News

European Central Bank Governing Council member Cazacs: Given that the U.S. government’s suppression of the Federal Reserve has brought new risks to the economic outlook, the European Central Bank should remain vigilant.

European Central Bank Governing Council member Cazacs: If the Fed's independence is weakened in any way, the impact is likely to be passed on to ordinary consumers in the United States through higher inflation rates, which will subsequently lead to interest rates rising to curb inflation.

Hong Kong's semiconductor sector moved higher in the afternoon. Hongguang Semiconductor (06908.HK) rose by more than 2%, Huahong Semiconductor (01347.HK) rose by nearly 2%, and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (00981.HK) and Nanocore (02676.HK) followed suit.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM.N) U.S. stocks rose in the short-term in overnight trading, once rising nearly 2%.

TSMC: Fourth-quarter earnings per share were NT$19.50 (equivalent to US$3.14 per unit of American depositary receipts).

Australia's S&P/ASX200 index closed up 41.10 points, or 0.47%, on Thursday, January 15, at 8861.70 points.

Royal Bank of Canada: Intel (INTC.O) target price of $50, Qualcomm (QCOM.O) target price of $180.

Reuters poll: 52% of economists said the risk of the Bank of Japan falling behind the curve on inflation is neither high nor low.

Reuters survey: The median forecast shows that the Bank of Japan’s interest rate will peak at 1.50%, higher than the 1.00% forecast in the February 2025 survey.

Reuters survey: 60% of economists expect the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates once in 2026, and 31% expect to raise interest rates twice.

Reuters poll: 97% of economists (65 out of 67) expect the Bank of Japan to keep interest rates unchanged until March.

Philippine Foreign Minister: Japan is a vital strategic partner, and the relationship between the two parties will continue to be bound by shared values ​​of democracy and the rule of law.

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda: Adjusting the intensity of monetary support will help us achieve our price targets stably and bring about sustainable growth.

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda: The mechanism of simultaneous moderate increases in wages and prices is expected to continue; if the economy and price trends are in line with expectations, the Bank of Japan is expected to continue to raise interest rates.

South Korea’s Minister of Industry: We will continue to pay attention to the trend of U.S. chip tariffs to minimize the impact on the country.

AI applications in Hong Kong stocks have partially recovered, with Zhipu (02513.HK) rising by more than 7%, MINIMAX-WP (00100.HK) rising by nearly 2%, and Fourth Paradigm (06682.HK) following suit.

Bank of Korea Governor Lee Chang-yong: If the foreign exchange market is unstable, the Bank of Korea will not agree to the annual outflow of US$20 billion in investment funds to the United States. The government will make a statement later today on the U.S. trade deal and foreign exchange markets.

Colombian President Petro: Will meet with US President Trump on February 3.

Hong Kong real estate stocks strengthened. New World Development (00017.HK) rose by more than 10%, Zhengshang Industrial (00185.HK) rose by more than 9%, and Fantasia Holdings (01777.HK), Zhongliang Holdings (02772.HK) followed suit.

White House: US President Trump will have lunch with Venezuelan opposition leaders on Thursday.