Newswire: Feb 15, 2026 10:43 PM EST

Highlights:

• BOJ & Yen Outlook: Former Japanese Vice Finance Minister Takehiko Nakao says a Bank of Japan rate hike would support the yen and calls for greater alignment between the Takaichi administration and the central bank on economic goals. Bloomberg

• Taiwan Policy: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, said the US must avoid "any such confrontation" regarding Taiwan when asked whether Washington would defend the island against a Chinese attack. Bloomberg

• USD Weakness: HSBC's head of Asia FX research Joey Chew says the US dollar will remain soft due to political and structural factors, and also discussed the Japanese yen outlook. Bloomberg

• Telkom Indonesia Data Centers: PT Telkom Indonesia is reportedly reviving a plan to sell a stake in its data center business to capitalize on growing demand for digital infrastructure assets. Bloomberg

• India IT Under Pressure: Bearish sentiment is tightening around India's IT sector as global AI concerns deepen, with analysts warning that any hit to IT profits could stall the broader earnings recovery. Bloomberg

• Indonesia Index Review: S&P Dow Jones Indices said it will proceed with its March quarterly rebalance of Indonesian stocks even as rival index providers have paused reviews over stock ownership transparency concerns. Bloomberg

• Industrial Metals Quiet: Industrial metals had a subdued start to the week with many Asian traders offline for the Lunar New Year holiday and US markets also closed. Bloomberg

• Xi on Domestic Demand: President Xi Jinping called for anchoring China's economic growth around domestic demand as its main driver, urging the country to leverage its "super-large-scale market." Bloomberg

• AirAsia Nasdaq Listing: AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes said the airline's branding unit is nearing a backdoor listing on Nasdaq via an acquisition target, which would value the new entity at roughly $1.5 billion. Bloomberg

• Alibaba Leads Tech Selloff: Alibaba led a Chinese tech-share decline after the Pentagon briefly published a list adding major Chinese companies as military-linked entities, then withdrew the roster minutes later without explanation. Bloomberg