Bonds

6 February 2025
The yield on two-year Japanese government bonds hit 0.765%, the highest level since October 2008, on Feb. 6.
Manila is getting more creative with international bond offerings to finance the national budget. 
23 January 2025
Nippon Life Insurance is issuing bonds denominated in the euro for the first time, as opposed to the dollar or the yen.
Insurance

Nippon Life plans $518m in euro bonds, a first among Japan insurers

Japanese insurers look to bolster capital before tight regulations take effect

22 January 2025
The Bank of Japan has been criticized for in effect financing the government's deficit bonds. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Bank of Japan

Japan's ultra-easy monetary policy hurt fiscal discipline, economists say

BOJ's share of JGB holdings rose from 13% to 54% over 10 years

17 January 2025
The central bank said on Friday that it suspended open market treasury bond buying operations in a bid to tighten grip on the bond market.
Markets

Chinese markets' cold start to 2025 turns up heat on authorities

Central bank freezes treasury bond buying as yields sink, investors brace for Trump

10 January 2025
The Ministry of Finance will hold auctions for 10- and 30-year Japanese government bonds this week. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Bonds

Japan long-term bond yield hits 13-year high amid pre-auction lull

Rise may be a blip if high yield fuels buying, but supply-demand concerns persist

7 January 2025
An electronics store in Beijing. China's government will subsidize purchases of certain gadgets like phones and tablets.
Economy

China to sharply increase treasury bond funding to spur growth in 2025

Consumer purchases of phones, tablets, smart watches to be subsidized

3 January 2025
Nursing home construction using proceeds from special bond issues has been approved under China's latest directive aimed at spurring growth.
Bonds

China to allow local governments to use bond funding more broadly

List of projects to cover quantum technology, bar some construction projects

26 December 2024
Yuan and dollar notes are counted at a bank in Bangkok in January 2023. China's currency has been weakening against the greenback.
Currencies

China's central bank steps up currency support after Fed move

Onshore yuan hits 15 month-low, treasury bond yields fall

19 December 2024
The People's Bank of China recently held meetings with financial institutions that were engaged in aggressive bond trading in the current rally, according to a central bank publication.
Bonds

China central bank urges caution on rate risks in bond market

After sharp yield drop, PBOC tells banks it has zero tolerance for 'misbehaviors'

18 December 2024
Some capital market players in China want regulators to give insurers more freedom to invest abroad in light of the country's low interest rates and weak equities market. 
Bonds

China benchmark bond yield's new low rattles local insurers

Players call for more investment channels to offload risks

6 December 2024
Yields on Chinse government bonds have been falling for most of the year as the country's central bank battles a slowdown in economic growth.
Bonds

China deflationary pressures send benchmark bond yield to new low

Onshore yuan falls to lowest point in more than year despite stimulus packages

3 December 2024
GPIF has been dubbed the "whale" for its outsize market presence, with more than 240 trillion yen in assets under management as of March 31. (Photo by Akira Inujima)
Finance

Japan eyes higher return target of 1.9% for GPIF pension fund

Analysts say proposal could lead to more Japanese stocks in portfolio

3 December 2024
A survey by QUICK found that as of Nov. 22, around 60% of respondents predict a December rate hike by the BOJ, with nearly 90% expecting a rise by January. (Photo by Nanami Sato)
Finance

Japan companies go for short-term commercial paper on BOJ hike concerns

Longer-term debt faces undersubscriptions and cancellations

28 November 2024
Keisuke Kawasaki, an executive officer at Nippon Life Insurance, sees market players as not yet thinking about the Bank of Japan's moves beyond its next rate hike. (Photo by Genki Ikuta)
Interview

Nippon Life, Dai-ichi Life watch for Trump impact on U.S. rates, stocks

Japanese insurers invest in JGBs with eye on next rate hike as early as December

23 November 2024
An economist says the Reserve Bank of India may have net sold dollars worth $7.2 billion in the week of Nov. 15.
Economy

