:00:00. > :00:00.wind, and high tide over coming days. Those are the headlines. Let's
:00:00. > :00:14.go to Singapore for the latest business news.
:00:15. > :00:26.Japan's stock market has a stellar performance. Investor confidence.
:00:27. > :00:32.Outrageous predictions in the world of business. What are investment
:00:33. > :00:42.bank is watching out for this year? -- bankers.
:00:43. > :00:45.The Japanese stock market opened early today for the first time this
:00:46. > :00:55.year. Investors will be watching closely to see the currency rising
:00:56. > :01:06.almost 56.7% in 2013. So far, not a good start to the New Year for the
:01:07. > :01:08.currency, down by more than 2%. Overall, investor confidence has
:01:09. > :01:15.been driven by government initiatives. There has been
:01:16. > :01:18.encouraging expansion. We spoke to an expert. I asked him how he found
:01:19. > :01:29.the current financial landscape. It feels cheap. They have done a
:01:30. > :01:33.great job to having a loose policy. The yen has collapsed which has
:01:34. > :01:38.helped exporters, profits, and tourism.
:01:39. > :01:48.Will Japan get cheaper this year ? They think it will. There will be
:01:49. > :01:51.more to come from the Bank of Japan. The yen will keep going down. The
:01:52. > :01:55.corporate sector will boost profits and the stock market.
:01:56. > :01:59.We saw the stock market and 2013 rise by almost 57%. It is the
:02:00. > :02:10.highest gain in almost 40 years. Can this be sustained ?
:02:11. > :02:17.We think it can go up some 15 or 20%. A thing so far, you haven't
:02:18. > :02:27.rarely had any big things were economics. There has been no
:02:28. > :02:31.multiple expansion. -- by Abenomics. There is general reform but there is
:02:32. > :02:35.room to go. This year is a critical year because we will see the
:02:36. > :02:43.consumption tax being raised to 8%. Could this stifle consumption ?
:02:44. > :02:50.The consumption tax won't stifle consumption. It is a small drag. The
:02:51. > :02:59.question is, will Shinzo Abe go forward with any of these reforms ?
:03:00. > :03:02.Lip service. Will we see action ? You have to be sceptical given the
:03:03. > :03:08.history of disappointment. Will there be something that push in ? It
:03:09. > :03:13.would be a concern being overrun by China focusing their attention on
:03:14. > :03:16.doing more reforms. It isn't impossible but she had to be
:03:17. > :03:23.sceptical. In the meantime, you have to ride on the benefits of the week
:03:24. > :03:27.in the. The wins the Indian general election
:03:28. > :03:30.this year, there will be a new Prime Minister. Manmohan Singh announced
:03:31. > :03:34.on Friday that he will not seek a third term. The country's deepening
:03:35. > :03:44.economic crisis means the election will be closely watched by the
:03:45. > :03:52.business community and investors. The battle begins. The general
:03:53. > :04:02.election is expected to take place. The 42 -year-old is a powerful
:04:03. > :04:07.member of a dynasty. Another is a controversial Chief Minister. They
:04:08. > :04:15.are two competitors for the top job making the public appearances. First
:04:16. > :04:20.up, a senior leader of the ruling Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi. He
:04:21. > :04:23.took centre stage to address the business community last summer. Not
:04:24. > :04:35.often view to taking a prohibition stance, his speech on the Indian
:04:36. > :04:44.industry focused on public - private partnership. And the other hand when
:04:45. > :04:48.the opposition candidate hosted his investment Summit, corporate and
:04:49. > :04:53.foreign officials lined up to support. He is seen as one of
:04:54. > :04:58.India's business-friendly leaders. He has known for efficient local
:04:59. > :05:05.government and the relative lack of red tape. Critics say the growth
:05:06. > :05:10.hasn't been shared broadly enough. Certain states have done better at
:05:11. > :05:21.bringing down poverty levels. That didn't stop and -- industrialists
:05:22. > :05:26.from enjoying the press. He was a Minister during the deadly riots in
:05:27. > :05:29.2002. The UK and other Western governments suspended ties with him
:05:30. > :05:38.for many years. They have only recently renewed their relationship
:05:39. > :05:41.with the state. Rahul Gandhi and the opposition election candidate are
:05:42. > :05:46.seen as front-runners for Prime Minister after the election. Voters
:05:47. > :05:52.would be choosing between these two men though. Indian politics as farm
:05:53. > :06:00.or conflict. The backgrounds will play a part as will the plans for
:06:01. > :06:05.the economy. This fiercely fought competition is still promising many
:06:06. > :06:15.surprises in the months ahead. In business news, China's state news
:06:16. > :06:22.agency says the probe into 37,000 official suspected of corruption
:06:23. > :06:24.between January and November 2013, the officials were allegedly
:06:25. > :06:29.involved with more than 27,000 cases. Since coming to power just
:06:30. > :06:32.over one year ago, the Communist Party has taken a tough stance on
:06:33. > :06:40.corruption, warning it could ruin the party. Tony's marble phone maker
:06:41. > :06:46.HTC lasts worse profit than expected as it loses ground. It said that its
:06:47. > :06:50.net profit in the three months to December was $10 million compared to
:06:51. > :06:57.more than $33 million in the same period lasting. Analysts had been
:06:58. > :07:03.expecting a larger profit. In Japan, a bluefin tuna at sold for 95% less
:07:04. > :07:10.than that record-breaking sum paid last year. A sushi restaurant or
:07:11. > :07:15.paid about $70,000 for the 230 kilograms fish at the famous
:07:16. > :07:20.Japanese markets. It was the first auction of the year. The fall in the
:07:21. > :07:28.price comes despite fears of bluefin tuna numbers being depleted.
