Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 3085
Indonesia Market Halts as MSCI Freeze and Governance Concerns Trigger 8% Rout
Indonesia’s stock benchmark fell 8% to 8,261.79 on January 28, triggering a 30‑minute trading halt after MSCI paused index adjustments over concerns about concentrated shareholdings. The local index provider froze new constituents and actions that would increase tradable shares, heightening concerns about governance, liquidity and foreign capital flows.
Foshan’s Hydrogen-Bus Gamble: Subsidies Buy an Industry Cluster — Not Always Service on the Road
Foshan invested heavily in hydrogen fuel‑cell buses to foster a local hydrogen industry, buying roughly 1,000 vehicles and supporting refuelling infrastructure. High fuel costs, falling ridership and limited fiscal space have left many buses parked after they reach subsidy thresholds, exposing the gap between industrial demonstration and operating economics.
Gaotu’s Growth Gambit Falters: Losses Narrow but Compliance, ESG and Product Troubles Threaten Recovery
Gaotu reported narrower losses in 2025 despite strong revenue growth, but repeated regulatory penalties, poor after-sales service, employee welfare controversies and underperforming new ventures have left the company’s turnaround fragile. Its diversification into livestreaming, sports, esports and AI has yet to generate sustainable profits, while weak ESG disclosure and compliance lapses heighten execution risk.
Hong Kong IPO Boom: Food‑and‑Drink Retailer 'Mingming Hen Mang' Surges After Nearly 1,900x Retail Demand
Mingming Hen Mang, a China food‑and‑beverage retailer with nearly 20,000 stores, saw its Hong Kong shares jump about 88% on debut after retail investors oversubscribed the public offering 1,899.49 times and institutions bid 44.44 times in the placing. The listing highlights strong investor appetite for large domestic retail chains but raises questions about valuation sustainability and the economics of a rural‑heavy store footprint.
Sudden Walkouts at HuaAn Fund Expose Deep Talent and Strategy Strains
Two high-profile, abrupt departures of senior equity managers at HuaAn Fund have exposed weaknesses in the firm’s talent retention, product strategy and risk governance. The exits, characterised by one-time clearance of all managed funds, come as HuaAn’s active-equity assets have materially contracted despite overall AUM growth.
Dollar Slides, Gold Rockets Past $5,000 as Markets and Beijing Gear Up for a Diplomatic-Economic Thaw
A sharp dollar decline, amplified by comments from a US political figure, propelled gold and silver to record levels even as the S&P 500 closed at a new high. Simultaneously Beijing prepares for a high-profile UK prime ministerial visit, rolls out drug-regulatory reform and contends with mixed domestic signals—falling real-estate lending, rising semiconductor prices and tighter futures oversight—that together shape China’s near-term economic trajectory.
China’s Auto Rise Goes Global: BYD Targets Korea as Europe’s Old Guard Holds Ground
BYD is stepping up its overseas offensive with plans to launch at least three models in South Korea and a target of over 10,000 sales, reflecting a broader trend of Chinese automakers expanding globally. Despite rising volumes and strong EV adoption, China’s auto industry faces thin profit margins and intensifying competition from established international groups such as Stellantis.
After a 67% Crash, China’s ‘Medicine Maotai’ Gets a Vote of Confidence — But Is It Enough?
Pianzaihuang’s controlling shareholder will buy CNY 300–500m of A‑shares after the stock plunged 67% from its 2021 high. The company is reporting its first sustained revenue and profit declines in years, with cash flow collapsing and inventories ballooning, signaling a structural slowdown in the appetite for its premium products.
Appliance Champion Robam Bets on Robot Chefs as Core Business Stalls
Robam has proposed a RMB100 million investment in YouTe Zhichu, a commercial smart‑cooking robot company, aiming to pivot away from slowing range‑hood and gas‑stove sales. The move targets institutional kitchens and leverages YouTe's patent portfolio, but success hinges on sustained R&D, integration challenges and wider macro headwinds in China's appliance market.
Chinese AI-GPU Maker Reports Revenue Surge but Still Posts Large Loss; Losses Narrow in 2025 Forecast
Muxi Co. forecasts 2025 revenue of 1.6–1.7 billion yuan, more than doubling year‑on‑year, while predicting a narrowed net loss of 650–798 million yuan versus a 1.409 billion yuan loss in the prior year. The company attributes improvement to stronger GPU sales, AI integration with industry customers, and lower share‑based compensation.
Richard Liu’s Autonomous Convoy Brings New‑Year Goods to His Home Village — and a Showcase for JD’s Rural Logistics
Richard Liu organised a high‑profile delivery of New Year goods to his home village in Suqian led by JD’s sixth‑generation autonomous “Independent Wolf” vehicles. The event doubled as both a charitable distribution and a live demonstration of JD’s rural last‑mile logistics capabilities, underscoring the commercial and political stakes of scaling autonomous delivery in challenging rural environments.
CATL and Yunnan Forge Strategic Pact to Turn Provincial Minerals into Battery Value Chain
Yunnan province and CATL signed a strategic cooperation agreement to develop battery manufacturing, zero‑carbon industrial parks and transport electrification, with CATL promising to convert local mineral resources into higher‑value products. The deal advances provincial industrial upgrading and CATL’s upstream integration strategy, but its benefits depend on effective execution and environmental oversight.