https://www.scmp.com/rss/322748/feed The latest news, analysis and opinion on MSCI. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro A decade ago, some investors believed the United States’ retail industry was going the way of the subprime mortgage market, whose collapse triggered the 2008 global financial crisis. The combination of the overbuilding of shopping centres and the dramatic rise of online shopping plunged bricks-and-mortar stores into crisis. Fears of a “retail apocalypse” were rife. The double whammy of overcapacity and the “Amazon effect” also hit the United Kingdom’s retail sector hard, with prominent stores... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345094/unique-resilience-australias-retail-property-deserves-attention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345094/unique-resilience-australias-retail-property-deserves-attention?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:30:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro It is one of the oldest sayings on Wall Street, yet the adage “markets hate uncertainty” has never stood up to scrutiny. Like most maxims, it has a ring of truth but is a gross oversimplification. What is indisputable, however, is that for several decades investors took major economic, financial and political trends for granted. For a long period beginning in the 1980s, the world was relatively predictable. Many economists dubbed this era “the great moderation”. Others pointed to the impact of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344685/trumps-normalisation-market-chaos-can-only-go-so-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344685/trumps-normalisation-market-chaos-can-only-go-so-far?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:45:14 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal As Hong Kong, mainland China and several other Asian markets usher in the Year of the Horse on Tuesday, the region’s commercial real estate sector is expected to draw increased cross-border capital, with certain segments set to outperform as mega-deals make a comeback, analysts said. Asia-Pacific was set to be a focus among global investors, with data cited by global commercial real estate consultancy Colliers showing that capital raised for the region’s property markets had surged by 130 per... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3343573/asia-pacific-properties-set-steal-spotlight-mega-deals-return-year-horse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3343573/asia-pacific-properties-set-steal-spotlight-mega-deals-return-year-horse?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 06:00:12 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li Global index provider MSCI revised its China gauge on Wednesday, swapping property and conglomerates for semiconductor and artificial intelligence stocks in a sign of technology’s rising role in the economy. The MSCI China Index added tech stocks including SenseTime, Pony.ai and Hesai Technology for a second straight quarter of net constituent growth since late 2025, a move analysts said would accelerate capital flows into the country’s technology sector. Against a macro backdrop of a relatively... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3343220/index-compiler-msci-tilts-towards-chinese-tech-stocks-latest-revamp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3343220/index-compiler-msci-tilts-towards-chinese-tech-stocks-latest-revamp?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 23:30:08 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Indonesia is on track for 10 per cent economic growth by 2029, beyond the 8 per cent target set by President Prabowo Subianto, his climate and energy envoy Hashim Djojohadikusumo has insisted. Hailing multiple projects in the works such as social housing and the development of boarding schools for low-income families, Hashim told a forum in Jakarta on Tuesday that his elder brother Prabowo had to go up against “a quagmire of bureaucratic inertia and resistance” after winning the top job in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343102/indonesia-track-10-growth-2029-energy-envoy-hashim-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343102/indonesia-track-10-growth-2029-energy-envoy-hashim-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:37:35 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim As sovereign wealth funds are increasingly deployed as geopolitical tools, Indonesia’s new state-backed vehicle is setting itself apart by operating with transparency and professional discipline, according to one of its top executives. Pandu Sjahrir, chief investment officer of Danantara Indonesia, said the sovereign wealth fund was being run for profit rather than politics, even as governments around the world tapped heavily into such stashes to pursue strategic goals. “In the new geopolitical... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343078/danantara-indonesia-chief-vows-keep-politics-out-trillion-dollar-fund?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343078/danantara-indonesia-chief-vows-keep-politics-out-trillion-dollar-fund?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:40:20 +0000 Zuraidah Ibrahim,Kolette Lim Zuraidah Ibrahim,Kolette Lim Hashim Djojohadikusumo is smiling almost beatifically, but the trademark feistiness is unmistakable. We are sitting down for a chat amid the turmoil gripping Indonesia’s capital markets and he says emphatically that “it’s good, it’s good” that it happened. This unvarnished answer is one of several he gives as we talk about his country, nearly two years after his elder brother, Prabowo Subianto, won the presidential election by a wide margin, securing 58.6 per cent of the votes on his third... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3342707/inside-indonesias-inner-circle-hashim-djojohadikusumo-his-brother-prabowos-vision?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3342707/inside-indonesias-inner-circle-hashim-djojohadikusumo-his-brother-prabowos-vision?