
Japan Inches Toward AI Goals With Rapidus' First Chip Prototype
The company last week printed circuitry on wafers using 2-nanometer gate-all-around process technology, President Atsuyoshi Koike told reporters Friday. He did not disclose the number of functional chips produced.

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CNBC
14 minutes ago
- CNBC
Asia markets set for muted start as investors assess S&P 500's four-day losing streak
Asia-Pacific markets were poised for a muted start to the day as investors assessed the four-day losing streak for the S&P 500, led by declines in tech stocks. Investors in the region are awaiting India's HSBC Composite flash purchasing managers' index reading for August, which provides an early snapshot of the performance of the private sector economy, expected later in the day. Economists polled by Reuters expect it to come in at 60.5, compared to 61.1 in the month before. Japan's Nikkei 225 was set to open flat, with the futures contract in Chicago at 42,880 while its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 42,820, against the index's Wednesday close of 42,888.55. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was set to start the day lower, with futures tied to the benchmark at 8,902, compared with the index's last close of 8,918. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index is slated to open flat with futures tied to the index at 25,168, compared with the HSI's last close of 25,165.94. U.S. equity futures were little changed in early Asia hours. Overnight stateside, two of the three key benchmarks ended the session in declines as tech stocks dragged the market lower. The broad market S&P 500 index slipped 0.24% to close at 6,395.78, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 0.67% and settled at 21,172.86. Wednesday marked a fourth day of losses for the S&P 500 and a second negative session for the Nasdaq. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was the outlier, adding 16.04 points, or 0.04%, and settling at 44,938.31.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
China rushes to build out solar, and emissions edge downward
TALATAN, China (AP) — High on the Tibetan plateau, Chinese government officials last month showed off what they say will be the world's largest solar farm when completed — 610 square kilometers (235 square miles), the size of the American city of Chicago. China has been installing solar panels at a blistering pace, far faster than anywhere else in the world, and the investment is starting to pay off. A study released Thursday found that the country's carbon emissions edged down 1% in the first six months of the year compared to a year earlier, extending a trend that began in March 2024. The good news is China's carbon emissions may have peaked well ahead of a government target of doing so before 2030. But China, the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, will need to bring them down much more sharply to play its part in slowing global climate change. For China to reach its declared goal of carbon neutrality by 2060, emissions would need to fall 3% on average over the next 35 years, said Lauri Myllyvirta, the Finland-based author of the study and lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. 'China needs to get to that 3% territory as soon as possible,' he said. China's emissions have fallen even as it uses more electricity China's emissions have fallen before during economic slowdowns. What's different this time is electricity demand is growing — up 3.7% in the first half of this year — but the increase in power from solar, wind and nuclear has easily outpaced that, according to Myllyvirta, who analyzes the most recent data in a study published on the U.K.-based Carbon Brief website. 'We're talking really for the first time about a structural declining trend in China's emissions,' he said. China installed 212 gigawatts of solar capacity in the first six months of the year, more than America's entire capacity of 178 gigawatts as of the end of 2024, the study said. Electricity from solar has overtaken hydropower in China and is poised to surpass wind this year to become the country's largest source of clean energy. Some 51 gigawatts of wind power was added from January to June. Li Shuo, the director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington, described the plateauing of China's carbon emissions as a turning point in the effort to combat climate change. 'This is a moment of global significance, offering a rare glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak climate landscape,' he wrote in an email response. It also shows that a country can cut emissions while still growing economically, he said. But Li cautioned that China's heavy reliance on coal remains a serious threat to progress on climate and said the economy needs to shift to less resource-intensive sectors. 'There's still a long road ahead,' he said. One solar farm can power 5 million households A seemingly endless expanse of solar panels stretches toward the horizon on the Tibetan plateau. White two-story buildings rise above them at regular intervals. Sheep graze on the scrubby vegetation that grows under them. Solar panels have been installed on about two-thirds of the land. When completed, it will have more than 7 million panels and be capable of generating enough power for 5 million households. Like many of China's solar and wind farms, it was built in the relatively sparsely populated west. A major challenge is getting electricity to the population centers and factories in China's east. 'The distribution of green energy resources is perfectly misaligned with the current industrial distribution of our country,' Zhang Jinming, the vice governor of Qinghai province, told journalists on a government-organized tour. Part of the solution is building transmission lines traversing the country. One connects Qinghai to Henan province. Two more are planned, including one to Guangdong province in the southeast, almost at the opposite corner of the country. Making full use of the power is hindered by the relatively inflexible way that China's electricity grid is managed, tailored to the steady output of coal plants rather than more variable and less predictable wind and solar, Myllyvirta said. 'This is an issue that the policymakers have recognized and are trying to manage, but it does require big changes to the way coal-fired power plants operate and big changes to the way the transmission network operates,' he said. 'So it's no small task.' ___ Moritsugu reported from Beijing. Associated Press video producer Wayne Zhang contributed. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at Ken Moritsugu And Ng Han Guan, The Associated Press
