Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 2086
US Tariffs Cripple China’s ‘Golf‑Cart’ Maker — A Costly Pivot into Semiconductors Fails to Plug the Gap
Greentong Technology’s profitability plunged in 2025 after US tariffs and a trade probe slashed American sales by nearly 80%. A 51% acquisition of a semiconductor firm raised consolidated revenue but failed to rescue margins, leaving the company with heavy impairment charges and uncertain prospects. The case highlights the vulnerability of export‑dependent Chinese manufacturers to trade remedies and the risks inherent in rapid, cross‑sector pivots.
Xi Maps a State‑Led Road to a ‘Financial Power’: Stability, Party Control and Global Ambitions
In a Qiushi essay, Xi Jinping outlines an eight‑point framework for building China into a global financial power that blends market reforms with firm Party leadership. The plan lists the institutional elements of financial strength — from an internationally used currency to robust regulation and talent — while insisting that development remain politically guided and risk‑averse.
Musk's Next Move: Fusing SpaceX, Tesla and xAI into a 'Space‑Compute' Empire
Reports that Elon Musk is exploring tighter integration between SpaceX, Tesla and xAI reflect a strategic push to build a ‘space‑compute’ ecosystem combining satellite connectivity, vehicle and robot endpoints, and large AI models. While the business case is clear, major legal, technical and geopolitical hurdles make a full corporate merger unlikely in the near term; closer operational collaboration is the more probable path.
Vanke Warns of an ¥82 Billion Loss for 2025, Underlining Deep Fault Lines in China’s Property Sector
Vanke expects a roughly ¥82 billion net loss for 2025, driven by falling development settlements, low margins and fresh impairment charges. While deliveries and service revenues remain steady and cost cuts continue, the company warns that earnings will stay under pressure as it pursues asset disposals and operational reforms.
Volkswagen Cuts One-Third of Executives and Reorganises Factories as China EV Shock Hurts Profits
Volkswagen is cutting a third of executives in its core brand cluster and consolidating factories into five production regions as part of a drive to save €1 billion by 2030. The measures respond to a sharp sales slowdown in China, steep declines in local EV volumes and tariff pressures in North America that have eroded profits and forced tougher restructuring.
Gold’s Rollercoaster: Record Peak, Lightning Sell-Off and What Comes Next
Gold rallied to an extraordinary intraday peak in late January before a flash crash erased roughly 6% and knocked several silver and gold ETFs lower. The drop reflected technical profit-taking and forced liquidations amid a crowded, leveraged market, but structural supports — weak dollars, central-bank buying and geopolitical risk — remain intact.
China’s 2025 Fiscal Year: Stable Taxes, Bigger Bond-Financed Spending and a Bold Childcare Bet
China ended 2025 with modestly lower overall budget revenue but slightly higher tax collections and expanded spending financed in part by a surge in bond deployment. Authorities combined a universal childcare cash subsidy with accelerated bond-financed projects to boost demand while maintaining targeted social and scientific spending.
Panama Court Ruling Throws Li Ka-shing’s Port Sale into Turmoil, Raising Broader Investment and Geopolitical Risks
A Panama Supreme Court ruling that voided concession renewals for two Hutchison‑operated port terminals has unsettled a planned sale of 43 port assets led by CK Hutchison. Hong Kong and Beijing have protested, and the decision has already depressed CK Hutchison’s share price while raising wider questions about investment risk and geopolitics in global infrastructure.
Apple’s China Revival: iPhone 17 and Price Moves Drive a Breakout Quarter
Apple delivered a strong Q4 driven by iPhone sales and a notable recovery in Greater China, where iPhone revenue rose about 38% to $25.5 billion. Strategic price adjustments, the iPhone 17 product cycle and supply‑chain shifts to India and the US helped the rebound, though sustaining growth will test Apple against fierce local competition and geopolitical risks.
Flash Crash in Precious Metals: Gold Suffers 40-Year Intraday Drop as Silver Plunges 36%
A dramatic overnight sell-off saw spot silver plunge as much as 36% and spot gold fall over 12% intraday, with both metals closing substantially lower. The rout followed a rebound in the dollar after news that President Trump would nominate Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, and was amplified by crowded positioning and thin liquidity. The move raises questions about market positioning, Fed independence and the durability of metals as an inflation hedge.
Profit Turnaround for Oriental Selection, but Dong Yuhui’s Shadow Looms Large
Oriental Selection has returned to profit after a turbulent year, driven mainly by steep cost‑cuts and a shift to self‑operated goods, prompting a strong stock market reaction. Yet its recovery is fragile: GMV remains below prior peaks, app membership has declined and the company still depends heavily on Douyin traffic while former anchor Dong Yuhui’s independent operation soars.
From County Mine to Trillion‑RMB Powerhouse: How Chen Jinghe Built China’s Gold Empire
Zijin Mining, under founder Chen Jinghe, has grown from a indebted county mine into a multi‑trillion‑RMB metals conglomerate by combining technical innovation, corporatisation and opportunistic, counter‑cycle acquisitions. Recent large purchases and a global uptick in commodity prices have dramatically expanded its reserves and market value, while Chen personally retains only a small share of the company he built.