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Bloomberg,Reuters Bloomberg,Reuters Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa pushed back at Moody’s Ratings’ decision to lower the country’s outlook, saying that the nation’s improving growth and controlled deficit were unlikely to result in a credit rating downgrade. “Our economy is improving, deficit is still under control – compared to other countries, we are still in a better position,” Purbaya told reporters in Jakarta on Friday. “There are not strong enough reasons for a downgrade. In fact, we should gradually see... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342597/danantara-indonesia-urges-reform-policy-consistency-after-moodys-warning-shot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342597/danantara-indonesia-urges-reform-policy-consistency-after-moodys-warning-shot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 04:01:02 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Indonesia’s stock market needed just two days of chaos to highlight what investors have long lamented: parts of the market are not trading freely. Last week’s worst tumble in nearly three decades drew attention to a major problem at the heart of Southeast Asia’s biggest equity market: a handful of billionaires own so much of their listed companies that barely any of those companies’ shares are left to trade. At least three billionaires directly control 85 per cent or more of three listed... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342468/indonesia-force-billionaires-sell-shares-loosen-control-or-lose-market-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342468/indonesia-force-billionaires-sell-shares-loosen-control-or-lose-market-status?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 05:04:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesia is fighting to save its financial reputation after a disastrous two days saw stock prices plunge by 8 per cent. Authorities are racing to pass new rules to prevent a downgrade that has already scared investors into pulling billions of dollars out of the local market. The rout, which knocked off about US$80 billion in overall market value, came after index provider MSCI flagged concerns about ownership and trading transparency in Indonesian stocks, the latest setback for a market that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341716/indonesia-scrambles-halt-us80-billion-market-crash-rupiah-hits-record-low?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341716/indonesia-scrambles-halt-us80-billion-market-crash-rupiah-hits-record-low?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 11:13:46 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro A cursory glance at Asia’s commercial real estate leasing and investment markets shows that mainland China and Hong Kong are the weakest links. With the exception of Ho Chi Minh City and Taipei, mainland China’s first-tier cities and Hong Kong are the only markets that will experience a decline in office rents this year, according to Knight Frank data. In the investment market, while transaction volumes across the Asia-Pacific increased 7 per cent in the first three quarters of 2025, they fell... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338726/will-hong-kong-mainland-property-see-recovery-2026-dont-bet-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338726/will-hong-kong-mainland-property-see-recovery-2026-dont-bet-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Richard Harris Richard Harris Investment narratives abound at this time of year, and many of them may develop into generally accepted financial myths that often don’t make much sense. Declaring myths as such is a risky business. A week is a long time to forecast in the investment markets, let alone a year. However, investment shocks and surprises can move markets, and it is important to be contrarian and think outside the box. Recognising alternative investment outcomes against the market consensus is what makes successful... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338257/5-financial-myths-beware-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338257/5-financial-myths-beware-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Judging by investor sentiment in the final quarter of last year, the spectacular rally in mainland Chinese and Hong Kong equities is over. The CSI 300 index of Shanghai- and Shenzhen-listed stocks declined 0.2 per cent while the MSCI China Index fell by over 7 per cent. The Hang Seng Index, meanwhile, lost 4.5 per cent. While most Wall Street banks remain bullish on Chinese stocks, some have turned more cautious. Morgan Stanley believes 2026 will be “a year of stabilization after 2025’s high... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338368/why-investors-should-remain-bullish-hong-kong-mainland-stocks-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338368/why-investors-should-remain-bullish-hong-kong-mainland-stocks-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 08:37:37 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro When US President Donald Trump stood outside the White House on April 2 and unveiled his punitive “Liberation Day” tariffs on most US trading partners, Asia was singled out for particularly harsh punishment. With the region accounting for seven of the 10 economies with the largest trade surpluses with the US, Asia was bound to be hit hard. However, as 2025 draws to a close, Asia’s economies have shown remarkable resilience. While several factors are at play, the most important one is the boom in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3337983/how-ai-helped-asias-real-estate-sector-pass-tariff-stress-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3337983/how-ai-helped-asias-real-estate-sector-pass-tariff-stress-test?