Afp Business Asia

European and Asian stock markets slid Thursday following sharp losses on Wall Street as the Federal Reserve signalled fewer cuts to US interest rates next year.In a busy week for rate decisions, the Fed on Wednesday trimmed borrowing costs by a quarter point but halved the number of similar cuts it expects to carry out in 2025.The dollar initially rallied on the outlook, while the yen was pressured Thursday also after the Bank of Japan kept borrowing costs unchanged.The Bank of England as widely expected held its key interest rate steady due to UK inflation rising again, and it did not commit to when or by how much it will cut rates in 2025.While that decision was widely expected, more BoE policymakers voted for a cut, which sent the pound trimming its gains against the dollar and falling against the euro.The split suggests “members may be more nervous about the state of the economy than originally thought,” said Daniela Sabin Hathorn, senior market analyst at Capital.com.All three main indices in New York were sent spinning lower on Wednesday — led by a rout of high-flying tech titans.”Investors were blindsided as the Federal Reserve halved the expected pace of interest rate cuts for next year,” noted Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor.The Fed said it expected to cut just twice next year, down from a forecast of four quarter-point reductions signalled in September.While inflation has “eased significantly”, the level remains “somewhat elevated” compared to the Fed’s long-term target of two percent, Fed chair Jerome Powell told reporters.Powell said he remained “very optimistic” about the state of the US economy, adding that the Fed was now “significantly closer” to the end of its current easing cycle.The Fed’s revision came as a surprise even if investors had speculated about how the US central bank would position itself as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.Analysts said Trump’s plans to cut taxes, slash regulations and impose tariffs on China risked reigniting inflation.Jack McIntyre, a portfolio manager at Brandywine Global, said although the latest Fed rate-reduction had been priced in by markets, “when you include the forward guidance components, it was a hawkish cut”.”Stronger expected growth married with higher anticipated inflation — it’s no wonder the Fed reduced the number of expected rate cuts in 2025.”- Key figures around 1230 GMT -London – FTSE 100: DOWN 1.2 percent at 8,101.55 pointsParis – CAC 40: DOWN 1.2 percent at 7,299.54 Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.9 percent at 20,053.63Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.7 percent at 38,813.58 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.6 percent at 19,752.51 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.4 percent at 3,370.03 (close)New York – Dow: DOWN 2.6 percent at 42,326.87 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0400 from $1.0365 Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2601 from $1.2581Dollar/yen: UP at 156.91 yen from 154.73 yen Euro/pound: UP at 82.57 pence from 82.38 penceBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.5 percent at $73.05 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.5 percent at $69.70 per barrelburs-rl/rlp

Equity markets sank Thursday following a severe sell-off on Wall Street that came after the Federal Reserve halved its rates outlook, while the yen weakened as the Bank of Japan decided against a hike.All three main indexes in New York were sent spinning Wednesday — led by a rout in high-flying tech titans — after the Fed delivered what was described as a “hawkish cut” in rates.Some suggested the retreat may have also been fuelled by president-elect Donald Trump’s opposition to a spending package aimed at averting a fast-approaching US government shutdown.While the reduction had been widely expected, its closely watched “dot plot” of projections for further moves suggested the bank will cut rates just twice next year, as opposed to the four previously forecast.Investors had already been speculating about how the Fed would position itself as Trump prepares to take office amid warnings that his plans to cut taxes, slash regulations and impose tariffs on China could reignite inflation.That was followed by Powell’s comments in which he indicated that the battle against inflation was key because it has remained stubbornly above the bank’s two percent target.”We need to see progress on inflation,” he said in a news conference. “We moved quickly to get to here, but moving forward we are moving slower.”While the Fed lifted its economic growth outlook, the prospect of rates staying higher than anticipated for longer dealt a hefty blow to markets, with the S&P 500 losing three percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq more still.The dollar also cruised higher against its peers and was sitting around a two-year high against the euro.Asian markets all fell, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Mumbai, Taipei, Bangkok, Singapore, Wellington, Manila and Jakarta all well down.London was down at the start of trading Thursday, as were Paris and Frankfurt. Jack McIntyre, a portfolio manager at Brandywine Global, said the rate cut had already been priced in by markets but “when you include the forward guidance components, it was a hawkish cut”.”Stronger expected growth married with higher anticipated inflation — it’s no wonder the Fed reduced the number of expected rate cuts in 2025.”The results of this meeting raise the question: if the market wasn’t expecting a rate cut today, would the Fed actually have delivered one? I suspect not. “The Fed has entered a new phase of monetary policy, the pause phase. The longer it persists, the more likely the markets will have to equally price a rate hike versus a rate cut. Policy uncertainty will make for more volatile financial markets in 2025.”The yen weakened to as much as 156.77 per dollar — from around 153.57 earlier in the day — after the Bank of Japan’s decision not to hike rates for a third time this year. The announcement did help the Nikkei 225 stock index pare earlier losses, though.While officials said in policy statement that “Japan’s economy has recovered moderately” and “is likely to keep growing”, they also pointed to risks ahead.These include “developments in overseas economic activity and prices, developments in commodity prices, and domestic firms’ wage- and price-setting behaviour”.Observers said there would be a renewed focus on the yen as it weakens, with the possibility that Japanese authorities could step in to support the currency if it weakens too far too quickly.SPI Asset Management’s Stephen Innes said “There’s an elevated risk that USDJPY could trend higher soon but could be met with a barrage of verbal intervention on quick moves or even increased odds of a more substantial rate hike from the Bank of Japan early in the New Year.”- Key figures around 0910 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.7 percent at 38,813.58 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.6 percent at 19,752.51 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.4 percent at 3,370.03 (close)London – FTSE 100: DOWN 1.1 percent at 8.110,03Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0400 from $1.0365 Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2610 from $1.2581Dollar/yen: UP at 156.46 yen from 154.73 yen Euro/pound: UP at 82.43 pence from 82.38 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.6 percent at $70.15 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.6 percent at $72.96 per barrelNew York – Dow: DOWN 2.6 percent at 42,326.87 (close)

Japanese electronics titan Sony said Thursday it had paid more than $300 million for a 10 percent stake in the media conglomerate behind the smash-hit game ‘Elden Ring’.Kadokawa, which is known for producing anime and publishing books including manga comics, said last month that Sony had made an approach to the firm, sending the media firm’s stocks soaring.On Thursday they said in a joint statement they had signed a “strategic capital and business alliance agreement”.The new deal will see Sony pay 50 billion yen ($320 million) for 12 million new Kadokawa shares, making it the company’s biggest shareholder.The transfer to Sony, which has already held a stake in Kadokawa since 2021, is due to take effect on January 7.The move will expand Sony’s games and cartoons portfolio, after its 2021 purchase of Crunchyroll, a once semi-legal US-based sharing site that is now a streaming giant for Japanese anime.Kadokawa and Sony “historically have collaborated on various projects, and through this capital and business alliance, intend to further strengthen our collaboration to maximise both companies’ IP value globally”, the statement said. Kadokawa also owns Tokyo-based FromSoftware, the creator of the dark fantasy role-playing adventure game “Elden Ring”, which was developed with help from “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin.Sony said last month that its net profit jumped in the second quarter thanks to stronger sales in gaming, music and imaging sensors. Its PlayStation 5 Pro console hit shelves in November, but its price tag — 799.99 euros ($847) in Europe — has raised eyebrows among gamers.

Asian markets sank Thursday following a severe sell-off on Wall Street that came after the Federal Reserve halved its rates outlook, while the yen weakened as the Bank of Japan decided against a hike.All three main indexes in New York were sent spinning Wednesday — led by a rout in high-flying tech titans — after the Fed delivered what was described as a “hawkish cut” in rates.Some suggested the retreat may have also been fuelled by president-elect Donald Trump’s opposition to a spending package aimed at averting a fast-approaching US government shutdown.While the reduction had been widely expected, its closely watched “dot plot” of projections for further moves suggested the bank will cut rates just twice next year, as opposed to the four previously forecast.Investors had already been speculating about how the Fed would position itself as Trump prepares to take office amid warnings that his plans to cut taxes, slash regulations and impose tariffs on China could reignite inflation.That was followed by Powell’s comments in which he indicated that the battle against inflation was key because it has remained stubbornly above the bank’s two percent target.”We need to see progress on inflation,” he said in a news conference. “We moved quickly to get to here, but moving forward we are moving slower.”While the Fed lifted its economic growth outlook, the prospect of rates staying higher than anticipated for longer dealt a hefty blow to markets, with the S&P 500 losing three percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq more still.The dollar also cruised higher against its peers and was sitting around a two-year high against the euro.Asian markets all fell, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Singapore, Wellington, Manila and Jakarta all well down.Jack McIntyre, a portfolio manager at Brandywine Global, said the rate cut had already been priced in by markets but “when you include the forward guidance components, it was a hawkish cut”.”Stronger expected growth married with higher anticipated inflation — it’s no wonder the Fed reduced the number of expected rate cuts in 2025.”The results of this meeting raise the question: if the market wasn’t expecting a rate cut today, would the Fed actually have delivered one? I suspect not. “The Fed has entered a new phase of monetary policy, the pause phase. The longer it persists, the more likely the markets will have to equally price a rate hike versus a rate cut. Policy uncertainty will make for more volatile financial markets in 2025.”The yen weakened to as much as 155.44 per dollar — from around 153.57 earlier in the day — after the Bank of Japan’s decision not to hike rates for a third time this year. The announcement did help the Nikkei 225 stock index pare earlier losses, though.While officials said in policy statement that “Japan’s economy has recovered moderately” and “is likely to keep growing”, they also pointed to risks ahead.These include “developments in overseas economic activity and prices, developments in commodity prices, and domestic firms’ wage- and price-setting behaviour”.- Key figures around 0340 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.6 percent at 38,847.86Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.0 percent at 19,662.89Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.7 percent at 3,357.82 (break)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0380 from $1.0365 Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2589 from $1.2581Dollar/yen: UP at 155.30 yen from 154.73 yen Euro/pound: UP at 82.46 pence from 82.38 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.6 percent at $70.19 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $73.08 per barrelNew York – Dow: DOWN 2.6 percent at 42,326.87 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 8,199.11 (close)

