Japan could build a “China-free” supply chain for defence equipment, but doing so would be costly and could take years as Tokyo tries to reduce its reliance on a strategic rival, analysts have said. The debate gained urgency after Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi last week said Tokyo should consider creating a “China-free” supply chain for defence equipment, following Beijing’s ban on exports of ...
Japan could build a “China-free” supply chain for defence equipment, but doing so would be costly and could take years as Tokyo tries to reduce its reliance on a strategic rival, analysts have said. The debate gained urgency after Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi last week said Tokyo should consider creating a “China-free” supply chain for defence equipment, following Beijing’s ban on exports of dual-use items to Japan. Speaking during a Lower House Budget Committee session, Koizumi said reducing reliance on Chinese exports was important. Advertisement Koizumi citied his observations from a recent visit to Los Angeles, saying American drone companies did not use parts manufactured in China, and noting the importance of boosting “self-reliance”. Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has noted the importance of boosting “self-reliance”. Photo: Kyodo Grant Newsham, a senior research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies, said a “China-free” supply chain was feasible as the Japanese government was better able to influence the behaviour of private companies. Advertisement “If the ‘will’ exists and the shift is done with a focus on specific key equipment and hardware … relatively fast progress is possible. This can have a snowball effect,” Newsham said.
Explore the exciting world of Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) with our contributing expert analysts in this Motley Fool Scoreboard episode. Check out the video below to gain valuable insights into market trends and potential investment opportunities! *Stock prices used were the prices of Jan. 21, 2026. The video was published on March 5, 2026. Continue reading
Explore the exciting world of Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) with our contributing expert analysts in this Motley Fool Scoreboard episode. Check out the video below to gain valuable insights into market trends and potential investment opportunities! *Stock prices used were the prices of Jan. 21, 2026. The video was published on March 5, 2026. Continue reading
Asia’s $8 trillion in foreign-exchange reserves are giving central banks more firepower to defend their currencies as the escalating Middle East war drives up energy prices, a key risk for the region’s oil-importing economies. Indonesia, India and Taiwan have already stepped into markets, while China signaled support through its daily reference rate. Other authorities have so far limited themselve...
Asia’s $8 trillion in foreign-exchange reserves are giving central banks more firepower to defend their currencies as the escalating Middle East war drives up energy prices, a key risk for the region’s oil-importing economies. Indonesia, India and Taiwan have already stepped into markets, while China signaled support through its daily reference rate. Other authorities have so far limited themselves to verbal warnings as they monitor volatility. Currencies across the region have come under pressure as investors weigh the impact of higher oil prices on the import bill, inflation, growth and fiscal balances, with sharp depreciation risking capital outflows. The Indian rupee fell to a new record this week, the South Korean won hit levels last seen during the global financial crisis, and the Indonesian rupiah slid to a six-week low. “FX stability anchors financial stability and heavy speculative positioning tends to have negative feedback loop for macros and markets, more than what the fundamentals demand, thus requiring central banks to be on guard,” said Madhavi Arora , chief economist at Emkay Global Financial Services Ltd. Foreign-exchange reserve piles across major central Asian banks have risen by $600 billion from the end of 2024, according to Bloomberg calculations. Authorities have been mopping up inflows over the past year, while a rally in gold prices and a weaker dollar have also raised the value of their holdings. Policymakers are now drawing on that buffer to manage the fallout from the war in Iran. The stakes are significant: a 10% rise in oil prices cuts Asia’s current account balance by about 0.3% of gross domestic product on average, according to Nomura Holdings Inc. Indonesia is intervening in currency markets and will continue “firm and consistent interventions” in offshore non-deliverable forwards as well as in onshore NDF, spot and bond markets, Bank Indonesia’s Senior Deputy Governor Destry Damayanti said Wednesday. Later in the day, Fitch Ratings ...
Canadian backpacker Piper James died “as a result of drowning” following a dingo attack at K’gari , the Queensland coroners court says. The court on Friday said Piper’s cause of death had been determined by a forensic pathologist and accepted by the investigating coroner. “Piper died as a result of drowning in the setting of multiple injuries, due to, or as a consequence of a dingo attack,” a spok...
