Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 447
Oracle Doubles Down on AI: Plans Up to $50bn Raise to Build Massive Cloud Capacity for OpenAI and Others
Oracle intends to raise $45–50 billion in 2026 through equity-linked securities, common stock and a senior bond to expand cloud capacity for large AI customers including OpenAI. The move highlights the enormous capital required for AI-scale data centres and has intensified investor concerns about returns, credit risk and the feasibility of the company’s expansion plans.
Bitcoin Retreats Below $77,000 as Crypto Markets See a Mid‑Day Pullback
Bitcoin fell below $77,000 on Feb. 1, slipping 2.23% intraday. The drop underlines the continued volatility of digital‑asset markets and highlights the risk that leverage and derivatives can magnify price moves, posing challenges for investors and regulators alike.
Xiaomi Nears 600,000 EV Deliveries as Founder Pulls First‑Gen SU7 to Make Way for New Model
Xiaomi says it has nearly 600,000 cumulative EV deliveries and reported over 39,000 cars delivered in January as it discontinues the first‑generation SU7 to prepare for a new model. CEO Lei Jun highlighted lab capacity, an expanded R&D workforce and a claimed CLTC range above 900 km for the new SU7, while pushing back on reports of poor used‑car values.
China’s Electric Heavy Trucks Break 50% Monthly Share, Marking a Milestone in Freight Decarbonisation
In 2025 China’s new-energy heavy-truck market surged: cumulative sales hit 231,100 units (up 182%), and December saw a record 53.89% monthly penetration rate, with battery-electric trucks making up nearly half of sales. The milestone signals meaningful progress toward decarbonising freight but raises infrastructure, supply-chain and policy challenges that will determine whether the shift is sustained.
China’s January Auto Scorecard: Xiaomi Tops the EV Upstarts as the Industry Shifts to a ‘Financial War’
January 2026 sales data show Xiaomi Auto leading China’s electric‑vehicle upstarts with over 39,000 deliveries while BYD retained dominance with roughly 210,000 NEV sales. Facing soft seasonality and fading tax incentives, automakers have shifted from price cuts to long‑tenor, low‑interest finance offers — a developing “financial war” that stimulates demand but raises credit and regulatory risks.
Safe Haven No More: Silver’s 36% Flash Crash Triggers $142m Tokenised-Futures Bloodbath in Crypto Markets
A 36% intra‑day slide in spot silver on 31 January triggered a cross‑market cascade that led to roughly $544 million of crypto liquidations in 24 hours. Tokenised silver futures were the largest single source of losses, underscoring how 24/7 trading, high leverage and thin liquidity can turn a traditional safe‑haven asset into a crypto‑market ‘‘bomb’’.
BYD’s Year of Dominance: How China’s EV Giant Sold 4.6 Million Cars and Deepened Its Global Reach
BYD sold over 4.6 million vehicles in 2025, securing both China’s top automaker and brand positions and a fourth straight global new‑energy vehicle sales crown. Strong domestic demand, rapid overseas growth (1.05 million units exported), and advances in driver‑assist data capabilities underpin the performance, but expansion raises operational and regulatory challenges abroad.
China Raises VAT Per‑Sale Threshold to 1,000 Yuan, Extends Relief to Small Businesses
China will raise the VAT per‑transaction threshold to 1,000 yuan from January 2026 and extend formal VAT threshold relief to registered small‑scale taxpayers (annual sales ≤5 million yuan). The rules preserve higher monthly/quarterly thresholds for periodic filers, carve out exceptions for sustained commercial activities, and strengthen withholding obligations for payers.
Leapmotor Posts 27% Year‑on‑Year Rise in January Deliveries as China EV Demand Shows Early Momentum
Leapmotor delivered 32,059 vehicles in January, a 27% year‑on‑year increase, signaling early‑year demand momentum for the Chinese EV maker. The rise is encouraging for a smaller independent rival, but sustaining growth while protecting margins will be the key challenge amid intense domestic competition.
Xiaomi Auto Clears More Than 39,000 Deliveries in January — A Rapid Rise for the Tech Giant’s EV Push
Xiaomi Auto said it delivered over 39,000 vehicles in January 2026, a substantial monthly volume for a recent entrant to China’s EV market. The result suggests Xiaomi has achieved meaningful scale, but sustaining profitable growth will hinge on product quality, after-sales operations and market positioning amid fierce competition.
Leapmotor Posts Strong January Deliveries as China EV Market Gains Traction
Leapmotor reported January deliveries of 32,059 vehicles, up 27% year‑on‑year, indicating improved demand or production execution for the Chinese EV maker. While the number is significant for the company, it remains modest versus China’s market leaders; future growth will hinge on product cadence, margins and distribution strength.
China’s Regional Shift: Tibet’s Surge and Chongqing’s Overtake Signal a New Economic Map
Provincial GDP releases for 2025 reveal a subtle but meaningful reshaping of China’s economic map: Tibet led growth on the back of large infrastructure projects, Gansu expanded through resource-driven industry, and Chongqing overtook Liaoning in total GDP thanks to a booming new-energy vehicle cluster. The data underline a continuing shift of momentum from the north-east’s old industrial base to the south-west and interior, driven by state investment, resource cycles and industrial upgrading.