Daily Briefing · 2026-11-02

Depending on the results in closely contested states such as Iowa, Japanese companies could be affected on a scale of several trillion yen through stock prices and the dollar exchange rate. In the Michigan Senate race, a Democratic House representative endorsed the Republican candidate, dealing a blow to the Democratic Party's strategy to retake the Senate majority. In the Middle East, Israel's prime minister has demanded an attack on Iran, raising tensions in the region. This could lead to rising crude oil prices and instability in financial markets. Iran and the United States continue indirect negotiations mediated by Qatar, but concerns over a resumption of U.S. retaliatory strikes are increasing uncertainty in Iran's economy. In southern Ukraine, a localized ceasefire has been reached, but attacks on energy facilities continue, raising concerns about rising reconstruction costs. In Ukraine, an air raid siren app was hit by a cyberattack, spreading false nuclear alert notifications and causing confusion among citizens. In the Spanish high-speed rail collision, one Japanese national has been confirmed dead. In the small aircraft crash in Florida, USA, all nine people on board have been confirmed dead. In demonstrations held across Germany, stores were attacked and looted, causing economic losses to commercial facilities in Frankfurt and other cities. In the United States, amid declining confidence in opinion polls, election prediction markets are expanding as an alternative. Domestically, recommendations from the Japan Fair Trade Commission regarding the free storage of molds have surged, intensifying financial pressure on manufacturers. In the cyberattack on major cryptocurrency exchange Binance, involvement by North Korea has been confirmed. GMO held a press conference attended by its president following a system vulnerability issue and a user loss of 4.3 million yen. In the stock market, Intel shares plunged for the first time in 52 years, and the Nasdaq index also fell more than 3% at one point. Semiconductor maker Kioxia projected that net profit for the April-December 2026 period would surge to 24 times the level of the same period the previous year. Restaurant chain Saizeriya is expanding its store network in China, with expectations of increased sales in the Asian market. Nagatanien has resumed sales of Mokomoko, which had been suspended. The flat-rate 35-year mortgage rate for November came to 3.81%, the second-highest level on record. In the "Minna de Oyasan" (Everyone's Landlord) scheme, investors are facing a situation in which they are losing their funds. A dialogue book by Isoko Mochizuki has been recalled, and the publisher is expected to incur economic losses.