Market Update
Japan Indexes Rebounded Ahead of Wage Data
Akira Ito
02 Sep, 2025
Tokyo
Stock market indexes in Tokyo advanced after falling in two previous consecutive sessions.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average inched higher 0.3%, and the Topix gained 0.6%, as investors looked forward to the release of wage data later in the week.
Large corporations have increased wages for the second year in a row at a record high of 5%, putting additional pressure on smaller companies to match wage increases.
However, most small- and mid-sized corporations have kept wage gains closer to the 2% to 3% range, amid a weak outlook for profit growth.
The Japanese yen's weakness has been a double-edged sword; while the weaker yen helps exports, it also drives higher costs of imports, including energy and raw material prices.
Investors worried that the latest U.S. court ruling could add another layer of uncertainty for Japan's direct exports and indirect exports through the ASEAN region, China, and Mexico to the U.S.
In commodities trading, gold and crude oil advanced as investors confronted ongoing geopolitical uncertainties and future rate paths in the U.S.
Crude oil jumped 27 cents amid growing worries that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict could further disrupt oil supplies.
Gold jumped 0.5% to $3,495.26 as investors speculate that the U.S. Federal Reserve is more likely to cut rates at the end of a two-day meeting on September 17.
Japan Indexes and Stocks
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average increased 0.3% to 42,300.50, and Topix advanced 0.6% to 3,082.41.
Toyota Motor Corp. rose 0.3% to ¥2,866.50, Honda Motor Corp. advanced 0.06% to ¥1,670.0, and Nissan Motor inched lower 0.5% to ¥333.70.
Seven & I Holdings Co. Ltd. advanced 0.4% to ¥1,937.0, Fast Retailing gained 0.5% to ¥46,420.0, Takashimaya Co. Ltd. jumped 3% to ¥1,372.0, and Aeon Co. Ltd. decreased 1% to ¥1,772.0.
Nippon Yusen KK rose 2.9% to ¥5,510.0, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines added 1.8% to ¥4,814.0, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. increased 2.3% to ¥2,324.50.
China and HK Indexes Retreated After Rallying 30% from Mid-April Lows
Li Chen
02 Sep, 2025
Hong Kong
Market indexes in China and Hong Kong eased after retaining an upward bias in the previous two months.
The Hang Seng Index fell 1%, and the mainland-focused CSI 300 index decreased 0.9% as benchmark indexes paused.
The liquidity-driven mainland stocks rally halted after investors worried about the pace of recent gains over the last four months.
Since the low in mid-April, the CSI 300 index rebounded nearly 30% and rose to a three-year high.
Investors in the mainland have been rotating out of fixed-income products to riskier assets as interest rates approached record lows amid worries of slowing economic activities.
On the economic front, China's official survey showed ongoing weakness in the manufacturing sector activities in August.
However, a private survey released by S&P Global showed August's manufacturing activities returned to growth as both new orders and export demand improved.
China Indexes and Stocks
The Hang Seng Index decreased 1% to 25,493.05, and the mainland-focused CSI 300 index fell 0.9% to 4,482.89.
China Unicom Ltd. decreased 1.7% to HK$9.33, Midea Group Co. Ltd. advanced 2.2% to HK$85.70, and Techtronic Industries fell 1.9% to HK$96.70.
Alibaba Group decreased 1.7% to HK$134.80, Tencent Holdings eased 0.7% to HK$600.50, Meituan fell 3% to HK$99.90, and JD.com Inc. dropped 1.2% to HK$119.90.
China and HK Indexes Retreated After Rallying 30% from Mid-April Lows
Li Chen
02 Sep, 2025
Hong Kong
Market indexes in China and Hong Kong eased after retaining an upward bias in the previous two months.
The Hang Seng Index fell 1%, and the mainland-focused CSI 300 index decreased 0.9% as benchmark indexes paused.
The liquidity-driven mainland stocks rally halted after investors worried about the pace of recent gains over the last four months.
