Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 2066
Asian Equities Plunge: Nikkei Slides Below 55,000 as KOSPI Futures Trigger Circuit Breakers
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell below the psychological 55,000 threshold, closing at 54,978.86 (down 2.31%), while South Korea’s KOSPI 200 futures plunged about 5%, triggering a five-minute halt to program trading. The moves coincided with sharp commodity price swings and broader risk-off sentiment across the region.
Hong Kong Targets Super‑Prime Homes with New Stamp‑Duty Hike as Market Booms
Hong Kong has raised stamp duty on residential sales exceeding HK$100 million from 4.25% to 6.5%, a targeted revenue measure expected to affect about 0.3% of transactions and raise roughly HK$1 billion annually. The increase arrives amid a robust recovery in the housing market—luxury transactions and primary‑market sales surged in 2025 and early 2026—so authorities expect only limited impact on the recovery while signalling a willingness to tax super‑prime wealth.
Tungsten Frenzy: Geopolitics Sends ‘War Metal’ Prices and A‑Share Valuations Skyward
Tungsten prices in China have surged more than 70–80% year‑to‑date after recent geopolitical shocks and persistent supply constraints, lifting A‑share tungsten producers to extreme valuations. The spike reflects the metal’s military applications and concentrated Chinese supply, but raises questions about the sustainability of profits and the risk of a market correction.
Thailand’s Derivatives Market Halts Index and Single‑Stock Futures Amid Regional Volatility
Thailand’s Futures Exchange has suspended trading in index futures, index options and single‑stock futures amid elevated market volatility. The halt aims to curb amplified risks from leveraged derivatives but temporarily disrupts hedging and liquidity in Thai markets.
China Midday: A‑Shares Slip as Liquidity Evaporates — Defence Stocks Buck the Downturn
China’s stock market weakened at mid‑day on March 4 as the Shanghai Composite fell over 1% and trading volume contracted sharply. Defence and a few energy and equipment niches outperformed, while shipping and coal stocks led the declines, highlighting a narrow, liquidity‑driven market downturn.
China’s February PMI Signals Holiday Lull and Uneven Recovery: Big Firms and High‑Tech Hold Up While SMEs Slip
February’s PMI data show a modest slowdown in China’s economic activity: manufacturing PMI slipped to 49.0% while non‑manufacturing activity edged up to 49.5%, leaving the composite index at 49.5%. Large and high‑tech firms are expanding, but small and medium enterprises and parts of the services sector remain weak, highlighting an uneven recovery amplified by the Lunar New Year holiday.
How China's Fund Managers Are Rewiring Marketing for the Age of Generative AI
Generative AI is upending how mutual funds communicate with investors by favouring model-generated answers over link-based search. Chinese asset managers are building Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) stacks—combining structured knowledge graphs, real‑time data feeds and compliance gates—to ensure official investment logic is the first source LLMs draw from.
China’s Factory Activity Slips in February as Late Lunar New Year Clouds Recovery
China’s manufacturing PMI slipped to 49.0 in February, with seasonally driven holiday shutdowns and subdued demand pulling down production and new orders. Analysts expect a March rebound as factories restart and support measures take effect, but persistent weakness could increase the likelihood of monetary easing.
China’s EV Makers Sell Longer Loans, Not Cheaper Cars: Seven‑Year Finance Rides to the Rescue
Chinese automakers have adopted seven‑year low‑interest loan packages to sustain EV sales as regulators curb below‑cost discounts and purchase tax incentives are scaled back. The offers lower monthly payments but raise total borrowing costs, shift ownership and resale risks onto buyers, and increase exposure for non‑bank financiers.
Asia Stocks Slide as Korea's KOSPI Trips Circuit Breaker; Investors Flock to Gold and Silver
Asian markets fell sharply, led by an 8% drop in South Korea's KOSPI that triggered a 20-minute trading halt. Safe-haven buying pushed spot gold and silver higher, while domestic Chinese gold-jewellery prices retreated markedly. The moves highlight renewed risk aversion and raise the prospect of policy responses to stabilise markets.
China’s Bulk‑Snack Shakeout: Small Chains Must Sell, Partner or Double‑Down as Two Giants Dominate
China’s bulk‑snack retail sector has consolidated rapidly: two national groups now control most of the market, squeezing regional chains. Faced with thin margins and capital requirements for scale, mid‑sized brands are increasingly pursuing strategic partnerships or M&A to survive, while leaders push into full‑category discount supermarkets.
Wang Jianlin Sells Again: State Builders Replace Insurers as Major Buyers of Wanda Malls
Dalian Wanda has continued selling shopping malls into 2026, with recent disposals including Shanghai’s Zhuangqiao plaza. A notable shift has emerged: China State Construction bureaus are increasingly taking ownership — often of projects they originally built — in what appears to be an asset‑for‑debt settlement, complicating Wanda’s plan to pivot to a lighter, management‑centric model.