Journalist

Seo Hye Seung, Kim Yeon-jae
  • Asian stocks tumble as Wall Street tech selloff, Fed uncertainty weigh on region
    Asian stocks tumble as Wall Street tech selloff, Fed uncertainty weigh on region SEOUL, November 14 (AJP) - Asian markets tumbled on Friday, dragged down by a sharp selloff in Wall Street’s biggest technology names and growing doubts over the Federal Reserve’s timetable for cutting interest rates. South Korea bore the brunt of the regional downturn. The benchmark KOSPI plunged 3.81 percent to close at 4,011.57, marking the steepest decline among major Asian indexes. Foreign investors offloaded 2.36 trillion won, or about $1.6 billion, in Korean shares, while institutional investors shed an additional 900 billion won. Retail traders stepped in as contrarians, buying a net 3.23 trillion won in a bid to scoop up battered blue chips. The selloff hit South Korea’s tech heavyweights particularly hard. Samsung Electronics sank 5.45 percent to 97,200 won, while SK hynix slid 8.5 percent to 560,000 won, tracking overnight losses in Nvidia and Tesla and a steep drop in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. Losses spread across sectors, but parts of the market found support after Seoul and Washington released a long-awaited tariff negotiation fact sheet during trading hours. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries rose 3.17 percent to 586,000 won, while Hanwha Ocean, owner of Philly Shipyard in the U.S., pared earlier losses to finish 1.07 percent lower at 129,100 won, after having fallen to 125,700 won. Elsewhere in the region, Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1.77 percent to 50,376.53. SoftBank Group plunged 6.57 percent to 19,780 yen, while Furukawa Electric — whose shares had previously surged on AI optimism — slumped 9.47 percent. China’s Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.97 percent to 3,900.49 as investors trimmed exposure to risk assets amid fading expectations of a December U.S. rate cut. Taiwan’s TAIEX slid 1.81 percent to 27,397.50, with chip giant TSMC down 2.05 percent to 1,430 Taiwan dollars, leading declines across semiconductor and AI-linked stocks. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was 1.77 percent lower at 26,545 late in the afternoon. Xiaomi fell 2.53 percent to 42.4 Hong Kong dollars during the broad tech pullback. 2025-11-14 16:44:30
  • South Koreas import prices surge to 9-month high on weak won
    South Korea's import prices surge to 9-month high on weak won SEOUL, November 14 (AJP) - South Korea’s import prices rose in October to their highest level in nine months, pushed up by a sharp depreciation of the won. Export prices climbed even more steeply, reflecting both currency effects and strengthening demand for semiconductors and metals. Data released Friday by the Bank of Korea showed that import prices increased 1.9 percent in October from the previous month, the fastest pace since January, after modest 0.3 percent gains in August and September. The central bank said the slide in the Korean currency effectively erased the benefit of cheaper crude oil. Dubai crude fell from an average of $70.10 a barrel in September to $65 in October, but the won weakened from 1,391.83 to 1,423.36 per dollar over the same period, lifting overall import costs. Raw material imports fell 0.9 percent on the month because of lower oil prices, but intermediate goods — including computers, optical equipment and chemical products — rose 3.8 percent, signaling higher input costs for manufacturers. Coal and petroleum products dipped 1.5 percent on cheaper feedstock oil. Within intermediate goods, computers, electronic and optical equipment saw the steepest price increases, rising 9.7 percent. Basic metals climbed 5.7 percent, electrical equipment 2.8 percent and chemical products 1.5 percent. Prices for semiconductor-related materials showed particularly sharp gains: printed circuit boards rose 8.3 percent, ammonia used in chip fabrication jumped 15.2 percent and refined copper, essential for wiring and metallization, advanced 10.3 percent. Export prices rose even faster, climbing 4.1 percent in October after a 0.5 percent increase in September. The jump was driven by the weaker currency and solid global demand for Korean-made goods. Prices for computers, electronic and optical equipment — a category that includes semiconductors — surged 10.5 percent. Basic metals rose 4.9 percent, while transport equipment, including passenger cars, gained 2 percent. Memory chips posted some of the most dramatic increases. DRAM prices surged 20.1 percent and flash memory jumped 41.2 percent from the previous month, buoyed by surging investment in artificial intelligence data centers and rising demand for high-performance chips. Metal exports also gained. Refined copper rose 9.9 percent, supported by increasing orders for high-voltage power cables. South Korea remains a major force in the global copper industry, home to LS MnM, the second-largest single-site copper smelter in the world. Silver bars climbed 18.8 percent, helped by strong demand for solar panels — which consume significant amounts of silver — as well as renewed interest in safe-haven assets amid global uncertainty. 2025-11-14 13:01:05