Canadian backpacker Piper James died “as a result of drowning” following a dingo attack at K’gari , the Queensland coroners court says. The court on Friday said Piper’s cause of death had been determined by a forensic pathologist and accepted by the investigating coroner. “Piper died as a result of drowning in the setting of multiple injuries, due to, or as a consequence of a dingo attack,” a spokesperson for the court said. “The investigation into Piper’s death is ongoing, and no further information can be provided at this time.” The 19-year-old’s trip to Australia ended in tragedy when she was found dead on a beach in January on the world heritage-listed island formerly known as Fraser Island off the Queensland coast. The coroners court said in January that the autopsy had found “physical evidence consistent with drowning and injuries consistent with dingo bites”. “Pre-mortem dingo bite marks are not likely to have caused immediate death. There are extensive post-mortem dingo bite marks. There is no evidence that any other person was involved.” It had been speculated that James could have entered the water to escape dingoes before drowning. K’gari is home to about 150 human inhabitants and a population of dingoes genetically distinct from those on mainland Australia. Violent dingo and human interactions have been increasing in recent years. In 2023, a pack of three dingoes rushed and bit a woman who was jogging along a beach. She ran into the ocean to escape. A dingo was shot and killed with a spear gun in 2024, and several others were put down after attacking people.
Earnings Call Insights: Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVIR) Q4 2025 Management View Jean-Pierre Sommadossi, Founder, Chairman, CEO & President, reported substantial clinical progress, highlighting advancement in the global Phase III program evaluating bemnifosbuvir and ruzasvir for HCV infections. He stated, "Due to the rigorous execution of our two pivotal Phase III trials, C-FORWARD and C-BEYOND, ...
Earnings Call Insights: Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVIR) Q4 2025 Management View Jean-Pierre Sommadossi, Founder, Chairman, CEO & President, reported substantial clinical progress, highlighting advancement in the global Phase III program evaluating bemnifosbuvir and ruzasvir for HCV infections. He stated, "Due to the rigorous execution of our two pivotal Phase III trials, C-FORWARD and C-BEYOND, we expect top line readout this year for both trials." The company also announced the expansion of its antiviral hepatitis pipeline to include immunocompromised patients with chronic hepatitis E infection and selected AT-587 as the lead candidate for this indication. Sommadossi added, "We anticipate our cash runway will extend through 2027." Andrea Corcoran, CFO, reported, "We are pleased to report that our cash and investments were $301.8 million at December 31, 2025." She continued, "The funds expended in 2025 were principally directed to the advancement of our HCV Phase III program...and to discovery efforts leading to the nomination in January 2026 of AT-587 as the lead product candidate for the treatment of HEV." Outlook The company expects to complete enrollment for C-FORWARD by midyear and report top line results for C-BEYOND midyear, with C-FORWARD results expected by year-end. Sommadossi stated, "We anticipate initiating a first-in-human study [of AT-587] midyear." Corcoran indicated, "We expect to realize value-creating milestones for both programs and project our cash runway to extend through 2027." Financial Results As of December 31, 2025, Atea reported $301.8 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities. The company returned $25 million to shareholders through a share repurchase program in 2025. Corcoran noted, "For R&D expenses quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year, there was an increase in 2025 compared to 2024. The net increase in 2025 was principally driven by an increase in external spend for our HCV Phase III clinical development, offse...
Earnings Call Insights: Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. (GROV) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Jeff Yurcisin opened by stating, "We delivered on our revised full year 2025 revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance, and we returned to positive adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter. This was our first positive adjusted EBITDA quarter in the last 6 quarters, and the result reflects a deliberate choice to p...
Earnings Call Insights: Grove Collaborative Holdings, Inc. (GROV) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Jeff Yurcisin opened by stating, "We delivered on our revised full year 2025 revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance, and we returned to positive adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter. This was our first positive adjusted EBITDA quarter in the last 6 quarters, and the result reflects a deliberate choice to prioritize liquidity and adjusted EBITDA profitability while we work through customer experience disruptions tied to our e-commerce platform migration." Yurcisin highlighted the company’s mission to be the leading destination for clean, sustainable nontoxic products, explaining, "Our mission is also unchanged to be the leading destination for clean, sustainable nontoxic products for every room in the home." He acknowledged challenges in 2025 due to the e-commerce platform migration, which led to higher customer churn, and noted that active customers at year-end were 599,000, down 13% from the prior year. Management launched the Grove Green Rewards loyalty program and released a redesigned mobile app in February, aiming to rebuild customer engagement and stabilize the core experience. Yurcisin stated, "Mobile is too important to the customer experience to tolerate instability. This release restores much of the functionality and experience customers have prior to the migration." The company executed a reduction in force in November expected to generate approximately $5 million of annualized savings. Yurcisin also reiterated a continued evaluation of strategic alternatives, including potential acquisitions, partnerships, and divestitures. CFO Tom Siragusa stated, "Revenue for the fourth quarter was $42.4 million, down 14.3% year-over-year...That decline was partially offset by $2.9 million of QVC revenue driven by 8Greens Today’s Special Value program." Siragusa added, "Our gross margin was 53.0%, an increase of 60 basis points compared to 52.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024. T...
