Business

Tokyo stocks down at break on stronger yen

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo stocks fell Thursday morning as profit-taking and a stronger yen overshadowed a fifth successive record close on Wall Street. New York’s three main indexes pressed on with their surge after figures showed US inflation hit a four-year high in January, fuelling bets on an interest rate hike soon. US equities have soared since President Donald Trump last week vowed to release details of his promised tax cut plan within two […]

US stocks end at records again, lifting global equities

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Wall Street stocks pushed to fresh highs for the fifth day in a row Wednesday, giving a boost to most international equity markets on continued optimism about US economic prospects. US stocks have been on a tear since last week when President Donald Trump vowed to release details of his promised tax cut plan within two to three weeks. On Wednesday, Trump reiterated that he would soon release specifics […]

Toyota recalling fuel-cell Mirai vehicles

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — Toyota said Wednesday it is recalling all the Mirai fuel-cell vehicles it has sold globally due to a software glitch that can shut off its hydrogen-powered system. The auto giant said it would call back about 2,800 Mirai vehicles made between November 2014 and December 2016 to repair the defect. Toyota launched Mirai — which means “future” in Japanese — in late 2014 as it looked to push further into the fast-growing […]

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei stock average opens up

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — Japan’s benchmark Nikkei stock average opened at 19438.81 on Wednesday (February 15) up 1.04 percent from the close the day before as Wall Street set record highs overnight after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen spoke in support of an interest rate hike next month, while the dollar hovered near three-week highs. Yellen said on Tuesday that the Fed will probably need to raise interest rates at an upcoming meeting in March, […]

Facebook pushes video onto TV screens with new apps

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Tuesday announced it was rolling out apps to allow people to view videos posted on the social network on connected televisions. The new apps — for Apple TV, Amazon’s Fire TV and Samsung Smart TV — will provide a more convenient way for users of the social network to view videos on a large screen. The move could be a small step toward what some reports say […]

Toshiba warns of huge losses in US nuclear power unit

by Miwa SUZUKI Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Toshiba hinted at a possible fresh accounting scandal Tuesday as it delayed the release of financial results but warned it would lose billions of dollars in its US nuclear power unit. Its Tokyo-listed shares plunged after one of Japan’s best-known companies surprised markets by failing to release nine-month earnings at midday as scheduled. Toshiba — which was hammered in 2015 by a profit-padding scandal — said […]

Toshiba dives on shock loss-reporting delay

by Miwa SUZUKI Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Toshiba shares dived Tuesday after it delayed the release of financial results expected to include billions of dollars in losses tied to its ailing US nuclear power unit. The stock price plunged 9.45 percent to 226.2 yen at one point after it surprised markets by saying its nine-month earnings report had “not yet become available”. The shares closed down 8.0 percent at 229.8 yen. “We […]

China producer prices jump 6.9% in January: govt

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Prices for goods at the factory gate in China beat expectations in January, officials said Tuesday, rising for a fifth straight month in a positive sign of strengthening demand as the world’s second-largest economy stabilizes. The producer price index (PPI) rose 6.9 percent year-on-year in the month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, outstripping an economist estimate of a 6.5 percent increase in a Bloomberg News survey. The consumer price […]

Tokyo stocks up at break after US-Japan summit

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo stocks rose Monday morning with sentiment lifted by upbeat talks over the weekend between US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The new US leader dropped previous harsh rhetoric towards Tokyo over trade and currency issues, and reiterated America’s commitment to Japan’s security after North Korea launched a ballistic missile. Trump had earlier accused Japan of devaluing its currency to boost exports, grouping it with other countries […]

Asian markets extend global rally on Trump relief

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets built on a global rally on Monday following another record close in New York as traders welcomed Donald Trump’s promise of details on tax reform and his softer tone on China and Japan. Shares soared at the end of the week after the new US president finally broke his silence over fiscal policy, saying he would unveil a “phenomenal” tax plan within three weeks. That was followed by […]

Digital TV switches on in the Philippines

  The migration from analog to digital TV broadcasting is finally happening in the Philippines. With the theme, “Bringing New Dimensions to the Broadcasting Experience of Filipinos,” the Digital TV Summit 2017 will formally launch the Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB) plan with a ceremonial switch on to digital TV at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center on February 14-15, 2017. “Filipino viewers can explore and enjoy the multitude of features of digital broadcasting that were […]

Coca-Cola earnings drop despite higher North American sales

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Coca-Cola said Thursday the strong US dollar again hit results in some overseas markets, leading to lower fourth-quarter earnings, although it scored higher revenues in North America. The soft drink giant said net income for the quarter ending December 31 fell to $550 million, down 55.5 percent from the final quarter of 2015, due in part to costs associated with the sale of the company’s North American bottling operations to franchisers. […]