  • KOSPI extends gains for second day; tech stocks lag as SOX declines
    KOSPI extends gains for second day; tech stocks lag as SOX declines SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - Asian shares turned higher on Wednesday, with South Korea’s benchmark index rising for a second consecutive session. Semiconductor stocks, however, underperformed after overnight losses in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) and the Nasdaq. The KOSPI gained 1.07 percent to close at 4,150.39. Institutional investors drove the advance, purchasing 912.1 billion won ($620 million), while retail investors and foreigners sold 446 billion won and 428 billion won, respectively, to take profits. The Korean won weakened further despite the market rebound, closing at 1,466 per dollar. Government bond yields inched lower but remained elevated, with the three-year note at 2.831 percent. Gains were capped by weakness in leading chipmakers. Samsung Electronics slipped 0.39 percent to 103,100 won, while SK hynix edged down 0.32 percent to 617,000 won. The selloff followed news that SoftBank Holdings liquidated its entire stake in Nvidia, sending the SOX sharply lower overnight. A broader tech slump on the Nasdaq added pressure to Seoul’s chip-heavy market. Power equipment stocks also retreated. Hyosung Heavy Industries fell 3.65 percent to 2,220,000 won, while HD Hyundai Electric dropped 1.4 percent to 848,000 won. Brokerage firms led the rally after strong third-quarter results. Samsung Securities reported a 24 percent on-year increase in operating profit to 401.8 billion won, driven by robust brokerage activity. Its shares jumped 9.17 percent to 83,300 won. Mirae Asset Securities gained 7 percent to 24,550 won, extending the sector’s momentum. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.49 percent to 51,090, supported by heavy trading in financial and investment stocks. SoftBank Group recorded turnover of 72 million shares, and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group saw 52 million shares traded. Mitsubishi UFJ climbed 3.38 percent to 2,400 yen ($15.53) on expectations that the Bank of Japan will refrain from cutting its benchmark rate, boosting profit prospects for lenders. China’s Shanghai Composite Index edged down 0.07 percent to 4,000.14 in subdued trade. Activity centered on rare earth and aluminum producers. Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union slipped 1.52 percent to 2.6 yuan ($0.37), while Aluminum Corp. of China surged 6.38 percent to 11.68 yuan on expectations that output limits will support prices. Taiwan’s TAIEX rose 0.58 percent to 27,947.09, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.8 percent to 26,921 as of 4:25 p.m. 2025-11-12 16:55:24
  • Koreas Oct job data flags persistent weakness in youth employment, record idled MZ
    Korea's Oct job data flags persistent weakness in youth employment, record idled MZ SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - South Korea’s headline job figures for October extended their steady growth but also underscored persistent cracks in youth hiring and a record number of economically idled people in their 30s — a troubling sign for a country already strained by a fast-aging population and chronically low birth rate. According to data released Wednesday by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the number of employed people added 193,000 from the same month a year ago to reach 29.04 million in October. Employment among those aged 40 to 49 saw the most notable improvement, with the employment rate rising 0.9 percentage point to 80.4 percent. In contrast, the rate for people aged 15 to 29 — a key barometer of youth labor conditions — fell 1 percentage point to 44.6 percent, marking the 18th straight month of decline. The slide coincides with the job slump in manufacturing, which remains critical for hiring. The overall unemployment rate stood at 2.2 percent, down 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier. But the seasonally adjusted jobless rate, regarded as a clearer gauge of underlying trends, inched up 0.1 percentage point on-year to 2.6 percent. Employment trends also diverged by gender. The