winhorse/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Boeing (NYSE: BA ) and Airbus ( EADSF ) are both working on a multi-year trajectory to ramp up airplane production. While order collection has not been a problem, evident from the nearly 2,000 net orders collected in 2025 , hiking production has been far more challenging, with both jet makers navigating their own set of challenges. In this report, I anal...
winhorse/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Boeing (NYSE: BA ) and Airbus ( EADSF ) are both working on a multi-year trajectory to ramp up airplane production. While order collection has not been a problem, evident from the nearly 2,000 net orders collected in 2025 , hiking production has been far more challenging, with both jet makers navigating their own set of challenges. In this report, I analyze the airplane orders and deliveries for January. As mentioned in prior analyses, we're uniquely positioned to provide value estimates on orders and deliveries to more closely reflect the actual benefit to the businesses. Below, I have attached the explanation of the analysis methodology from a prior report : Explanation Of Analysis Methodology For Airplane Orders And Deliveries The Boeing Company For this analysis, I use an internally developed tool available on The Aerospace Forum . I will be assessing the net orders and deliveries. For each, I will discuss the units ordered and delivered and the associated dollar value. The net orders provide us with a view of demand. This is a reflection of factors such as pricing and availability. Boeing and Airbus have a total backlog of nearly 15,000 airplanes. So, currently, we're not viewing things through the scope of needing more orders to support or increase production. The fact is that the backlogs have to be brought down to healthier levels, and that can be achieved through higher deliveries. Deliveries are what matter, and that's also the area where we see that neither Boeing nor Airbus has been able to support demand. Assessing the deliveries gives us a view of how the recovery for both manufacturers is pacing. As we assess the broader in-year trends, this report considers the year-to-date figures rather than monthly figures on orders and deliveries. Boeing Takes First Lead Of The Year The Aerospace Forum Boeing booked a total of 71 single-aisle orders compared to 48 for Airbus, while in the wide-body segment, Boeing booke...
Toltek/iStock via Getty Images U.S. w heat futures led grains higher Thursday on the Chicago Board of Trade, as the Middle East conflict drives up the dollar and crude oil. CBOT wheat ( W_1:COM ) for May delivery settled +3% to $5.85 1/4 per bushel, corn ( C_1:COM ) for May delivery ended +2.2% to $4.53 1/2 per bushel, and soybeans ( S_1:COM ) for May delivery finished +0.8% to $11.79 per bushel. ...
Toltek/iStock via Getty Images U.S. w heat futures led grains higher Thursday on the Chicago Board of Trade, as the Middle East conflict drives up the dollar and crude oil. CBOT wheat ( W_1:COM ) for May delivery settled +3% to $5.85 1/4 per bushel, corn ( C_1:COM ) for May delivery ended +2.2% to $4.53 1/2 per bushel, and soybeans ( S_1:COM ) for May delivery finished +0.8% to $11.79 per bushel. Analysts said wheat jumped on the back of drier forecasts for the western plains; while dryness eased slightly from the previous week, conditions are still drier than when they started the year, and traders see the potential for rainfall to turn more sparse in the coming week, Dow Jones reported. CBOT corn and soybeans followed energy futures higher, and have been moving closer to the way petroleum futures move due to the role the grains have as a feedstock for renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. "The general marketplace is factoring in an extended conflict in the Middle East, as neither side is showing any signs that an end to the attacks is coming anytime soon. That's fueling buying in the grain and soy markets," Brian Grete of Commstock Investments said in a note. ETFs: ( WEAT ), ( CORN ), ( SOYB ), ( DBA ), ( MOO ) More on U.S. grain futures Corn: Runner Up In Oil Spike Commodities: Persian Gulf Disruptions Hitting Upstream Oil Production Commodities: Oil Softens Ahead Of Further U.S.-Iran Talks, Rising Tariff Uncertainty
Dow Jones futures edged higher after hours, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures. The February jobs report is on tap. Costco Wholesale and Marvell Technology headlined earnings after the close.
Dow Jones futures edged higher after hours, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures. The February jobs report is on tap. Costco Wholesale and Marvell Technology headlined earnings after the close.