds of billions of yen," according to the report. After a mass-production system has been set up, Arm's AI chip business could be "spun off and placed under SoftBank."

Persons: SoftBank, Taiwan's Organizations: SoftBank, Nikkei, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Nasdaq Locations: Krakow, Poland, Nikkei Asia

☆ Bank of Japan has 'put a floor under the yen,' but it is not on 'firm footing,' David Roche says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBank of Japan has 'put a floor under the yen,' but it is not on 'firm footing,' David Roche saysDavid Roche, president and global strategist at Independent Strategy, discusses the Bank of Japan's monetary policy and the Japanese yen.

Persons: David Roche Organizations: Email Bank of Japan, Independent, Bank

☆ SoftBank Vision Fund posts first annual gain in 3 years, up $4.6 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SoftBank's Vision Fund, the brainchild of the company's founder Masayoshi Son, has faced a number of headwinds including a slump in technology stocks as a result of rising interest rates, a tough China market and geopolitics. SoftBank posted a 7.24 billion Japanese yen ($4.6 billion) gain on its Vision Fund in the fiscal year ended March, the first time the flagship tech investment arm has been in the black since 2021. SoftBank's flagship tech investment arm, the Vision Fund, had a tough time in the fiscal year that ended in March 2023, posting a record loss of around $32 billion amid a slump in tech stock prices and the souring of some of the business' bets in China. However, in the June quarter of last year, the Vision Fund posted its first investment gain in five consecutive quarters, signalling early stages of a recovery. SoftBank's Chief Financial Officer Yoshimitsu Goto said in the previous quarter that SoftBank had shifted from an "Alibaba to AI-centric portfolio."

Persons: Masayoshi Son, SoftBank, Masayoshi, Yoshimitsu Goto, Goto Organizations: Vision, Vision Fund Locations: China, Alibaba

☆ Dollar slips after unexpected rise in U.S. producer prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Euros, U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, Russian rubles and Czech korunas lie on a table as banknotes. The dollar was slightly lower on Tuesday after an initial jump following an unexpected increase in U.S. producer prices in April that indicated inflation remained elevated early in the second quarter. The producer price index for final demand rose 0.5% last month after falling by a downwardly revised 0.1% in March, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Tuesday. The dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency against six rivals, was down 0.18% at 105.03. The dollar strengthened against the yen, up 0.15% at 156.43.

Organizations: Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Czech

☆ SoftBank seen returning to loss in fourth quarter despite strength in tech stocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Japanese technology investor SoftBank Group is expected to slip back into the red when it reports earnings on Monday despite technology stocks including Arm Holdings its core asset, performing well over the quarter. Analysts and investors are also eagerly awaiting clues about new growth investments as SoftBank has ample liquidity and can monetize its huge holding in Arm. The initial public offering (IPO) market remained subdued, leaving analysts uncertain of the monetization prospects for SoftBank's portfolio of unlisted tech startups. But while the Arm stake may make possible an investment on this scale, its dominance within SoftBank's portfolio poses a risk should market sentiment turn, hitting SoftBank's value and fundraising capacity. Morningstar analyst Javier Correonero estimates a fair value for Arm of $57 per share, compared to its recent trading range around $100 per share.

Persons: SoftBank, Arm's, DiDi, Shogo Tono, Javier Correonero Organizations: SoftBank, Arm Holdings, Grab Holdings, LSEG, Nomura Securities, Nvidia, Morningstar Locations: Britain, Coupang

☆ Pfizer and AstraZeneca announce new investments of nearly $1 billion in France
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Leading healthcare companies Pfizer and AstraZeneca announced on Sunday new investments in France worth a total of nearly $1 billion, ahead of the start of this year's annual 'Choose France' business summit. Pfizer said it would invest 500 million euros ($538.5 million) in France to build up its research and development work in the country, while AstraZeneca announced an investment of $388 million for its site at Dunkirk. France announced earlier on Sunday 100 new jobs in Paris at Wall Street bank Morgan Stanley, and investments from other firms such as German aviation company Lilium . Macron wants to burnish Paris' role as a top European business capital, although it has traditionally lagged New York and London on a global scale. The survey ranked Paris in 14th position.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Morgan Stanley, Macron, Paris Organizations: Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Wall, New York, London Locations: France, Dunkirk, Paris, New York, London, New