rate for men slipped 0.3 percentage point to 76.4 percent, while that for women climbed 0.8 percentage point to 63.5 percent. By industry, health and social welfare services added the most positions, up 280,000. Arts, sports and leisure-related services posted the fastest growth pace, increasing 13.9 percent, or by 70,000 jobs. Service-sector activity strengthened overall, supported by government stimulus vouchers distributed to most households. Manufacturing shed 51,000 jobs, down 1.2 percent. Construction lost 123,000 positions, a 6 percent drop, while agriculture, forestry and fisheries decreased by 124,000, or 7.8 percent. By employment type, full-time jobs rose by 286,000 and temporary roles by 79,000, while day labor fell by 55,000. The economically inactive population — those outside the labor force by choice or due to discouragement — reached 16.12 million, up 38,000 from a year earlier. While inactivity due to childcare or old age declined, the number of people “idled” without a clear reason for not working — typically those who have given up looking — jumped 5.5 percent, or 135,000. People in their 30s saw the steepest increase among core working-age groups, up 7.7 percent, or 13,000, to 334,000 — the highest level on record. Idling was even more pronounced among those in their 20s, totaling 402,000, up 15,600 from a year earlier. The number of people who have given up job hunting despite wanting employment rose to 366,000, up 21,000. Active job seekers fell sharply by 38,000, or 6 percent, to 598,000. 2025-11-12 12:10:58
  • Asian stocks give up morning gains; KOSPI barely holds positive terrain
    Asian stocks give up morning gains; KOSPI barely holds positive terrain SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - Asian markets ended a volatile Tuesday mostly lower, with Korea’s main index the lone outlier that managed to stay in positive territory despite surrendering most of its early jump. Morning gains faded as lingering doubts over the U.S. Federal Reserve’s rate path outweighed relief over progress toward ending the U.S. government shutdown. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI rose 0.81 percent to 4,106.39 after surging nearly 3 percent earlier in the day. The index briefly slipped into negative territory around 2:20 p.m. before recovering modestly. The won weakened, with the U.S. dollar climbing to as high as 1,464.8 won amid a delayed release of the Seoul–Washington tariff-negotiation factsheet. Retail investors took profits, offloading 282 billion won ($193 million) and curbing the early rally. Institutions and foreign investors turned net buyers, picking up 222.6 billion won and 78.3 billion won, respectively. Market bellwethers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix led the gains. Samsung rose 2.88 percent to 103,500 won, while SK hynix added 2.15 percent to 619,000 won. Tariff-sensitive stocks, however, were under pressure. With the tariff-agreement factsheet still on hold, Hyundai Motor — which remains subject to the 25 percent U.S. auto tariff — slipped 0.55 percent to 269,000 won. Japan’s Nikkei 225 also reversed early gains, ending 0.14 percent lower at 50,842.93 after rising more than 0.7 percent in morning trade. Kawasaki Heavy Industries — buoyed in prior sessions by expectations tied to the Takaiichi Sanae cabinet — extended its sharp retreat, plunging 6.11 percent to 10,685 yen ($69.29). Sony, in contrast, jumped 5.51 percent to 4,520 yen after raising its fiscal-year 2025 earnings outlook by 8 percent to 1.43 trillion yen, citing strong image-sensor performance and the success of the blockbuster anime film Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. China’s Shanghai Composite slipped 0.39 percent to 4,002.76. Advanced-equipment makers outperformed, with Beijing Worldia Diamond Tools surging 16.04 percent to 82.58 yuan ($11.6). Consumer-exposed sectors lagged amid persistent domestic weakness; Dalian Sunasia Tourism tumbled 7.17 percent to 47.11 yuan. Taiwan’s TAIEX mirrored the broader regional reversal, ending down 0.3 percent at 27,784.95 after an early rise of more than 0.4 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index also surrendered gains, trading 0.12 percent lower at 26,618 as of 4:11 p.m. 2025-11-11 16:31:22
  • CJ CheilJedangs 3Q dips nearly 27% on cost spike related to raw materials and FX
