Bloomberg Daybreak: Asia Edition

The US and Israel began striking targets across Iran, with President Donald Trump urging Iranians to overthrow the government in a conflict that threatens to spiral across the oil-rich Middle East.   “The hour for your freedom is at hand,” Trump said, addressing Iranians in a video posted on Truth Social on Saturday. “When we’re finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”   The military campaign could be a defining moment for Trump, risking a drawn-out regional war that leads to a surge in energy prices and American casualties ahead of mid-term elections this year. Iran quickly responded by firing missiles on Israel and US bases around the region, and countries in the Persian Gulf closed their airspace.  Israel’s military said the campaign would target “dozens of military targets,” and Iran media reported strikes on defensive and civilian sites, including more than 50 people dead in a strike on a school in Hormozgan, in the south of the country. Several large explosions were reported in the capital, Tehran.   Bloomberg's David Gura and Christina Ruffini lead our team coverage in this instant reaction podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. In the US – a look ahead to the February jobs report, along with a focus on 3 stocks for the week ahead. In the UK – a look ahead to "Made in Europe" the tagline of a new scheme to rejuvenate Europe's defense, energy, and manufacturing sectors. In Asia – a look ahead to China PMI data. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.Japanese tech stocks showed mixed performance today, with the broader market experiencing modest movements and individual tech names displaying varied results. Also, a Tokyo inflation gauge eased to the slowest pace in more than a year as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's utility subsidies curbed household energy costs. We speak to Alice French, Bloomberg's Japan Stocks Reporter..  Plus -  US and Iranian officials ended the latest round of nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday by agreeing to reconvene as soon as next week, opening the door to further diplomacy even as President Donald Trump masses military forces in the region. With just days to go before Trump's deadline to reach an agreement, the two sides agreed to resume discussions at a technical level in Vienna. Oil pared gains given the prospect of more talks, though there was no public reaction from the US side, led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. A person familiar with the US position said the Americans were leaving Geneva disappointed with the progress of the talks. Axios reported earlier that Kushner and Witkoff were disappointed by what they heard from Iranian officials in their morning session. We heard from Mara Rudman, Miller Center Practitioner Senior Fellow and Former US Deputy Envoy and Chief of Staff for the Office of the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. She spoke to Bloomberg TV hosts Haidi Stroud-Watts and Shery Ahn on the Asia Trade. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nvidia gave another bullish forecast for quarterly revenue. CEO Jensen Huang said the enterprise adoption of AI agents is skyrocketing. That suggests it's not just hyperscalers buying Nvidia's products, corporations are as well. Fiscal first-quarter sales will be about $78 billion, the chipmaker said in a statement Wednesday. Though the average Wall Street estimate was $72.8 billion, some analysts had projected numbers approaching $80 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. To break down the latest earnings, we spoke to Daniel Newman, CEO at the Futurum Group. Plus - Asian shares climbed for a fourth day as recent turmoil sparked by concerns over the impact of artificial intelligence subsided, though gains were tempered by a muted response to Nvidia Corp.'s upbeat sales forecast. We heard from Kieran Calder, Head of Equity Research for Asia at UBP. He spoke to Bloomberg TV hosts Haidi Stroud-Watts and Shery Ahn.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.Asian markets are outperforming the US and Europe, drawing global investors into AI supply-chain names such as chipmakers in South Korea and Taiwan. By contrast, US equities are under pressure as lingering uncertainty over President Donald Trump's tariffs and fears of AI-driven disruption prompt traders to shed shares of companies seen as vulnerable to displacement. For more on the markets, we speak to Lianting Tu, Bloomberg's Managing Editor for Asia Equities. Plus - for additional analysis on the AI trade, we heard from Aoifinn Devitt, Managing Director at Moneta Global Wealth. She spoke to Bloomberg's Haidi Stroud-Watts and Shery Ahn on the 'Asia Trade'.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Early moves on Monday indicated investors were beginning to price in a higher risk premium for US assets. Hours after the Supreme Court struck down his sweeping reciprocal tariffs on Friday, President Donald Trump imposed a new 10% global levy and vowed to use other powers to maintain his signature tariff policies. On Saturday, he said he will raise that new tariff to 15%, stoking fresh economic turbulence. For more on what this means for the markets, we speak to Carol Schleif, Chief Market Strategist at BMO Private Wealth. Plus - Senior US officials said President Donald Trump's tariff defeat at the Supreme Court won't unravel deals negotiated with US partners. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said those deals remain in place and the administration will stand by them, expecting partners to do the same. The European Parliament's trade chief plans to propose freezing the EU's ratification of a trade deal with the US until the Trump administration clarifies its policy. So what does that mean for China? We hear from Sean Stein, President at the US-China Business Council. He spoke to Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and Avril Hong on the Asia Trade. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. In the US – a look ahead to earnings from chipmaker Nvidia along with a focus on 3 stocks for the week ahead.  In the UK – a look ahead to a special election in the UK. In Asia – a look ahead to India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Israel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific. Asian equities fell and oil rose to its highest level since August as escalating tensions in Iran weighed on sentiment. We get perspective from Paul Dobson, Bloomberg's Executive Editor for Asia Markets. Plus - The US military is stationing a vast array of forces in the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers, fighter jets and refueling tankers, with President Donald Trump saying that Iran had 10 to 15 days at most to strike a deal over its nuclear program. We heard from Barbara Slavin, Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center. She spoke to Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and Avril Hong.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sanae Takaichi was reappointed as Japan's Prime Minister following her resounding electoral win, a formality that allows her to turn her attention to expediting passage of the annual budget and implementing a trade deal agreed with US President Donald Trump. Shifting drinking patterns and rising health concerns are leading to a long term decline in alcohol consumption worldwide. Many liquor companies are being forced to diversify. Kirin is no exception. It is a Japanese beer company. The company is diversifying and making a full scale push into health sciences to help drive growth. We heard from Toru Yoshimura, Senior Executive Officer at Kirin. He spoke to Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and Avril Hong. Plus - A rebound in stocks gained traction amid easing jitters around artificial-intelligence disruption while a slew of data showed the US economy is holding up. We spoke to Tim Pagliara, Chief Investment Officer, CapWealth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japan plans to invest $36 billion in US oil, gas and critical mineral projects, the first tranche of its $550 billion commitment under the trade agreement it struck with President Donald Trump.  "Our MASSIVE Trade Deal with Japan has just launched!" Trump posted Tuesday on social media. "The scale of these projects are so large, and could not be done without one very special word, TARIFFS." The most significant investment is a natural gas facility in Ohio that's expected to generate 9.2 gigawatts of power, according to a statement from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a massive project which Trump described as "the largest in History." We spoke to Isabel Reynolds, Bloomberg's Tokyo Bureau Chief. Plus - Traders struggling to assess the outlook for artificial intelligence whipsawed stocks in another volatile session on Wall Street. We spoke to Jed Ellerbroek, Portfolio Manager at Argent Capital Management.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian stocks were poised for a subdued start Tuesday, with holiday-thinned trading keeping volumes light as investors await a fresh round of economic data later this week for direction. Mainland China and Hong Kong are shut for Lunar New Year holidays. Investors are also paying attention to the shifts in sentiment around artificial intelligence, which may reverberate far beyond the technology sector with the emergence of the so-called AI scare trade. We speak to Stephanie Leung, Chief Investment Officer at StashAway. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.Japan's economic output in the fourth quarter of 2025 was much weaker than expected, registering anemic growth after a deep contraction in the previous period, underscoring the case for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's proactive spending policies following her election triumph. For more on the latest reading and the market moves, we spoke to Mark Cranfield, Bloomberg's MLIV Strategist. Plus - we go to earnings news. In Australia, the country's biggest steel maker, BlueScope said its first half net profit more than doubled. The company signaled higher payouts to shareholders over the next 12 months. BlueScope Steel recently rejected a takeover bid by conglomerate SGH and U.S. steelmaker 'Steel Dynamics'. For more on the latest results, we heard from Tania Archibald, CEO of BlueScope. She spoke to Bloomberg's Paul Allen and Shery Ahn on the Asia Trade. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Europe’s fate is intertwined with the US while faulting the continent for what he said was a drift away from their shared Western values. The double-edged message offered some reassurance to allied leaders gathered at the Munich Security Conference but did little to temper their push for more independence from Washington. “We want Europe to prosper because we’re interconnected in so many different ways, and because our alliance is so critical,” Rubio told Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait on the sidelines of the conference on Saturday. “But it has to be an alliance of allies that are capable and willing to fight for who they are and what’s important.”