The yen weakened against the dollar Thursday after the Bank of Japan kept borrowing costs unchanged, extending a retreat for the currency that came after the Federal Reserve forecast fewer rate cuts.The BoJ said after a two-day policy meeting that it would hold rates at around 0.25 percent, pushing the yen cheaper than 155 per dollar, compared with 153.66 on Wednesday.Although the bank said in its policy statement that “Japan’s economy has recovered moderately” and “is likely to keep growing”, it also pointed to risks ahead.These include “developments in overseas economic activity and prices, developments in commodity prices, and domestic firms’ wage- and price-setting behaviour”.The Fed on Wednesday cut interest rates by a quarter point, its third straight reduction.But it signalled a slower pace of cuts ahead as inflation remained sticky and uncertainty surrounds President-elect Donald Trump’s economic plans.Japanese businesses are also wary about the trade and investment environment, given Trump’s pledge to impose tariffs on imports.Tsuyoshi Ueno, senior economist at NLI Research Institute, told AFP ahead of Thursday’s decision that one reason the BoJ did not hike was that “the picture of next year’s wage increases will be clearer in January”.Political factors were another reason, according to Ueno.”As the minority government is discussing budget and tax reforms involving the opposition… it would be bad timing for the BoJ to hike its rate” as that could cool the economy, he said.The government recently passed an extra budget worth nearly 14 trillion yen ($90 billion) to help pay for a massive economic stimulus package.It includes handouts for low-income households, fuel and energy subsidies and assistance to small businesses.Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is hoping the funds will lift the economy but also boost his popularity after the ruling coalition’s worst election result in 15 years.Ishiba has also promised to spend 10 trillion yen through 2030 to boost Japan’s semiconductor and artificial intelligence sectors to help the nation regain its tech edge.

As the US Supreme Court considers whether to uphold a law that could get TikTok banned in the United States, here is a look at the rise of the video-snippet social app.- Genesis -In 2016, Beijing-based ByteDance launched Douyin, a short video sharing app, making it available only in China.ByteDance released TikTok for the international market the following year, shortly before buying song “lip-synching” app Musical.ly and merging it into TikTok.The social network became a hit with its algorithm serving up endless collections of short, looping, typically playful videos posted by users.- Pandemic boom -TikTok’s popularity soared during the Covid-19 pandemic declared in 2020, as people enduring lockdowns relied on the internet for diversion and entertainment.As a result, authorities began eyeing TikTok’s influence and addictive appeal.TikTok became one of the most downloaded apps in the world as officials grew increasingly wary of the potential for the Chinese government to influence ByteDance or access user data.India banned TikTok in July of 2020 due to tensions with China.- Targeted by Trump -While Donald Trump was US president in 2020, he signed executive orders to ban TikTok in the country.Trump accused TikTok, without proof, of siphoning off American users’ data to benefit Beijing and of censoring posts to please Chinese officials.Trump’s decision came against a backdrop of political tension between Washington and Beijing.During a failed bid for re-election, the Republican campaigned on an anti-China message.Between legal challenges and Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, the executive orders did not take effect.- Billion mark -In September 2021, TikTok announced it had 1 billion monthly users worldwide.But concerns grew about TikTok users facing risks of addiction, propaganda, and spying.In 2022, BuzzFeed reported that ByteDance employees based in China had accessed non-public information from TikTok users.ByteDance tried to cool privacy concerns by hosting user data on servers managed in the United States by Oracle.The move did not ease concerns in the United States, where TikTok was banned from devices used by the military.An array of other government agencies and academic institutes followed suit, forbidding members from using TikTok.TikTok’s Singaporean chief executive Shou Zi Chew was grilled by members of the US Congress during a 6-hour hearing in March of 2023.- Sell or go -TikTok was back in the hot seat in the United States in 2024, when President Joe Biden authorized a law requiring TikTok to be banned if ByteDance does not sell the app to a company not associated with a national security adversary.Washington’s stated aim is to cut the risk of Beijing spying on or manipulating TikTok users, particularly the 170 million US users of the app.TikTok remains adamant that it has never shared user data with the Chinese government or done its bidding at the social network.ByteDance sued the US government, arguing the law violates free speech rights.A final decision in that case is to be made by the US Supreme Court, which agreed on Tuesday to examine whether the pending ban violates the Constitution.The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing on the matter for January 10.President-elect Donald Trump, who returns to office on January 20, has signaled he might intervene on TikTok’s behalf.Trump recently spoke of having a “soft spot” for TikTok, and this year his campaign used the app to win support from young voters.