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 08:31:10 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro As 2025 draws to a close, Wall Street’s love affair with Chinese equities is in full swing. While the relationship between global investors and China has been a rocky one, market sentiment is now about varying degrees of bullishness. In a panel discussion moderated by JPMorgan at the annual meeting of the Emerging Markets Trading Association earlier this month, some of the speakers said China’s stock market had undergone a shift from “uninvestable” to “irresistible”, especially in the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3337436/has-chinas-stock-market-gone-uninvestable-irresistible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3337436/has-chinas-stock-market-gone-uninvestable-irresistible?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Numbers do not always tell the whole story. But they are revealing nonetheless. In 2013, direct investment transaction volumes in India’s commercial property sector stood at around US$1.3 billion. By contrast, in China (excluding Hong Kong), investment activity reached US$27 billion. In South Korea, transactions stood at US$12.2 billion, data from MSCI shows. The woefully low level of investment in India – a leading emerging market that at the time was already the world’s third-largest economy... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3336433/indias-property-market-enters-big-league-challenges-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3336433/indias-property-market-enters-big-league-challenges-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Investment in Hong Kong’s commercial property more than tripled in the third quarter from a year earlier, making it the second-fastest growing market in the Asia-Pacific region amid rising confidence in the city’s bruised real estate sector, according to MSCI. Some US$4.9 billion was pumped into offices, data centres, retail spaces, hotels and senior housing in the September quarter, a year-on-year increase of 231 per cent, according to the data services provider, which compiled deals worth at... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3334097/out-icu-hong-kongs-third-quarter-commercial-property-deals-triple-us49-billion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3334097/out-icu-hong-kongs-third-quarter-commercial-property-deals-triple-us49-billion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:51:43 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal The resumption of a policy easing cycle following the US Federal Reserve’s quarter-point interest-rate reduction is likely to spur more investments into property globally, according to analysts. For mainland China and Hong Kong, however, the impact could be less significant owing to fundamental and geopolitical strains, they added. “Rarely do central banks do ‘one and done’,” said Pamela Ambler, head of capital markets research for Asia-Pacific at JLL. “This [Fed] cut is likely to kick off a... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3326288/feds-rate-cut-fuel-property-investment-globally-hong-kong-faces-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3326288/feds-rate-cut-fuel-property-investment-globally-hong-kong-faces-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:30:12 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Singapore’s Temasek Holdings is mulling one of its biggest overhauls in years, potentially reorganising the firm into three investment vehicles in a bid to boost returns and efficiencies, according to people familiar with the matter. Under the proposal still being discussed at senior levels, Singapore’s state-owned investor could divide its business into three arms. One would focus on Temasek’s biggest domestic holdings, such as Singapore Airlines, and another would oversee largely foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3322544/singapores-temasek-mulls-major-overhaul-boost-returns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3322544/singapores-temasek-mulls-major-overhaul-boost-returns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 11:31:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro One of the big themes in Asia’s real estate industry this year is divergence. The average price of second-hand homes in Japan in the first quarter of 2025 rose at an annualised pace of 9.5 per cent, while in mainland China it contracted 7.5 per cent, according to Knight Frank’s Global House Price Index. In the commercial property market, investment activity in Australia was up 15 per cent in the first half of this year, while in Hong Kong it fell 59 per cent, according to MSCI data. In fact, one... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322185/how-closer-mainland-integration-lifting-hong-kongs-residential-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322185/how-closer-mainland-integration-lifting-hong-kongs-residential-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong The rotation to emerging markets in Asia that spurred the US dollar’s worst performance in more than five decades will probably continue, as a de-dollarisation trend outweighs a record rally in US stocks, according to Societe Generale. Global investors had turned cautious about their estimated US$62 trillion in dollar-based assets – equivalent to the size of the Nasdaq – as the Trump administration’s “reciprocal tariffs” eroded the status of the world’s reserve currency, analysts led by Frank... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3316939/de-dollarisation-favours-asian-assets-despite-record-us-stock-run-societe-generale-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3316939/de-dollarisation-favours-asian-assets-despite-record-us-stock-run-societe-generale-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 06:53:04 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong’s bourse operator has declared victory in its quest to eliminate all-male boards from companies listed on the region’s third-largest stock exchange, an improvement in corporate governance that analysts said would help attract international investors. Fewer than 10 of Hong Kong’s around 2,600 listed companies had all-male boards as of the end of June, according to Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX). A spokesman said these exceptions were companies that had long been suspended from... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3316530/hong-kongs-all-male-boardrooms-are-all-gone-most-companies-embrace-diversity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3316530/hong-kongs-all-male-boardrooms-are-all-gone-most-companies-embrace-diversity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:30:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Divergences and idiosyncrasies are an important part of Asia’s real estate landscape. Whether it is the stark contrast between Seoul’s remarkably resilient office market and its ailing counterpart in Hong Kong or the big difference between Japan’s mature and institutionalised rental housing market and its nascent peers elsewhere in the region, Asia’s property sector is far from homogeneous. Yet among the leading economies in the region, the performance gap between China and India is far and away... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3316331/why-indias-real-estate-surge-doesnt-make-it-substitute-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3316331/why-indias-real-estate-surge-doesnt-make-it-substitute-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel pressed its intense bombardment campaign on Iran on Sunday, striking a defence facility and fuel depots as the arch foes kept up their most intense confrontation in history. It came after Iranian missile fire on Israel killed at least 10 people overnight, according to authorities, pushing the toll up to 13 since Iran began its retaliatory strikes on Friday. In Tehran, a heavy cloud of smoke billowed over the city after Israeli aircraft struck two fuel depots. For days, Iranians have... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3314485/israel-and-iran-launch-fresh-strikes-conflict-escalates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3314485/israel-and-iran-launch-fresh-strikes-conflict-escalates?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Jun 2025 22:21:16 +0000 Aileen Chuang Aileen Chuang UBS Group is optimistic about Chinese stocks, citing the recent tariff pause with the US, potential stimulus measures from Beijing and attractive low valuations as key drivers, according to a senior executive. “I’m optimistic on China and Hong Kong, as the markets should focus on the valuation opportunities that they represent,” said Neil Hosie, the Swiss bank’s global head of execution services, in Hong Kong last week. “There are still more stimulus measures that China can take that could... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3312525/ubs-upbeat-china-stocks-citing-tariff-pause-us-and-potential-beijing-stimulus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3312525/ubs-upbeat-china-stocks-citing-tariff-pause-us-and-potential-beijing-stimulus?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2025 01:30:17 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro When US President Donald Trump announced now-suspended swingeing “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly all America’s trading partners on April 2, Asian economies – which account for seven of the 10 economies with the largest bilateral trade surpluses with the United States – were singled out for punishment. To some currency analysts, Trump’s tariff blitz added to the strain on the region’s currencies, which had caused the Bloomberg Asia Dollar Index – a gauge of the performance of leading Asian... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3310866/stronger-asian-currencies-mixed-blessing-regions-property-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3310866/stronger-asian-currencies-mixed-blessing-regions-property-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The proportion of seats occupied by women on the boards of Hong Kong-based companies has surpassed one in five for the first time, but significant disparities remain in senior-management representation and pay equity, reports show. Across all Hong Kong-listed companies, 20.8 per cent of board seats were occupied by women as of October, up from 19 per cent a year earlier and 16 per cent in 2022, according to a report published by MSCI, an American financial company known for its indices.... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3301013/women-hold-1-5-board-seats-hong-kong-firms-first-time-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3301013/women-hold-1-5-board-seats-hong-kong-firms-first-time-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Mar 2025 23:30:08 +0000 Zhang Shidong,Yuke Xie Zhang Shidong,Yuke Xie The MSCI China Index will probably rise as much as 10 per cent in the next three to six months, as earnings growth picks up and companies look to boost returns to shareholders through buy-backs and improved governance, according to UBS Group. The gains will be driven by an average 7 per cent growth in profit for companies on the index in the second half and some valuation expansion, James Wang, head of China strategy at the Swiss bank, said in a briefing in Shenzhen on Monday. The dismal outlook... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3276852/ubs-turns-bullish-china-profit-growth-buy-backs-give-msci-index-10-upside?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3276852/ubs-turns-bullish-china-profit-growth-buy-backs-give-msci-index-10-upside?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2024 08:29:35 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Global index compiler MSCI will remove 60 Chinese stocks from its gauges in its latest quarterly review, the third straight cull this year, reflecting the waning significance of the nation’s equities in overseas investors’ portfolios. Fifty-six companies trading on China’s onshore exchanges and four in Hong Kong will be removed from the MSCI China Index at the end of August, MSCI said in a statement on Monday. The biggest yuan-traded stocks on the A-share market that are set to be ejected... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3274307/msci-removes-china-tourism-59-more-chinese-stocks-global-investors-turn-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3274307/msci-removes-china-tourism-59-more-chinese-stocks-global-investors-turn-india?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Aug 2024 09:00:16 +0000 China and the Middle East have the potential to revitalise their historical link through financial collaborations, but more mutual understanding is needed, according to Wei Zhen, a managing director at MSCI. The index provider, which first included Saudi Arabian stocks in its Emerging Markets Index in 2019, has helped to put the kingdom on the map of international investors, as the index provides a benchmark to gauge the market’s movement and performance. As the relationship between China and... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3262249/china-middle-east-link-creating-untapped-world-investment-potential-msci-director-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3262249/china-middle-east-link-creating-untapped-world-investment-potential-msci-director-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 May 2024 03:00:31 +0000 We have selected seven of the biggest and most important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese manufacturers in Mexico tread on thin ice amid threat of US barriers “Keep a low profile.” Such was the advice often repeated by Chinese embassy officials in Mexico to the country’s Chinese-funded factories in April. The factories, however, did not need to be reminded. Warnings from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3260915/chinese-factories-mexico-thin-ice-xi-biden-talks-and-surprise-tiny-ev-hit-7-reads-about-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3260915/chinese-factories-mexico-thin-ice-xi-biden-talks-and-surprise-tiny-ev-hit-7-reads-about-us-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 May 2024 16:01:56 +0000 Index provider MSCI is cutting dozens of Chinese companies from its global benchmarks following its February review, after many stocks tumbled as China’s market erased trillions of dollars in value. At the same time, it raised India’s weightage in its Global Standard (Emerging Markets) index to a historic high of 18.2 per cent. MSCI added five Indian stocks to its Global Standard index with no deletions. In contrast, the index provider deleted 66 Chinese stocks in the highest tally of exclusions... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3251818/indias-stock-weightage-climbs-record-high-msci-global-standard-index-seen-rising-further?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3251818/indias-stock-weightage-climbs-record-high-msci-global-standard-index-seen-rising-further?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Feb 2024 05:21:37 +0000 Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), which runs Asia’s third-largest stock market, reported strong growth in derivatives and ETF trading despite a big fall in new listings, in an indication that the bourse operator has successfully diversified its business model. Total derivatives trading rose by 4 per cent this year as of November to 1.4 million contracts a day, HKEX said on Wednesday as it revealed its annual data. Driving growth is futures and options tracked by MSCI indexes, with several... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3245783/hong-kong-stock-exchange-derivatives-etf-trading-rise-offset-slump-ipo-share-markets-diversification?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3245783/hong-kong-stock-exchange-derivatives-etf-trading-rise-offset-slump-ipo-share-markets-diversification?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2023 12:30:11 +0000 Index compiler MSCI has revised its China stock gauges to better track the country’s public companies at a time when local investors are flocking to undervalued state-owned enterprises (SOEs), but analysts say non-state-owned firms were also worth looking at. As part of its semi-annual global index review, MSCI said 28 mainland China-listed companies will be included in the MSCI China A Onshore Index, while nine component stocks will be removed. The gauge tracks the largest companies listed on... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3220366/msci-adjusts-china-indexes-reflect-growing-investor-interest-undervalued-soes-analysts-say-non-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3220366/msci-adjusts-china-indexes-reflect-growing-investor-interest-undervalued-soes-analysts-say-non-state?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 May 2023 09:46:11 +0000 Banks in mainland China trail their peers in some developed and emerging markets when it comes to climate risks analysis, according to a study by investment data and analytics firm MSCI. Just two, or 8 per cent, of the 25 Chinese banks among the banking constituents of the MSCI ACWI global equity index had published analysis on the importance of climate risks to their operations as of October 30 last year, Cody Dong, a financial sector senior associate at MSCI ESG & Climate Research, said on... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3206264/chinese-banks-ahead-us-peers-when-it-comes-climate-risks-analysis-must-do-more-msci-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3206264/chinese-banks-ahead-us-peers-when-it-comes-climate-risks-analysis-must-do-more-msci-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jan 2023 09:00:21 +0000 Morgan Stanley has lifted the target for a major Chinese offshore stocks index by 14 per cent this year, with the US investment bank’s latest bullish call coming just a month after it upgraded the rating on Chinese onshore equities to overweight. The MSCI China Index, which tracks 714 companies listed at home and abroad with a combined market valuation of US$2 trillion, will probably rise to 80 by the end of 2023, compared with the previous target of 70, analysts led by Laura Wang at Morgan... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3206236/morgan-stanley-raises-msci-china-alibaba-price-targets-second-bullish-call-chinese-stocks-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3206236/morgan-stanley-raises-msci-china-alibaba-price-targets-second-bullish-call-chinese-stocks-month?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jan 2023 06:32:58 +0000 For financial markets, 2022 was a very challenging year that many investors would prefer to forget. Global equities had their worst annual performance since 2008 with the MSCI All Country World Index down by 18 per cent. It was also a bad year for government bonds after a multi-decade bull run. US bonds suffered their steepest losses in nominal terms in over 50 years. The biggest driver of all the market turmoil was a much-higher-than-expected inflation, which triggered the fastest interest rate... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3205578/markets-2023-much-hinges-how-quickly-inflation-recedes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3205578/markets-2023-much-hinges-how-quickly-inflation-recedes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jan 2023 14:00:08 +0000 Clouds of gloom have engulfed the global economy and markets. A toxic combination of persistently high inflation, dramatic rises in interest rates, geopolitical tensions, the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and mounting risks to financial stability have taken a heavy toll on business and consumer confidence. On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted that more than a third of the global economy would contract for two consecutive quarters – the technical definition of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3195790/are-stars-aligning-indias-economy-shine-brighter-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3195790/are-stars-aligning-indias-economy-shine-brighter-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Oct 2022 14:00:11 +0000 Listed companies are polluting the atmosphere at a rate that would warm the planet by 2.9 degrees Celsius by 2050, according to index compiler MSCI. Only 11 per cent of them are on track to ratchet their carbon emissions down to a level that would limit human-induced temperature increases to the crucial goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius. To meet that goal, listed companies must reduce their carbon intensity by 8 to 10 per cent every year until 2050, MSCI said. Yet only 39 per cent of companies reduced... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3183619/climate-change-only-11-cent-listed-firms-globally-track-achieve-key-carbon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3183619/climate-change-only-11-cent-listed-firms-globally-track-achieve-key-carbon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2022 07:30:19 +0000 China’s stock market is likely to have reached the bottom, according to Mark Mobius, dubbed the “father of emerging markets”. But investors should resist the temptation of using index funds – ones that invest according to the weightings of an index – to return to the market, he warned. Rather, they should focus on individual small and mid-sized companies that demonstrate good earnings prospects and carry low debt. These are the stocks that will be benefit from new regulatory policies, he... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3174769/mark-mobius-father-emerging-markets-says-itss-time-buy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3174769/mark-mobius-father-emerging-markets-says-itss-time-buy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Apr 2022 11:00:12 +0000 Russian assets are facing further isolation by money managers as index compilers FTSE Russell and MSCI prepare to remove the nation’s stocks and bonds from their emerging-market benchmarks. FTSE Russell will delete Russian securities from its equity indices from March 7 while MSCI will move Russian securities to “Standalone Market” status from “Emerging Markets” on March 9, measures that are likely to devastate the local market and economy. The decision was made as the market became uninvestable... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3169051/ukraine-conflict-russia-shunned-ftse-russell-msci-remove-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3169051/ukraine-conflict-russia-shunned-ftse-russell-msci-remove-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Mar 2022 05:12:44 +0000 Temasek Holdings trimmed its stake in Alibaba Group Holding last quarter while the stock slumped to new lows, and added Chinese e-c0mmerce rivals Pinduoduo and JD.com to its portfolio, according to its latest 13F filing. The Singapore state investment firm cut its holding in Alibaba’s American depositary shares (ADS) by US$361.6 million to US$1.08 billion as the Hangzhou-based company’s value shrank by US$114 billion that quarter over concerns about regulatory crackdown in mainland... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3167052/alibabas-key-backer-temasek-trims-stake-adds-rivals-jdcom-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3167052/alibabas-key-backer-temasek-trims-stake-adds-rivals-jdcom-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Feb 2022 01:27:03 +0000 MSCI, the world’s biggest index provider, shook off concerns about the “investability” of Chinese stocks following recent Beijing’s regulatory crackdown, citing previous instances where markets rebounded in the aftermath. Regulatory compliance has weighed on China “every three, four, five years and obviously the markets have sold off at the time. But very quickly afterwards, the markets have recovered and gone through to new heights,” MSCI’s chairman and chief executive officer Henry Fernandez... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/article/3146163/mscis-chief-dismisses-concern-chinese-stocks-are-uninvestable-citing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/article/3146163/mscis-chief-dismisses-concern-chinese-stocks-are-uninvestable-citing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Aug 2021 07:38:37 +0000 Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), the operator of Asia’s third-largest capital market, will launch a financial derivative in October for investors to hedge their risks of investing in China’s A-shares market, a move that gives the city an edge over Singapore in fostering cross-border regulations with the mainland. A futures product based on 50 of the yuan-denominated A-shares on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges will kick off on October 18, following the green light by Hong... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3145821/hkex-launch-shares-index-futures-october-deals-blow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3145821/hkex-launch-shares-index-futures-october-deals-blow?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Aug 2021 10:54:03 +0000 MSCI said it would drop three of China‘s biggest telecommunications companies from several of its global equity benchmark indices on Friday in response to a US executive order restricting ownership of companies with purported ties to the Chinese military. The index compiler said it would drop the Hong Kong-traded shares of China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom from its family of MSCI ACWI indices and MSCI China All Shares indices at the close of business on Friday, following further... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3116889/msci-drop-china-mobile-two-other-chinese-telecoms-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3116889/msci-drop-china-mobile-two-other-chinese-telecoms-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jan 2021 03:15:06 +0000 Companies with the biggest business exposure to China appear to have weathered the US-China trade war far better than those that have avoided the Chinese market, as the spat between the world’s two largest economies marks its second anniversary. US chip makers, in particular, seemed to have thrived, leading the gains on an equity index tracking the biggest global companies that derive a big chunk of their revenue from China since the trade war first flared up in the opening week of July... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3091226/it-pays-have-china-exposure-even-during-two-years-trade-war-msci?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3091226/it-pays-have-china-exposure-even-during-two-years-trade-war-msci?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jul 2020 10:00:23 +0000 After the fastest-ever bear market triggered by the pandemic fallout at the beginning of the year, global equity markets have staged a dramatic rebound, leaving the MSCI All-Country World Index (ACWI) only about 10 per cent down. So far, the rebound has been led by the United States. One big question as economic recovery picks up is whether emerging market equities are now a good bet. Or are European equities (excluding the UK) worth considering given that, together with emerging markets, they... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3086551/equities-improve-emerging-markets-and-europe-are-looking-good-bets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3086551/equities-improve-emerging-markets-and-europe-are-looking-good-bets?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2020 13:00:13 +0000 Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) said on Wednesday it would begin offering 37 futures and options contracts tied to a series of MSCI’s Asia and emerging markets-focused indices, a vote of confidence for the city amid rising concerns about Hong Kong’s future as an international financial hub. The move helps further cement the HKEX’s position as an Asian hub for trade in derivatives. It comes two years after the bourse received regulatory approval to begin offering futures on the MSCI Asia... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3086288/hkex-offer-37-msci-futures-options-products-replacing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3086288/hkex-offer-37-msci-futures-options-products-replacing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2020 05:45:05 +0000 President Donald Trump is exploring blocking a government retirement fund from investing in Chinese equities considered a national security risk, a person familiar with the internal deliberations said. The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) – the federal government’s retirement savings fund – is scheduled to transfer roughly US$50 billion of its international fund to mirror an MSCI All Country World Index, which captures emerging markets, including China. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3082562/trump-weighs-banning-us50-billion-us-federal-savings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3082562/trump-weighs-banning-us50-billion-us-federal-savings?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2020 02:20:14 +0000 One of the largest providers of global stock indices has again boosted the weight of Chinese shares in its emerging-market benchmarks despite strong headwinds from US lawmakers who are urging limited investment exposure to China. MSCI, the New York-based index provider, on Tuesday added 204 China A shares to bring the China country weight to 33.7 per cent, or a third, in the emerging market index, data from JP Morgan shows. “The benchmark is being skewed with one country weighing an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/3039484/major-emerging-market-stock-indices-increase-weight-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/3039484/major-emerging-market-stock-indices-increase-weight-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2019 21:07:00 +0000