    CJ CheilJedang's 3Q dips nearly 27% on cost spike related to raw materials and FX SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - South Korea's food giant CJ CheilJedang on Tuesday reported double-digit fall in its third-quarter earnings as the global popularity of K-food was outweighed by money-losing bio and feed operations. According to its disclosure, its operating profit plunged 25.6 percent on year to 203 billion won on revenue of 4.5 trillion won ($3.08 billion) for the quarter ended September. Including CJ Logistics, consolidated revenue inched up 0.3 percent on year to 7.43 trillion won, while operating profit still dropped 15.9 percent to 346.5 billion won. The drag was attributed to the Bio division and the Feed & Care (livestock and animal feed) business. The Bio unit posted revenue of 979 billion won, down 8 percent on year, while operating profit tumbled 72 percent to 22 billion won. The company cited intensified competition in high-value amino acids such as tryptophan and arginine, which drove down margins and pressured overall market conditions. Feed & Care revenue fell 2 percent to 569 billion won, while operating profit slumped 63 percent to 12 billion won, weighed down by declining livestock prices in Vietnam, one of its key sourcing markets. The core food remained resilient on robust overseas demand, but its bottom line was hurt by ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions that hurt food inputs like soybeans. The unit generated revenue of 2.98 trillion won, up slightly from a year earlier, while operating profit rose 4 percent to 168.5 billion won. CJ CheilJedang said reduced holiday gift-set sales were offset by stronger sales of Global Strategy Products (GSP) such as mandu dumplings and instant rice. The company added that soaring soybean prices in North America, sharp foreign exchange fluctuations, and increased promotional spending in Europe pushed up costs, but domestic processed-food sales helped cushion profitability. Revenue rose across all major overseas markets — the Americas, Japan, China, Oceania, and Europe — with Europe, a relatively new market for the company, delivering a robust 13 percent on-year increase. In contrast, domestic revenue slipped 3 percent due to weaker Chuseok gift-set sales. CJ Logistics helped offset some of the group’s earnings weakness. The subsidiary reported revenue of 3.67 trillion won, up 3 percent on year, while operating profit rose 4 percent to 148 billion won, supported by expanding domestic parcel volumes and increased orders from third-party logistics (3PL) clients. CJ CheilJedang was trading at 227,000 won as of 9:40 a.m., down 1.3 percent, as the outlook on trade environment remains foggy. CJ CheilJedang estimated modest top-line growth but projects its operating margin to decline from 5.6 percent in the third quarter to around 3 percent due to costs related to surging soybean prices in North America. It was buoyant about expansion across Asia and Oceania and plans to keep up the European momentum by implementing region-specific strategies. 2025-11-11 10:17:27
  • Asian stocks rise across the board; KOSPI rebounds sharply
    Asian stocks rise across the board; KOSPI rebounds sharply SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - Asian stocks rose across the board on Monday, relieved by the developments in the United States as Washington appeared to move closer to ending the longest-ever federal government shutdown. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI led regional gains, climbing 3.02 percent to 4,073.24 as the market warmed up the government’s plan to lower the separate tax rate on dividend income from 35 percent to 25 percent. Institutional investors drove the rebound, buying a net 1.3 trillion won ($895 million). Retail investors sold 1.16 trillion won to take profits, while foreign investors, who had supported early trading, reversed course late in the session and sold a net 155 billion won. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix both finished higher, with Samsung up 2.76 percent to 100,600 won and SK hynix rising 4.48 percent to 606,000 won. Hyundai Motor added 2.46 percent to 270,500 won. Financial stocks also gained on expectations that a resolution to the U.S. shutdown could revive prospects of Federal Reserve rate cuts. KB Financial rose 4.28 percent to 129,000 won, while Shinhan Financial increased 1.81 percent to 78,800 won. Among battery makers, Samsung SDI advanced 2.94 percent to 315,000 won, while LG Energy Solution inched up 0.43 percent to 465,500 won. Transformer-related shares extended their strong run. HD Hyundai Electric climbed 4.77 percent to 857,000 won, and Hyosung Heavy Industries gained 3.02 percent to 2,254,000 won. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.33 percent to 50,946, supported by the upbeat global backdrop. Semiconductor material supplier Denka, which produces spherical silica and acetylene black, jumped 7.48 percent to 2,435.5 yen ($15.81). Automakers saw mixed trading. Honda slid 4.67 percent to 1,511 yen due to production disruptions following Nexperia’s suspension of automotive chip exports, while Nissan rose 2.11 percent to 359 yen on signs of recovering domestic vehicle sales. China’s Shanghai Composite Index edged up 0.53 percent to 4,018, and Taiwan’s TAIEX gained 0.79 percent to 27,869.91. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was up 1.5 percent at 26,658 as of 4:16 p.m., led by retail stocks rather than the tech names that fueled previous rallies. Pop Mart, maker of the “Labubu” figurines, rose 8.6 percent to 222 Hong Kong dollars ($28.6). 2025-11-10 17:33:56
