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By Leika Kihara TOKYO (Reuters) -Factory activity shrank in most of Asia's major economies in September, private surveys showed on Wednesday, as signs of a slowdown in U.S. growth and the expected impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs added to pressure from weak Chinese demand. The stress on manufacturers highlights the challenge Asian policymakers face in protecting the export-reliant region from higher U.S. levies, a key policy of the Trump administration that has upended the global trade order and put the brakes on economic growth. Export powerhouse Japan and global tech hub Taiwan saw manufacturing activity shrink in September, the surveys showed, leaving businesses in Asia – heavily reliant on the U.S. market – on a fragile footing. Worryingly, China, a key engine of the global economy, also remained in the doldrums. An official survey released on Monday showed manufacturing activity in the world's second-biggest economy contracted for a sixth month in September, dragged down by weak consumption and the squeeze from U.S. tariffs. The prolonged slump underlines the twin pressures on China's economy: domestic demand has failed to mount a durable recovery in the years since the pandemic while Trump's tariffs have squeezed Chinese factories as well as overseas firms that buy components. "The September PMI readings for most countries in Asia remained weak and we continue to expect manufacturing activity in the region to struggle in the near term," said Shivaan Tandon, emerging markets economist at Capital Economics. "With growth set to soften and inflation likely to remain contained, we expect central banks in Asia to loosen policy further." The S&P Global Japan Manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 48.5 in September from 49.7 in August, staying below the 50.0 threshold that separates growth from contraction. It shrank at the fastest pace in six months due to steep falls in output and new orders, the survey showed. "Overall, the data indicate that unless we see a notable improvement in demand at home and overseas, it's likely the sector will struggle to see much growth in the near-term," said Annabel Fiddes, Economics Associate Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, on Japan's PMI. Taiwan's manufacturing PMI fell to 46.8 last month from 47.4 in August. Factory activity also shrank in the Philippines and Malaysia, the private surveys showed. By contrast, South Korea's factory activity expanded for the first time in eight months in September underpinned by improving overseas demand. Manufacturing PMI in Asia's fourth-largest economy, released by S&P Global, rose to 50.7 in September from 48.3 in August, moving above the 50-mark for the first time since January 2025. The outlook for South Korea's exporters, however, hinges on negotiations to formalise a July deal aimed at reducing U.S. tariffs on Korean imports, including automobiles, to 15% from 25%, in return for South Korea's investment of $350 billion in the U.S. The talks have stalled due to Seoul's concerns over foreign exchange implications. (Reporting by Leika KiharaEditing by Shri Navaratnam)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

BEIJING (Reuters) -China's new home prices rose at a slower pace in September, traditionally a peak buying month, while resale home prices fell again, as the market struggled to find its footing despite a raft of support measures, a private survey showed on Wednesday. New home prices grew 0.09% month-on-month versus a 0.2% gain in August, according to China Index Academy, one of the country's largest property research firms. Resale prices declined 0.74% compared with a 0.76% drop the previous month. September and October are traditionally popular months for home purchases, with projects usually announced by developers to coincide with expected demand. China's property market, which accounted for around a quarter of economic activity at its 2021 peak, has remained mired in a downturn since developers defaulted on loans, leaving behind large inventories of new homes and unfinished projects. Despite multiple rounds of stimulus policies, including cuts in mortgage rates and the launch of an urban redevelopment programme, the sector has not achieved a sustained recovery. Analysts in a Reuters poll expect home prices to stabilise no earlier than the second half of 2026 or even 2027, around half a year later than projections made three months earlier. Weak income expectations, elevated unemployment pressures, and high listings in the secondary market continue to dampen buyer sentiment, analysts say. As households have seen their wealth diminish amid the property slump, they have tightened their spending. The downturn has eroded business confidence, further weighing on the job market and broader economic recovery. (Reporting by Liangping Gao and Ryan Woo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan will run a $550 billion U.S.-bound investment package agreed in Tokyo's tariff deal with Washington without any impact on the foreign exchange market, its top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said on Wednesday. "The $550 billion size is the range where there will be no foreign exchange impact," Akazawa said, speaking to reporters at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. (Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

