Japan Financial News

Bain Capital said on Wednesday it plans to launch a tender offer for Fuji Soft shares even without the backing of the Japanese firm's board should a second-round bid from rival suitor KKR fail. The estimated $2 billion bid for just under half of the Japanese IT firm's shares likely portends a rare hostile tussle between the two global private equity giants. Bain last week offered 9,600 yen per share, 1.6% more than KKR has done. KKR, which has the backing of the Fuji Soft board, secured 33.9% in a first-round tender that managed to dodge an earlier bid from Bain that was at the time higher than its own.

Patil, addressing the assembly on Tuesday, shared details about the ongoing efforts. “The Infrastructure Development Corporation Karnataka Ltd (IDeCK) is surveying various proposed sites for the best location. Once it finishes the survey, the report will be submitted to the Airport Authority of India (AAI),” he said. “AAI has the authority to finalise the location for the second airport in Bengaluru,” Patil added. The minister further explained that various factors would play a role in the decision-making process. These include connectivity, proximity to key areas, and the surrounding environment. «There will be some clarity on the location within a week,» Patil said.

In case you hadn’t heard, 2025 is shaping up to be a good year for investment bankers. It’s not just rhetoric, either – they’re putting their money where their mouth is and hiring in anticipation of it, too.

Reliance Nippon Life Insurance, a subsidiary of debt-ridden Reliance Capital (RCAP), has initiated talks with IndusInd Bank for bancassurance partnership as the IIHL and RCAP deal has reached the final lap. Mauritius-based IndusInd International Holdings Ltd (IIHL), the parent entity of IndusInd Bank, won the bid to acquire RCAP and entities under it. «IIHL and Japan-based Nippon Life have struck a good understanding and they are absolutely clear about promoting the insurance business. This augurs very well for the business and policyholders as IIHL has a very strong capital base and a solid global aspiration in BFSI space,» Reliance Nippon Life Insurance CEO Ashish Vohra told PTI. Hinduja Group company IIHL is expecting to complete the acquisition of RCAP by next month nearly a year after the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved its rescue plan.

Asian stocks are mostly higher ahead of the Fed’s last rate decision this year

Japanese automakers Nissan Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have confirmed that they are discussing closer collaboration but denied reports they have decided on a merger

Japanese tycoon Masayoshi Son has joined President-elect Donald Trump in announcing plans by technology and telecoms giant SoftBank Group to invest $100 billion in projects in the United States

precious metals from its free trade agreements (FTA) so as to curb speculative imports, safeguard foreign exchange reserves and protect India’s trade balance and economic resilience, think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said Tuesday. Gold imports reached a staggering $14.9 billion in November 2024, accounting for 21.2% of India’s total merchandise imports of $70 billion and for the first time, gold surpassed crude petroleum as the country’s largest single import item. Most gold enters India as bars and rods with 99.99% purity, but traders are also using other tariff-free or concessional categories to bypass import duties such as platinum alloys from Dubai, gold compounds and noble metal solutions from Japan, and gold and silver jewelry from Indonesia. These routes push actual gold imports to much higher levels than official figures suggest.

Goa emerging as the most searched domestic destination, according to Make My Trip’s latest report, named Travel Search & Booking Trends in India for Year-End 2024. The top 20 domestic cities account for 40% of all travel searches, with hill stations gaining significant traction. Notably, Manali, Varanasi, Mussoorie, and Udaipur reported double-digit growth in search interest, reflecting the growing preference for cooler, scenic retreats. Nearly 40% of the top destinations feature hill stations across North and South India, highlighting a widespread demand for nature escapes. This year, the travel rush peaks on December 21st—the Saturday before Christmas—similar to last year. However, a notable surge in searches for December 25th indicates that many travelers plan to extend their holidays through the New Year.

bank meetings this week that is likely to see the U.S. Federal Reserve deliver a rate cut and the Bank of Japan stand pat for now. The pan-continental STOXX 600 was down 0.5%, to a two-week low. Germany's DAX, France's CAC 40 and Britain's FTSE 100 were lower by between 0.1% and 0.7%.

Japan’s biggest bank has apologized after an employee allegedly stole more than 1 billion yen ($6.6 million) from customers' safe deposit boxes

Shares are mixed in Asia after the Nasdaq set a record ahead of a meeting by the Federal Reserve later this week that could set the direction for markets in the new year

President-elect Donald Trump joined SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son to announce plans by the Japanese company to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years

Federal Reserve. A key stock benchmark for the region climbed, as did shares in Australia and Japan. South Korean equities fell, while futures for Hong Kong stocks pointed to a decline. The moves came after a positive session on Wall Street, where the Nasdaq 100 gained more than 1% to reach another record high.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Top Japanese conglomerates and investment firms are ploughing money into India, putting unsavoury episodes of the past behind them. While Japan's SoftBank has been investing in Indian startups for years, the biggest bets from some of the recent entrants are in financial services and new-age companies, multiple investment bankers said.

Incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt comments on President-elect Trump's U.S. industry investments, Mitt Romney's recent supportive statements and tech CEOs flocking to Mar-a-Lago.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. PALM BEACH, Fla.—Donald Trump and SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son are set to jointly announce on Monday that the company is planning to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years, according to a person involved in the event, as the president-elect seeks to project enthusiasm over his return to power.

bank meetings this week largely trumped a rise in heavyweight chip-related shares. The Nikkei erased early gains to close down 0.03% at 39,457.49, while the broader Topix shed 0.3% to 2,738.33.

Payal Kapadia, director of the acclaimed new film All We Imagine As Light, has a more ambiguous view of rice cookers. Prabha, one of the nurses who are the central characters, receives one as a gift from her husband, who disappeared to Germany years ago. It is both impressive — “so international”, her flatmate Anu exclaims — and impractical, too large for their tiny apartment or the meals they make. It is an appliance for a large family, of the kind that Prabha was denied by her husband’s absence. Kapadia has pointed out in interviews that such devices are marketed as being Pable to change a woman’s life, but “not that you could go to work now, but that you will take better care of your family”. Prabha has achieved a career and life on her own terms, yet the cooker can make her yearn for the life she could have had.

Las Vegas Strip to the record-breaking crowds watching Caitlin Clark sink dazzlingly deep 3-pointers, 2024 featured superstars rising to meet the moment. Just 10 months after signing a then-record $700 million, 10-year contract, Shohei Ohtani of Japan took the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series, where the team beat the New York Yankees for the title. The Boston Celtics won their league-best 18th NBA championship ring. In Las Vegas, the Kansas City Chiefs celebrated their second straight Super Bowl title with the most famous fan on the planet, Taylor Swift, cheering on her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce. One athlete, though, best captured the zeitgeist of 2024: Clark.

monetary policy easing to start in most advanced economies is about to conclude with a 24-hour flurry of decisions led by the Federal Reserve. The US announcement will take center stage on Wednesday, followed by peers in Japan, the Nordics and the UK over the following day — amounting to half of the world’s 10 most-traded currency jurisdictions.