PRE-MARKET AUSTRALIAN, JAPANESE & SOUTH KOREAN STOCKS NEWS: Honda Motor (7267 JT) is to suspend a CAD 15bln electric-vehicle manufacturing plant planned for Ontario, Samsung Heavy Industries (010140 KS) secured a KRW 750.5bln order for two LNG carriers

AUSTRALIA

James Hardie Industries (JHX AT) - Co. appointed Rob Sindel as an independent non-executive director effective June 1st 2026. (Dow Jones Newsplus)

MoneyMe (MME AT) - Co. raised AUD 365.5mln through an asset-backed securitisation deal. (AFR)

Energy

Australian Resources Minister said exporters assured the government that they will supply enough gas to meet demand throughout the third quarter, while the country will not impose gas export curbs on the east coast market. (Newswires)

JAPAN

Honda Motor (7267 JT) - Co. is set to suspend a CAD 15bln electric-vehicle manufacturing plant planned for Ontario as it raises focus on hybrid-vehicle production, according to CTV News. (Newswires)

Japan Securities Finance (8511 JT) - Co. announced an equity buyback of up to 1.8mln shares representing 2.21% for up to JPY 3.4bln. (Newswires)

Omron (6645 JT) - Co.'s AI unit is using data on 50mln Japanese patients to identify rare diseases and support clinical trial recruitment for overlooked illnesses. (Nikkei)

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group (8309 JT) - Co. FY (JPY) net rose 23% Y/Y to 317.6bln, announced a 4-for-1 stock split for shareholders as of July 31st and unveiled a treasury share acquisition of up to 14mln shares representing 2.0% for up to JPY 50bln, with all acquired shares to be cancelled on October 20th 2026. (Newswires)

Suzuki Motor (7269 JT) - Co. is set to pass Honda Motor (7267 JT) as Japan's second-largest automaker, driven by growth in India. (Nikkei)

Takeda Pharmaceutical (4502 JT) - Co. will pay USD 13.7mln to resolve US Justice Department allegations that it paid kickbacks to healthcare providers for prescribing its antidepressant Trintellix. (Newswires)

Other News

Japanese PM Takaichi will hold a phone call with US President Trump on Friday. (Nikkei)

SOUTH  KOREA

Korea Investment Holdings (071050 KS) - Co. Q1 (KRW) net rose 99.6% Y/Y to 916.7bln, operating income rose 108.9% Y/Y to 1.1tln, rev. rose 123.7% Y/Y to 11.99tln. (Yonhap)

Samsung Electronics (005930 KS) - South Korea's Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said the government may have to invoke emergency arbitration if labour unions at the Co. proceed with a planned strike next week. (Yonhap)

Samsung Heavy Industries (010140 KS) - Co. secured a KRW 750.5bln order to build two LNG carriers. (Yonhap)

SK Hynix (000660 KS) - Co. is set to break ground in August on the second phase of the structural framework for its first fabrication plant at its planned semiconductor cluster in Yongin. (Yonhap)