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
YAPP Automotive Systems And 2 Other Undiscovered Gems In Asia
As global markets experience fluctuations influenced by economic data and rate cut speculation, Asia's small-cap landscape is capturing attention with its unique opportunities. In this dynamic environment, identifying promising stocks involves looking for companies that demonstrate resilience and potential for growth amidst shifting economic conditions. Top 10 Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals In Asia Name Debt To Equity Revenue Growth Earnings Growth Health Rating Ryoyu Systems NA 6.45% 19.55% ★★★★★★ Saha-Union 0.74% 0.97% 18.05% ★★★★★★ VICOM NA 6.95% 4.06% ★★★★★★ Sixxon Tech 16.66% 23.98% -0.88% ★★★★★★ NARUMIYA INTERNATIONAL 26.55% 6.54% 23.02% ★★★★★★ Yantai Ishikawa Sealing Technology NA 10.42% -9.07% ★★★★★★ KurimotoLtd 22.97% 3.16% 18.65% ★★★★★☆ Shenzhen Fenda Technology 46.59% -5.72% 55.87% ★★★★★☆ SBS Philippines 29.71% 3.10% -49.78% ★★★★★☆ Yuan Cheng CableLtd 88.11% 9.84% 42.67% ★★★★☆☆ Click here to see the full list of 2420 stocks from our Asian Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals screener. Here we highlight a subset of our preferred stocks from the screener. YAPP Automotive Systems Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★★★★ Overview: YAPP Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. focuses on the research, development, manufacturing, and sale of energy storage and thermal management system products with a market cap of approximately CN¥12.27 billion. Operations: YAPP Automotive Systems generates revenue primarily from its plastic fuel tank segment, which accounts for CN¥8.19 billion. The company's market capitalization is approximately CN¥12.27 billion. YAPP Automotive Systems, a smaller player in the automotive components sector, has shown resilience with earnings growth of 7.1% over the past year, outpacing the industry average of 4.3%. The company's price-to-earnings ratio stands at 24.5x, which is attractive compared to the broader Chinese market's 44.8x. Over five years, its debt-to-equity ratio significantly decreased from 27.7% to just 1.4%, indicating prudent financial management and reduced leverage risk. Despite a slight annual decline in earnings by 0.3% over five years, YAPP remains profitable with high-quality past earnings and no immediate cash runway concerns. Click to explore a detailed breakdown of our findings in YAPP Automotive Systems' health report. Assess YAPP Automotive Systems' past performance with our detailed historical performance reports. Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★★★★ Overview: Shenzhen Bsc Technology Co., Ltd. specializes in the design, development, production, and sale of functional devices for electronic products, with a market capitalization of CN¥7 billion. Operations: Shenzhen Bsc Technology generates revenue primarily from its electronic components and parts segment, amounting to CN¥1.34 billion. The company's market capitalization stands at approximately CN¥7 billion. Shenzhen Bsc Technology, a nimble player in the tech space, showcases a notable Price-To-Earnings ratio of 34.3x, sitting comfortably below the broader CN market average of 44.8x. Despite experiencing a -15.9% earnings growth over the past year compared to the electronic industry's 2.8%, it maintains high-quality earnings and remains debt-free, marking significant improvement from five years ago when its debt-to-equity ratio was 2.4%. Recent board changes and amendments to company bylaws suggest strategic shifts that could influence future operations positively or negatively depending on execution and market conditions. Delve into the full analysis health report here for a deeper understanding of Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd. Understand Shenzhen Bsc TechnologyLtd's track record by examining our Past report. EZconn Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: EZconn Corporation, along with its subsidiaries, specializes in the manufacturing and sale of precision metal and optical fiber components for various electronic products across Taiwan, Asia, the United States, and Europe, with a market capitalization of approximately NT$60.50 billion. Operations: EZconn generates revenue primarily through the sale of precision metal and optical fiber components for electronic products. The company operates across Taiwan, Asia, the United States, and Europe with a market capitalization of approximately NT$60.50 billion. EZconn, a promising player in the communications sector, showcased impressive growth with earnings surging by 162.8% over the past year, outpacing industry averages. Despite volatile share prices recently, it trades at a significant discount of 67.8% below its estimated fair value. With more cash than total debt and positive free cash flow, financial health doesn't seem to be an issue for EZconn. Recent buybacks saw 200,000 shares repurchased for TWD 66.48 million while dividends increased to TWD 8.6 per share this year, reflecting confidence in its ongoing profitability and shareholder returns strategy. Take a closer look at EZconn's potential here in our health report. Gain insights into EZconn's historical performance by reviewing our past performance report. Where To Now? Click through to start exploring the rest of the 2417 Asian Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals now. Already own these companies? Bring clarity to your investment decisions by linking up your portfolio with Simply Wall St, where you can monitor all the vital signs of your stocks effortlessly. Take control of your financial future using Simply Wall St, offering free, in-depth knowledge of international markets to every investor. Want To Explore Some Alternatives? Explore high-performing small cap companies that haven't yet garnered significant analyst attention. Fuel your portfolio with companies showing strong growth potential, backed by optimistic outlooks both from analysts and management. Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include SHSE:603013 SZSE:300951 and TWSE:6442. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@ Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Melden Sie sich an, um Ihr Portfolio aufzurufen. Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten Fehler beim Abrufen der Daten