  • KOSPI sinks below 4,000 as U.S. tech selloff deepens; KRW nears 1,460 per USD
    KOSPI sinks below 4,000 as U.S. tech selloff deepens; KRW nears 1,460 per USD SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - Asian stocks tumbled on Friday as a sharp overnight correction in U.S. technology shares reignited concerns about a potential “AI bubble,” sending investors toward safe-haven assets and pushing the Korean won to its weakest level in months. The won briefly touched 1,458.0 per U.S. dollar during intraday trading, pressured by simultaneous foreign selling, lingering uncertainties surrounding U.S. tariff negotiations, and a broad pullback from risk assets after the renewed tech rout on Wall Street. The dollar eased slightly to 1,457.35 won as of 4:40 p.m., up 9.65 won from the previous session, whereas it lost 0.24 yen to 153.50 yen. The Nasdaq slump was led by Tesla and Nvidia, both key customers for South Korean suppliers. Additional pressure came from renewed scrutiny of OpenAI’s financial structure, which revived questions about overheated AI valuations, while U.S. labor concerns resurfaced after data indicated 150,000 layoffs in October, clouding the broader economic outlook. Sentiment further weakened on reports that at least six of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices expressed skepticism over the legality of the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariffs, dimming prospects for timely policy clarity and complicating expectations for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI fell 1.81 percent to 3,953.76, slipping below the 4,000 threshold for the first time in weeks. Foreign investors sold a net 433.3 billion won ($297 million), and institutions offloaded 220 billion won, while retail investors stepped in to buy 651.3 billion won on bargain hunting. Semiconductor bellwethers retreated in tandem, with Samsung Electronics down 1.31 percent to 97,900 won and SK hynix sliding 2.19 percent to 580,000 won. EV-linked stocks tracked Tesla’s decline, with Samsung SDI tumbling 4.97 percent to 306,000 won and LG Energy Solution dropping 1.38 percent to 463,500 won. Some stocks managed to resist the broader weakness. Kakao rose 3.46 percent to 62,800 won after reporting record-high third-quarter earnings driven by advertising, platform services and music-related content revenue. Innotech, a manufacturer of reliability and environmental test equipment and a key supplier to Samsung Display and Samsung Electronics, delivered a standout KOSDAQ debut. The stock surged 300 percent from its offering price of 14,700 won to close at 58,800 won, one of the session’s few bright spots. Across the region, Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 1.21 percent to 50,270 as technology and AI-related names weighed heavily, with semiconductor test equipment maker Advantest down 5.54 percent to 19,960 yen ($130) and SoftBank Group tumbling 6.87 percent to 1,600 yen. China’s Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.25 percent to 3,997 after export and import data disappointed, reinforcing concerns over sluggish domestic demand. Taiwan’s TAIEX fell 0.89 percent to 27,651.41, pressured by global tech weakness, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was down 1.02 percent at 26,214 as of 4:15 p.m., with Xiaomi sliding 3 percent to HK$42.1 ($5.4) amid a broad selloff in Chinese technology stocks. 2025-11-07 16:47:58
  • Koreas Kakao posts record Q3 earnings, eyes AI-driven boost in Q4
