- Reuters
Japan's Mizuho posts big jump in Q4 profit, forecasts growth ahead
Mizuho Financial Group reported a big jump in fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday that beat expectations, helped by its overseas business and demand for loans at home, and it forecast higher profit in the current financial year. For the January-March fourth quarter, Mizuho reported a group net profit of 36.7 billion yen ($235 million), compared with 12.3 billion yen in the same period a year earlier. The results also compared to expectations for a 30.8 billion yen quarterly profit, based on the average full-year estimate by 11 analysts polled by LSEG.
- Associated Press
Stock market today: Asian markets follow Wall Street higher ahead of key inflation update
Asian stocks were mostly higher on Wednesday after a rally on Wall Street that took the Nasdaq composite index to a record high. A report Tuesday showed that prices remain stubbornly high at the wholesale level in the United States, before many price changes are passed along to consumers, with the producer price index reading for April reaching 0.5%, higher than forecast. The rate of inflation has been ticking higher in 2024, raising concerns that the Federal Reserve could have a hard time taming inflation to its goal of 2%.
- AFP
Taiwan drag queen performs for outgoing President Tsai
Taiwanese drag queen Nymphia Wind and winner of hit TV series "RuPaul's Drag Race" performed a rousing medley of songs for outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, thanking her for being the island's "mother".The first East Asian winner of "RuPaul's Drag Race" performed three songs in the main entrance of the presidential office -- the first by Taiwanese songstress Huang Fei, and then "Marry the Night" by Lady Gaga.
