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Australian Dollar (AUD) moves little against the US Dollar (USD) on Thursday, after registering more than 0.25% gains in the previous session. The AUD/USD pair remains steady following the release of Australia’s Trade Balance data.

Japanese automakers are increasingly turning India into a key production and export hub as they shift away from reliance on China. Toyota, Honda, and Suzuki are investing billions to expand factories and build new models in what is now the world’s third-largest car market.

An interesting item via Reuters.

Low production costs, government incentives, and barriers to Chinese electric vehicle makers have made India an attractive alternative for Japanese manufacturers seeking stability and growth. Toyota and Suzuki have announced a combined $11 billion in new investments, while Honda plans to make India a base for its next-generation electric vehicles starting in 2027.

Japan’s investment in India’s transport sector has surged more than sevenfold since 2021, while direct investment in China has plunged. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has offered production-linked incentives to encourage automakers to manufacture locally and export globally.

For Japan’s carmakers, India offers not just cheaper costs but a strategic foothold in a fast-growing market largely insulated from Chinese competition — a rare advantage as they battle shrinking margins and rising rivalry elsewhere in Asia.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

Microsoft employees can now request Trusted Technology Reviews when they want to report on concerning uses of the company’s products.

Gold price  (XAU/USD) declines to near $3,970 during the Asian trading hours on Thursday. The precious metal edges lower as traders weigh the outlook for the US Federal Reserve (Fed) path after the upbeat US economic data.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China’s central bank, is responsible for setting the daily midpoint of the yuan (also known as renminbi or RMB). The PBOC follows a managed floating exchange rate system that allows the value of the yuan to fluctuate within a certain range, called a “band,” around a central reference rate, or “midpoint.” It’s currently at +/- 2%.

The prior close was 7.1276

PBOC injected 92.8bn yuan via 7-day reverse repos at 1.40%.

That injection still results in a net drain on the day, of 249.8bn yuan.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

On Thursday, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) set the USD/CNY central rate for the trading session ahead at 7.0865 compared to the previous day’s fix of 7.0901 and 7.1222 Reuters estimate.

President Trump has expressed hesitation about ordering military action to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, fearing strikes might fail to force him out, U.S. officials say. The discussions highlight an unsettled Venezuela strategy, even as the U.S. expands its military presence in the Caribbean following an anti-narcotics campaign that has evolved into open pressure on Maduro’s regime.

Wall Street Journal with the info.

Officials say Washington hasn’t settled on whether the goal is Maduro’s ouster or simply new concessions. While Trump continues to ask advisers about military options — ranging from tougher sanctions to direct strikes on Venezuelan targets — for now he appears content to maintain a gradual buildup and continue attacks on suspected drug-smuggling vessels, the latest of which occurred Tuesday in the eastern Pacific.

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Earlier this week:

• ICYMI: Trump administration reportedly considers Venezuela strikes, oil-field seizures

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

Japan Innovation Party, the junior coalition partner in the government, co-leader Hidetaka Fujita said it would be premature for the Bank of Japan to deliver an early interest rate hike, warning that such a move could send a confusing signal to businesses.

• Fujita said this was “not the time for policy shifts that have a major impact,” stressing the need for stability as firms adjust to higher costs and a fragile recovery.
• On fiscal policy, Fujita confirmed that the government would not raise taxes to finance the earlier-than-planned increase in defence spending.

His comments come as Tokyo prepares to frontload parts of its multi-year defence budget to strengthen deterrence capabilities amid regional security tensions.

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The Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), a junior partner in the ruling coalition with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party, has generally supported fiscal restraint while backing targeted security investments. Fujita’s remarks suggest continued caution over tightening monetary policy too soon, even as inflation and wage dynamics evolve.

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Fujita’s comments point to coalition unease over hasty BoJ tightening and reinforce expectations for gradual policy shifts. His stance also signals fiscal prudence as Japan accelerates defence spending.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

Japan S&P Global Services PMI Final for October 2025 53.1

• flash was 52.4
• prior was 53.3

Composite 51.5

• flash was 50.9

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Japan’s services sector continued to expand in October, marking a seventh straight month of growth, though momentum slowed as new business orders weakened and inflation pressures returned, according to the latest S&P Global survey.

• The final Japan Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) signalling solid activity despite softer demand
• New orders grew at their slowest pace in 16 months, while foreign demand fell for a fourth consecutive month, albeit at a slower rate.
• Price pressures intensified as input and output costs rose more quickly, driven by higher expenses for labour, raw materials, food, and fuel.
• Business confidence also eased from September’s eight-month high, with firms citing labour shortages and subdued demand. Employment continued to rise but at a slower rate.

The composite PMI, which combines manufacturing and services data, inched up, steady service-sector growth helped offset a deeper decline in factory output.

Earlier:

• Japan final manufacturing PMI for October 48.2 (down from 48.5 in September)

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

Australia’s Trade Surplus widened to 3,938M MoM in September versus 3,850M expected and 1,111M (revised from 1,825M) in the previous reading, according to the latest foreign trade data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday.