Trading Asia

Analyses of the latest shifts and trends in Asian markets.

Topic image
3 November 2025
LG Electronics India's IPO on Oct. 14 in Mumbai was one of India's most-subscribed, with the 116 billion rupee share sale receiving bids worth about 4.4 trillion rupees.  
Takaichi vs. Ueda: While concerns over "the Trump tariffs" have somewhat eased, domestic politics are now creating complexities. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Ken Suzuki, Seiko Ota and Akira Kodaka)
Trading Asia

BOJ early rate hike bets recede amid potential Trump, Takaichi impacts

Volatile yen and fragile US economy weigh on Japanese central bank decision

27 October 2025
Wealthy investors in Asia, sitting on piles of cash built up since the pandemic, are looking to hedge their bets, shifting their assets out of U.S. equities and into the Chinese stock market and gold. (Nikkei illustration)
Trading Asia

Wealthy Asians raise exposure to China, fixed-income, gold as trade war rages

Region is home to the world's second-largest group of ultrawealthy investors

20 October 2025
For many bourses in Asia's emerging markets, a lack of liquidity and weak regulatory frameworks remain challenges. (Nikkei montage/Source Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Trading Asia

Asian stock markets take on Wall Street with slate of reforms

From Singapore to India, bourses eye measures to attract foreign investors and startup IPOs

13 October 2025
On Sept. 15, there were 389 billion yuan ($54.6 billion) worth of panda bonds outstanding, surpassing the figure for samurai bonds, which foreign companies issue in Japan. (Illustration by Hiroko Aida)
Trading Asia

China's panda bond market gives Beijing more political punch

Growing numbers of Belt and Road countries consider increasing their yuan debt

6 October 2025
Indonesia is home to one of the world's largest smoking populations. (Illustration by Yoshiko Kawano)
Trading Asia

Indonesia's cigarette stocks struggle as demand wanes and tax burden mounts

Unemployment cripples purchasing power, putting industry in 'existential squeeze'

29 September 2025
While the strong baht boosts Thailand's purchasing power, it also increases the cost of investing in Thailand. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Kosaku Mimura and Rie Ishii)
Trading Asia

Strong baht looms over Thailand's new PM, incoming central bank chief

Nation alarmed by Vietnam's dong weakness edge driving down Thai exports and tourism

22 September 2025
Known to often intervene against sharp speculative bets on the rupee, the Reserve Bank of India recently started letting the currency cross a long-held psychological barrier of 88 against the dollar. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Akira Kodaka and Reuters)
Trading Asia

Record-low Indian rupee risks further weakening if US trade tiff persists

Market goes out of favor with foreign investors as 50% 'reciprocal' tariffs take hold

15 September 2025
While Washington's erratic trade policy had prompted the BOJ to pause rate hikes, the uncertainty has gradually receded. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images and Satoko Kawasaki)
Trading Asia

Japan's government bond yields continue to face upward pressure

Expectations for BOJ rate hike and political uncertainty are pushing yields higher

8 September 2025
In a market once dominated by integrated resorts and on-site casinos, the digital-first approach of companies like DigiPlus is proving a force to be reckoned with. (Nikkei montage photo by Ramon Royandoyan) 
Trading Asia

Rise of online gambling reshapes Philippine stock market, but risks emerge

Regulatory concerns bring volatility to internet casino operator DigiPlus

1 September 2025
SoftBank Group Chairman Masayoshi Son. Along with expectations for the company's future growth, investors are buying the company's shares as a way to gain access to OpenAI. (Nikkei montage/Source Photo by Nanami Sato)
Trading Asia

SoftBank rides tech rally with AI investments, but will they pay off?

Investors hopeful of future growth, but rising AI exposure a source of concern

25 August 2025
The agreement reached on Aug. 12 between Beijing and Washington to extend the Geneva agreement until November saw major stock markets rise around the world, including those in China. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Yusuke Hinata and Reuters)
Trading Asia

US-China trade truce fuels bets on mainland's high-tech supply chain

Nvidia, Google suppliers lead fresh AI rally as tariff worries among investors ease

18 August 2025
Singapore’s stock market is often perceived as “safe and vanilla,” led by banks and real estate investment trusts, and lagging in growth companies, according to analysts. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Akira Kodaka and Suzu Takahashi)
Trading Asia

Singapore livens up 'vanilla' stock market with cash and expertise

Experts call for stronger regulatory enforcement, investor protections

11 August 2025
After a monthslong surge, there are signs of a retreat in the U.S. tariff-induced rise in exports to the world's largest economy. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Getty Images)
Trading Asia

Asian exports set to decline as tariff 'front-loading' loses steam

New trade uncertainty threatens stock market rallies in regional manufacturing hubs

4 August 2025
Foreign arrivals to Thailand decreased 4.6% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in the previous year, with Chinese visitors falling 34%. (Nikkei montage)
Trading Asia