☆ Dollar nurses losses after another set of soft jobs data
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Against the Japanese yen, the dollar was trading at 155.39 yen , down from highs of 155.95 hit in the previous session. The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, was flat at 105.25. "We note jobless claims are weekly data that can be very volatile from week to week," Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Joseph Capurso, said in a note. "The BoE's urgency and willingness to cut ahead of the Fed will continue to weigh on the currency," Goh said. Being added to the list makes it harder for U.S. suppliers to ship to the targeted entities.

Persons: Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Joseph Capurso, Shunichi Suzuki, Rong Ren Goh, Sterling, BoE, Goh Organizations: U.S, Federal Reserve, dovish Bank of England, Commonwealth Bank of Australia's, Tokyo, Japan's Finance, Eastspring Investments, Bank of England, Monetary, Committee, Fed, Treasury, Traders, PPI, Federal Locations: U.S, United States

☆ David Roche: The Japanese aren't aiming for a particularly strong yen
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailDavid Roche: The Japanese aren't aiming for a particularly strong yenDavid Roche, president and global strategist at Independent Strategy, says they're aiming for a "relatively stable" yen.

Persons: David Roche Organizations: Independent

☆ Dollar holds its ground as key inflation data looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. one hundred dollar bills are being shown in this picture illustration taken in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 15, 2023. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar slowly inched up after it fell more than 3% last week, its biggest weekly percentage drop since early December 2022. Japan's top currency diplomat Masato Kanda on Thursday reiterated a warning that Tokyo is ready to take action in the currency market. The dollar index rose to 0.05% to 105.55, while the Japanese yen was mostly flat at 155.59 per greenback. The BOE is likely to take another step towards its first interest rate cut in four years as inflation falls.

Persons: Masafumi Yamamoto, Masato Kanda, Susan Collins, Sterling, BOE, bitcoin Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank of, Mizuho Securities, Traders, PPI, Fed Bank of Boston, European Central Bank Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, Japan, U.S, United States, Tokyo, —

☆ Japan not seeking a strong yen but a stable currency, David Roche says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Japan is not seeking a strong yen but rather aiming for a relatively stable currency, according to veteran investor David Roche. The Japanese yen has been on a roller coaster ride, with the currency breaking past 160 against the greenback last week — steepest decline in more than three decades. "The Japanese are not aiming at a particularly strong yen. Japan could not "possibly speak to have policy that really results in a strong yen unless they tighten monetary policy," Roche said, adding that it would involve raising interest rates by at least 50 basis points and allowing "unsterilized intervention" of the yen. As far as I can see from the statistics, they've [Bank of Japan] done nothing like that," Roche noted.

Persons: David Roche, Roche, CNBC's Organizations: greenback, Independent, Bank of Japan, Bank of Locations: Japan, Bank of Japan

☆ The US can do one big thing to weaken the dollar and put pressure on China
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US could use a simple tool to strategically weaken the US dollar for economic gains. A reduction in the federal deficit would help tame inflation and weaken the US dollar. AdvertisementThat's why a weakening US dollar is music to the ears of American corporations, trade partners, and policymakers. That agreement devalued the US dollar, stabilized trade with Japan, and helped reduce the US trade deficit. A balanced Federal budget would help them achieve that scenario without putting the economy at risk.

