Bloomberg Daybreak: Asia Edition

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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