BEIJING (Reuters) -China's new home prices rose at a slower pace in September, traditionally a peak buying month, while resale home prices fell again, as the market struggled to find its footing despite a raft of support measures, a private survey showed on Wednesday. New home prices grew 0.09% month-on-month versus a 0.2% gain in August, according to China Index Academy, one of the country's largest property research firms. Resale prices declined 0.74% compared with a 0.76% drop the previous month. September and October are traditionally popular months for home purchases, with projects usually announced by developers to coincide with expected demand. China's property market, which accounted for around a quarter of economic activity at its 2021 peak, has remained mired in a downturn since developers defaulted on loans, leaving behind large inventories of new homes and unfinished projects. Despite multiple rounds of stimulus policies, including cuts in mortgage rates and the launch of an urban redevelopment programme, the sector has not achieved a sustained recovery. Analysts in a Reuters poll expect home prices to stabilise no earlier than the second half of 2026 or even 2027, around half a year later than projections made three months earlier. Weak income expectations, elevated unemployment pressures, and high listings in the secondary market continue to dampen buyer sentiment, analysts say. As households have seen their wealth diminish amid the property slump, they have tightened their spending. The downturn has eroded business confidence, further weighing on the job market and broader economic recovery. (Reporting by Liangping Gao and Ryan Woo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

(Reuters) -BlackRock-owned Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) is nearing a $38 billion deal, inclusive of debt, to acquire utility group AES, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing people briefed on the matter. Utilities benefit from a surge in power demand driven by artificial intelligence and data centres, prompting companies and investors across the board to strike deals with them. Talks between GIP and Virginia-based AES were at an advanced stage, although they could still fall through, according to the FT report. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. GIP, an infrastructure investment fund, declined to comment to the Financial Times. AES declined to comment, while GIP did not respond to a Reuters' request for comment outside regular business hours. AES, which surpassed Wall Street estimates for its second-quarter profit in July, has experienced significant growth in its renewables unit over the past year. This expansion has been fueled by a global push for cleaner sources of power generation, coinciding with projections that U.S. power consumption will reach record levels. Shares of AES surged nearly 13% on July 8 after Bloomberg News reported that the power provider was weighing strategic options, including a potential sale, following takeover interest from several major investment firms. GIP has a track record in the utility space. In 2024, GIP and CPP Investments acquired U.S. utility Allete in a $6.2 billion take-private deal, including debt. (Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan and Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona, Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Harikrishnan Nair)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

(Reuters) -BlackRock-owned Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) is nearing a $38 billion deal, inclusive of debt, to acquire utility group AES, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing people briefed on the matter. Utilities benefit from a surge in power demand driven by artificial intelligence and data centres, prompting companies and investors across the board to strike deals with them. Talks between GIP and Virginia-based AES were at an advanced stage, although they could still fall through, according to the FT report. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. GIP, an infrastructure investment fund, declined to comment to the Financial Times. AES declined to comment, while GIP did not respond to a Reuters' request for comment outside regular business hours. AES, which surpassed Wall Street estimates for its second-quarter profit in July, has experienced significant growth in its renewables unit over the past year. This expansion has been fueled by a global push for cleaner sources of power generation, coinciding with projections that U.S. power consumption will reach record levels. Shares of AES surged nearly 13% on July 8 after Bloomberg News reported that the power provider was weighing strategic options, including a potential sale, following takeover interest from several major investment firms. GIP has a track record in the utility space. In 2024, GIP and CPP Investments acquired U.S. utility Allete in a $6.2 billion take-private deal, including debt. (Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan and Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona, Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Harikrishnan Nair)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

