Browsing: Business

Japan stocks remain in focus as Nikkei volatility meets rising bond yields and rate concerns. By the end of the trading day, the Nikkei rebounded significantly, closing at 66,311.93, which was 93.63 points lower, or 0.14%. This closing level was well above the morning low and represented the session’s peak. The Topix concluded at 4,156.29, up 0.23%, reversing its early decline. As the trading progressed, market breadth improved, with 131 Nikkei stocks advancing, 91 declining, and three remaining unchanged. This recovery sharply narrowed the morning decline, which had briefly exceeded 2%.

Indonesia expands sports investment coordination through a new business licensing framework. The pact unites the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming with the Ministry of Youth and Sports regarding business licensing. It also involves promoting investments and providing services for companies engaged in sports-related sectors. Their collaboration will utilize Indonesia’s Online Single Submission system, known as OSS. Additionally, the ministries will coordinate efforts in compliance oversight, regulatory alignment, and data sharing. This framework aims to foster investment development within Indonesia’s sports sector, without establishing a domestic industry target of US$521 billion. Thohir mentioned that the global sports industry is valued at about US$521 billion, which equates to roughly 8,000 trillion rupiah. He also stated that the industry experiences an annual growth rate of approximately 8%. This figure does not include sport tourism, which he estimated to be nearly US$600 billion worldwide. Indonesian officials have recognized both sports and sport tourism as key economic areas involving events, travel, and supporting businesses. The agreement provides an administrative framework to facilitate investments in these sectors.

The signing took place at Egypt’s Cabinet of Ministers headquarters in El Alamein on Aug. 26, 2026. Egypt’s Supply and Internal Trade Minister Sherif Farouk, who also leads GASC, was present at the signing. Khadim Abdullah Al Darei, co-founder and managing director of Al Dahra, attended as well. The release did not specify wheat quantities, shipment timelines, origins, or a pricing method for purchases made under this deal. The financial framework originated in August 2023, when ADEX and Egyptian authorities established a revolving wheat import program. The total allocated amount was US$100 million, with the possibility of annual renewals over five years, reaching a maximum of US$500 million. Egypt’s ministries of international cooperation and finance joined GASC in the initial setup. The 2026 supply agreement now serves as the operational basis for GASC’s wheat acquisitions from Al Dahra within the financing scheme.

Oil prices experienced a modest bounce on Tuesday following a decline of more than 2% in the previous session for both Brent crude and WTI. By 0330 GMT, Brent futures increased by 27 cents, or 0.3%, reaching $92.44 per barrel. Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose by 37 cents, or 0.4%, to $85.38. This upward movement came after Monday’s sharp decline, which marked the end of six consecutive days of gains across the two primary crude benchmarks.

Alibaba Group has announced the pricing of a new HK$80 billion share issuance aimed at boosting investments in artificial intelligence and enhancing its AI technology infrastructure. The Chinese tech giant plans to issue 710 million new ordinary shares at HK$112.70 each. At current exchange rates, this deal is valued at approximately US$10.2 billion. Alibaba projects that the transaction will be finalized by Aug. 26, pending usual closing conditions.

South Korea has commenced its inaugural container vessel trial through the Arctic aimed at reaching Europe. The 2,758-TEU PanStar Acro departed from Busan New Port at approximately 9 p.m. on August 22. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries verified the departure and released the itinerary for the voyage. The vessel will navigate along the Northern Sea Route before calling at three ports in Europe. This round trip, expected to last 45 days, is scheduled to conclude in Busan on October 5.

Central Bank of Egypt kept its main interest rates steady on August 20, signaling a pause after three consecutive meetings. The Monetary Policy Committee held the overnight deposit rate at 19% and the overnight lending rate at 20%. Additionally, the main operation and discount rates remained at 19.5%. The CBE explained that this decision was based on its evaluation of current inflation trends and the economic outlook since its July session. These rates have persisted at these levels since February.

Japan’s July trade reached record values as imports outpaced exports. This month marked the second consecutive record for imports by value. Crude oil was a key factor in this increase, as Japan faced rising energy costs. The volume of crude oil imported grew by 5.5% from July 2025, ending a three-month period of year-on-year declines. Meanwhile, the value of these crude shipments jumped by 87.8% over the same period. Japan’s dependence on imported energy remains high, making fluctuations in oil prices and exchange rates crucial to its overall merchandise trade figures. Exports also hit a new monthly record, extending their growth streak to 11 consecutive months. The 23.2% rise followed a 19.3% increase in June. Demand for semiconductor-related products continued to stay robust, supported by investments linked to artificial intelligence and data centres. A weaker yen contributed to the higher yen value of overseas sales and made Japanese goods more affordable for certain foreign buyers. The export growth rate surpassed that of the previous month. Demand for Semiconductors Boosts Japan’s Export Performance Trade with Japan’s two largest export partners saw significant growth in July. Exports to the United States rose by 22.0% from a year earlier, reaching approximately 2.09 trillion yen. Shipments to China increased by 25.8%, totaling about 2.01 trillion yen. These upward trends were supported by a global rise in semiconductor, electronics, and AI infrastructure

Wall Street closed higher as Treasury yields fell and healthcare stocks rallied. Bond prices climbed following the U.S. Treasury Department’s announcement of larger liquidity support buybacks for longer-dated government securities. Starting September 9, the maximum purchase amount will increase from $2 billion to a minimum of $4 billion per operation. This adjustment applies to nominal coupon securities with maturities in the 10-to-20-year and 20-to-30-year ranges. The elevated purchase volumes will be maintained through November 4. The department explained that the decision was driven by strong demand for high-quality offers, which supported the move to expand liquidity operations in these sectors. Following the announcement, Treasury yields moved downward, partially reversing the recent rise in long-term borrowing costs. The 10-year Treasury yield dropped to approximately 4.65%, while the 30-year yield decreased to around 5.20%. On Tuesday, the 30-year yield reached 5.337%, its highest level since 2007. Since bond yields move inversely to prices, increased demand for government debt caused yields to decline. This retreat eased some of the pressure that had emerged during the recent selloff in longer-term bonds.

Global markets for precious metals saw downward movement on Friday, with spot gold prices decreasing and setting the stage for an overall weekly fall. Data from financial markets indicated that spot gold dipped 0.5 percent to trade at $4,326.75 per ounce. Meanwhile, United States gold futures for December delivery declined nearly 1.0 percent to reach $4,382.50 per ounce. These market corrections followed a sharp but temporary surge on Thursday, when bullion prices reached their highest levels in over two months before closing 1.3 percent lower amid rapid profit-taking.