Wall Street stocks tumbled and the dollar rallied Wednesday after the Federal Reserve lowered borrowing rates again but projected fewer 2025 interest rate cuts in light of lingering inflation concerns.US indices lurched lower following the 1900 GMT Fed announcement of the actions but fell further during and after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s news conference.All 11 sectors dropped in the S&P 500, which finished three percent lower. Meanwhile the dollar jumped by more than one percent against the euro.The market is now expecting interest rates will “remain higher for longer,” said Briefing.com.”Seeing the kind of decline we are experiencing right now indicates that the Fed took the market quite by surprise,” said CFRA Research’s Sam Stovall.Although stocks often enjoy a late-year bounce referred to as the “Santa Claus rally,” Stovall said the depth of Wednesday’s drop could spur more selling if traders take profits.”Maybe Santa is already on vacation,” he said.The US central bank, as expected, moved ahead with a decision to reduce interest rates by a quarter point as Fed Chair Jerome Powell offered an upbeat appraisal of the US economy.But the announcement was coupled with the altered outlook on 2025 monetary policy.After the latest interest rate cut, the Fed is now “significantly closer” to the point where no further cuts will be needed, said Powell, who emphasized the central bank still views two percent inflation as a critical long term priority.In the last couple of months, the Fed’s favored inflation measure has ticked higher, moving away from the bank’s long-term target of two percent.Forex Live analyst Adam Button described Powell’s tone during the press conference as a shift “back to more emphasis on inflation falling rather than keeping the employment market strong.”Button said the market may also have been reacting to signs of President-elect Donald Trump’s opposition to a spending package that seeks to avert a fast-approaching US government shutdown.Elsewhere, official data Wednesday showed UK inflation had picked up in November, firming expectations that the Bank of England will hold off cutting its key interest rate on Thursday. Traders were also waiting for the conclusion of the Bank of Japan’s policy meeting Thursday.In the car sector, Nissan shares soared, while Honda fell about three percent. Mitsubishi Motors — whose top stakeholder is Nissan — accelerated almost 20 percent.UniCredit, Italy’s second-largest bank, increased its stake in Germany’s Commerzbank to around 28 percent amid growing speculation of an attempted buyout.UniCredit’s shares rose by 1.3 percent, while those in Commerzbank climbed 1.6 percent.- Key figures around 2140 GMT -New York – Dow: DOWN 2.6 percent at 42,326.87 (close)New York – S&P 500: DOWN 3.0 percent at 5,872.16 (close)New York – Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 3.6 percent at 19,392.69 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 8,199.11 (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 7,384.62 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: FLAT at 20,242.57 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.7 percent at 39,081.71 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.8 percent at 19,864.55 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.6 percent at 3,382.21 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0365 at $1.0491 Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2581 from $1.2710Dollar/yen: UP at 154.73 yen from 153.46 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 82.38 pence from 82.54 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.3 percent at $73.39 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.7 percent at $70.58 per barrelburs-jmb/jgc