Thailand's slumping tourism sector weighs on dismal stock market

Benchmark SET index underperforms peers as Chinese visitors plunge

28 July 2025
Bank of Korea Gov. Rhee Chang-yong and finance experts have expressed concern over the push by Lee Jae Myung's administration to issue won-pegged stablecoins. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Akira Kodaka)
Trading Asia

South Korea's won-backed stablecoin ambition sparks crypto debates in Asia

Hong Kong passes bill to trade digital assets as US embraces digital token economy

21 July 2025
According to Singapore Exchange executives, July 14's REIT listing is the largest property trust debut by funds raised across developed Asia in the last five years. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Dylan Loh and Akira Kodaka)
Trading Asia

Singapore prizes NTT REIT listing in face of Hong Kong IPO blitz

SGX looks to data center-focused trust to stir interest as deals soar in rival finance hub

14 July 2025
Used in food products ranging from cooking oil to margarine to instant noodles, palm oil is the most consumed vegetable oil and remains particularly popular in Asian markets such as Indonesia, India and China.
Trading Asia

Palm oil markets roiled by biofuel rules and geopolitical shocks

Indonesia's domestic use tightens supply; Malaysia seeks new markets in response to volatility

7 July 2025
The dollar peg gives Hong Kong an advantage by offering exchange rate stability in the face of tensions between China and the U.S., analysts say. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images)
Trading Asia

Hong Kong's borrowing costs plunge to nearly zero as it works to maintain dollar peg

Widening interest rate gap with U.S. translates to 'massive rate cut' for territory

30 June 2025
As many as 74 IPOs totaling nearly $17 billion have been cleared by India's stock market regulator, though are yet to launch. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Akira Kodaka)
Trading Asia

Indian IPO resurgence around the corner, but investors remain selective

Equities buoyed by central bank's 'frontloading' of rate cuts

23 June 2025
East Asian currencies have notched noticeable gains. The currencies of Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea have appreciated between 8% and 11% this year. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Akira Kodaka)
Trading Asia

Asia's dollar hedging seen boosting regional currencies

Investor diversification away from greenback assets fresh factor behind strength

16 June 2025
Improving governance of Japanese companies was a key pillar of "Abenomics," the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's signature economic program. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Mayumi Tsumita)
Trading Asia

Japan finally ignites foreign investor interest after decade-long governance push

Companies double down on reforms as Tokyo bourse and activists team up

9 June 2025
The Bank of Thailand, led by Gov. Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, has cut its policy rate twice this year, setting the current at 1.75%. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca)
Trading Asia

From tires to furniture, Thai central bank says tariffs throw economy off balance

Central bank chief calls for regional cooperation in grappling with Trump disruptions

2 June 2025
President Prabowo Subianto's sweeping and poorly communicated budget reallocations shook Indonesian markets in the first quarter, and foreign investors exited. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and Yuki Kohara)
Trading Asia

Global bond market turmoil shakes Indonesia, risking Prabowo's spending plans

High proportion of domestic bond holdings, healthy FX reserves provide some protection

26 May 2025
As Tokyo negotiates a trade deal with Washington, investors remain cautious on the road ahead for Japan's automakers. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters)
Trading Asia

US-China trade truce offers little hope for Japanese automakers

Car producers in 'survival' mode; auto stocks trade at discounts

19 May 2025
The global trade war has cast a long shadow over companies' plans for IPOs in Asia. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images)
Trading Asia

Asia IPO market braces for headwinds from Trump's trade tempest

Uncertainty hits investor appetite, but tech startups could be Hong Kong's lifesaver

12 May 2025
In 2022, Electronic Broking System pulled its price generation servers out of Tokyo, citing the market's dwindling importance. (Illustration by Hiroko Aida)
Trading Asia

Tokyo currency trading systems operate a blink of an eye behind New York

Delayed price data leads to rising costs in Japan's foreign exchange market

5 May 2025
Ultra-high-net-worth Asians are uneasy about the current bout of uncertainty, which is denting their confidence in the U.S. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Akira Kodaka and Reuters)
Trading Asia

Ultrawealthy Asians rethink US stock exceptionalism amid Trump turmoil

Investors looking for havens turn to gold, the euro and the yen

28 April 2025
Prices for one room condos, which owners often lease for rental income, are increasingly beyond the means of salaried workers. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Yutaka Miyaguchi, Arisa Moriyama and Konosuke Urata)
Trading Asia

One-room condo investments are increasingly out of reach for Japan's salaried workers

Post-retirement income source dries up as Japan returns to 'world with rates'

21 April 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies could slow down the flow of remittances to the Philippines as the levies could damage the world economy, affecting how much overseas Filipino workers earn.  (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and Shinya Sawai)
Trading Asia

Trump policies threaten to shake foundation of shock-resistant Philippine peso

Crackdown on immigration set to squeeze country's key economic lifeline -- remittances

14 April 2025