Since the low in mid-April, the CSI 300 index rebounded nearly 30% and rose to a three-year high.
Investors in the mainland have been rotating out of fixed-income products to riskier assets as interest rates approached record lows amid worries of slowing economic activities.
On the economic front, China's official survey showed ongoing weakness in the manufacturing sector activities in August.
However, a private survey released by S&P Global showed August's manufacturing activities returned to growth as both new orders and export demand improved.
China Indexes and Stocks
The Hang Seng Index decreased 1% to 25,493.05, and the mainland-focused CSI 300 index fell 0.9% to 4,482.89.
China Unicom Ltd. decreased 1.7% to HK$9.33, Midea Group Co. Ltd. advanced 2.2% to HK$85.70, and Techtronic Industries fell 1.9% to HK$96.70.
Alibaba Group decreased 1.7% to HK$134.80, Tencent Holdings eased 0.7% to HK$600.50, Meituan fell 3% to HK$99.90, and JD.com Inc. dropped 1.2% to HK$119.90.
Stock Movers: Burlington Stores, Marvell Technology, Victoria's Secret
Scott Peters
01 Sep, 2025
New York City
Burlington Stores Inc. traded flat at $290.68 after the off-price department store retailer reported a 28% increase in net income in the fiscal second quarter ending on August 2.
Consolidated revenue increased to $2.7 billion from $2.46 billion, net income jumped to $94.2 million from $73.8 million, and diluted earnings per share rose to $1.47 from $1.15 a year ago.
During the fiscal second quarter, Burlington returned a total of $26 million to shareholders through the repurchase of 102,474 shares of its common stock.
As of the end of the fiscal second quarter, the company had $632 million remaining under its share repurchase program authorizations.
The company guided third-quarter net sales to increase between 5% and 7%, comparable store sales to rise between zero and 2%, an effective tax rate expected to be 25%, and adjusted diluted earnings per share between $1.50 and $1.60.
The company guided full-year net sales to increase between 7% and 8%, comparable store sales to rise between 1% and 2%, an effective tax rate expected to be 25%, and adjusted diluted earnings per share between $9.19 and $9.59.
“Comparable store sales increased 5%, which was on top of 5% comparable store sales growth in the second quarter of last year," said CEO Michael O’Sullivan.
O'Sullivan added adjusted EBIT margin increased 120 basis points, while adjusted EPS grew 39% versus the second quarter of last year, driven by "higher merchandise margin, lower freight expense, and leverage on SG&A expenses.”
Marvell Technology Inc. gained 0.2% to $63 after the semiconductor provider's net income swung to a profit from a year ago in the fiscal second quarter ending on August 2.
Consolidated revenue advanced 58% to $2 billion from $1.27 billion, net income swung to a profit of $194.8 million from a loss of $193.3 million, and diluted earnings per share rose to an income of 22 cents from a loss of 22 cents a year ago.
Marvell guided third-quarter revenue to be $2.06 billion and diluted earnings per share to be $2.03 with a band of 5 cents, with adjusted diluted earnings per share between 74 cents with a band of 5 cents.
"Marvell's growth is being fueled by strong AI demand for our custom silicon and electro-optics products, as well as a significant increase in the pace of recovery in our enterprise networking and carrier infrastructure end markets.
Our custom AI design activity is at an all-time high, with the Marvell team now engaged in over 50 new opportunities across more than 10 customers," said Matt Murphy, Marvell's Chairman and CEO.
Victoria's Secret & Co. fell 0.4% to $22.94 after the women's innerwear retailer reported a 49% decrease in profit in the fiscal second quarter ending on August 2.
Consolidated revenue edged higher to $1.46 billion from $1.42 billion, net income declined to $16.22 million from $31.80 million, and diluted earnings per share dropped to 20 cents from 40 cents a year ago.
