Bloomberg Daybreak: Asia Edition

Asian stocks struggled for direction at the open after US markets had a volatile session amid speculation about the future of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. In tariff news, President Trump dialed down his confrontational tone with China in an effort to secure a summit with counterpart Xi Jinping and a trade deal. Trump also said he would send letters to more than 150 countries notifying them of tariff rates and that the levies imposed could be 10% or 15%. We unpack how trade policy is resonating in APAC markets with Ecaterina Bigos, CIO for Asia ex-Japan Core Investments at AXA Investment Managers. Plus - the S&P 500 bounced as President Trump said he is "not planning" to remove Powell, after a White House official said the president was likely to seek the Fed Chair's ouster soon. Treasury two-year yields, which are more sensitive to imminent Fed moves, slid five basis points to 3.89%. The dollar halted a four-day advance. Softer-than-estimated inflation data also helped fuel the moves on Wednesday, reinforcing bets on Fed rate cuts in 2025. We get reaction to the day's market action from Rich Mullen, Founding Partner and CEO at Pallas Capital Advisors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump is likely to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell soon, a White House official said, and discussed the possible move in a meeting with congressional Republicans on Tuesday night. While the lawmakers voiced support for the move, which would likely roil financial markets and lead to a consequential legal showdown, Trump has not made a final decision and could change his mind, according to the official who requested anonymity to discuss a private conversation. In response to multiple similar reports, President Trump says his administration is “very concerned”, but “not planning on doing anything” about Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Paul Sweeney and Lisa Mateo speak with Bloomberg's Chris Condon about the potential fallout. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian stocks moved lower in the early Wednesday session after relatively tame inflation data failed to ease Wall Street's worries about the impacts of tariffs, with initial rallies in US stocks and bonds sputtering on bets the Federal Reserve will keep rates on hold for now. The S&P 500 retreated after earlier topping 6,300. A gauge of US financial giants sank as Wells Fargo & Co. cut its guidance for net interest income. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped even as investment bankers eked out a surprise gain. Citigroup Inc. hit the highest since 2008 on a stock-buyback plan. While short-dated Treasuries led losses, longer maturities also slid - with 30-year yields topping 5%. We get reaction to the day's market action from Chuck Cumello, President and Chief Executive Officer at Essex Financial Services. Plus - Nvidia said late Monday that it received assurances that the US government would allow it to export some chips to China. Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia's chief rival, quickly followed with a similar announcement. These export license approvals could generate billions of dollars in total revenue for the companies this year — and they mark a dramatic reversal after the Trump administration said the issue wasn't even up for debate. We take a closer look at what it means for the chip sector with Ray Wang, Research Director for Semiconductors, Supply Chain, & Emerging Tech at The Futurum Group. He speaks with Bloomberg's Haidi Stroud-Watts and Paul Allen on The Asia Trade. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian equities are poised for a positive open as traders brush off President Donald Trump's latest tariff threats as bargaining tactics that are unlikely to derail global trade. Stock-index futures for Japan, Hong Kong and Australia pointed to a higher open in early Asian trading. The S&P 500 eked out a gain Monday as Trump indicated he's open to trade talks, though still insisted his new tariff rates are "the deals." Contracts for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq edged lower and Bitcoin retreated from its record high. We get some market perspective from Carol Schleif, Chief Market Strategist at BMO Private Wealth. Plus - Mizuho Financial Group CEO Masahiro Kihara is signaling that he is confident the Japanese lender can meet its long-term target of about ¥1 trillion - or $6.8 billion - in annual profit even as trade wars threaten to stifle growth. He speaks with Bloomberg's Francine Lacqua in London. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump’s latest tariff threats are testing the market’s resilience after the US leader ratcheted up trade measures on everyone from Canada to Brazil to Algeria last week. Despite warnings of complacency, investors have so far behaved as if they’re counting on the president to back down, having seen previous U-turns from his administration. Meantime, the second quarter earnings season is also due to begin this week, with Wall Street expecting the weakest reporting season since mid-2023. We speak to Roderick von Lipsey, managing director, UBS Private Wealth Management. Plus - for more insight on President Trump's latest tariff moves and a look at the week ahead in Asia, we speak to Mary Nicola, Bloomberg MLIV Strategist in Singapore. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Tom Busby takes a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The story of US tariffs has dominated much of the conversation for markets. Earlier today, stocks advanced Thursday in a sign investors are shifting their focus from concerns about lower growth and higher inflation from tariffs to instead prepare for corporate earnings season, which starts in a few days. We speak to Keith Buchanan, Senior Portfolio Manager at Globalt Investments. Also - contracts for the S&P 500, which gained early in Asian trading, dipped 0.2% after Trump said he plans to impose ‘blanket’ tariffs of 15% or 20%. We get insight from Nadia Grant, Head of Global Equity at BNP Paribas Asset Management. