Bloomberg Daybreak: Asia Edition

Asian stocks were poised for a subdued start Tuesday, with holiday-thinned trading keeping volumes light as investors await a fresh round of economic data later this week for direction. Mainland China and Hong Kong are shut for Lunar New Year holidays. Investors are also paying attention to the shifts in sentiment around artificial intelligence, which may reverberate far beyond the technology sector with the emergence of the so-called AI scare trade. We speak to Stephanie Leung, Chief Investment Officer at StashAway.
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Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Japan's economic output in the fourth quarter of 2025 was much weaker than expected, registering anemic growth after a deep contraction in the previous period, underscoring the case for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's proactive spending policies following her election triumph. For more on the latest reading and the market moves, we spoke to Mark Cranfield, Bloomberg's MLIV Strategist.
Plus - we go to earnings news. In Australia, the country's biggest steel maker, BlueScope said its first half net profit more than doubled. The company signaled higher payouts to shareholders over the next 12 months. BlueScope Steel recently rejected a takeover bid by conglomerate SGH and U.S. steelmaker 'Steel Dynamics'. For more on the latest results, we heard from Tania Archibald, CEO of BlueScope. She spoke to Bloomberg's Paul Allen and Shery Ahn on the Asia Trade.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Europe’s fate is intertwined with the US while faulting the continent for what he said was a drift away from their shared Western values.
The double-edged message offered some reassurance to allied leaders gathered at the Munich Security Conference but did little to temper their push for more independence from Washington.
“We want Europe to prosper because we’re interconnected in so many different ways, and because our alliance is so critical,” Rubio told Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait on the sidelines of the conference on Saturday. “But it has to be an alliance of allies that are capable and willing to fight for who they are and what’s important.”
“What is it that binds us together? Ultimately, it’s the fact that we are both heirs to the same civilization, and it’s a great civilization,” he said. “It’s one we should be proud of.”
Rubio’s comments elaborated on a speech he delivered to the event, Europe’s premier annual security gathering, earlier Saturday morning. The speech was the most anticipated of the three-day conference, with fellow leaders eager to hear if he would double down on the contemptuous tone voiced a year earlier by Vice President JD Vance at the same venue.
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Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Host Nathan Hager take a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.
In the US – a look ahead to what to expect from homebuilders in the months ahead along with a focus on 3 stocks for the week ahead.
In the UK – a look ahead to UK jobs data.
In Asia – a look ahead to the Lunar New Year Holiday in China.
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Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.
Asian equities retreated from a record after concerns over the impact of artificial intelligence on various sectors spurred a selloff in US technology stocks. Gold rebounded. For more on what is moving the markets, we turn to Winnie Hsu, Bloomberg's Asia Equities Reporter.
The US and Taiwan finalized a trade agreement to cut tariffs, boost market access for American products in Asia and channel billions of dollars into US energy and technology projects.
Plus - for more broader market perspective on AI concerns, we heard from Julia Wang, Nomura International Wealth Management North Asia CIO. She spoke to Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and Avril Hong on the Asia Trade.
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