Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 3030
China’s Car Market Stumbles in February as Exports and Finance Deals Cushion the Blow
February retail sales of passenger cars in China plunged 25.4% year‑on‑year to about 1.034 million units, with domestic independent brands hardest hit. Automakers have responded with long‑tenor, low‑interest financing to boost demand, while exports—especially of new energy vehicles—hit record highs and provided an offset to the domestic slowdown.
Soybeans as a Barometer: China’s Silence on U.S. Purchases Clouds Trump’s China Visit
Soybeans are expected to be a central topic in preparatory talks ahead of President Trump’s scheduled late‑March China visit, but China has not signaled any fresh ‘‘goodwill’’ purchases. Commercial factors — abundant, cheaper Brazilian supplies and a 13% U.S. tariff — combined with geopolitical and legal uncertainties have left markets lowering expectations for a rapid trade breakthrough.
Beijing’s Balancing Act: Gig‑Worker Protections, State Landlords Cut Rents and a Spike in Oil Prices Roil Markets
China is implementing targeted measures to broaden protections for a 240 million plus flexible workforce while state landlords cut rents to stabilise occupancy and attract talent. Regulatory tightening on food safety, provincial industrial cluster upgrades and a sudden oil price spike are adding policy and market pressures, even as tech firms vie for AI talent and tussle over open‑source code.
Shandong’s One‑Year Gold Push: A High‑Risk Bid to Add 20–50 Tonnes from Jiaodong
Shandong province has launched a one‑year campaign to add 20–50 tonnes of gold from the Jiaodong region, mobilising large technical teams and drilling capacity under a provincial implementation plan for 2025–2027. The effort reflects China’s strategic push to bolster gold supply amid high global prices and a structural domestic supply‑demand gap, but geological and permitting realities make the target ambitious.
China’s Wind Unveils 'WindClaw' — AI Trading Agents Meet Professional Financial Data
Wind has launched WindClaw, a public‑beta AI agent platform tightly integrated with the company’s professional financial datasets and designed for local deployment. The product promises to automate research workflows but arrives amid regulatory warnings about the security and governance risks of autonomous AI agents.
When Chief Analysts Quit: China’s Finance Women Turning to Buddhism, Courses and Showbiz
Senior women in China’s financial industry are increasingly leaving high‑paying posts for Buddhist study, paid knowledge content and entertainment careers. The trend highlights burnout, the rise of personal branding and a reconfiguration of professional incentives that could thin institutional research and shift influence outside regulated channels.
After China’s Two Sessions, Markets Face a March of Tests — Earnings, Central Banks and a Geopolitical Wild Card
China’s Two Sessions have ended, leaving markets to navigate a crowded March calendar of earnings, property-season dynamics and major global central-bank decisions, all against a volatile geopolitical backdrop that has lifted oil prices. A survey of financial experts shows mixed views across major asset classes and recommends a cautious, income-and-quality biased allocation rather than aggressive bets.
China Recasts Its Housing Fund as a Tool to Unlock Trillions for Renovation, Rent and Urban Renewal
China is widening uses for its housing provident fund to mobilise roughly ¥10.9 trillion in deposits by allowing withdrawals for rent, renovations, property fees and urban‑renewal projects. Local pilots aim to spur consumption, speed up old‑neighbourhood upgrades and support housing affordability, while national signals suggest the reform will be phased in more broadly. The reforms could nudge domestic demand and help stabilise the property market, but they carry administrative, fiscal and targeting risks that policymakers must manage carefully.
Gambling Allegations Ripple Through China’s Corporate Elite — From Bona Film to Fund Managers
A gambling‑related claim involving Yu Dong, chairman of Bona Film, has reignited concerns about governance and financial vulnerability in Chinese corporates. Similar scandals among executives in gaming, real estate and asset management show the reputational and regulatory fallout can damage companies and investor confidence well beyond the initial accusation.
Shanghai Ends Mildly Lower as Renewables and Chemicals Rally Amid Narrow Market Breadth
China’s stock market finished slightly lower as narrower liquidity and risk aversion weighed on broad indices. Renewables and chemicals led gains in a concentrated rotation, while coal rallied and military and gas-turbine names retreated. The session underscores a market driven by sector-specific narratives rather than broad-based confidence, leaving future direction dependent on liquidity and policy signals.
GE Aerospace Pours Another $1 Billion into Production to Unclog a Global Engine Bottleneck
GE Aerospace will invest $1 billion in 2026 to expand engine production and overhaul capacity in the U.S. and continue funding its Suzhou, China facility. The package includes $200 million for LEAP durability kits and over $100 million to equip suppliers, a response to deep supply‑chain strain that has inflated airline costs and delayed fleet renewal.
Honda Pulls Back on North American EV Push, Warns of FY2026 Loss After Strategic Reassessment
Honda has cancelled development and planned North American launches of three battery-electric models following a strategic reassessment, and expects a consolidated loss in fiscal 2026. The decision reflects mounting industry pressure over EV profitability, competitive disruption and shifting market conditions, with immediate consequences for suppliers and regional production plans.