Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 3036
KOSPI’s Collapse: Why a Korean Stock Rout Could Become a Global Market Time‑Bomb
A sudden, leverage‑fuelled collapse in South Korea’s KOSPI — driven by falls in AI‑hardware and memory stocks — has amplified risks well beyond Seoul because of Korea’s central role in global semiconductor supply chains and the prevalence of leveraged domestic investors. The rout was triggered by margin calls and an energy shock as Asian LNG prices spiked amid Middle East tensions, creating a pathway for spillovers to US tech stocks and broader markets.
Beijing Bets on More Than ¥6 Trillion of GDP Growth to Shore Up Jobs and Stability
NDRC chief Zheng Zhaijie told an NPC press briefing that China expects this year’s incremental GDP to exceed ¥6 trillion, a figure Beijing says will underpin jobs, livelihoods and risk control. The projection highlights a policy emphasis on generating a specific quantum of new economic activity through targeted fiscal and credit measures rather than on a single headline growth rate.
Hormuz Shock Sends Investors Fleeing: Morgan Stanley Downgrades India as Energy Risk Rattles Asia
Morgan Stanley downgraded India to a neutral rating, warning that disruptions to flows through the Strait of Hormuz could sharply curtail oil and LNG supplies to Asia. The bank’s move reflects growing investor risk‑aversion and early capital outflows from emerging Asian markets amid fears of higher energy prices and downgraded earnings expectations.
Uni‑President China Holds the Line at RMB 31.7bn as Beverages Slow and Instant Noodles Chase Growth
Uni‑President China posted 2025 revenue of RMB 31.714 billion and net profit of RMB 2.05 billion, marking modest growth while revealing slowing momentum in its core beverage and instant‑noodle businesses. The company kept a 100% dividend payout, but investors remain wary as competition, market shrinkage in noodles and beverage homogenisation pressure future growth.
Why China’s Hotels Are Raising Prices — and Why the Outrage Misses Half the Story
China’s hotel sector is undergoing an expensive, uneven upgrade in service and hardware that helps explain recent price rises. Strategic choices by chains — lifestyle retail at Atour, standardised pragmatism at Huazhu, and overextended portfolios at Jinjiang/BTG — determine who captures demand as consumers treat hotel stays as emotional and practical consumption. The immediate result is concentrated price pressure and public annoyance, but market forces and consolidation should rebalance prices over time as supply, consumer preferences and spending power converge.
China’s Contractors Want Their Own Rulebook for Belt and Road Projects, Urges Mo Dingge
Mo Dingge, chairman of China Chemical Engineering Group and an NPC deputy, urged China to develop a bespoke Belt and Road contract template, align financing with contract milestones, and create a contract support centre to protect outbound projects. He also called for stronger laws, standards and financial support to lift the domestic biodegradable materials industry and curb pseudo‑degradable products.
China Signals Steady Support as Oil Spike and Middle East Tensions Roil Global Markets
China’s government set a 2026 growth target of 4.5–5% and plans to issue 1.3 trillion yuan in long‑term special bonds while keeping policy moderately loose and injecting 800 billion yuan of short‑term liquidity. The moves come as oil prices spiked on Middle East tensions, pushing global markets lower and underscoring the intersection of Beijing’s domestic stabilisation strategy with external geopolitical risks.
A‑Shares Slip as Energy Stocks Plunge; Investors Pivot to Batteries and AI Hardware Bets
China’s A‑shares opened lower after a steep morning sell‑off in oil and gas stocks, while battery makers and AI‑adjacent companies attracted selective buying. Broker research highlighted long‑term opportunities in AI agents, overseas data‑centre power solutions and mass‑market AI NAS devices, suggesting structural winners even amid short‑term volatility.
Once a 'Xinhua' Star, Cui Jianbo Falls Silent as Fangzheng Fubon’s Equity Push Stalls
Fangzheng Fubon announced on 25 February that veteran manager Cui Jianbo had relinquished responsibility for a 12‑month holding mixed fund, highlighting a disappointing five‑year tenure during which his flagship fund returned roughly 0.5%. The episode exposes Fangzheng Fubon’s structural bias toward fixed‑income and money‑market products, misaligned resource allocation among equity managers, and broader challenges facing active equity managers in China.
Beijing Recalibrates for Resilience: More Social Spending, Big Bets on AI and Future Industries in 2026 Work Plan
China's 2026 government work report lowers the GDP target to 4.5–5% and shifts fiscal priorities toward consumption, social protection and strategic technologies. Beijing plans targeted bond-financed measures to boost demand while concentrating public funds on AI, semiconductors and other future industries as part of a broader push for resilience and technological self-reliance.
Curbing China's 'Involution' Overtime: A Push to Reclaim Rest, Consumption and Innovation
At the 2026 Two Sessions, CPPCC member Lu Ming urged legal, cultural and technological measures to tackle China's widespread unpaid overtime, citing its harms to health, consumption and innovation. His proposals include tightening the Labour Law, improving enforcement and evidence rules, encouraging industry standards and using digital tools and retraining to lift productivity.
Beijing Bets on 'Spring–Autumn' School Breaks and Paid Staggered Leave to Rewire China's Consumer Calendar
China’s 2026 government work report endorses local rollouts of spring and autumn school holidays and paid staggered leave for workers to spread and stimulate year‑round domestic consumption. Early pilots in Zhejiang and Sichuan produced sharp rises in travel and bookings, and analysts expect the policy to shift spending toward experiential services while posing implementation and equity challenges.