The company guided third-quarter revenue to be between $1.39 billion and $1.42 billion, adjusted operating loss between $35 million and $55 million, and adjusted net loss earnings per share between 55 cents and 75 cents.
The specialty retailer guided full-year revenue to be between $6.33 billion and $6.41 billion, adjusted operating income between $270 million and $320 million.
The company estimated a net tariff impact of approximately $100 million on its annual earnings.
Stock Movers: Burlington Stores, Marvell Technology, Victoria's Secret
Scott Peters
01 Sep, 2025
New York City
Burlington Stores Inc. traded flat at $290.68 after the off-price department store retailer reported a 28% increase in net income in the fiscal second quarter ending on August 2.
Consolidated revenue increased to $2.7 billion from $2.46 billion, net income jumped to $94.2 million from $73.8 million, and diluted earnings per share rose to $1.47 from $1.15 a year ago.
During the fiscal second quarter, Burlington returned a total of $26 million to shareholders through the repurchase of 102,474 shares of its common stock.
As of the end of the fiscal second quarter, the company had $632 million remaining under its share repurchase program authorizations.
The company guided third-quarter net sales to increase between 5% and 7%, comparable store sales to rise between zero and 2%, an effective tax rate expected to be 25%, and adjusted diluted earnings per share between $1.50 and $1.60.
The company guided full-year net sales to increase between 7% and 8%, comparable store sales to rise between 1% and 2%, an effective tax rate expected to be 25%, and adjusted diluted earnings per share between $9.19 and $9.59.
“Comparable store sales increased 5%, which was on top of 5% comparable store sales growth in the second quarter of last year," said CEO Michael O’Sullivan.
O'Sullivan added adjusted EBIT margin increased 120 basis points, while adjusted EPS grew 39% versus the second quarter of last year, driven by "higher merchandise margin, lower freight expense, and leverage on SG&A expenses.”
Marvell Technology Inc. gained 0.2% to $63 after the semiconductor provider's net income swung to a profit from a year ago in the fiscal second quarter ending on August 2.
Consolidated revenue advanced 58% to $2 billion from $1.27 billion, net income swung to a profit of $194.8 million from a loss of $193.3 million, and diluted earnings per share rose to an income of 22 cents from a loss of 22 cents a year ago.
Marvell guided third-quarter revenue to be $2.06 billion and diluted earnings per share to be $2.03 with a band of 5 cents, with adjusted diluted earnings per share between 74 cents with a band of 5 cents.
"Marvell's growth is being fueled by strong AI demand for our custom silicon and electro-optics products, as well as a significant increase in the pace of recovery in our enterprise networking and carrier infrastructure end markets.
Our custom AI design activity is at an all-time high, with the Marvell team now engaged in over 50 new opportunities across more than 10 customers," said Matt Murphy, Marvell's Chairman and CEO.
Victoria's Secret & Co. fell 0.4% to $22.94 after the women's innerwear retailer reported a 49% decrease in profit in the fiscal second quarter ending on August 2.
Consolidated revenue edged higher to $1.46 billion from $1.42 billion, net income declined to $16.22 million from $31.80 million, and diluted earnings per share dropped to 20 cents from 40 cents a year ago.
The company guided third-quarter revenue to be between $1.39 billion and $1.42 billion, adjusted operating loss between $35 million and $55 million, and adjusted net loss earnings per share between 55 cents and 75 cents.
The specialty retailer guided full-year revenue to be between $6.33 billion and $6.41 billion, adjusted operating income between $270 million and $320 million.
The company estimated a net tariff impact of approximately $100 million on its annual earnings.
Japan May Slow Pace of Trade Negotiations After U.S. Court Ruling, Capital Spending Growth Accelerated In Second Quarter
Akira Ito
01 Sep, 2025
New York City
Japan's indexes turned sharply lower on Monday, reflecting Friday's weakness on Wall Street.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average decreased 1.4%, and the broader Topix fell 0.5%, and the weakness in technology stocks dominated the market sell-off.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that the Trump administration's tariffs are illegal and do not comply with the spirit of the law.
