TYO:7267

Honda Invests in Niron Magnetics to Support Rare-Earth-Free Magnet Production

Honda (TYO:7267) has invested in Niron Magnetics through its Honda Xcelerator Ventures program, according to a press release on Wednesday.The funding amount was not disclosed. The capital will assist Niron in scaling manufacturing operations and developing its magnetic material technology.Niron produces iron nitride permanent magnets that do not use rare-earth elements. The magnets has applications in automotive, robotics, industrial automation, AI infrastructure, data centers and consumer electronics.

Market Chatter: Japan's Preferred Networks Targets IPO After Reaching Profitability

Japanese AI chip startup Preferred Networks plans to go public within the next few years to raise funds for mass-producing semiconductors, Bloomberg News reported Monday, citing CEO Daisuke Okanohara.The Tokyo-based company intends to deliver new chip samples in the first half of next year and launch them commercially by December 2027, the news wire said.It aims to become profitable within three years before pursuing a listing, the report said.Preferred Networks builds industrial large language models and, through a joint venture, works with SoftBank (TYO:9984), Sony (TYO:6758), and Honda (TYO:7267) to develop a homegrown multimodal foundation model, according to the report.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

Japanese Stocks Fall on Bond Selloff as US-Iran Conflict Fuels Rate Hike Fears; Oil Climbs

Japanese stocks closed down on Wednesday to end in the red on a global bond selloff as a fresh escalation in the Middle East fueled inflation and rate hike fears as oil climbs.The benchmark Nikkei 225 closed down 1,889.70 points, or 2.85%, at 64,325.64.Oil prices climbed as fresh US-Iran escalation heightened uncertainty in the Middle East, raising energy security concerns and fears over the safety of oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz.On the corporate side, Honda Motor (TYO:7267) will carry out cost-cutting measures amounting to 1.5 trillion yen over a four-year period to boost its competitiveness against Chinese rivals, according to media reports.Also, SoftBank (TYO:9434) said it has partnered with LY (TYO:4689) to launch Yahoo! Smartphone Buyback, an online service allowing customers to sell their smartphones regardless of their mobile carrier in Japan, according to a Wednesday release.

Market Chatter: Honda Motor Seeks 1.5 Trillion Yen in Cost-Cutting Measures

Honda Motor (TYO:7267) will carry out cost-cutting measures amounting to 1.5 trillion yen over a four-year period to boost its competitiveness against Chinese rivals, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing internal documents and people with knowledge of the matter.The Japanese automaker previously met with major suppliers, asking them to make significant price cuts and informing them of its plan to get more components from Chinese suppliers, the report cited its sources as saying.The company looks to lessen costs by 30% in key categories that include pressed and forged components, electrical parts and parts linked to software-defined vehicles, the report cited the documents as saying.Honda did not immediately respond to' request for comment.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

Honda, Nissan Partner to Jointly Develop Standardized ECUs for Next-Generation Vehicles

Honda (TYO:7267) entered a joint development deal with Nissan Motor (TYO:7201) to standardize multiple electronic control units and software for next-generation software-defined vehicles, or SDVs.The Japan-based automaker said that the deal covers the in-vehicle operating system and key parts of the middleware, and vehicle control software that run on these ECUsThe partnership will equip companies' next-generation vehicles with an architecture incorporating the jointly developed electronic control units from fiscal 2029 onward.

Honda Sales in Japan Rise 18% in July; Exports Fall Except for Europe

Honda's (TYO:7267) sales in Japan climbed 18% year-on-year to 61,799 units in July, with increases in both registrations and mini-vehicle sales, marking the fourth consecutive monthly gain, according to company data released Aug. 28.Global production fell 3.3% to 268,520 units, with output outside Japan declining 4.7% to 200,070 units, as Chinese production plunged 75.1% to just 13,932 units.Exports from Japan dropped 8.2% to 8,589 units, with shipments to Europe surging 48% while exports to the U.S., Asia and other regions declined.

Market Chatter: Honda, Nissan Expected to Jointly Develop Software and Systems for Vehicles

Honda (TYO:7267) and Nissan (TYO:7201) are looking to jointly develop a shared operating system and onboard computer, Nikkei reported on Saturday.The collaboration centers on software-defined vehicles capable of over-the-air updates, with both automakers co-developing the underlying software and hardware, the news agency said.The new system, incorporating Nissan's technology, is designed for deployment across EVs, hybrids, and gasoline models as early as 2029, the publication said.Honda and Nissan did not immediately respond to' request for comment.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

Market Chatter: Honda May Scrap Eighth North American Assembly Plant Without USMCA Renewal

Honda (TYO:7267) may scrap plans for an eighth assembly facility in North America unless the USMCA trade agreement is renewed, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing Executive Vice President Noriya Kaihara.With existing factories nearing maximum output, the company sees the need for additional capacity, but future investment depends on the trade deal's survival, the report said.Kaihara noted that a final decision must be made within one to two years, with operations ideally starting around 2030, though the absence of a USMCA extension could force a strategic shift, the report added.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

Iwai Cosmo Upgrades Honda Motor Outperform from Neutral Plus; Price Target is 1,950 Yen

Honda Motor's Fiscal Q1 Profit Surges 129%

Honda Motor (TYO:7267) recorded a 129% rise in attributable profit in the first fiscal quarter to 450.9 billion yen from 196.7 billion yen a year prior.Earnings per share were 115.84 yen, up from 46.80 yen in the year-ago period, according to a Wednesday Tokyo bourse filing.The automotive company's sales revenue increased 14% to 6.062 trillion yen from 5.34 trillion yen previously.The higher revenue was mainly due to an increased sales revenue in the financial services andmotorcycle business wings, as well as positive foreign currency translation effects.The company forecasts an attributable profit of 400 billion yen, basic EPS of 102.75 yen, sales revenue of 24.2 trillion yen, and a total dividend of 70 yen per share for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027.The company revised its forecast in an upward manner amid exchange rate changes, according to a separate filing.

