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ASIA STOCKS: Equities Edge Higher, Following Fed Pause, Softbank's AI Investment

ASIA STOCKS
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Asian equities edged higher as investors reacted to the Federal Reserve's rate pause, corporate earnings, and central bank policy expectations. Liquidity remained light with China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan closed for Lunar New Year.

  • India's Nifty 50 is 0.3% higher, extending gains as investors bought the dip. Bajaj Finance (+6.3%) led the index after strong loan growth, while Tata Motors (-9.2%) tumbled on earnings disappointment.
  • Japan's Nikkei is +0.35% led by chip-equipment makers Tokyo Electron and Advantest, with focus on an upcoming BOJ speech that could hint at future tightening, the TOPIX is 0.30% higher. SoftBank has reported it will invest $25B in OpenAI, sparking optimism in AI-related, the stock is trading slightly lower although is slowly paring losses.
  • Australia's ASX 200 is +0.7% and nearing record highs on rate cut bets after soft inflation data, boosting risk appetite. Buy now pay later firm ZIP money fell over 20% following an earnings miss.
  • Indonesia's JCI fell 1.5% and saw the biggest regional decline as trading resumed post-holidays, with weakness in consumer and banking stocks amid concerns over Trump’s potential tariffs.

Overall, rate cut speculation, Fed clarity, and earnings surprises are shaping today’s market sentiment, while trade policy risks and central bank signals remain key catalysts ahead.

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Asian equities edged higher as investors reacted to the Federal Reserve's rate pause, corporate earnings, and central bank policy expectations. Liquidity remained light with China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan closed for Lunar New Year.

  • India's Nifty 50 is 0.3% higher, extending gains as investors bought the dip. Bajaj Finance (+6.3%) led the index after strong loan growth, while Tata Motors (-9.2%) tumbled on earnings disappointment.
  • Japan's Nikkei is +0.35% led by chip-equipment makers Tokyo Electron and Advantest, with focus on an upcoming BOJ speech that could hint at future tightening, the TOPIX is 0.30% higher. SoftBank has reported it will invest $25B in OpenAI, sparking optimism in AI-related, the stock is trading slightly lower although is slowly paring losses.
  • Australia's ASX 200 is +0.7% and nearing record highs on rate cut bets after soft inflation data, boosting risk appetite. Buy now pay later firm ZIP money fell over 20% following an earnings miss.
  • Indonesia's JCI fell 1.5% and saw the biggest regional decline as trading resumed post-holidays, with weakness in consumer and banking stocks amid concerns over Trump’s potential tariffs.

Overall, rate cut speculation, Fed clarity, and earnings surprises are shaping today’s market sentiment, while trade policy risks and central bank signals remain key catalysts ahead.