Asia Business Day The Call

Japan’s big banks are unlikely to see a sustained rebound in earnings until risk appetite returns to global financial markets, one analyst told CNBC on Wednesday.

The European Central Bank (ECB) may have warned markets not to bet on a break-up of the euro zone, but it did little to back it up with action sending the already battered  euro into further decline.

The worst drought in U.S. history is hurting food companies in China and margins are likely to suffer in the second half of the year, even as firms battle rising wages, analysts tell CNBC.

Despite recent data suggesting that China’s economy is cooling faster than economists expected, one analyst says consumer sentiment in the world’s second biggest economy remains strong, which will in turn boost domestic industrial and consumer stocks.

Not being invested in equities right now is one of the “most dangerous” things to do, according to Jack Bouroudjian, CEO of Bull and Bear Partners, who believes U.S. companies will beat Wall Street’s estimates for second-quarter earnings.

China’s latest inflation numbers suggest the economy is cooling faster than economists expected, but the drop in producer prices by a steeper-than-expected 2.1 percent in June could provide a boost for corporate margins according to experts.

The first half of this year may have ended on a somber note for global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and it was no different for Asia. Deal volumes were down almost 30 percent on year across the region. But according to one analyst that doesn't mean there aren't good investment options for companies out there.

The absence of an Asian name in the list of financial institutions, which saw their credit ratings cut by Moody’s on Thursday, highlights the strength of the region’s banking sector, says one analyst.

The suggestion overnight by the former head of Hong Kong's central bank that the city state should review its peg to the U.S. dollar and instead think of linking it to the yuan, has not been applauded in the city's financial circles.

Victor Chu, the Chairman of Hong Kong based private equity firm, First Eastern Investment Group said he’s looking to add more European assets that may be trading at fire-sale prices because of the region’s debt crisis.

Apple's stock will top $1,000 within a two-year timeframe, driven by the possible launches of iPhone 5 and an Apple TV before Christmas, as well the tech giant's relationship with China Mobile to sell devices in the world's largest mobile-phone market, analysts tell CNBC.

Japan stocks, which have over the past five years been more expensive than American stocks, are now trading at lower price-to-earnings (PE) ratio than the S&P 500. The country’s economy is also growing faster than the U.S., yet strategists are not suggesting investors snap up Japanese equities.

Investors hoping to cash in on the growth in the Chinese consumer sector should look at China-focused companies that are not listed in the mainland, says one expert.

Evernote, a U.S. mobile startup whose shareholders include NTT DoCoMo and Sequoia Capital, has no intention of being acquired and its owners have "no exit strategy", according to founder and CEO Phil Libin.

As Alibaba Group's buyback of half of Yahoo's stake paves the way for a possible public listing for the Chinese internet giant, one strategist tells CNBC if the company wants to stay competitive in the domestic market it needs to expand, for which it must raise a lot of capital.

China's home prices recorded their seventh consecutive monthly fall in April, with one expert expecting up to 15 percent more downside in the near-term, putting property stocks under pressure.

Japan, the country synonymous with debt and deflation in recent years, posted the best growth rate among major industrialized nations in the first quarter and some analysts are predicting more upside for the economy from domestic demand.  

Benchmark crude oil prices will extend losses this week as risk aversion stoked by lingering political uncertainty in Europe continues to haunt markets, CNBC's weekly survey of market sentiment showed.