Why Hong Kong has become this year’s worst-performing stock market
The AI trade has shown gaps in Hong Kong’s stock market, but the share sale boom suggests it is set to capitalise on Beijing’s AI ambitions
· Nicholas Spiro
Follow the story
Business & Economy
A focused view of neutral reporting on Business & Economy, brought together across publishers.
Explore all topics →
Neutral reports only
Newest first · UTC+11:00Why the World Bank is winding down loans to China amid a ‘natural’ shift
Ministry of Finance eyes move towards knowledge sharing as wealth gains and US pressure curb lending for a nation that is now the world’s top bilateral creditor
· Sylvia Ma
China’s World Bank journey hits lending limit: why it is being phased out
Ministry of Finance eyes move towards knowledge sharing as wealth gains and US pressure curb lending for a nation that is now the world’s top bilateral creditor
· Sylvia Ma
Clogged pipeline: Many Hong Kong IPO hopefuls near application expiration
More than 30 mainland Chinese firms face deadline in next two weeks, in process many see as a ‘marathon’, analyst says
· Zoe SL Chan
Clogged pipeline: Many Hong Kong IPO hopefuls near deadline
More than 30 mainland Chinese firms face deadline in next two weeks, in process many see as a ‘marathon’, analyst says
· Zoe SL Chan
Chinese automakers overtake Japanese rivals in Europe despite EV tariffs
BYD's overseas first-half passenger vehicle sales jumped 70% from a year earlier. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
· Staff Writer
Manus on Markets: UAE oil exports surge amid postwar recovery | The National
From tariff turmoil and stock shocks to market meltdowns, the global financial system has never been in such flux.
· Manus Cranny
India orders WhatsApp to halt username feature over anonymity concerns
The stand-off forces WhatsApp to weigh compliance against mounting concerns about government interference in its biggest market
· Reuters
India orders WhatsApp to halt username feature over anonymity concerns
The stand-off forces WhatsApp to weigh compliance against mounting concerns about government interference in its biggest market
· Reuters
M&A is ‘on fire’ as large-cap firms simplify, Citi UK CEO says
U.K. M&A is running hot, driven by large-cap companies simplifying their businesses and overseas buyers targeting cash-generative British assets, Citi U.K. CEO Tiina Lee has told CNBC.
· Hugh Leask
Japan's Dentsu to take subsidiary private
Japanese advertising agency Dentsu, which posted its biggest-ever net loss in 2025, is heeding calls from activist shareholders. (Photo by Kosuke Okamoto)
· Staff Writer
Apple plans five new iPhones through 2027, eyes Chinese-made chips amid foldable push, reports say
Apple plans to launch at least five new iPhone models between the second half of this year and the first half of 2027, while increasing production plans for foldable devices, as it looks to vie for a greater slice of the market amid an industrywide component supply shortage, Nikkei Asia reported Thursday.
· Jenny Lee
Tips and previews for racing at Rosehill on Saturday
5. Island Dec might be back in business now on the evidence of an impressive Canterbury win a couple of weeks back. She had a nice run just off the pace, peeled out and finished right over the top for what looked a soft win. Back to Midway grade, likes the softer ground and should get a similar sort of run. Has to b…
· Ray Hickson
EGA makes significant progress in restarting damaged Al Taweelah plant | The National
Emirates Global Aluminium has made significant progress in restarting production at its Al Taweelah plant in Abu Dhabi, three months after it sustained extensive damage in an Iranian drone attack.
· Sarmad Khan
Samsung, SK narrow site search for Gwangju chip fabs
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are reviewing potential chip fab sites in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province as the government moves to back an 800 trillion won ($514.7 billion) semiconductor investment plan aimed at expanding chip production beyond the Seoul metropolitan area.
· Jo He-rim
Lebanon agreement under pressure, Syria-Gulf trade routes expand and Dubai unveils major road project | The National
In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, debate continues over Lebanon’s new agreement with Israel, with former American special envoy Jeffrey Feltman questioning US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Syria should take on Hezbollah. Legal experts warn that a clause in the agreement could complicate efforts …
· The National
Watchdog chief urges virtual asset exchanges to enhance internal control
SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap) -- The chief of the country's financial watchdog said Thursday that virtual asset market operators are urged to beef up their internal control systems to help the market further develop.
· Park Sang-soo
AmCham launches AI leadership council in Korea
The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea on Thursday launched the AmCham AI Leadership Council, bringing together major global technology companies and policymakers to support South Korea's ambitions of becoming a global artificial intelligence hub.
· Lee Han-gyoul
Christian Brothers win pause on survivor abuse payouts despite ‘disturbing’ school transfers
All sex abuse claims against the Christian Brothers in Australia have been suspended after a court found they could face financial ruin within months, despite scrutiny over “disturbing” $1 property transfers.
· Caroline Schelle
Lindian fires first blast as Malawian rare earths mining kicks off
Lindian Resources has moved from builder to miner at its giant Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi after firing the operation’s first production blast to start active mining.
· Doug Bright
Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and Salon de TIME open in September 2026
ORGANIZED by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd. and The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Ltd, the 45th Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair, together with the 14th Salon de TIME, will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCE…
· The Manila Times
European companies ‘becoming more reliant on China, not less’, says EU chamber chief
Jens Eskelund tells conference in Berlin that Beijing can raise costs of confrontation beyond what other side is willing to bear
· Huizhao Huang
European companies ‘becoming more reliant on China, not less’, says EU chamber chief
Jens Eskelund tells conference in Berlin that Beijing can raise costs of confrontation beyond what other side is willing to bear
· Huizhao Huang
China faces policy test as subsidy pullback hits auto, appliance sales
Fading retail indicators raise pressure for second-half stimulus, deepen export reliance
· Staff Writer
Classiq, QAI team up to launch Korea's first local quantum cloud service
Classiq Technologies said Thursday it has signed a definitive agreement with Korean quantum AI data center specialist QAI to launch South Korea's first locally operated Quantum-as-a-Service, or QaaS, business.