The import duty imposed by the U.S. president was first ruled illegal by the Court of International Trade in Manhattan, and the case is likely to land soon in the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Once again, a court has ruled that the president cannot invent a fake economic emergency to justify billions of dollars in tariffs," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
"These tariffs are a tax on Americans—they raise costs for working families and businesses throughout our country, causing more inflation and job losses," James noted in the statement.
However, the court allowed the tariffs to stay in place until October 14, allowing the Trump administration to seek the final verdict from the U.S. Supreme Court.
The latest court ruling gave additional breathing room to trade negotiators in Japan, India, and China, and Japan is likely to slow its pace of negotiations while there is greater legal clarity.
On the domestic economic front, Japanese companies accelerated capital spending in the second quarter by 7.6%, from 6.4% in the first quarter, the Ministry of Finance said in a release on Monday.
The robust spending on plant and equipment was broad-based, with investment in the manufacturing sector soaring 16.4% and in the non-manufacturing sector increasing at a modest pace of 3%.
Japan Indexes and Stocks
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average decreased 1.4% to 42,127.12, and the broader Topix declined 0.5% to 3,059.66.
Artificial intelligence-related stock led the downturn in Monday's trading.
Tokyo Electron decreased 1.8% to ¥20,285.0, Advantest Corp. declined 7.7% to €61.60, and Disco Corp. fell 7.7% to ¥38,160.0.
Nippon Yusen KK advanced 0.5% to ¥5,357.0, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines eased 0.5% to ¥4,728.0, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. inched higher 0.1%.
Japan May Slow Trade Negotiations Pace After U.S. Court Ruling, Capital Spending Growth Accelerated In Second Quarter
Akira Ito
01 Sep, 2025
New York City
Japan's indexes turned sharply lower on Monday, reflecting Friday's weakness on Wall Street.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average decreased 1.4%, and the broader Topix fell 0.5%, and the weakness in technology stocks dominated the market sell-off.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that the Trump administration's tariffs are illegal and do not comply with the spirit of the law.
The import duty imposed by the U.S. president was first ruled illegal by the Court of International Trade in Manhattan, and the case is likely to land soon in the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Once again, a court has ruled that the president cannot invent a fake economic emergency to justify billions of dollars in tariffs," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
"These tariffs are a tax on Americans—they raise costs for working families and businesses throughout our country, causing more inflation and job losses," James noted in the statement.
However, the court allowed the tariffs to stay in place until October 14, allowing the Trump administration to seek the final verdict from the U.S. Supreme Court.
The latest court ruling gave additional breathing room to trade negotiators in Japan, India, and China, and Japan is likely to slow its pace of negotiations while there is greater legal clarity.
On the domestic economic front, Japanese companies accelerated capital spending in the second quarter by 7.6%, from 6.4% in the first quarter, the Ministry of Finance said in a release on Monday.
The robust spending on plants, property, and equipment was broad-based, with investment in the manufacturing sector soaring 16.4% and in the non-manufacturing sector increasing at a modest pace of 3%.
Japan Indexes and Stocks
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average decreased 1.4% to 42,127.12, and the broader Topix declined 0.5% to 3,059.66.
Artificial intelligence-related stock led the downturn in Monday's trading.
Tokyo Electron decreased 1.8% to ¥20,285.0, Advantest Corp. declined 7.7% to €61.60, and Disco Corp. fell 7.7% to ¥38,160.0.
Nippon Yusen KK advanced 0.5% to ¥5,357.0, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines eased 0.5% to ¥4,728.0, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. inched higher 0.1%.
Hang Seng Index Soared 2%, Reflecting Enthusiasm In Mainland Markets
Li Chen
01 Sep, 2025
Hong Kong
Stock market indexes in Hong Kong soared as investors played catch-up tracking last week's gains in the mainland.