Persons: —, It's, isn't, Donald Trump Organizations: Service, Swiss, America's, China, Accord Locations: Europe, China, Japan, Asia

The dollar was back on the front foot on Wednesday, making modest gains after earlier losses from renewed bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts this year, while the yen eased towards the 155 per dollar level and kept intervention risks from Tokyo high. The dollar was back on the front foot on Wednesday, making modest gains after earlier losses from renewed bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts this year, while the yen eased towards the 155 per dollar level and kept intervention risks from Tokyo high. Analysts have said that any intervention from Tokyo would only serve as a temporary respite for the yen, given stark interest rate differentials between the U.S. and Japan remain. Analysts expect the central bank to leave the door open to lower interest rates as early as June. The Australian dollar fell 0.2% to $0.6585, pressured in part by a less hawkish outlook from the Reserve Bank of Australia than anticipated after it held interest rates steady on Tuesday.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Shunichi Suzuki, they'll, Carol Kong, Neel Kashkari, Kashkari, Rodrigo Catril Organizations: Federal, U.S, Bank of Japan, country's Finance, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, New Zealand, greenback, Minneapolis, Minneapolis Fed, National Australia Bank, Bank of, Reserve Bank of Australia Locations: Tokyo, Beijing, Japan, Bank, U.S, Minneapolis

☆ Yen movements matter for sector leadership and allocation, portfolio manager says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailYen movements matter for sector leadership and allocation, portfolio manager saysRichard Kaye, portfolio manager for Japan equities at Comgest, discusses how the Japanese yen's strength or weakness might affect various sectors.

Persons: Richard Kaye Organizations: Japan

☆ Yen eases despite intervention threat, Aussie steady before RBA
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The yen continued to drift lower against the dollar on Tuesday as gaping interest rate differentials weighed on the currency, despite fresh warnings from Japanese officials following two rounds of suspected dollar-selling intervention last week. The U.S. dollar gained 0.22% to 154.235 yen in early Asian trading, adding to its 0.58% rally from Monday. The Aussie edged up 0.17% to $0.6636, heading back towards the high of $0.6650 from Friday, a level last seen on March 8. All but one of the 37 economists surveyed in a Reuters poll expect the RBA to keep rates on hold, with the other predicting a quarter point rate hike, amid stubbornly high inflation. "A different set of central bankers would have had the policy rate higher sooner on the same set of data," Taylor Nugent, a markets economist at National Australia Bank, wrote in a note.

Persons: Michele Bullock, Masato Kanda, Carol Kong, Bullock, Taylor Nugent Organizations: U.S, Reserve Bank of Australia, The U.S ., Bank of Japan, Japan's Ministry of Finance, Federal, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of, National Australia Bank Locations: The, Japan

☆ Valuations in Europe are 'quite compelling' compared with other developed markets: Strategist
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailValuations in Europe are 'quite compelling' compared with other developed markets: StrategistDavid Chao, global market strategist for Asia-Pacific at Invesco, discusses the outlook for the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy, the Japanese yen, and European markets.

Persons: David Chao Organizations: U.S, U.S . Federal Locations: Europe, Asia, Invesco, U.S .

☆ Nintendo expects to sell 13.5 million Switch consoles this year as it beats profit estimates
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Nintendo on Tuesday reported quarterly profit that beat market estimates and said it sold more units of its flagship Switch console than it had forecast. Here's how Nintendo did in its fiscal fourth quarter versus LSEG estimates:Revenue: 277.1 billion Japanese yen ($1.8 billion) versus 280.6 billion yen expected. Net profit: 82.6 billion yen versus 57.2 billion yen expected. Earlier this year, Nintendo hiked its forecast for sales of its flagship Switch console to 15.5 million units in its fiscal year ended March. The company said it expects to sell 13.5 million Switch consoles in the fiscal year ended March 2025.

Persons: Mario Organizations: NINTENDO, Universal Studios Hollywood, Nintendo, Investors, Analysts, CNBC, Mario Bros Locations: Universal City , California

☆ 'Understandable' that the yen moved back to 153 against the dollar, strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'Understandable' that the yen moved back to 153 against the dollar, strategist saysEugenia Victorino, head of Asia strategy at SEB, says "anything in excess of 153 is really just trader excitement over the lack of intervention."