· Jeon Ji-woo
Ukraine FM says Russia offered thousands of POWs for captured North Koreans: sources
Since 2017, I have covered South Korea’s political and economic landscape as a reporter, with a focus on foreign affairs, inter-Korean relations and security.As a foreign affairs reporter, I closely follow developments from the Ministry of Unification, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry, tracking shifts i…
· Jung Min-kyung
Tank maker KNDS postpones IPO amid market struggles for defense
Tankmaker KNDS has postponed its highly anticipated public listing until market conditions improve, following a slump in defense stocks in recent months.
· Elsa Ohlen
New technologies power China’s Tesla challengers to monthly sales records
Bucking muted market sentiment, Leapmotor and Zeekr both set records for a second consecutive month
· Daniel Ren
New technologies power China’s Tesla challengers to monthly sales records
Bucking muted market sentiment, Leapmotor and Zeekr both set records for a second consecutive month
· Daniel Ren
OECD warns of rising shock exposure from S. Korea's dependence on chip exports
SEJONG, July 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's growing dependence on semiconductor exports may make the country more vulnerable to external shocks and cyclical volatility, despite serving as a major "growth driver," the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Thursday.
· Kang Yoon-seung
Finance minister chairs 1st meeting on U.S. investment project review
SEJONG, July 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's finance minister on Thursday hosted the inaugural meeting of a steering committee tasked with reviewing the viability of potential projects in the United States under Seoul's US$350 billion investment pledge.
· Kang Yoon-seung
Sydney firm raised $100k ‘for a bond that did not exist,’ watchdog says
The corporate regulator has cancelled the Australian Financial Services (AFS) licence of Sydney-based firm Capital Guard AU Pty Ltd (Capital Guard) over the sale of a fake $100,000 bond purporting to have been issued by financial giant Macquarie Capital.
· Colin Kruger
UAE oil exports back near prewar levels | The National
The UAE's oil exports rose about 30 per cent last month to more than 3.9 million barrels per day, according to tanker-tracking data from Bloomberg, Vortexa and Kpler, just shy of the highest level on record since 2017.
· The National
Property platform punch-up: Are home buyers and sellers being misled?
July 2, 2026 — 3:50pm
· Elizabeth Knight
PLC Resources lights up giant new WA gold hunting ground in Murchison
PLC Resources has uncorked a whole new exploration frontier at its Abbotts North gold project near Meekatharra, after a high-resolution airborne survey lit up a massive, previously unmapped structure.
· Andrew Todd
Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong restructured, stressing youth, district work
Office’s Economic Department also split into two, reflecting central government’s greater focus on financial matters, analyst says
· Emily Hung
Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong restructured, stressing youth, district work
Office’s Economic Department also split into two, reflecting central government’s greater focus on financial matters, analyst says
· Emily Hung
Korea has long targeted US firms like Coupang: US House report
Report says Korea’s treatment of US firms may violate trade pact, clash with Trump administration warning
· No Kyung-min
Billionaire to invest £35bn in small modular nuclear reactors roll out across UK
Consortium led by Michał Sołowow planning enough SMRs to power equivalent of 8m homes for more than 60 years
· Jillian Ambrose
What is the EES and how is it affecting visitors to EU nations this summer?
Security checks due to new digital entry and exit system have caused delays and missed flights for holidaymakers
· Shane Hickey
GBF speakers urge leaders to spot Korea’s hidden cracks
Cracks in a society rarely appear all at once, but leaders must learn to detect them early — whether in markets, borders or public literacy, speakers at this week’s Global Business Forum said Wednesday.
· Lim Jae-seong
Asian stocks mostly decline on a sell-off of chip shares
A currency trader watches monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
· Chan Ho Him
OpenAI proposes 5% stake to Trump administration to ease Washington pressure: report
OpenAI has proposed handing the U.S. government a 5% stake in the company, the Financial Times reported Thursday, as the artificial intelligence startup seeks to defuse mounting political pressure in Washington.
· Anniek Bao
In charts: What the global wealth report tells us where Australia sits
Topic:Business, Economics and Finance
· Hanan Dervisevic
Peer plaudits power Critical Resources battery push
Critical Resources has scored a significant third-party endorsement for its solid-state battery program, after its optioned dry supersonic deposition, or “DSD”, cathode technology was validated in the peer-reviewed international journal Electrochimica Acta.
· Murray Ward
Solid hiring, high inflation and AI fears collide as the June jobs report nears
A job seeker waits to talk to a recruiter at a job fair Aug. 28, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)
· Christopher Rugaber
From AI chips to energy drinks: Hong Kong’s biggest listing deals of 2026 so far
A semiconductor designer and mainland China’s biggest hog producer are among the companies behind the largest deals
· Judy Xue
From AI chips to energy drinks: Hong Kong’s biggest listing deals of 2026 so far
A semiconductor designer and mainland China’s biggest hog producer are among the companies behind the largest deals
· Judy Xue
Andy Burnham urged to be radical on economy to help Labour win next election
Exclusive: Poll shows policies such as rent control and higher wealth taxes could fend off Reform UK in key seats
· Richard Partington