India's forex reserves pass four-month low with sharpest weekly drop on record

Decline in foreign currency brought by Reserve Bank of India's market intervention

22 November 2024
Trump’s proposed tariffs and loose fiscal policy are expected to send U.S. inflation higher, leading to fewer rate cuts by Powell and a stronger dollar. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images and nikkei photographers)
Trading Asia

Trump's return to power gives Asian financial markets the jitters

Post-election currency market swing shows investors how money might travel

11 November 2024
Three of GPIF's four main asset classes ended the quarter in the red. (Photo by Nikkei)
Finance

Japan pension giant GPIF takes $60bn hit on strong yen, stock slump

Public fund's July-September loss is steepest since 2020

2 November 2024
Bank of Japan led by Gov. Kazuo Ueda kept largely intact its three-year inflation projections, indicating that the economy is moving according to the BOJ's forecast. (Photo by Nanami Sato)
Bank of Japan

'Fog is clearing,' BOJ's Ueda says as bank inches toward rate hike option

Japan central bank takes wait-and-see stance ahead of U.S. elections

31 October 2024
Berkshire Hathaway has now issued 545.1 billion yen in yen bonds this year, the highest amount ever.
Companies

Berkshire raises $1.9bn in yen bonds. What's Warren Buffett's next Japan move?

Banks, insurers seen as one possibility for investment beyond trading houses

11 October 2024
Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffett, has issued yen-denominated bonds every year since 2019, issuing them twice a year since 2022.
Bonds

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway plans more yen-denominated bonds

Share prices rise for Japanese trading houses likely to receive investment

2 October 2024
Following BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda's announcement that rates will hold for now, analysts think the likelihood of a December rate rise has receded. (Photo by Satoko Kawasaki)
Bank of Japan

BOJ Ueda turns dovish; possibility of year-end rate rise fades

Japan central bank takes wait-and-see approach amid US uncertainty

20 September 2024
The headquarters of the People's Bank of China in Beijing.
Bonds

China government bond yields hit new low despite PBOC intervention

10-year rate falls below level that triggered fresh warnings over bubble

11 September 2024
Japanese pension funds are believed to have stepped up their buying of foreign bonds in August.
Bonds

Japan purchases of foreign bonds hit record on stronger yen

August tally tops $50bn ahead of expected Fed rate cut

10 September 2024
Chinese banks' profit margins are under pressure from weak appetite for loans and falling interest rates.
Finance

China's state banks report more bad loans to hotels, restaurants and stores

Consumer spending slump hits top lenders as falling interest rates dent profitability

30 August 2024
In January to June, China's top insurers expanded their bond portfolios, a safe bet given the murky outlook for economic growth.
Finance

China's top insurers log $169bn bond portfolio boost as PBOC intervenes

Central bank foray into bond trading comes as buyers show hunger despite bubble fears

30 August 2024
Banks in China's Jiangsu province have been accused of manipulating government bond prices. (Photo by Noriyuki Doi)
Bonds

China central bank fears Silicon Valley Bank redux as yields sink

PBOC rushes to curb possible bond bubble via guidance and regulatory enforcement

27 August 2024
Japanese purchases of foreign debt securities have hit a three-month high.
Bonds

Japan money piles into U.S., China bonds on rate cut expectations

Yen outlook holds key to Japanese investors' moves for rest of 2024

24 August 2024
Chinese insurer Ping An says bond investment will continue to be a core feature in its investment portfolio despite regulators' moves to cool bets. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images and Reuters) 
Finance

Ping An to continue government bond investments despite crackdown

Chinese insurer evades questions on HSBC holdings at press conference

23 August 2024
High-rise buildings in India's financial capital Mumbai. India continues to be a bright spot in the region, with a stable macroeconomic backdrop driven by ongoing digitization, infrastructure development and services exports. 
Opinion

Asia's high-yield bonds are a great opportunity for investors

As the Asian market becomes more diversified, new prospects emerge across the region

23 August 2024