Asia-Pacific stocks were mixed Thursday, as investors assessed the new tariffs threats by US President Donald Trump. They also reacted negatively to recent corporate restructuring in Japan.
The Nikkei225 in Japan hovered at a flat line, while the Kospi index of South Korea extended its losses.
Seven & i Holdings shares plunged following a failed takeover attempt. Nissan’s share price soared amid reports that the CEO of Nissan could be changing.
The S&P/ASX 200 index in Australia rose 0.35%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was near flat, and the Topix Index gained 0.4%.
The Kospi, South Korea’s stock exchange index fell by 0.82% and the Kosdaq small cap dropped 0.1%.
The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong fell by 0.18% while China’s CSI 300 dropped 0.2%.
Seven & i Holdings plummets more than 12% after buyout collapses
Seven & i Holdings shares fell as much as 12.44% when its founder family was unable to secure funding for a buyout by management.
A company filing indicates that the transaction, valued at reportedly over 8 trillion dollars ($53.69billion), was abandoned because of financing problems.
Yomiuri reported earlier that the firm had completely scrapped its plan.
Junro Ito was the son of Masatoshi Ito and vice-president of Seven & i. He led the bid for the purchase of Seven & i through Ito-Kogyo. This company holds 8.2% of Seven & i.
The company has confirmed, however, that there is no current actionable offer from the family.
Nissan’s share price rises 3% on reports that its CEO is being replaced
Nissan’s shares rose 3.12% after reports that it is looking to replace CEO Makotouchida.
Bloomberg reports that the decision was made after the failure of the Honda merger talks and the disappointing financial results.
This report comes shortly after Fitch Ratings lowered Nissan’s credit ratings to BBB-, from BB+. Nissan is now a junk company.
Trump re-invokes tariff worries; Markets monitor Nvidia Impact
After Trump reignited fears of a trade war, and threatened to impose tariffs of 25% on imports from the European Union, investor sentiment was cautious.
It follows on from his previous decision to move forward with tariffs against Mexico and Canada.
Asian traders also keep a keen eye on semiconductors after Nvidia’s record-breaking fourth quarter earnings.
Investors are now more confident in this sector as the AI chip giant has surpassed Wall Street’s expectations.
Wall Street recap: S&P500 snaps its losing streak
The S&P 500 closed at 5,956.06, up 0.26% overnight on Wall Street. This ended a 4-day loss streak.
After initially increasing by up to 0.6%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 43,433.12, a drop of 188.04 or 0.43%.
Tech stocks helped to boost the Nasdaq Composite’s 0.26% gain, which ended at 19,075.26.
Investors in Asia-Pacific remain alert to further volatility as global markets respond to changing trade policies, corporate restructurings and AI-driven movements.
The post Asia Markets Today: Stocks Mixed amid Tariff Risks; Seven & i Plunges, Nissan Rises may change as new developments unfold.
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