Yen Bulls Burned After BOJ's Surprise Spurs Biggest Rout in Year

The currency held losses against all major peers and bond yields dropped to fresh records on Monday after Kuroda unexpectedly announced a negative interest-rate strategy on Friday, setting off the yen’s biggest drop against the dollar since October 2014. The move hammered hedge funds and other large speculators that had built up the most bullish yen position in almost four years as a rout in global stocks spurred demand for havens. The...

Oil Records Second Weekly Gain Amid Output Cut Speculation

Oil recorded a second weekly gain amid speculation that OPEC and Russia will meet to discuss trimming crude production to bolster prices. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that while OPEC member Venezuela proposed a meeting next month, nothing is scheduled. Russia, after months of insisting it was happy to keep pumping at full throttle, suggested in recent comments it is open to compromise with the Organization of...

Asian Stocks Advance for Fourth Day Amid Central Bank Optimism

Asian stocks rose, with the regional benchmark index heading for its fourth day of advances, as shares in Tokyo extended Friday’s rally after the Bank of Japan stepped up its monetary stimulus. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 0.4 percent to 121.82 as of 9:05 a.m. in Tokyo, extending its longest winning streak of the year as optimism grew that central banks around the world will support financial markets. Policy makers took the sting...

Japan Stocks Rise as Topix Pares Worst Annual Start Since 2009

Japanese stocks rose for a second day after the Bank of Japan’s unexpected boost to stimulus, paring the Topix index’s worst start to a year since 2009. Lenders fell again following the central bank’s decision to start charging for some of their deposits held at the institution. The Topix index added 1 percent to 1,446.97 as of 9 a.m. in Tokyo, after closing higher on Friday amid wild swings as investors assessed the BOJ’s plan to introduce...

U.S. Stocks Trim January Rout Amid BOJ Action

The U.S. stocks ended the worst January since 2009 with the best one-day gains in more than four months, after earnings from Microsoft Corp. exceeded expectations and the Bank of Japan stepped up monetary stimulus. Equity gains accelerated in the final hour, with the strong finish a fitting end to a weak month that featured sharp reversals on an almost daily basis. Microsoft led the surge Friday with its biggest gain in three months....