Business

Tokyo stocks open lower ahead of BoJ meeting

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo stocks opened lower on Monday in cautious trade ahead of the Bank of Japan’s two-day meeting, after US stocks closed down on lower-than-expected US growth data. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was down 0.46 percent, or 105.45 points, at 22,607.30 in early trade, while the broader Topix index slipped 0.26 percent, or 4.59 points, to 1,771.17. “Investors are seen taking to the sidelines ahead of the Bank of Japan’s policy […]

Twitter dives on warning of shrinking user base

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Twitter shares took a pounding Friday as a warning of a shrinking user base overshadowed news of a third straight quarterly profit. Twitter said it posted a profit of $100 million in the second quarter, following a loss of $116 million a year earlier, as revenue rose 24 percent to $711 million. But the San Francisco-based firm said its base of monthly active users fell by one million from the […]

Tokyo stocks open higher on weaker yen

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo stocks opened slightly higher Friday on a weaker yen, while investors looked ahead to US GDP data expected later Friday and the Bank of Japan’s policy meeting next week. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up 0.26 percent or 59.61 points to 22,646.48 at the open, while the broader Topix index rose 0.27 percent or 4.74 points to 1,770.52. The dollar was trading at 111.16 yen, down from 111.24 yen […]

Ford slashes profit forecast on weakness in Europe, Asia

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Ford reported a sharp drop in second-quarter earnings Wednesday and cut its full-year profit forecast, citing weakness in Europe and Asia Pacific. The company also signaled it expects large additional costs associated with a reorganization, a move that will likely deepen questions about the automaker’s strategy. Net income sank 47.9 percent to $1.1 billion. Revenues fell 2.3 percent to $38.9 billion. Ford said its performance remained strong in North […]

Slumping Barbie-maker Mattel to cut 2,200 jobs

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – Slumping US toymaker Mattel announced Wednesday it will cut 2,200 jobs after reporting another steep loss in the second quarter, sending shares sharply lower. Mattel, the maker of Barbie, Hot Wheels and other toy mainstays, said the job cuts account for 22 percent of its global non-manufacturing staff. Mattel had 35,000 employees at the end of 2017. The company also plans to sell manufacturing sites in Mexico. “Mattel is […]

Fiat boss Marchionne dies aged 66

MILAN, Italy (AFP) — Fiat Chrysler’s visionary boss Sergio Marchionne has died, after driving the Italian auto giant to success for 14 years, holding company Exor announced Wednesday. “It is with the deepest sadness that EXOR has learned of the passing of Sergio Marchionne,” Exor, which is owned by the Agnelli family, said in a statement. Its CEO, John Elkann, said: “Unfortunately, what we feared has come to pass. Sergio Marchionne, man, and friend is […]

Hong Kong, US airlines bend to China pressure over Taiwan listing

  by Yan Zhao Agence France Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific and major American airlines moved to comply Wednesday with Beijing’s demand that they list Taiwan as part of China, sparking anger on the self-governed island. Taiwan condemned what it called the “insolent actions” of Beijing which it said was wielding its political and economic clout to pressure international firms. “Taiwan’s existence in the international community is an […]

Disney invests in bear market with ‘Christopher Robin’

by Frankie Taggart Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) – “Sometimes the smallest things take the most room in your heart,” a wise little bear once remarked — and Jim Cummings has put his heart and soul into playing Winnie the Pooh for three decades. The 65-year-old American voice actor has been playing the Disney character based on the stories of English novelist A.A. Milne since “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” in […]

Google parent Alphabet sees record highs despite EU fine

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)–Google parent Alphabet shares lifted Monday on a stronger-than-expected earnings report for the past quarter, as the tech giant’s results eased concerns over huge fines imposed by the European Union for antitrust actions. Profit dipped 9.3 percent to $3.2 billion in the second quarter after accounting for the EU fines, the company said. Revenues meanwhile jumped 26 percent from a year ago to $32.7 billion, better than most analysts expected. Shares in […]

G20 urges dialogue to resolve trade tensions that threaten growth

  by Barnaby Chesterman Agence France Presse BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AFP) — Group of 20 members pleaded on Sunday for increased dialogue to defuse escalating trade tensions that could hit global economic growth hard. Finance ministers and central bankers from 20 leading economies closed a two-day meeting in Buenos Aires warning that “heightened trade and geopolitical tensions” threaten the economic expansion. It comes at a time when US President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies have provoked […]

Trump threatens tariffs on all $505bn of Chinese imports

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said in an interview released Friday he is willing to hit all Chinese goods imported to the United States with tariffs if necessary. “I’m ready to go 500,” the Republican leader told the US network CNBC, referring to the $505.5 billion in Chinese imports accepted into the United States in 2017. “I’m not doing this for politics, I’m doing this to do the right thing […]

Asia markets rally as China’s yuan defies Trump dollar warning

  HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets advanced Friday, with Shanghai gaining two percent as China’s weak yuan currency defied US President Donald Trump’s criticism of a strong dollar and Fed rate hikes. Trump, in part of an interview aired by US television network CNBC, broke with the long-established executive branch practice of not commenting on the Federal Reserve’s decisions out of respect for its independence. “I’m not thrilled,” Trump told the network in […]