BEIJING (Reuters) -China's new home prices rose at a slower pace in September, traditionally a peak buying month, while resale home prices fell again, as the market struggled to find its footing despite a raft of support measures, a private survey showed on Wednesday. New home prices grew 0.09% month-on-month versus a 0.2% gain in August, according to China Index Academy, one of the country's largest property research firms. Resale prices declined 0.74% compared with a 0.76% drop the previous month. September and October are traditionally popular months for home purchases, with projects usually announced by developers to coincide with expected demand. China's property market, which accounted for around a quarter of economic activity at its 2021 peak, has remained mired in a downturn since developers defaulted on loans, leaving behind large inventories of new homes and unfinished projects. Despite multiple rounds of stimulus policies, including cuts in mortgage rates and the launch of an urban redevelopment programme, the sector has not achieved a sustained recovery. Analysts in a Reuters poll expect home prices to stabilise no earlier than the second half of 2026 or even 2027, around half a year later than projections made three months earlier. Weak income expectations, elevated unemployment pressures, and high listings in the secondary market continue to dampen buyer sentiment, analysts say. As households have seen their wealth diminish amid the property slump, they have tightened their spending. The downturn has eroded business confidence, further weighing on the job market and broader economic recovery. (Reporting by Liangping Gao and Ryan Woo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Stephen Nellis SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Arm Holdings said on Tuesday it planned to appeal a judge's ruling in a licensing dispute against Qualcomm that left the chipmaker's jury victory intact. Qualcomm secured a key win in U.S. federal court in Delaware last year, with a jury finding that central processor units made by its subsidiary Nuvia were properly licensed under an agreement with Arm. The jury reached a verdict on two out of three counts, and deadlocked on the third count, which resulted in a mistrial. Arm had asked Judge Maryellen Noreika to either throw out the verdict on the two counts where Qualcomm won, or have a new trial. The judge declined both of Arm's requests. "Arm remains confident in its position in its ongoing dispute with Qualcomm and will immediately file an appeal seeking to overturn the judgment," Arm said in a statement. Qualcomm said the decision affirmed its position that it did not breach its agreement with Arm. "Our right to innovate prevailed in this case and we hope Arm will return to fair and competitive practices in dealing with the Arm ecosystem," Ann Chaplin, Qualcomm's general counsel, said in a statement. Arm supplies Qualcomm and other chip firms such as Apple and Taiwan's MediaTek with key technologies used in their chip designs. (Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Jamie Freed)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Stephen Nellis SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Arm Holdings said on Tuesday it planned to appeal a judge's ruling in a licensing dispute against Qualcomm that left the chipmaker's jury victory intact. Qualcomm secured a key win in U.S. federal court in Delaware last year, with a jury finding that central processor units made by its subsidiary Nuvia were properly licensed under an agreement with Arm. The jury reached a verdict on two out of three counts, and deadlocked on the third count, which resulted in a mistrial. Arm had asked Judge Maryellen Noreika to either throw out the verdict on the two counts where Qualcomm won, or have a new trial. The judge declined both of Arm's requests. "Arm remains confident in its position in its ongoing dispute with Qualcomm and will immediately file an appeal seeking to overturn the judgment," Arm said in a statement. Qualcomm said the decision affirmed its position that it did not breach its agreement with Arm. "Our right to innovate prevailed in this case and we hope Arm will return to fair and competitive practices in dealing with the Arm ecosystem," Ann Chaplin, Qualcomm's general counsel, said in a statement. Arm supplies Qualcomm and other chip firms such as Apple and Taiwan's MediaTek with key technologies used in their chip designs. (Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Jamie Freed)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

(Reuters) -BlackRock-owned Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) is nearing a $38 billion deal to acquire utility group AES, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing people briefed on the matter. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. GIP, an infrastructure investment fund, declined to comment to the Financial Times. Meanwhile, AES and GIP did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment outside regular business hours. The newspaper added that talks between the parties were at an advanced stage, but negotiations could fail to yield a deal. AES, which surpassed Wall Street estimates for its second-quarter profit in July, has experienced significant growth in its renewables unit over the past year. This expansion has been fueled by a global push for cleaner sources of power generation, coinciding with projections that U.S. power consumption will reach record levels. (Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)