{"id":66039,"date":"2026-08-05T22:38:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T02:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/moderna-gains-fda-approval-for-first-mrna-flu-vaccine-asian-markets-retreat-on-china-tax-fears\/66039\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T22:38:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T02:38:18","slug":"moderna-gains-fda-approval-for-first-mrna-flu-vaccine-asian-markets-retreat-on-china-tax-fears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/moderna-gains-fda-approval-for-first-mrna-flu-vaccine-asian-markets-retreat-on-china-tax-fears\/66039\/","title":{"rendered":"Moderna Gains FDA Approval for First mRNA Flu Vaccine; Asian Markets Retreat on China Tax Fears"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Moderna (<a href=\"\/stock\/MRNA\">MRNA<\/a>)<\/strong> secured <strong>FDA approval<\/strong> for <strong>mFLUSIVA<\/strong>, the world\u2019s first <strong>mRNA-based influenza vaccine<\/strong>, targeting adults aged <strong>50 and older<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hong Kong-listed insurers<\/strong> plummeted after reports that <strong>China<\/strong> has begun enforcing a <strong>20% tax<\/strong> on offshore insurance income, with Prudential (<a href=\"\/stock\/PRU\">PRU<\/a>) and AIA Group (<a href=\"\/stock\/1299\">1299<\/a>) seeing sharp declines.<\/li>\n<li><strong>South Korea<\/strong> reported a record <strong>current account surplus of $49.73 billion<\/strong> for June, driven by a <strong>196.9% surge<\/strong> in semiconductor exports amid the global AI boom.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Honda Motor (<a href=\"\/stock\/HMC\">HMC<\/a>)<\/strong> more than <strong>doubled its quarterly net profit<\/strong> to a record high, fueled by a <strong>weak yen<\/strong> and robust demand for hybrid vehicles in North America.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Australia\u2019s trade balance<\/strong> swung to a surprise <strong>A$1.93 billion surplus<\/strong> in June, defying expectations of a deficit as iron ore and <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/gold\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"gold price today\">gold<\/a> exports rebounded.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Moderna Achieves Milestone with mRNA Flu Vaccine Approval<\/h2>\n<p>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval to Moderna (<a href=\"\/stock\/MRNA\">MRNA<\/a>) for its seasonal influenza vaccine, <strong>mFLUSIVA<\/strong>, marking the first time <strong>mRNA technology<\/strong> has been authorized for use against the flu. The vaccine is approved for adults aged <strong>50 to 64<\/strong>, with <strong>accelerated approval<\/strong> granted for those <strong>65 and older<\/strong> pending further clinical data. Moderna expects doses to reach select retail pharmacies within the <strong>next few weeks<\/strong>, positioning the company to compete in the upcoming 2026-2027 respiratory virus season.<\/p>\n<h2>Asian Markets Shaken by China\u2019s Offshore Tax Enforcement<\/h2>\n<p>Shares of major insurers and financial institutions in Hong Kong tumbled on Thursday following reports that <strong>Chinese tax authorities<\/strong> are cracking down on offshore investment gains. According to reports from <em>Caixin<\/em>, authorities in Beijing and Hangzhou have begun levying a <strong>20% personal income tax<\/strong> on returns from Hong Kong insurance policies, including dividends and interest. Prudential (<a href=\"\/stock\/PRU\">PRU<\/a>) shares fell as much as <strong>13%<\/strong>, while AIA Group (<a href=\"\/stock\/1299\">1299<\/a>) and HSBC (<a href=\"\/stock\/HSBC\">HSBC<\/a>) also saw significant selling pressure as investors feared the move would curb capital flight and dampen demand from mainland visitors.<\/p>\n<h2>South Korea and Japan Navigate Divergent Tech Trends<\/h2>\n<p><strong>South Korea<\/strong> achieved a historic <strong>current account surplus of $49.73 billion<\/strong> in June, nearly doubling the previous record set just a month prior. The surge was led by <strong>semiconductor exports<\/strong>, which jumped nearly <strong>200% year-on-year<\/strong>, though the broader market remained volatile as Samsung Electronics (<a href=\"\/stock\/005930\">005930<\/a>) shares declined <strong>6%<\/strong> amid profit-taking and shifting memory price expectations. Meanwhile, in Japan, reports surfaced of a massive <strong>2 trillion yen ($12.4 billion)<\/strong> investment plan involving Japanese, U.S., and UAE investors to build the nation\u2019s largest <strong>AI data center project<\/strong>, signaling continued momentum in regional AI infrastructure.<\/p>\n<h2>Corporate Earnings and Macroeconomic Shifts<\/h2>\n<p>Honda Motor (<a href=\"\/stock\/HMC\">HMC<\/a>) reported a standout quarter, with net profit doubling to a record high as the <strong>weak yen<\/strong> boosted the value of overseas earnings. The automaker raised its full-year operating profit forecast by <strong>30% to 650 billion yen<\/strong>, citing strong hybrid sales in the U.S. In the currency markets, the <strong>South Korean won<\/strong> strengthened to <strong>1,415.30 per dollar<\/strong>, its highest level since late 2025, while the <strong>Canadian Dollar<\/strong> remained firm as <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">oil prices<\/a> stabilized and traders dialed back bets on aggressive Federal Reserve rate hikes following comments from San Francisco Fed President <strong>Mary Daly<\/strong>, who defended the central bank&#39;s decision to hold rates steady in July.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Moderna (MRNA) secured FDA approval for mFLUSIVA, the world\u2019s first mRNA-based influenza vaccine, targeting adults aged 50 and 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