:07:29. > :07:31.Interesting good as? There are plenty of predictions being made
:07:32. > :07:35.about what this new year will be bringing us. What the technology
:07:36. > :07:41.giant believes everyone will eventually have a smart phone. The
:07:42. > :07:47.economy's magazine says there will be a real value on vegetables. What
:07:48. > :07:51.about the economic predictions which might release of predictions for the
:07:52. > :07:55.share has been put out including a look at what is happening in
:07:56. > :08:00.emerging markets and the US tech industry.
:08:01. > :08:07.You are seeing the effects of over the last two years the US Federal
:08:08. > :08:11.Reserve quantitative easing, money looking for yield anywhere, and
:08:12. > :08:15.piling into various things at the Hope of a greater growth story,
:08:16. > :08:18.particularly US technology. Emerging markets is another one wet we have
:08:19. > :08:24.seen a lot of money coming in here stop the developed world is being
:08:25. > :08:29.stuck at 0% so people are searching for yield anywhere. What is
:08:30. > :08:36.happening is that the US is coming out over very long period of low
:08:37. > :08:39.growth, the state is tapering off and high interest rates are on the
:08:40. > :08:43.horizon, we are focusing on fundamentals. They are looking at
:08:44. > :08:49.blue-chip companies with high yields. This is not typically what
:08:50. > :08:52.technology companies would produce will stop they can to be higher
:08:53. > :08:57.growth companies that do not pay high dividends.
:08:58. > :09:03.What impact will this have on Asian manufacturers and suppliers were
:09:04. > :09:05.Chamakh I don't know if it will be a huge negative effect on
:09:06. > :09:12.manufacturers and suppliers. "You may find it is the stress is
:09:13. > :09:16.felt in the industry that a more highly exposed to the US interest
:09:17. > :09:21.rates rising. To me, that would be the property sector. Technology
:09:22. > :09:25.manufacturers and suppliers, as long as growth holds its course, I don't
:09:26. > :09:30.see a huge amount of change. The currency markets, you think the
:09:31. > :09:32.Indian and Indonesian currencies will appreciate against the US
:09:33. > :09:37.dollar. Why ? Definitely. The hot money that has
:09:38. > :09:41.been going in in the search for yield has flowed into emerging
:09:42. > :09:46.markets. When you paid your currency to other countries and their
:09:47. > :09:56.currencies, you are affecting the monetary six. -- monetary policy.
:09:57. > :10:08.Will the Yang Jiechi the ? Yes, at the end of the quarter
:10:09. > :10:13.probably. Let's have a look at Asian stocks.
:10:14. > :10:17.Currently they are under pressure as investors look at Commons from the
:10:18. > :10:26.Federal Reserve that risk quickly the Federal and pull and its
:10:27. > :10:27.stimulus programme. -- the Federal will end its stimulus programme.
:10:28. > :10:46.Thank you for your time. BBC News. Headlines: A stream of
:10:47. > :10:48.Italy called Arctic air is sweeping through you the United States where
:10:49. > :10:53.temperatures could fall to record lows in the next few days.
:10:54. > :10:56.Negotiations to resolve the conflict in South Sudan show little progress.
:10:57. > :10:57.An army general