Genesis Minerals to Acquire Vault in A$5.6 Billion Deal After Regis Withdraws 
Zhipu AI Stock Jumps on Report of Custom AI Chip Development Plans 
SoftBank Corp Partners With Sierra to Expand AI Customer Support Across Japan 
OpenAI GPT-5.6 Set for Wider Release After U.S. Commerce Approval, Report Says 
SK Hynix Shares Drop After Strong Nasdaq Debut Despite $26 Billion ADR Listing 
Nvidia Tightens AI Chip Sales in Asia With Stricter Customer Approval Process 
Arm Stock Falls After HSBC Downgrade, Citing Limited Near-Term AI Upside 
Nvidia Invests $500M in Firmus Technologies Ahead of Planned ASX IPO 
Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Faces Lawsuit From 12 States 
Apple Sues OpenAI, Former Employees Over Alleged Trade Secret Theft 
DeepSeek Eyes China IPO as AI Startup Seeks $71 Billion Valuation in New Funding Round 
UBS Starts CarTrade Tech With Buy Rating, Sees Strong Earnings Growth and ₹4,000 Target 
ASML Raises 2026 Outlook as AI Chip Demand Lifts Q2 Earnings 
SK Hynix Soars 13% in Nasdaq Debut After Record $26.5 Billion IPO 
SK Hynix’s $28 Billion U.S. Share Sale Draws Massive Demand Amid AI Chip Boom 
TSMC Q2 Revenue Surges 36% as AI Chip Demand Powers Growth Ahead of Earnings 
Deutsche Bank Fined A$2 Million by ASIC Over OTC Derivatives Reporting Errors 
Honda Motor Co. (TYO:7267) and Nissan Motor Co. (TYO:7201) shares surged on Wednesday after reports suggested they may abandon merger plans. Honda's stock rose 2.9%, while Nissan gained 4.3%. Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) also climbed 1.7%, with the Nikkei 225 index increasing by 0.3%.
According to Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, Honda and Nissan's boards will soon discuss terminating merger talks. Honda reportedly proposed making Nissan its subsidiary, a move strongly opposed by Nissan executives. The two companies had initially announced merger discussions last year, aiming to create the world’s third-largest automaker, trailing only Volkswagen (ETR:VOWG_p) and Toyota (NYSE:TM).
The potential cancellation could be a significant setback for Nissan, Japan’s third-largest automaker, which is struggling amid a global shift to electric vehicles, particularly in China. The company has been working to regain market share but faces strong competition from EV leaders like Tesla and BYD.
Japanese automakers are also navigating uncertainty over U.S. trade policies. President Donald Trump recently postponed a proposed 25% tariff on Mexico, a crucial manufacturing hub, by 30 days.
If the merger falls through, Honda and Nissan will need to reassess their strategies to stay competitive in an evolving global auto market.
