Latest news with #IsseiKato
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Stocks steady ahead of tech earnings as Fed drama confounds
A woman walks past an electronic screen displaying the stock index prices of Asian countries outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan. April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato SINGAPORE: Asian stocks marked time on Thursday ahead of earnings from heavyweight technology companies and as market anxiety lingered over the uncertain tenure of Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell. TSMC, the world's main producer of advanced AI chips, is expected to post a jump in second-quarter profit to record levels, though U.S. tariffs and a strong Taiwan dollar could weigh on its outlook. Profits for streaming giant Netflix , due later on Thursday, are also on investors' radar. "With Netflix having outperformed the S&P 500 year-to-date by a sizeable 33 percentage points, and the street fully subscribed to the bullish investment case, Netflix will need to blow the lights out with a solid beat and raise," said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up just 0.07% and the Nikkei rose 0.2%. Ending what would have been the biggest foreign takeover of a Japanese company, Canadian retailer Alimentation Couche-Tard withdrew its $47 billion takeover bid for Seven & i Holdings, citing a lack of constructive engagement by the operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores. Shares of Seven & i Holdings slid to a three-month low and were last down nearly 8%. European futures jumped as EUROSTOXX 50 futures rose 0.6% and FTSE and DAX futures added about 0.4% each. Nasdaq futures and S&P 500 futures fell just over 0.1% each. Also dominating the market mood was confusion over Fed Chair Powell's future at the central bank, after initial news that U.S. President Donald Trump was likely to fire Powell soon sent stocks and the dollar sliding. Trump was quick to deny the reports, restoring some calm to volatile markets, but he kept the door open to the possibility and renewed his criticism of the central bank chief for not lowering interest rates. "I think the most likely outcome is for Powell to stay on until the end of his term next year. Having said that, this is not the first time, so there are going to be episodes of volatility in the dollar as a result of political noise," said Carlos Casanova, UBP's senior economist for Asia. The dollar was on a fragile footing on Thursday, after having lost ground overnight on worries that the Fed's independence could come under threat. The euro was last down 0.14% at $1.1625 while sterling eased 0.17% to $1.3395 after both currencies made gains in the previous session. The dollar rose slightly to 98.47 against a basket of currencies, having lost 0.33% overnight. U.S. Treasury yields also steadied after falling on Wednesday, due to expectations that Powell's removal could lead to quicker and deeper rate cuts, with the two-year yield last at 3.9087%. The benchmark 10-year yield was little changed at 4.4754%. In Australia, the Aussie slid after data showed domestic employment rose only marginally in June as the jobless rate jumped to the highest since late 2021. It last traded 0.56% lower at $0.6492. Elsewhere, oil prices rose on Thursday, with Brent crude futures up 0.4% at $68.78 a barrel. U.S. crude futures gained 0.5% to $66.71 per barrel. Spot gold dipped 0.16% to $3,340.99 an ounce. (Reporting by Rae Wee; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Sonali Paul)
The Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- The Standard
Japan exports down for second straight month, weighed by US tariffs
Shipping containers are seen at a port in Tokyo, Japan, March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD
The Star
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
Japanese firms take steps to protect outdoor workers as heatwave sizzles on
Heat-exposed workers, wearing air-conditioned jackets, which have cooling fans on their backs, are seen at the top of an apartment building under construction, as the Japanese government issued a heatstroke alert in Tokyo and other prefectures, in Tokyo, Japan, July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan endured another day of a searing heatwave on Monday, with temperatures soaringto the highest this year in Tokyo and leaving those having to work outside vulnerable to the risk of heatstroke. Heatstroke alerts were issued in 30 of Japan's 47 prefectures, the highest this year, after the country suffered its hottest June on record. The extreme heat, which has become a norm in summertime Japan, has turned into a major workplace hazard, prompting the government to roll out labour safety regulations from last month requiring companies to implement protection measures against heatstroke. Employers are now required to ensure employees wear clothing that allows air to pass through easily, to install a ceiling to block sunlight and to provide a break space with air-conditioning or shade. At an apartment construction site in Tokyo, where temperatures exceeded 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time this year on Monday, workers for Daito Trust Construction donned puffy air-conditioned jackets equipped with cooling fans on their backs while at work. The custom-made jacket, which the company developed with a construction supplies manufacturer, uses thermoelectric effects to enhance cooling and has been distributed to 1,500 workers. "When I wear this vest, I don't sweat as much, so I don't lose physical strength," said 47-year-old construction worker Atsushi Mizutani. Construction workers are particularly at risk of heatstroke. They accounted for nearly 20% of deaths or illnesses caused by heatstroke in the workplace in 2023, labour ministry data showed. The overall number of heatstroke cases at work more than doubled that year from a decade ago. "In the past, we didn't wear air-conditioned jackets or anything like that and there weren't as many cases of people collapsing (due to heat stroke) as there are now," said Takami Okamura, 57, who has been a construction worker for 34 years. "In recent years, air-conditioned jumpers and other such items have become a necessity, which makes me realise just how hot it gets." (Reporting by Irene Wang and Satoshi SugiyamaEditing by Gareth Jones)
