Copies of a special edition of the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper, featuring a front page report on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, on a street in Seoul on Saturday
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 16, 2024
South Korea's won and stocks take spotlight after impeachment vote
South Korea's won will be the main focus for traders, after its heavy losses during the country’s recent political chaos.
Investors' expectations for corporate governance reform triggered by the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s campaign have been a major driver of the rally in Japanese stocks over the last two years, but the market’s historic crash in early August has changed the dynamics.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 13, 2024
Cheap valuations are out as investors like new metric for Japan stocks
Investors are now trying to identify companies that have strong fundamentals but have a lot to gain by improving capital allocation, one portfolio manager said.
The yen slumped to its weakest in level in more than two weeks on Wednesday as traders reacted to a report that BOJ officials saw little cost to waiting before raising rates.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 12, 2024
Danger for yen emerges with speculation BOJ may stand pat longer
A small taste of the dangers ahead came Wednesday, when the yen slumped to its weakest in level in more than two weeks.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 11, 2024
BOJ signals before meeting leave traders guessing
The confusion has caused sharp swings in market bets on rate hikes, with overnight indexed swaps pricing in a 22% chance of a December rate increase.
Japanese investors sold overseas stocks in November as they sought to capitalize on robust gains in global equities, particularly as U.S. stocks reached record highs.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 9, 2024
Japanese investors sell overseas equities for second straight month
Investors' net sales of overseas stocks totaled ¥1.22 trillion last month, following about ¥2.37 trillion worth of net withdrawals in the prior month.
Choi Sang-mok, South Korea's finance minister, during an interview in Seoul on Thursday
BUSINESS / Markets / ANALYSIS
Dec 6, 2024
In South Korea's crisis playbook, currency stability is paramount
In the four decades since South Korea was last under martial law, the nation has significantly evolved its systems to focus on ensuring economic stability.
The Topix and the yen have been largely moving independently over the past two months, shifting away from Japanese stocks’ past tendency to rise on a weaker yen.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 6, 2024
Cheap yen boost for Japan’s stocks shrinks to nil on hawkish BOJ
The Topix and the yen have been largely moving independently over the past two months.

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Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition