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A man walks past an electronic board showing the Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks’ strong 2026 start loses steam on rising China-Japan tensions

Beijing plans to place an immediate ban on exports to Japan with potential military use, with the possibility of additional measures.

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Made in China 2025

Meow or never: China’s pudgy pets spark race for weight-loss drugs

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s CATL, Nio deepen partnership to develop extended-life EV batteries

Electric & new energy vehicles

Nvidia chooses China’s Hesai for lidar in Hyperion autonomous driving platform

Hesai will supply lidar sensors for Nvidia’s Drive Hyperion, targeting L4 self-driving, as the firm accelerates global expansion.

Hesai, whose clients include premium electric vehicle maker Li Auto and Geely, said it would double its lidar production capacity to 4 million units in 2026. Photo: Getty
Hesai, whose clients include premium electric vehicle maker Li Auto and Geely, said it would double its lidar production capacity to 4 million units in 2026. Photo: Getty
Banking & finance

Citic Securities claims top spot in Asia-Pacific investment banking for 2025

Chinese rivals fill out the rest of the top five, while US bank Morgan Stanley comes in sixth.

Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks hit 7-week high as investors diversify into Chinese tech names

Investors also boost wagers that Beijing will ramp up policy support to prop up economic growth in 2026.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla’s China sales hit record as EV buyers race to beat tax increase

US carmaker’s share of world’s biggest EV market declines to slightly more then 4 per cent amid stern challenge from local rivals.

Tesla cars are displayed in a showroom in Beijing on April 4, 2025. Photo: Simon Song
Tesla cars are displayed in a showroom in Beijing on April 4, 2025. Photo: Simon Song
IPO

MiniMax’s Hong Kong IPO set to hit US$538 million amid Chinese AI sector frenzy

The Alibaba-backed firm is set to price its 25.4 million shares at HK$165 each, the top end of its marketed range, sources say.

Insilico

Insilico signs US$888 million AI drug deal days after Hong Kong IPO

Multi-year partnership with France’s Servier will use Insilico’s AI platform to explore novel cancer drugs.

Banking & finance

US dollar, gold rise after Maduro abduction as investors seek safe havens

Yuan also remains relatively resilient as analysts predict the Chinese currency could strengthen to as high as 6.8 against the US dollar in 2026.

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Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro is escorted from a US federal aircraft in New York on January 3, after being captured during a US military operation. Photo: Reuters
Banking & finance

The ‘biology winter’ thaws: why investors are buying Hong Kong’s biotech IPOs

A wave of China out-licensing deals is feeding a biotech comeback in Hong Kong, where IPOs and follow-on placements are surging.

Healthcare firms now account for about a fifth of the more than 300 listing applications in the city. Photo: Shutterstock
Healthcare firms now account for about a fifth of the more than 300 listing applications in the city. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks near 7-week high as Kuaishou surges, oil firms drop

‘Everyone is broadly constructive because earnings visibility still outweighs macro fear at this stage,’ analyst says.

China property

Property industry an enemy within for Beijing’s economic targets

Ripple effect from further downturn would threaten economic growth and put more developers, workers and even banks at risk, analysts warn.

IPO

Turning point: China doubles IPOs in 2025 amid eased curbs to boost tech push

CSRC reforms revive fundraising momentum with 115 firms generating US$18.3 billion across mainland China’s exchanges.

The securities regulator rolled back curbs on new listings and resumed approvals for pre-profit technology companies, leading to the IPO boom. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

Weak year-end sales cloud China’s EV outlook, keeping price-war fears alive

A weaker-than-expected year-end rush and falling deliveries at major brands are stoking fears of another price war.

BYD electric cars await shipment to Brazil at Taicang Port in Suzhou in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: AFP
BYD electric cars await shipment to Brazil at Taicang Port in Suzhou in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: AFP
Banking & finance

More issuers turn to Dubai listings as yuan bonds gain traction in Middle East

Dubai’s dim sum bond momentum points to investor confidence in China and diversification from the US dollar, says regulator.

IPO

Hong Kong’s IPO dominance in 2025 set to carry on into new year

The city’s exchange secures global bragging rights after 114 companies raised US$37.22 billion on the main board in 2025, according to LSEG.

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Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks jump into 2026 with biggest surge since May

Investors expect Beijing’s ‘policy pivot’ to continue, with a focus on demand-side stimulus and stabilising the housing market, analyst says.

A view of Exchange Square in Central, where Hong Kong’s bourse operator is based, on December 30, 2025. Photo: Sun Yeung
A view of Exchange Square in Central, where Hong Kong’s bourse operator is based, on December 30, 2025. Photo: Sun Yeung
IPO

Shares in Chinese GPU start-up Biren soar in Hong Kong listing

Shares leap 82 per cent in debut after retail investors’ demand exceeds supply by 2,347 times.

Mergers & Acquisitions

China’s M&A revival points to deeper investor confidence in growth prospects

Deal value is expected to rise, with strategic transactions and overseas ambitions driving momentum.

Interest rates

Hong Kong interbank rates forecast to drop on expected 2026 US monetary easing

Savings rates near zero prevent further prime rate reductions, though Hibor-linked loans will get cheaper, analysts say.

Analysts agree that lower US rates in 2026 would drive down Hibor – benefiting borrowers with Hibor-linked mortgages and corporate loans. Photo: Shutterstock
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV makers to corner one-third of global market by 2030, UBS says

Analysts see China’s EV edge enduring, citing overseas profits and supply chain strengths despite tariffs and Western protectionism.

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China’s carmakers are projected to generate most of their profits overseas. Photo: Reuters
China’s carmakers are projected to generate most of their profits overseas. Photo: Reuters
China’s private sector

Small restaurants in China starve as consumers suppress spending appetite

Per-capita spending per meal has dropped nearly 24 per cent since 2023, data provider says, as property slump sows uncertainty.

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China property

China housing market gets VAT relief on resales but demand outlook stays subdued

Policy lowering VAT to 3 per cent reduces seller costs but demand recovery is key to stabilising the housing sector, property agents say.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Beijing renews trade-in subsidy scheme amid domestic car market’s gloomy outlook

Buyers who replace their petrol and electric cars with new vehicles will receive a cash subsidy of up to US$2,858 per unit.

A BYD electric car at an exhibition in Shanghai. Buyers of an electric vehicle for replacement purposes would get a subsidy equivalent to 12 per cent of the newly bought car’s price. Photo: AFP
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