The Hang Seng index increased 1.8%, and the mainland-focused CSI 300 index decreased 0.1%, amid sustained buying by the state-controlled enterprises on mainland bourses.
Interim results dominated market sentiment, and Alibaba Group soared 15%, and BOC Hong Kong advanced 7%.
On the economic front, the official survey of the manufacturing sector activities showed a slight increase in August.
The General Manufacturing PMI increased to 49.4 from 49.3 in July, the National Bureau of Statistics reported on Sunday.
The private sector business activities in the manufacturing sector are facing headwinds from the erratic U.S. trade policy and softer domestic demand.
The separate survey released by S&P Global showed an increase in business activities.
The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI edged up to 50.5 in August from 49.5 in July, amid sustained foreign demand and a rebound in domestic orders.
The private survey of business activities has a larger sample size of smaller businesses and companies engaged in export activities.
China Indexes and Stocks
The Hang Seng Index gained 1.8% to 25,523.13, and the mainland-focused CSI 300 index decreased 0.1% to 4,491.46.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. soared 17% to HK$135.60 after the company's earnings surpassed market expectations.
Alibaba Health Information Technology increased 6.2% to HK$5.80, following the parent company Alibaba Group's results.
BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd. increased 6% to HK$37.34 after net income in the first half increased 11% from a year ago.
China Minsheng Banking decreased 0.9% to HK$37.34, despite the bank reporting stronger interim results.
Operating income increased 7.8% to 70.7 billion yuan from 65.6 billion yuan, net profit attributable to shareholders decreased 4.8% to 21.4 billion yuan from 22.4 billion yuan, and diluted earnings per share rose to 0.45 yuan from 0.43 yuan a year ago.
The annualized net interest rate margin edged higher to 1.39% from 1.38%, and the Tier-1 capital adequacy ratio improved to 13.25% from 12.89% a year ago.
Hang Seng Index Soared 2%, Reflecting Enthusiasm In Mainland Markets
Li Chen
01 Sep, 2025
Hong Kong
Stock market indexes in Hong Kong soared as investors played catch-up tracking last week's gains in the mainland.
The Hang Seng index increased 1.8%, and the mainland-focused CSI 300 index decreased 0.1%, amid sustained buying by the state-controlled enterprises on mainland bourses.
Interim results dominated market sentiment, and Alibaba Group soared 15%, and BOC Hong Kong advanced 7%.
On the economic front, the official survey of the manufacturing sector activities showed a slight increase in August.
The General Manufacturing PMI increased to 49.4 from 49.3 in July, the National Bureau of Statistics reported on Sunday.
The private sector business activities in the manufacturing sector are facing headwinds from the erratic U.S. trade policy and softer domestic demand.
The separate survey released by S&P Global showed an increase in business activities.
The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI edged up to 50.5 in August from 49.5 in July, amid sustained foreign demand and a rebound in domestic orders.
The private survey of business activities has a larger sample size of smaller businesses and companies engaged in export activities.
China Indexes and Stocks
The Hang Seng Index gained 1.8% to 25,523.13, and the mainland-focused CSI 300 index decreased 0.1% to 4,491.46.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. soared 17% to HK$135.60 after the company's earnings surpassed market expectations.
Alibaba Health Information Technology increased 6.2% to HK$5.80, following the parent company Alibaba Group's results.
BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd. increased 6% to HK$37.34 after net income in the first half increased 11% from a year ago.
China Minsheng Banking decreased 0.9% to HK$37.34, despite the bank reporting stronger interim results.
Operating income increased 7.8% to 70.7 billion yuan from 65.6 billion yuan, net profit attributable to shareholders decreased 4.8% to 21.4 billion yuan from 22.4 billion yuan, and diluted earnings per share rose to 0.45 yuan from 0.43 yuan a year ago.
The annualized net interest rate margin edged higher to 1.39% from 1.38%, and the Tier-1 capital adequacy ratio improved to 13.25% from 12.89% a year ago.