The Star
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Shares steady, dollar firms on US tariff letters; oil dips
A woman walks past an electronic screen displaying the stock index prices of Asian countries outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato TOKYO: Stock markets in Asia took in stride the latest twist in U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff roll-out on Tuesday, as the dollar held onto gains and oil retreated. Shares on Wall Street fell after Trump sent letters to 14 countries, including Japan and South Korea, unveiling sharply higher tariffs on imports into the United States, while also postponing their implementation to August 1. Japan's Nikkei stock gauge opened lower but then turned positive after Trump described that deadline as "firm, but not 100% firm" and said tariffs may be adjusted for some countries. The Aussie dollar rose ahead of a Reserve Bank of Australia decision later in the day. Market reaction to the tariff announcements was muted on memories of Trump's rapid walk back of his "Liberation Day" duties initially set out on April 2, said Tapas Strickland, head of market economics at National Australia Bank. "There's going to be a lot of volatility as the headlines start to emerge, as more of these letters come out, and as the negotiations really come to the fore ahead of that August 1 deadline," Strickland said on an NAB podcast. In April, Trump capped all of the so-called reciprocal tariffs with trading partners at 10% until July 9 to allow for negotiations. Only two agreements, with Britain and Vietnam, have been reached. In June, Washington and Beijing agreed on a framework covering tariff rates, restoring a fragile truce in their trade war. Tariffs on Japan and South Korea are now due to go up to 25% on August 1. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called the hike deeply regrettable and said his nation would continue negotiations with the U.S. The European Union will not be receiving a letter setting out higher tariffs, EU sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. The EU still aims to reach a trade deal by Wednesday after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump had a "good exchange," a commission spokesperson said. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.2% in early trade. Japan's Nikkei stock index rose 0.4% while South Korea's KOSPI jumped 1.5%. The dollar rose 0.2% to 146.36 yen, touching a two-week high. The euro was flat at $1.1741. The Aussie advanced 0.4% to $0.6516 before a meeting by the central bank where policymakers are widely expected to deliver a 25-basis-point cut. U.S. crude dipped 0.5% to $67.59 a barrel after surging nearly 2% on Monday. Spot gold edged 0.2% lower. In early trade, pan-region Euro Stoxx 50 futures were down 0.1%, German DAX futures were down 0.1% at 24,133, and FTSE futures slid 0.3%. - Reuters
GMA Network
07-07-2025
- Health
- GMA Network
Japanese firms take steps to protect outdoor workers as heatwave sizzles on
A heat-exposed worker, wearing an air-conditioned jacket which has cooling fans on its back, works at the top of an under-construction apartment building, as the Japanese government issued a heatstroke alert in Tokyo and other prefectures, in Tokyo, Japan July 7, 2025. REUTERS/ Issei Kato TOKYO — Japan endured another day of a searing heatwave on Monday, with temperatures soaring to the highest this year in Tokyo and leaving those having to work outside vulnerable to the risk of heatstroke. Heatstroke alerts were issued in 30 of Japan's 47 prefectures, the highest this year, after the country suffered its hottest June on record. The extreme heat, which has become a norm in summertime Japan, has turned into a major workplace hazard, prompting the government to roll out labor safety regulations from last month requiring companies to implement protection measures against heatstroke. Employers are now required to ensure employees wear clothing that allows air to pass through easily, to install a ceiling to block sunlight and to provide a break space with air-conditioning or shade. At an apartment construction site in Tokyo, where temperatures exceeded 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time this year on Monday, workers for Daito Trust Construction 1878.T donned puffy air-conditioned jackets equipped with cooling fans on their backs while at work. The custom-made jacket, which the company developed with a construction supplies manufacturer, uses thermoelectric effects to enhance cooling and has been distributed to 1,500 workers. "When I wear this vest, I don't sweat as much, so I don't lose physical strength," said 47-year-old construction worker Atsushi Mizutani. Construction workers are particularly at risk of heatstroke. They accounted for nearly 20% of deaths or illnesses caused by heatstroke in the workplace in 2023, labor ministry data showed. The overall number of heatstroke cases at work more than doubled that year from a decade ago. "In the past, we didn't wear air-conditioned jackets or anything like that and there weren't as many cases of people collapsing [due to heat stroke] as there are now," said Takami Okamura, 57, who has been a construction worker for 34 years. "In recent years, air-conditioned jumpers and other such items have become a necessity, which makes me realize just how hot it gets." — Reuters