Persons: Eugenia Victorino, SEB Locations: Asia

☆ Dollar steady after soft U.S. jobs report; yen starts week on back foot
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar was broadly steady on Monday as a soft U.S. jobs report boosted wagers that the Federal Reserve may still cut rates twice this year, while the yen was a tad weaker to start the week. The dollar was broadly steady on Monday as a soft U.S. jobs report boosted wagers that the Federal Reserve may still cut rates twice this year, while the yen was a tad weaker to start the week. On Monday, the yen weakened 0.43% to 153.62 per dollar in early trading, having touched a three-week high of 151.86 on Friday, as the dollar lost additional ground after the jobs data. But with Japanese authorities choosing last week's quiet periods to intervene in the yen market, traders will be on high alert through the day. Markets are now pricing in 45 basis points of cuts this year, with a rate cut in November fully priced in.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank of, Fed, Citi Locations: Japan, Britain, Bank of Japan, U.S

☆ We stayed in a 'Toy Story'-themed hotel for $280 a night. Our small room was a great value with tons of awesome details.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Amanda Adler | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Toy Story Hotel at Tokyo Disney Resort allows guests to feel like they are stepping into a larger-than-life land of toys, without the larger-than-life prices that can come with staying on Disney property. This spring, my family of three checked in to the 595-room hotel, which is located near Bay Station on the Tokyo Disney Resort Line, the resort's dedicated monorail line. Our room was cozy but comfortable and only cost about $280 a night — a steal compared to American Disney hotels that can cost twice as much. Although this has caused turmoil in the markets, it may be good news for American travelers looking to save even more cash. At any cost, this themed hotel that opened in 2022 was a fun place to spend a few nights and offered superior access to Tokyo Disneyland.

Organizations: Service, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disney, Business, American Disney Locations: Tokyo, Bay, American

☆ Wall Street Cruel Summer: Stock Market Crash, Inflation Ends Vacation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Inflation canceled that, and now it's almost certain that Wall Street's summer is canceled, too. That means Wall Street's fantasies of decamping to the Hamptons for the summer have shattered. You can see why this tug-of-war will keep Wall Street on its toes and off Georgica Beach. There is a certain set on Wall Street that does not get to "rosé all day" on Hamptons summer water when currencies trade that way. The simplicity that Wall Street hoped for is one of the few options that's no longer on the table.

Persons: —, Justin Simon, decamping, Jerome Powell, opportunistically, Jamie Dimon, Torsten Slok, Slok, Powell, we'd, David Lefkowitz, dory, McDonald's, Silas Myers, Wall, Zuck, Simon, they're, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Jasper Capital, Nasdaq, Hamptons, JPMorgan, Fed, Pepsi, Mar Vista Investments, Wall, Nvidia, Tesla, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, EU Locations: Georgica, Japan

☆ The US didn't feel safe enough to raise a kid, so we moved to Japan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Trevor D. Houchen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

He and his wife felt it would be unsafe to raise their child there and decided to move to Japan. He finds Japan more affordable, safe, and is happy to be living near his wife's family — but he's scared of bullying. AdvertisementMy wife was already six months pregnant when we agreed she would leave the US and have our baby in Japan. I want him to learn to speak Japanese fluently and feel safe enough to enjoy his childhood to its fullest. As a professor myself and after a 20-year long career in education, I have read studies that note the lack of critical thinking taught in Japanese high schools.

Persons: Trevor D, Houchen, —, We'd, — we're, she'd, we'd, we've, Care.com, I'm, I'd Organizations: Service, Georgia Technical College, Georgia Gwinnett College —, of Health, Ministry of Health, Labor, Welfare, Kaiser Family Foundation, Japan Times, New York City —, US Naval Locations: Atlanta, Japan, LA, Yokosuka —, Tokyo, Houkien, New York City, Yokosuka

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