Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 2054
AI Compute Deal Propels Tech Stocks — Nasdaq Leads as Meta Agrees $27bn Capacity Purchase
U.S. markets opened higher as technology stocks rallied after Meta agreed to buy about $27 billion of AI compute capacity from Nebius, boosting chip and memory shares. The deal and the start of Nvidia’s GTC conference underpin optimism about sustained data‑centre spending, even as macro risks could trigger intermittent corrections.
China’s Investment Keeps Limping Forward as Private and Foreign Outlays Stall
China’s January–February fixed-asset investment rose a modest 1.8% year-on-year to RMB 5.27 trillion, driven chiefly by state-led infrastructure, mining and utilities. Private and foreign investment contracted, and regional disparities persist, leaving growth dependent on continued public spending and policy efforts to revive business confidence.
China’s Economy Posts A “Good Start” to 2026 as High‑Tech Manufacturing and Exports Lead Recovery
January–February official data show China’s economy making a solid start to 2026, driven by strong gains in high‑technology manufacturing, robust export growth and a rebound in services and online consumption. The property sector remains a major drag, but infrastructure spending and private‑sector trade resilience are helping to stabilise overall activity.
China’s Early‑Year Retail Recovery Is Uneven: Online and Dining Lead, Brand Stores and Autos Lag
China’s January–February retail sales rose 2.8% year‑on‑year to ¥86,079 billion, with online retail and catering leading gains while brand specialty stores and autos lag. The data show an uneven consumption recovery concentrated in necessities, supermarkets and digital channels, posing both opportunities and limits for China’s domestic‑demand strategy.
China’s Factories Keep Chugging: Industrial Output Rises 6.3% as Electronics and Equipment Outpace Autos
China’s industrial output rose 6.3% year‑on‑year in January–February 2026, led by manufacturing and a strong performance in electronics and heavy equipment. The private sector expanded fastest, while automobile and new‑energy vehicle production fell sharply, highlighting uneven demand across industries.
China’s Crude Output Turns Up as Power Generation Accelerates, NBS Data Shows
China’s above‑scale industrial crude oil output returned to growth in January–February 2026, rising 1.9% year‑on‑year to 35.73 million tonnes, while refinery throughput and electricity generation accelerated. Coal production’s decline narrowed and natural gas output grew modestly, signalling energy supply stabilisation even as renewables’ growth rates cooled.
China Orders City‑Cluster Hydrogen Pilots — Aims to Double Fuel‑Cell Fleet to 100,000 by 2030
Beijing has launched competitive city‑cluster pilots to scale hydrogen across transport and industry, aiming to double fuel‑cell vehicle numbers and reach roughly 100,000 by 2030. The plan couples financial awards with strict performance review to drive down green hydrogen costs and demonstrate replicable commercial applications in heavy transport and industrial decarbonisation.
China’s Growth Board Rebounds as Memory Stocks Spark a Risk-On Rotation
China’s ChiNext index climbed 1.41% as storage‑chip and related technology stocks led a narrow market rally, while the Shanghai Composite dipped and turnover contracted. The move highlights investor interest in domestic memory supply‑chain plays amid longer‑term strategic and supply considerations, but the concentration of gains and lower volume point to elevated short‑term volatility risk.
How Pinduoduo Turned Village Corner Shops into the New Rural Commercial Hubs
Pinduoduo’s 2025 ‘free delivery to villages’ programme channels county-level transfer centres and village pick-up shops to absorb second-leg delivery costs, bringing parcels directly into rural communities. The initiative shortens the logistics ‘last mile’, boosts rural consumption, creates income for village shops and enables farmers to send produce to wider markets, though its long-term viability depends on scaling, subsidy management and addressing high per-parcel costs in dispersed, mountainous areas.
Hong Kong Tech Rebounds: Hang Seng Tech Climbs as Big Caps and Chip Makers Rally
The Hang Seng Tech Index jumped 2.69% as major Chinese technology names rallied and semiconductor stocks led gains. The move reflects a rotation back into growth and chip-related stocks, but the rally is concentrated and faces macro and regulatory risks.
Supplier Calms Markets: Shandong Weida Says Battery Sales to Dreame Are Small and Non‑Material
Shandong Weida confirmed it supplies lithium battery packs for cleaning appliances to Dreame Technology but said those sales are a small share of revenue and will not materially affect results. The clarification aims to allay investor concerns about customer concentration and highlights a broader industry move by battery makers to diversify into consumer appliance markets.
Anta’s Bet on Puma: Rescue Mission or Risky Overreach?
Anta’s €1.5 billion purchase of a 29.06% stake in Puma comes as the German brand reports a sharp 2025 loss, widespread market declines and a costly inventory reset. Anta hopes to use its China retail know‑how, supply‑chain efficiency and a measured board presence to revive Puma’s fortunes, but faces substantial risks around brand positioning, channel conflict and execution.