Published on 07/03/2025 at 02:52
(MT Newswires) -- Japanese shares ended higher on Thursday as investors awaited a key US jobs report and the outcome of a major tax and spending bill in Congress, both seen as potential triggers for Fed rate cuts.
The Nikkei 225 rose 0.06%, or 23.42 points, to end at 39,785.90.
Investors awaited a House vote in the US on Trump's $3.3 trillion tax and spending bill, which would cut taxes, reduce social programs, and raise the national debt.
The focus also remained on US payrolls data due later in the day, with forecasts calling for a 110,000 job gain and unemployment rising to 4.3%.
A surprise drop in private sector jobs has heightened market sensitivity to the report. Still, Fed officials cite labor market strength as a reason to delay rate cuts, with futures pricing in just a 25% chance of a July move.
In economic data, Japan's services sector grew for a third month in June, with the PMI rising to 51.7 from 51.0, supported by stronger demand and hiring, S&P Global said Thursday.
Business confidence hit a four-month high, while input cost inflation eased slightly. Output prices rose at the fastest pace in 14 months.
The Composite PMI rose to 51.5, the highest since February, as services and factory output improved.
On the corporate front, SoftBank Groupwill issue $2.2 billion in US dollar-denominated senior notes and (Euro)1.7 billion in euro notes across maturities from 2029 to 2035.
The USD notes range from 6.5% to 7.5% annual interest, while euro notes offer yields between 5.25% and 6.375%. All will be issued at par with semi-annual payments and listed in Singapore. Proceeds will fund the redemption of 2025 notes and general corporate use.
Astroscale Holdingssecured a 550,000-pound extension for its UK Regulatory Sandbox project with DSIT , according to a Thursday filing.
The project, run with D-Orbit and ClearSpace, supports regulation of RPO technologies and will now include GEO mission studies through March 2026. Its shares closed marginally higher.

Sumber : MT Newswires