Japan Financial News

NEW DELHI : Skoda Auto is looking to double its sales in India by 2026 with the launch of its affordably priced compact SUV next year. As part of its broader plan for the country, the Czech automaker hopes to ship out as many as 100,000 cars in 2026, more than twice the number of vehicles it sold in 2023, a top company official said on Tuesday.

BlackRock Inc., the world’s biggest asset manager, and Amundi Asset Management, Europe’s largest money manager, both see Japan going from strength to strength. 

The strength of the US economy has been a key driver of global economic resilience, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen plans to say Tuesday ahead of meetings with her counterparts from the world’s top economies.

Mark Zuckerberg, who is on a mini-Asia tour, is currently in Japan, exploring the heritage and food of the country. The Meta chief is likely to visit Seoul and attend the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, in Gujarat’s Jamnagar. “Mark is in Japan for a personal trip and will also meet with a few key partners while he is here," Bloomberg quoted Meta Platforms' spokesperson as saying.

According to a statement on Fidelity International's website, the restrictions were made «in the best interests of customers» and were effective from 23 February. Clients will still be able to redeem existing holdings under the restrictions, by selling to cash or by switching to other funds. Fidelity previously restricted new investments into Jupiter UK Mid Cap in December 2022, but the ban was later lifted. Fidelity to merge Japan Smaller Companies fund with £450m Japan strategy The new restrictions follow the departure of UK Mid Cap manager Richard Watts, who will be leaving the ...

By Stefano Rebaudo

By Tom Westbrook

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Tom Westbrook

Investing.com-- Most Asian currencies rose slightly on Tuesday, taking some relief from mild declines in the dollar before a key inflation reading which is set to offer more cues on U.S. interest rates this week. 

Investing.com-- Japanese consumer inflation fell slightly less than expected in January, although core inflation remained near a two-year low as consumer spending slowed amid pressure from weakening economic conditions. 

Investing.com-- Most Asian stocks retreated on Tuesday as caution persisted before a string of key economic readings this week, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 falling from record highs after a slightly stronger-than-expected inflation print. 

artificial intelligence tools such as real-time voice translation and advanced photo editing in efforts to reignite consumer demand. The trend was on display at the telecom industry's biggest annual show, the four-day Mobile World Congress (MWC) which got underway Monday in Barcelona, where handset makers focused on the unique AI-powered features of their new flagship devices.

SIDBI ET MSME Conclave held in Rajkot saw a stellar turnout. From conversations around building financially resilient and competitive MSMEs to the challenges that need immediate solutions, the Rajkot edition aimed to understand the role of Gujarat in shaping a viable ecosystem for the MSME sector. Small and medium industries in the city are dominated by foundries, engineering & automobile works, and units that manufacture textiles, gold & silver jewellery, handicrafts, spices, medicines and wall clocks. Gujarat has the fourth-highest number of micro, small and medium enterprises in the country, after Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, according to data provided by the Union government in Parliament last year.

Stock Market News: Domestic benchmark equity indices, the Sensex and the Nifty 50, began Tuesday's session with some minor cuts amid muted global cues. On Tuesday, the 30-share BSE Sensex opened lower by 66.60 points or 0.09% at 72,723.53 level while the Nifty 50 opened at 22,090.20 level, down 31.80 points or 0.14%.

Federal Reserve may begin cutting interest rates. The yen firmed slightly after figures showed consumer inflation stayed at the Bank of Japan's 2% target, rather than dipping below it for the first time in nearly two years, as economists had forecast.

Japan's first moon lander responded to a signal from Earth, suggesting it has survived a second freezing weekslong lunar night, Japan's space agency said Monday. JAXA called the signal, received late Sunday night, a «miracle» because the probe was not designed to survive the lunar night, when temperatures can fall to minus 170 degrees Celsius (minus 274 degrees Fahrenheit). The craft, Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, made a «pinpoint» touchdown on Jan. 20, making Japan became the fifth country to successfully place a probe on the moon. But the probe landed the wrong way up, with its solar panels initially unable to see the sun and had to be turned off within hours.

Asian shares struggled to advance on Tuesday, with slightly warmer-than-expected Japanese inflation putting investors on guard ahead of price data due in Europe and the U.S. this week. The yen steadied at 150.57 to the dollar and inched off a three-month low on the euro as Japanese inflation stayed at the central bank's 2% year-on-year target, keeping alive expectations it would exit negative rates by April.

JAXA called the signal, received late Sunday night, a “miracle" because the probe was not designed to survive the lunar night, when temperatures can fall to minus 170 degrees Celsius (minus 274 degrees Fahrenheit). The craft, Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, made a “pinpoint" touchdown on Jan.

Sensex dropped 352.67 points, or 0.48%, to close at 72,790.13, while the Nifty 50 declined 90.65 points, or 0.41%, to settle at 22,122.05. “Globally investors would take cues from macro data releases lined up during the week. Overall, we expect the market to consolidate at higher zones while following global trends," said Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

There is a strong (deflationary) gust blowing from the East. Last month, Chinese consumer prices fell at their fastest rate in 15 years. For the first time since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008-09, China’s CPI fell 0.8% year-on-year (y-o-y).