Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific.

Apple Inc. delivered record quarterly sales and a better-than-anticipated forecast for the current period, even as the company warned that rising component costs are threatening to squeeze margins. Revenue will rise 13% to 16% in the second quarter, exceeding the 10% projected by Wall Street, driven by strong demand for the new iPhone 17, growth in services and a rebound in China.

President Donald Trump said he would be announcing his pick for a nominee to chair the Federal Reserve on Friday morning, signaling an end to a months-long process that has spurred speculation over the future of the world's most powerful central bank. Trump, asked at an event Thursday evening in Washington when he would make his decision known, responded: "Tomorrow morning." Dollar Industries declined today. But there was a lot of volatility in the foreign exchange. For a closer look, we spoke to David Finnerty, Bloomberg's Rates/FX Strategist.

Asia technology shares are performing better then their US Counterparts. Apple's results drove the positive sentiment across the APAC along with a flurry of earnings out of South Korea this past week. For more perspective on the AI trade, we heard from Herald van der Linde, Head of Asia Pacific Equity Strategy at HSBC. He spoke to Bloomberg's Annabelle Droulers and David Ingles.

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A busy day for tech earnings across Asia and the U.S. Samsung's chip business posted a sharp profit jump on strong AI demand and announced a major buyback, while SK Hynix delivered its best quarter on record. In the U.S., Microsoft shares slipped as cloud growth slowed despite record AI spending, Meta's strong ad business is funding big investments in artificial intelligence, and Tesla beat profit expectations while unveiling plans to invest $2 billion in Elon Musk's AI company, xAI. We break down the results with Daniel Newman, CEO of the Futurum Group.

And - Jerome Powell has two more opportunities to adjust interest rates before his term as Federal Reserve chair ends — and he may not need them. After the Fed kept borrowing costs on hold Wednesday, Powell talked up a "clear improvement" in the US outlook and said the job market shows signs of steadying. It signals a cautious optimism: Fed officials delivered three cuts last fall, and see nothing in the latest data to suggest more are needed to prop up the economy. For more on the outlook, we heard from Jeanette Garretty, Principal and Managing Director at Robertson Stephens. She spoke to Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and Avril Hong on the Asia Trade.

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The dollar slumped to its lowest since early 2022 after President Donald Trump indicated he's comfortable with its recent decline. "No, I think it's great," Trump told reporters in Iowa on Tuesday when asked if he was worried about the currency's drop. "I think the value of the dollar — look at the business we're doing. The dollar's doing great." Trump's comments added fuel to what was already the dollar's deepest drop since his tariff rollout sent markets into a tailspin last year and fanned fears that his erratic policy shifts would drive overseas investors to pull back from the US. After his comments the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index extended losses to as much as 1.2%, as the US currency weakened against all of its major counterparts before steadying somewhat in Asia trading Wednesday. For more on the dollar, we heard from Robert Kaplan, Goldman Sachs Vice Chairman and Former Dallas Fed President. He spoke to Bloomberg's Stephen Engle at the Goldman Sachs Global Macro Conference Asia Pacific.

Plus - Microsoft, Meta and Tesla are among the companies expected to report results on Jan. 28 US. For more on what to look out for in the latest tech earnings and the overall AI trade, we heard from Phil Palumbo, Founder, CEO and Chief Investment Officer, Palumbo Wealth Management.

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President Donald Trump threatened to hike tariffs on goods from South Korea to 25%, citing the failure of the country's legislature to codify the trade deal. Trump in a social media post on Monday said the new rate would apply to autos, lumber, pharmaceutical products and “all other Reciprocal TARIFFS.” Under the existing agreement, the president set a 15% levy on South Korean exports.

It's an important week for earnings in Asia with Samsung and SK Hynix reporting results. Bloomberg's South Korean Equities Reporter, Youkyung Lee, discusses what the market is expecting.

Tech names including Meta Platforms, Tesla and Microsoft all report earnings on Wednesday, with Apple reporting Thursday. Zachary Hill is Portfolio Management at Horizon. He gives his take on the big week for the Mag 7, and the possibility of another US government shutdown.

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The yen gained on Monday as traders started the week on heightened alert for Japan intervening in the market following the currency’s recent slide. Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned the market on Sunday, saying Japan will take all necessary measures to address speculative and highly abnormal movements. Kei Okamura is Portfolio Manager and Managing Director for Japan Equities at Neuberger Berman. He discusses Takaichi's warning, bonds, and the Japan CPI data coming later this week.

Gold rose beyond $5,000 an ounce for the first time, extending a rally fueled by US President Donald Trump’s reshaping of international relations and investor flight from sovereign bonds and currencies. Katy Kaminski, Chief Research Strategist at Alpha-Simplex, talks demand in precious metals and the upcoming Fed decision.

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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 earnings from Tesla and some of the biggest names in tech.
• In the UK – a look ahead to the UK Prime Minister’s visit to China.
• In Asia – a look ahead to Apple’s earnings and why business in Asia is a key focal point.

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TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance Ltd. have closed a long-awaited deal to transfer parts of their US operations to American investors, securing the popular video app's future in the US and avoiding a nationwide ban. Bloomberg's Annabelle Droulers explains.

In Asia - tech stocks are in focus. Alibaba Group is preparing an IPO of its chipmaking unit -- T-Head. The unit develops chips for computing and storage. And it's become a strong contender domestically thanks to sustained investment from Alibaba. For more on the AI rally, we heard from Ivy Ng, Chief APAC investment officer at DWS. She spoke to Bloomberg's David Ingles and Yvonne Man.

Plus - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's plan to temporarily cut the consumption tax on food to zero is undoubtedly a bad idea, and a rather nakedly political one. Bloomberg Opinion Columnist Gearoid Reidy writes that Takaichi's plan is likely to be less effective than more targeted measures to help lower-income households struggling with inflation, and temporary tax cuts have a habit of becoming sticky. Reidy joins us to explain.

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President Donald Trump said he would refrain from imposing tariffs on goods from European nations opposing his effort to take possession of Greenland, citing a "framework of a future deal" he said was reached regarding the island. The decision, which Trump announced Wednesday on social media, marks a stark reversal for a president who has repeatedly attempted to coerce Europe over Greenland. It came after a meeting with North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. For more perspective, we heard from George Friedman, Founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Futures. He spoke to Bloomberg's Paul Allen and Avril Hong on the Asia Trade.

Plus - Japanese stocks gained as sentiment improved following US President Donald Trump's declaration that he would refrain from imposing tariffs on European nations opposed to his goal of taking over Greenland. For more on what is going on in Japan, we spoke to Alice French, Bloomberg's Japan Stock Reporter.

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