Sony Financial Group’s shares jumped nearly 16% in their first day of trading following its spin-off from Sony Group.
Valued at about one trillion yen with an initial price of 150 yen per share, the move lets the financial unit—including Sony Life Insurance, Sony Assurance, and Sony Bank—focus on growth independently while staying linked to the Sony brand. Sony cited competing demands in entertainment and semiconductors as a key reason for the separation.
Meanwhile, Japanese markets fell, with the Nikkei 225 down 0.69% to 45,043.75 and the Topix dropping 1.74% to 3,131.57 after recent record highs. Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea’s Kospi rebounded 1.33% to 3,431.21, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.89% to 26,622.88 and China’s CSI 300 rose 1.54% to 4,620.05.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.85% to 8,862.80 ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s policy meeting, where the rate is expected to hold at 3.6%. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia warned of “real tension” in data, citing inflation risks alongside softer employment and wage growth.
On Wall Street, the Dow climbed 0.65% to close at 46,247.29, the S&P 500 rose 0.59%, and the Nasdaq added 0.44%, ending a three-day slide. However, all three indexes still posted weekly losses, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 down 0.7% and 0.3% respectively, and the Dow falling 0.2%.
Markets remain cautious amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade talks, with economic data and central bank moves set to influence future trends.