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Asian stocks, US futures rise on Japan trade deal

Asian stocks, US futures rise on Japan trade deal

Economic Times17 hours ago
Asian shares rose at the open after President Donald Trump said the US reached a trade deal with Japan, an agreement with a key trading partner that will ease concerns about the tariff war.
ADVERTISEMENT The MSCI gauge of Asian shares gained 0.7% with the Nikkei-225 in Japan jumping as much as 1.8%. The yen fluctuated after initially gaining on Trump's announcement. Contracts for the S&P 500 rose 0.2% on the deal. The US benchmark closed at a record high in the last session. A gauge of the dollar edged up 0.1% while yields on the 10-year Treasury advanced 1 basis point to 4.36%.
'We just completed a massive Deal with Japan, perhaps the largest Deal ever made,' Trump said in a Truth Social post. On Tuesday, Trump also unveiled an agreement with the Philippines setting a 19% tariff on the country's exports.
The deal with Japan will see the key American ally invest $550 billion into the US and will set tariffs on Japanese imports at 15%, Trump wrote. Stocks have run up since their April slump on expectations countries will strike agreements with the US ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, and help avoid significant damage to company earnings and the economy.'In addition to lowering tariffs on Japan from 25% to 15%, the deal removes an element of uncertainty for the market,' said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade. 'This deal is good for market sentiment across Asia on expectations that others may follow.'Investors are also focused on megacap companies this week. Big tech's strength will be on full display over the next few weeks as the group begins unveiling quarterly earnings. Tesla Inc. and Alphabet Inc. are reporting Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENT The so-called Magnificent Seven companies are expected to post a combined 14% rise in second-quarter profits, while earnings for the rest of the US equity benchmark are predicted to be relatively flat, according to Bloomberg Intelligence data.Attention in Japan will also be on the 40-year government bond auction on Wednesday. That will be the first test of appetite for super-long debt following a historic election defeat for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Investors remain concerned over the outlook of bonds in one of the most indebted developed nations amid expectations of higher government spending as Ishiba tries to placate disaffected voters.
ADVERTISEMENT Ishiba will soon decide on his future after assessing the status of negotiations on tariffs with the US, Yomiuri reported before Trump's announcement.Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he will meet his Chinese counterparts for trade talks in Stockholm next week, and will 'be working out what is likely an extension' to the current Aug. 12 deadline for negotiations. He also said that the negotiations with China can now take on a broader array of topics, potentially including Beijing's continued purchases of 'sanctioned' oil from Russia and Iran.
ADVERTISEMENT Bessent told Fox Business he saw no reason for Fed Chair Jerome Powell to step down. Meanwhile, Trump stressed his belief that the Fed's benchmark rate should be 3 percentage points lower. Bessent, in the same Oval Office event, said that 'based on the way they cut rates last fall, they should be cutting rates now.'
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Student Loan Shake-Up 2025: The student loan system in the U.S. is undergoing a massive transformation in 2025, and millions of borrowers are directly affected. If you've ever taken out federal student loans—or plan to in the future—there are urgent deadlines, new repayment options, and policy changes you absolutely need to understand. Whether you're on the SAVE plan, approaching forgiveness under IBR, considering graduate school, or repaying Parent PLUS loans, this guide will walk you through everything changing, when it's happening, and how to make smart decisions now before it's too late. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MBA Cybersecurity CXO Finance Product Management Leadership Public Policy Digital Marketing Data Science Artificial Intelligence Degree Operations Management Technology Design Thinking Data Science MCA PGDM Data Analytics Management Project Management others healthcare Others Healthcare Skills you'll gain: Financial Management Team Leadership & Collaboration Financial Reporting & Analysis Advocacy Strategies for Leadership Duration: 18 Months UMass Global Master of Business Administration (MBA) Starts on May 13, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Analytical Skills Financial Literacy Leadership and Management Skills Strategic Thinking Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Online MBA Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Major student loan overhaul begins in august 2025 The first major wave of the student loan shake-up begins on August 1, 2025. Here's what changes and who is impacted: by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Italian Craftsmanship. Velasca Undo Interest restarts for save borrowers Millions of borrowers currently enrolled in the Biden-era SAVE Plan will see interest resume on their loans starting August 1, 2025. This comes after a temporary pause tied to legal challenges and federal policy shifts. Who's impacted? About 7.7 million borrowers under the SAVE plan. What to do now? Borrowers are being strongly encouraged to consider switching to an Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan to avoid compounding interest and possible balance growth. This change is a result of the "Big Beautiful Bill" signed by President Trump, which eliminates the SAVE plan entirely in favor of a more streamlined system. Live Events The repayment system gets completely restructured This is the most critical date for all borrowers. On July 1, 2026, the current complex array of repayment plans will be replaced by just two core options. Here's how it breaks down: Introduction of the repayment assistance plan (RAP) Replacing SAVE, PAYE, REPAYE, and ICR, borrowers will now choose between: Standard 10-Year Repayment – The traditional fixed payment option. Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) – A new income-driven plan that: Offers forgiveness after 30 years of qualifying payments Starts payments as low as $10/month Includes a $50/month per-child credit for dependent borrowers Capped based on income, and limits ballooning interest Borrowers on legacy plans will have until July 1, 2028 to switch to either RAP or IBR before being automatically reassigned. 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