{"id":73862,"date":"2026-10-30T03:38:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T07:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/boj-signals-further-hikes-as-corporate-giants-bp-astrazeneca-and-natwest-beat-earnings-estimates\/73862\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T03:38:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T07:38:11","slug":"boj-signals-further-hikes-as-corporate-giants-bp-astrazeneca-and-natwest-beat-earnings-estimates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/boj-signals-further-hikes-as-corporate-giants-bp-astrazeneca-and-natwest-beat-earnings-estimates\/73862\/","title":{"rendered":"BOJ Signals Further Hikes as Corporate Giants BP, AstraZeneca, and NatWest Beat Earnings Estimates"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda<\/strong> signaled a hawkish stance, stating that interest rates remain below neutral levels and confirming that <strong>rate hikes remain on the table<\/strong> for every upcoming meeting.<\/li>\n<li><strong>BP (<a href=\"\/stock\/BP\">BP<\/a>)<\/strong> significantly outperformed market expectations with a <strong>Q3 adjusted net income of $8.46 billion<\/strong>, beating the $7.26 billion estimate driven by strong operational cash flow of $14.83 billion.<\/li>\n<li><strong>AstraZeneca (<a href=\"\/stock\/AZN\">AZN<\/a>)<\/strong> reported robust Q3 results with <strong>Core EPS of $2.79<\/strong> (beating the $2.62 estimate) and revenue of $16.21 billion, supported by strong sales of its oncology drug Imfinzi.<\/li>\n<li><strong>NatWest (<a href=\"\/stock\/NWG\">NWG<\/a>)<\/strong> posted a <strong>pretax operating profit of \u00a32.23 billion<\/strong>, slightly ahead of analyst projections, while maintaining its full-year outlook despite a marginal miss on net interest income.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tesco (<a href=\"\/stock\/TSCO\">TSCO<\/a>)<\/strong> announced a major strategic shift, agreeing to sell its <strong>Czech and Slovakia operations<\/strong> at an enterprise value of <strong>\u20ac1.7 billion<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>BOJ Maintains Hawkish Path<\/h2>\n<p>Bank of Japan Governor <strong>Kazuo Ueda<\/strong> provided clear guidance today that the central bank is not yet finished with its tightening cycle. Ueda emphasized that current interest rates are still <strong>below neutral levels<\/strong> and that the bank intends to bring them to a neutral level appropriately to achieve stable inflation.<\/p>\n<p>The Governor dismissed the idea of a &quot;declaration of victory&quot; over inflation, instead focusing on the need to respond to <strong>upside risks<\/strong>. He notably stated that the BOJ will continue to consider rate hikes at <strong>each meeting<\/strong>, including the next one, while ensuring that the pace of ETF sales remains limited in its market impact.<\/p>\n<h2>Corporate Earnings Beat Across Sectors<\/h2>\n<p>Energy giant <strong>BP (<a href=\"\/stock\/BP\">BP<\/a>)<\/strong> delivered a massive earnings beat this morning, reporting an <strong>adjusted net income of $8.46 billion<\/strong> against the $7.26 billion expected by analysts. The company&#39;s net debt fell to <strong>$13.9 billion<\/strong>, lower than the $14.3 billion forecast, reflecting a disciplined approach to balance sheet management amid volatile energy prices.<\/p>\n<p>In the pharmaceutical sector, <strong>AstraZeneca (<a href=\"\/stock\/AZN\">AZN<\/a>)<\/strong> saw its revenue climb to <strong>$16.21 billion<\/strong>, surpassing the $15.98 billion estimate. The company&#39;s core operating margin reached <strong>36%<\/strong>, and management reconfirmed its full-year guidance for both revenue and Core EPS, signaling confidence in its drug portfolio.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NatWest (<a href=\"\/stock\/NWG\">NWG<\/a>)<\/strong> reported a steady Q3 performance with a <strong>net income of \u00a31.53 billion<\/strong>. While its net interest margin of <strong>2.5%<\/strong> was a hair below the 2.51% estimate, the bank&#39;s non-interest income of <strong>\u00a31.08 billion<\/strong> helped offset the gap, leading to a beat on the bottom-line operating profit.<\/p>\n<h2>Geopolitical and Economic Data<\/h2>\n<p>Geopolitical tensions rose in Asia as the <strong>China Military<\/strong> announced combat readiness patrols in the sea and airspace surrounding <strong>Scarborough Shoal<\/strong>. Simultaneously, the <strong>China Foreign Ministry<\/strong> warned it would take &quot;any measures&quot; to defend its rights following new restrictions from the US Communications Commission.<\/p>\n<p>On the economic front, European data presented a mixed bag. <strong>Germany&#39;s Import Price Index<\/strong> surged <strong>10.4% YoY<\/strong> in September, significantly higher than the previous 8.3%, indicating persistent inflationary pressure in the supply chain. Conversely, <strong>UK Nationwide House Prices<\/strong> remained flat month-over-month in October, missing growth estimates and suggesting a cooling in the British property market.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda signaled a hawkish stance, stating that interest rates remain below neutral levels 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