“What is it that binds us together? Ultimately, it’s the fact that we are both heirs to the same civilization, and it’s a great civilization,” he said. “It’s one we should be proud of.”Rubio’s comments elaborated on a speech he delivered to the event, Europe’s premier annual security gathering, earlier Saturday morning. The speech was the most anticipated of the three-day conference, with fellow leaders eager to hear if he would double down on the contemptuous tone voiced a year earlier by Vice President JD Vance at the same venue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. In the US – a look ahead to what to expect from homebuilders in the months ahead along with a focus on 3 stocks for the week ahead. In the UK – a look ahead to UK jobs data. In Asia – a look ahead to the Lunar New Year Holiday in China. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific. Asian equities retreated from a record after concerns over the impact of artificial intelligence on various sectors spurred a selloff in US technology stocks. Gold rebounded. For more on what is moving the markets, we turn to Winnie Hsu, Bloomberg's Asia Equities Reporter. The US and Taiwan finalized a trade agreement to cut tariffs, boost market access for American products in Asia and channel billions of dollars into US energy and technology projects.  Plus - for more broader market perspective on AI concerns, we heard from Julia Wang, Nomura International Wealth Management North Asia CIO. She spoke to Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and Avril Hong on the Asia Trade.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific. US payrolls rose in January by the most in more than a year and the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell, suggesting the labor market continued to stabilize at the start of 2026. Employers added 130,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate declined to 4.3%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The January data reinforces Federal Reserve officials' inclination to keep interest rates on hold for now, with many traders pushing out their timeline for the next rate cut to July from June. To break down the latest jobs report, we turn to Jeffrey Roach, Chief Economist for LPL Financial. Plus - Japanese stocks gained when trading reopened after a public holiday. For more on the markets, we speak to Charu Chanana, Chief Investment Strategist at Saxo Bank.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian stocks gained in the run-up to the US jobs data after weak retail sales reinforced bets that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates later this year. Treasury futures held their gains Wednesday after 10-year bond yields dropped to the lowest in about a month in the US session. There will be no cash trading in Treasuries during the Asian day as Japan is closed for a holiday. Gold, which typically benefits when rates are cut, rose 0.5% as money markets see slightly higher odds of three Fed cuts this year — with two already fully priced in. For more, we speak to David Finnerty, Bloomberg FX and Rates Strategist in Singapore. Plus - in China, the consumer-price index rose just 0.2% in January from a year earlier — a slowdown caused largely by base effects — after a 0.8% rise in December. Core CPI, which excludes volatile items such as food and energy, climbed 0.8%, its lowest level in six months. We got reaction to the latest reading from Robin Xing, Chief China Economist at Morgan Stanley. He spoke to Bloomberg's David Ingles and Minmin Low.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.Asian stocks extended their rally to a fresh record as a rebound in US technology shares gathered pace, easing pressure on markets after worries over outsized spending on artificial intelligence. The moves in equities signaled easing concerns around the AI trade that came to a head in the past two weeks, lashing software companies and casting a pall over high-spending tech companies. While that plays out, traders are now bracing for key US economic data that may shape expectations for the Federal Reserve's interest-rate path. For more on what is moving the markets, we turn to Ross Mayfield, Investment Strategist at Baird. Plus - Treasuries edged higher to open a consequential week, with traders awaiting readings on the labor market and inflation for signals on the strength of the US economy. However, there is still pressure on the dollar. We heard from Carie Li, Global Market Strategist at DBS. She spoke to Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and Avril Hong on the Asia Trade. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a historic election triumph, positioning her as the nation’s strongest leader in the postwar era. The LDP secured a two-thirds super majority in the 465-seat lower house by itself, giving it a higher proportion of representatives in the lower house than any other party in post-war Japan. The outcome gives Takaichi a mandate to push ahead with bold spending plans and a more assertive stance on the international stage. Shuntaro Takeuchi, Portfolio Manager at Matthews Asia discusses what the election's outcome means for markets. This week will see key data points on the American economy, including a slightly delayed employment report for the month of January. Greg Halter, Director of Research at Carnegie Investment Counsel, discusses the price action and the week ahead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. In the US – a look ahead to S jobs and CPI data, along with a focus on 3 stocks for the week ahead. In the UK – a look ahead to International Energy Week in London. In Asia – a look ahead to Softbank Earnings.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.