Market Chatter: Honda India Bets on Ethanol-Fueled Two-Wheelers Over EVs

Honda's (TYO:7267) Indian two-wheeler unit is prioritizing ethanol-blended fuels over electric vehicles to cut emissions, citing practicality and customer needs, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing President Tsutsumu Otani.Otani said that sustainability must remain accessible and reliable for India's diverse market, rejecting a one-size-fits-all approach, the news wire said.Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India is advancing flex-fuel options like E85 and pure ethanol while staying on the EV sidelines, the publication said.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

Honda Motor, Guangzhou Automobile Extend China JV Through 2038

Honda Motor (TYO:7267) signed an agreement with its Chinese joint venture partner, Guangzhou Automobile Group or GAC (SHA:601238, HKG:2238), to extend their automobile production and sales deal through 2038, according to a Monday release.The automotive company said that the extension comes amid growing competition in electric vehicles and intelligent driving technologies and would not make any material impact on its consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027.

Noetra Launches Japan-Made Multimodal AI Model for Robotics

Noetra, backed by Sony (TYO:6758), SoftBank(TYO:9984), NEC(TYO:6701), and Honda (TYO:7267), has initiated full-scale R&D for a domestically developed multimodal foundation model aimed at advancing AI-enabled robots and physical AI.The company has assembled a research organization with engineers seconded from core partners and institutions like AIST and Preferred Networks, according to a statement on Thursday.Noetra also plans to build an AI computing infrastructure with approximately 27,500 NVIDIA Rubin GPUs by mid-2028.Its roadmap progresses from a Japanese-language reasoning model in fiscal 2026 to an omni-modal system by 2028, and a "Real-world Native AI" with spatial-physical awareness by 2030.The models will be released externally in stages, aligning with R&D progress and real-world application readiness.

Market Chatter: Honda to Produce Electric Motorcycle in Vietnam From September

Honda (TYO:7267) plans to start manufacturing its UC3 electric motorcycle in Vietnam as early as September, shifting production from Thailand to a plant in Phu Tho province, Nikkei Asia reported on Thursday, citing Honda Vietnam general director Sayaka Arai.The move comes as Hanoi recently introduced a low-emission zone limiting gasoline motorcycle use on weekends, the news daily said.Arai noted that consumer interest in electric two-wheelers is growing faster than expected, with dealers seeing rising demand, the publication said.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

SoftBank-Led Consortium to Lead Japan's 1 Trillion Yen National AI Initiative

Japan has selected a consortium backed by SoftBank Corp.(TYO:9434) to spearhead a five-year national project developing a homegrown multimodal AI platform, with total public investment expected to reach 1 trillion yen.The initiative, overseen by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), will see the consortium called Noetra Inc. supply the core model while AIST will collaborate with research institutions to advance the technology, according to a joint statement on Wednesday.Noetra, a joint venture led by SoftBank Corp., includes major partners such as NEC Corp. (TYO:6701), Honda Motor (TYO:7267), Sony Group (TYO:6758), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (TYO:8306), Sumitomo Mitsui Financial (TYO:8316), Mizuho Financial Group (TYO:8411), Nippon Steel (TYO:5401) and Kobe Steel (TYO:5406).

Japan's Nikkei Clocks Gains Tracking Positive Movement on Wall Street

Japanese shares closed with gains on Tuesday, tracking the positive momentum on Wall Street and taking cues from the yen weakening to its lowest level against the dollar in nearly four decades.The Nikkei 225 closed up 0.86%, or 594.21 points, to 70,062.32.The US stocks rose on Monday, lifted by the technology stocks, with the S&P 500 breaking a five-day losing streak.The yen slipped to its lowest point since 1986 at 161.98 per dollar, surpassing its 2024 intervention threshold and heightening market vigilance for possible official action, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday.Japan's Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has said authorities are ready to respond appropriately at any time to the falling yen, as per news reports.Back home, Japan's industrial production fell 1.7% year over year in May, missing expectations of a 2.2% expansion, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) released on Tuesday.Also, new housing construction starts in Japan rose 33.9% year over year in May to 57,877 units, beating the consensus forecast of a 31.8% increase, according to official data Tuesday.On the corporate side, Honda Motor (TYO:7267) is exploring raising over 400 billion yen through a euro-denominated bond sale to fund compensation payments to parts suppliers following its revised electric vehicle strategy, Nikkei Asia reported Tuesday.Also, Toyota (TYO:7203) posted its fourth consecutive decline in worldwide monthly sales for May, with group-wide volume falling 7.4% year over year to 885,207 vehicles, according to a statement on Tuesday.

Fitch Assigns A- Rating on Honda Motor's Proposed Notes

Fitch Ratings has placed an A- rating on Honda Motor's (TYO:7267) proposed senior unsecured notes, according to a recent release.The notes' rating is equivalent to the automaker's long-term foreign currency issuer default rating, since they are direct, unsecured, and unsubordinated obligations that rank equally with all its other unsecured and unsubordinated debt, Fitch said.The company's industrial free cash flow will remain negative through the financial year ending March 2027 before breaking even the following year, according to Fitch.This comes as the company reassessed its automobile electrification strategy, electric vehicle-linked charges, and supplier compensation, the rating agency said.The negative outlook stems from eroding industry conditions and increased macroeconomic uncertainty, which could adversely hit vehicle demand and put pressure on the company's recovery, Fitch said.