Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 3085
Price War Fades, Financing Mayhem Begins: How China’s Carmakers Are Competing with 7‑Year Loans
China’s auto makers have shifted from price cuts to long‑tenor, low‑interest financing as regulators clamp down on direct price wars and fiscal policy subsidises consumer loans. The tactic reduces monthly payments and attracts young buyers, but it also locks consumers into long contracts on rapidly depreciating electric vehicles and concentrates advantages with well‑capitalised firms.
Bitcoin Plunges Below $79,000 as $111bn Evaporates and 420,000+ Traders Are Liquidated
Bitcoin tumbled below $79,000 on February 1, wiping about $111 billion from the crypto market and triggering over 420,000 forced liquidations worth roughly $2.56 billion. The sell-off reflects thin liquidity, stalled U.S. regulatory clarity, muted institutional interest and mixed geopolitical signals, all of which undermine bitcoin’s appeal as a safe-haven or inflation hedge.
Bitcoin Slips Below $81,000 as Crypto Markets Suffer Fresh Volatility
Bitcoin dropped below $81,000 on 31 January, falling about 4% intraday amid a broader crypto market rout that included heavy liquidations and steep moves in ether and smaller tokens. The episode highlights how leverage and thin liquidity can produce rapid price cascades, raising questions about market structure and investor risk management.
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.