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bitcoin surged past $112,000 for the first time, setting a fresh record alongside a broad rally in risk assets that has swept up technology stocks big and small. The original cryptocurrency rose as much as 3.1% to $112,009, pushing its gain this year close to 20%. The move underscores the speculative momentum gripping markets even as President Donald Trump unleashes a fresh barrage of tariff announcements. The crypto rally is far from isolated: Nvidia Corp.’s brush with a $4 trillion valuation in Wednesday trading helped push the S&P 500 within a whisker of its record, with fast-money investors joining the stock-market fray. We speak to Matthew Tuttle, CEO & CIO at Tuttle Capital Management. Also - President Trump’s threat to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods sent the country’s currency plunging as the US leader sharply escalated a dispute with Latin America’s largest nation and leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In a letter posted to his social media account, Trump cited Jair Bolsonaro — the right-wing former president and Lula rival who is facing a trial on charges that he attempted a coup following his 2022 election defeat. For more insight, we heard from Deborah Elms, Head of trade policy at Hinrich Foundation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump vowed to push forward with his aggressive tariff regime in the coming days, stressing he would not offer additional extensions on country-specific levies set to now hit in early August while indicating he could announce substantial new rates on imports of copper and pharmaceuticals. The posturing on social media and at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday came after traders initially shrugged off a series of letters and executive actions Trump issued Monday, pushing back the deadline for his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs while announcing the latest rates he planned for more than a dozen countries that had not succeeded in brokering quick trade agreements. For more the market outlook, we speak to Frances Stacey, Economic Strategist at Scarlet Oak Financial. Plus - Stephen Olson, Yusof Ishak Institute Senior Visiting Fellow and Former US Trade Negotiator gives us insight on where President Trump is going with his latest tariff announcement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump unveiled the first in a wave of promised letters that threaten to impose higher tariff rates on key trading partners, but suggested that he was still open to additional negotiations and pushed off increased duties until at least Aug. 1. Trump began the notifications with missives announcing his intent to impose 25% levies on goods from Japan and South Korea. A dozen more followed throughout the afternoon, outlining plans to tariff foreign goods from trading partners including South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia. We speak to Ahmed Riesgo, Chief Investment Officer at Insigneo. And for more analysis, we heard from Skyler Weinand, Chief Investment Officer at Regan Capital. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Major US trading partners hurried over the weekend to secure trade deals or lobby for extra time, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that some countries lacking an agreement by the deadline Wednesday will have the option of a three-week extension to negotiate. Also, central banks in Australia, South Korea, and Malaysia are expected to keep interest rates on hold in the week ahead. We speak to Paul Dobson, Bloomberg's Executive Editor for Asia Markets. Plus - for more insight on President Trump's tariff deadline nearing and the economic week ahead for Asia, we heard from Trinh Nguyen, Natixis Senior Emerging Asia Economist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Tom Busby takes a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian equities were set to climb Friday following fresh highs for US stocks as strong jobs data eased concerns the economy slowing down. Treasuries fell and the dollar rose Thursday in a sign traders see less pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates after US jobs growth exceeded expectations in June. Swap traders saw almost no chance of a July Fed cut, compared with a roughly 25% probability seen before the data. The chance of a move in September ebbed to about 70%. We get reaction from Rob Haworth, Senior Vice President and Senior Investment Strategy Director at U.S. Bank Asset Management Group. Plus - US markets closed prior to the House passing President Donald Trump's tax bill that had weeks earlier sparked concerns over rising deficits. Separately, Trump also said his administration may begin sending out letters to trading partners as soon as Friday setting unilateral tariff rates ahead of a July 9 deadline for negotiations. Before the vote, we heard from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He spoke with Bloomberg's Romaine Bostick and Matt Miller. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rally in several big tech companies fueled gains in US stocks, with the market extending its advance as President Donald Trump said he reached a trade deal with Vietnam. Treasuries fell as a selloff in UK bonds underscored deficit worries. Following earlier losses driven by weak jobs data, the S&P 500 rose to fresh all-time highs. In the run-up to the jobs report, economists forecast employers added 110,000 jobs in June — the fewest in four months — amid a slight rise in the unemployment rate to 4.3%. The Bureau of Labor Statistics report is due Thursday, a day earlier than usual because of the Independence Day holiday. We get reaction to the day's market moves from Brian Krawez, President at Scharf Investments. Plus - the trade truce between Washington and Beijing may be holding for now, but China is increasingly wary about what's happening elsewhere: US efforts to forge deals that could isolate Chinese firms from global supply chains. Ahead of a July 9 deadline, US officials are deep in talks with major trading partners in Asia and Europe, pushing for new agreements that would include restrictions on Chinese content, or secure commitments to counter what Washington sees as China's unfair trade practices. In the first such deal, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a tiered tariff agreement with Vietnam. Exports to the US from the Southeast Asian nation will be charged a 20% rate, Trump said in a social-media post, with 40% levied on any goods deemed to be transshipped through the country. We get the latest from Jill Disis, Bloomberg News Desk Editor in Hong Kong. She speaks with Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and Haidi Stroud-Watts on The Asia Trade. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian shares edged lower at the Wednesday open after President Donald Trump said he won't delay the July 9 deadline for imposing higher levies on trading partners, ratcheting up trade tensions yet again. Back in June, China and the US reaffirmed their May trade truce, sustaining a rebound in trade flows and propelling China's economic momentum. Bloomberg Economics says consumption also showed signs of revival, but the trend is unlikely to last without continuous policy efforts that promote domestic demand. We take a look at the state of the Chinese economy with Shehzad Qazi, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director at China Beige Book International. Plus - US job openings hit the highest since November, largely fueled by leisure and hospitality, and layoffs declined. Federal Reserve policymakers have consistently characterized labor-market conditions as strong in recent weeks. Fed Chair Jerome Powell repeated that the US central bank probably would have cut rates further this year absent Trump's expanded use of tariffs, although he didn't rule out easing at its meeting later this month. We get market insights from Jeff Grills, Head of EM Debt at Aegon Asset Management. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian stocks are poised for a cautious open as investors weighed the buoyant mood on Wall Street with lingering concerns over the global impact of President Donald Trump's tariff agenda. Equity-index futures pointed to a decline in Tokyo as Trump threatened to impose a fresh tariff level on Japan. Contracts for the S&P 500 edged down 0.1% after the index notched its best quarter since December 2023 on Monday, with technology shares leading. Wall Street's bulls drove stocks to all-time highs at the end of a solid quarter amid hopes the US is moving closer to reaching concrete deals with its top trading partners. We break down the forces driving the day's price action with Burns McKinney, Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager at NFJ Investment Group. Plus - with thousands of generative AI tools flooding the market and firms slashing prices to zero, Chinese startups are battling not just global rivals - but each other. We explore the challenges facing the so-called "Little Dragons," the role of state support, and why monetizing AI might be the industry's biggest unsolved puzzle with Catherine Thorbecke, Asia Tech Columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US equity-index futures edged higher as trade talks gathered pace ahead of a July 9 deadline and Senate negotiations continued over President Donald Trump's $4.5 trillion tax cut package. Contracts for the S&P 500 index and the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.3%. Major currencies were slightly higher against the dollar in early Asian trading, while stock futures showed gains in Japan, a decline in Hong Kong and little change in Australia. Crude oil fell 1% as traders wound back risk premium before OPEC+ meeting. We get some market perspective from Shams Afzal, Managing Director at the Carnegie Investment Counsel. Plus - Monetary policymakers from five major economies will gather Tuesday at the European Central Bank's annual retreat in Sintra, Portugal. The summit comes as Trump-era trade turbulence and geopolitical instability weigh on global markets. Fed Chair Jerome Powell and ECB head Christine Lagarde are set to share a public stage for the first time in a year. For more on how tariffs are impacting economic outlooks, we heard from Louise Loo, Lead Economist at Oxford Economics. She speaks with the hosts of Bloomberg Television's The Asia Trade, Shery Ahn and Haidi Stroud-Watts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Tom Busby takes a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian stocks advanced after a gauge of global equities touched a record high Thursday on calming geopolitical concerns and increased expectations for Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts this year. Equities in Japan, South Korea and Australia all rose Friday after the S&P 500 advanced 0.8% to within striking distance of a new high. The Nasdaq 100 achieved the feat after rising 0.9% on Thursday, helping MSCI's global shares index to a record high. US stock futures edged higher Friday. We get market insights from Rebecca Walser, President at Walser Wealth Management. Plus - Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the US and China have finalized a trade understanding reached last month in Geneva. The China deal, which Lutnick said had been signed two days ago, codifies the terms laid out in trade talks between Beijing and Washington, including a commitment from China to deliver rare earths used in everything from wind turbines to jet planes. Lutnick speaks with Bloomberg Balance of Power hosts, Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US stock rally lost some steam Wednesday with the S&P 500 Index ending the day flat after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told lawmakers that officials are struggling to determine the toll of tariffs on inflation. The benchmark closed the session unchanged in New York after swinging between small gains and losses, while the technology heavy Nasdaq 100 Index edged up 0.2% to log another all-time closing high. The tech benchmark reached the milestone Tuesday for the first time since February as a combination of robust fundamentals and easing geopolitical tensions boosted the appeal of the growth-focused gauge. In individual stock moves, Nvidia shares closed at an all-time high, with the leader in artificial intelligence chips extending an advance that has cemented its position as one of the most valuable companies in the world. We get reaction to the day's price action from Katy Kaminski, Chief Research Strategist at AlphaSimplex. Plus - Hong Kong's de facto central bank bought the local dollar to prop it up on Thursday, in a move to defend the city's currency peg to the greenback. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority purchased HK$9.42 billion ($1.2 billion) of local currency against the US dollar, after the exchange rate touched the weak end of the permitted 7.75-7.85 per greenback trading band. In addition to pushing the currency back into its permitted trading range, the move will also make bearish bets more costly. It does this by draining liquidity from the financial system and driving up borrowing costs. We get reaction from Garfield Reynolds, Bloomberg's MLIV Asia Team Lead. He speaks with Bloomberg's Haidi Stroud-Watts and Avril Hong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.