The US Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear TikTok’s appeal of a law that would force its Chinese owner to sell the online video-sharing platform or shut it down.The top court scheduled oral arguments in the case for January 10, nine days before TikTok faces a ban unless ByteDance divests from the popular app.The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, would block TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services unless ByteDance sells its stake by January 19.TikTok is arguing that the law, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, violates its First Amendment free speech rights.”Congress has enacted a massive and unprecedented speech restriction,” TikTok said in a filing with the Supreme Court.Should the law take effect it would “shutter one of America’s most popular speech platforms the day before a presidential inauguration,” TikTok said.”This, in turn, will silence the speech of Applicants and the many Americans who use the platform to communicate about politics, commerce, arts, and other matters of public concern,” it added.”Applicants — as well as countless small businesses who rely on the platform — also will suffer substantial and unrecoverable monetary and competitive harms.”A TikTok spokesman said the company is “pleased with today’s Supreme Court order.””We believe the Court will find the TikTok ban unconstitutional so the over 170 million Americans on our platform can continue to exercise their free speech rights,” the TikTok spokesman said in a statement.The potential ban could strain US-China relations just as Donald Trump prepares to take office as president on January 20.At a press conference on Monday, Trump said he has “a warm spot” for TikTok and that his administration would take a look at the app and the potential ban.Trump has emerged as an unlikely TikTok ally amid concerns that a ban on the app would mainly benefit Meta, the Facebook parent company owned by Mark Zuckerberg.Trump’s stance reflects conservative criticism of Meta for allegedly suppressing right-wing content, including the former president himself being banned from Facebook after the January 6, 2021 US Capitol riot by his supporters.Trump’s support for TikTok marks a reversal from his first term, when the Republican leader tried to ban the app over similar security concerns.The US government alleges TikTok allows Beijing to collect data and spy on users. It also says the video hosting service is a conduit to spread propaganda, though China and ByteDance strongly deny these claims.A three-judge US appeals court panel earlier this month unanimously upheld the law’s premise that TikTok divesting from Chinese ownership “is essential to protect our national security.”AFP, among more than a dozen other fact-checking organizations, is paid by TikTok in several countries to verify videos that potentially contain false information.

Stock markets mostly edged higher while the dollar rose against main rivals Wednesday ahead of an expected decision by the US Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. Shares in Nissan soared more than 20 percent on reports that the Japanese car titan is in merger talks with rival Honda.”Stock markets have found their footing after a mixed morning, but all eyes are on the Fed meeting tonight and the accompanying statement,” said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG.The Fed is widely expected to cut borrowing costs for a third time in a row when it concludes its gathering Wednesday, trimming them by 25 basis points, leaving traders to focus on its statement for clues over the outlook.”The most important thing from the Fed’s meeting will be comments on monetary policy in 2025 as the market is starting to fret about future rate cuts being less frequent,” noted Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.With US inflation coming down, decision-makers have been able to loosen their grip on policy since September.However, with Donald Trump set to re-enter the White House next month — pledging tax cuts, deregulation and tariffs on imports from China — there are fears prices could reignite, forcing the Fed to re-evaluate its rates timetable.Briefing.com analyst Patrick O’Hare said the market was bracing for Fed chair Jerome Powell to indicate it was unlikely to cut rates again in January.”The questions are, just how long might any pause last and how might that translate in terms of total rate cuts in 2025,” he said. The Fed is also set to release its latest Summary of Economic Projections. O’Hare noted that the previous version had suggested rates might come down by 100 basis points in 2025.Across the Atlantic, official data Wednesday showed UK inflation had picked up in November, firming expectations that the Bank of England will hold off cutting its key interest rate on Thursday. Traders were also waiting for the conclusion of the Bank of Japan’s policy meeting Thursday.Chinese stock markets and oil prices gained on hopes of more stimulus to boost China’s flagging economy.In the car sector, Nissan shares soared, while Honda fell about three percent. Mitsubishi Motors — whose top stakeholder is Nissan — accelerated almost 20 percent.Elsewhere on the corporate front UniCredit, Italy’s second-largest bank, increased its stake in Germany’s Commerzbank to around 28 percent amid growing speculation of an attempted buyout.UniCredit’s shares rose by 1.3 percent, while those in Commerzbank climbed 1.6 percent.- Key figures around 1630 GMT -New York – Dow: UP 0.3 percent at 43,572.96 pointsNew York – S&P 500: UP 0.2 percent at 6,060.61New York – Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 20,147.57London – FTSE 100: UP less than 0.1 percent at 8,199.11 (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 7,384.62 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: FLAT at 20,242.57 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.7 percent at 39,081.71 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.8 percent at 19,864.55 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.6 percent at 3,382.21 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0476 at $1.0498 Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2692 from $1.2707Dollar/yen: UP at 154.01 yen from 153.41 yen Euro/pound: UP at 82.54 pence from 82.52 penceBrent North Sea Crude: UP 1.2 percent at $74.06 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: UP 1.6 percent at $71.17 per barrelburs-rl/jj