    Korea's Kakao posts record Q3 earnings, eyes AI-driven boost in Q4 SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - Kakao reported its strongest quarterly earnings ever in the third quarter, with operating profit surpassing 200 billion won ($138 million) for the first time since its founding and expects the rollout of ChatGPT-powered services to offer meaningful boost to the chat platform most Koreans use starting fourth quarter. According to its regulatory filing Friday, Kakao’s consolidated revenue reached 2.087 trillion won in the July–September period, up 9 percent from a year earlier. Operating profit jumped 59 percent on year and 12 percent on quarter to 208 billion won — the highest in company history. As of 11:20 a.m., shares of Kakao were trading at 62,900 won, up 3.46 percent. The platform division generated 1.06 trillion won in revenue, up 12 percent on year. Advertising led the gains with an 11 percent rise to 325 billion won. Within ads, business-message services climbed 22 percent, while display advertising returned to growth — up 0.5 percent after five consecutive quarters of decline. Platform subsidiaries also delivered solid results, with combined revenue rising 24 percent on year to 453 billion won. Kakao Pay reported record operating profit, while Kakao Mobility posted steady gains. The commerce unit underperformed, recording 209 billion won in sales — down 0.1 percent on year and 6 percent on quarter. Still, Kakao said total transaction volume increased 4 percent to 2.5 trillion won as self-purchases rose. Some sales delayed by Chuseok-related logistics will be reflected in fourth-quarter results, it added. Revenue from Kakao’s portal business, led by Daum, fell 5 percent. To improve efficiency, Kakao plans to spin off Daum into a company-in-company (CIC). The content division posted 1.03 trillion won in revenue, up 5 percent on year. The games segment remained weak, with revenue tumbling 34 percent to 154 billion won due to delayed and canceled releases — a trend the company expects to continue for at least the next six months until new titles launch. In contrast, the music business grew 20 percent to 565 billion won, driven by new album launches and concert activity. The entertainment unit booked 84 billion won in revenue, down 11 percent on year due to postponed intellectual property releases. Meanwhile, the media division surged 75 percent to 96 billion won thanks to a robust slate of new film releases. Piccoma, the Japanese distribution arm of Kakao Webtoon, generated 127 billion won in revenue, up 2 percent on year. It remained Japan’s top-grossing app in 2025, and its operating profit doubled from a year earlier. Responding to questions about user engagement, a Kakao official said: “Average daily time spent on KakaoTalk has rebounded from 24 minutes to 26 minutes after the update, meeting our initial targets.” The redesign increased both session duration and advertising efficiency, the company added. Kakao expects double-digit growth in Talk Biz ad revenue, boosted by its new services Kanana, on-device AI – and ChatGPT deployment. 2025-11-07 11:29:53
  • Asian markets rebound in tandem with Wall Street recovery
    Asian markets rebound in tandem with Wall Street recovery SEOUL, November 06 (AJP) - Asian stocks closed higher on Thursday, snapping a sharp two-day selloff as easing concerns over an AI bubble and a rebound on Wall Street lifted sentiment across the region. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI rose 0.55 percent to 4,026.45, recovering from the “Black Wednesday” rout the previous day. Retail investors bought 885 billion won ($611 million) of shares and institutions added 832 billion won, while foreign investors sold 1.7 trillion won, reversing earlier intraday gains of more than 1.5 percent. Semiconductor leaders were mixed. SK hynix rose 2.42 percent to 593,000 won after reaching an intraday high of 607,000 won. Samsung Electronics slipped 1.19 percent to 99,400 won, falling back below the key 100,000-won threshold as foreigners offloaded more than seven million shares. AI-related stocks remained under pressure. Naver, which had surged the previous session on record quarterly earnings, fell 5.21 percent to 264,000 won on heavy profit-taking by foreign investors. Power-grid and transformer names extended recent gains. Hyosung Heavy Industries added 1.62 percent to 2,255,000 won, HD Hyundai Electric rose 0.81 percent to 875,000 won, and LS Corp. jumped 5.58 percent to 217,500 won on optimism over its electricity value-chain businesses including LS Cable and LS Electric. Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.19 percent to 50,810.50, partially recovering Wednesday’s steep drop. Daikin Industries surged 7.79 percent to 19,295 yen ($125.3) after reporting stronger-than-expected earnings on robust industrial cooling demand. China’s Shanghai Composite Index advanced 0.97 percent to 4,007.76, reclaiming the 4,000 mark. Rare-earth producer Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union was steady at 2.7 yuan ($0.38) as momentum in the segment eased after U.S.-China trade talks. Cutting-tool maker Beijing Worldia Diamond Tools rose 10.7 percent to 56.13 yuan. Elsewhere in the region, Taiwan’s TAIEX gained 0.66 percent to 27,899.45, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed 2.12 percent to 26,485.90. 2025-11-06 17:56:30