Most Asian stock markets rose on Thursday, with South Korea surging to record highs on sharp gains in chipmakers, while Japanese shares traded flat after touching a fresh record peak above 58,000 points amid "Takaichi trade" optimism.
Honda Motor posted a 61% drop in third-quarter profit on Tuesday, hit by US tariffs and restructuring costs tied to its electric vehicle (EV) business, becoming the latest automaker to rack up fresh EV losses as demand for the technology cools.
European Union leaders gather in a Belgian castle on Thursday to thrash out how they can compete economically with a global rival like China and a less reliable ally like the U.S. as the rules-based world order frays.
Most Asian stock markets rose modestly on Wednesday, with Australian shares leading gains on an earnings-driven rally, while investors assessed soft Chinese inflation figures.
China's car sales in January fell at the fastest pace in nearly two years as competition steepens in the cutthroat market where automakers are grappling with fading government subsidies, softening demand and tighter regulations.
Dallas Federal Reserve President Lorie Logan expressed cautious optimism Tuesday that the current policy rate will guide inflation toward the Fed's 2% target while maintaining labor market stability.