Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he'll step down following weeks of calls for his departure in the aftermath of a second national election setback, setting in motion a leadership race that threatens to unnerve investors. Ishiba's resignation brings to an end a tenure marked by humiliating election results that stripped the Liberal Democratic Party's ruling coalition of its majorities in both chambers of parliament and left market participants unsure of Japan's fiscal plans. His departure is likely to fuel uncertainty among investors over the coming weeks until a new leader is chosen. We get reaction from Bloomberg's Sakura Murakami in Tokyo and Amy Catalinac, Associate Professor of Politics at New York University. They speak with Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and Avril Hong on The Asia Trade.
Meantime, the yen dropped and Japanese stocks advanced after Prime Minister Ishiba announced plans to resign. The currency fell as much as 0.7% against the dollar, wiping out Friday's advance amid an increase in political uncertainty. US equity futures ticked up after the benchmark S&P 500 Index slid on Friday after a weaker-than-expected US jobs report on Friday ratcheted fears of a rapidly cooling labor market. We get the market perspectives of Candace Browning, Head of Global Research at BofA Securities.
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