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Banking & finance

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Banking & finance
News about the global financial industry with a focus on developments in Hong Kong and China.
HSBC says it aims to cut US$1.5 billion in annual costs. Photo: Sun Yeung
HSBC

HSBC cuts 10% of US debt team as restructuring gathers pace

At least six New York staff laid off as the bank presses ahead with a global overhaul aimed at saving US$1.5 billion a year.

IPO

Editorial | Hong Kong regulators are right to scrutinise IPO applications

HSBC

HK$10,000 bonus, extra day off: Hong Kong banks reward staff returning to work

Global monetary policy

Macroscope | US dollar weakness is no game changer for a globalised yuan

Beijing will seize on the crisis to promote the yuan, but without capital account liberalisation – essential for a truly global currency – its rise will remain limited.

An employee of a bank counts US dollar notes at a branch in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2016. The prospect of a prolonged dollar bear market has major implications for the global economy and markets. Photo: Reuters
Fintech

Can Hong Kong lead a digital gold trading revolution with blockchain innovation?

Beyond banks, asset managers, fintechs and crypto firms are racing to launch innovative tokenised gold products for investors.

China jobs

Year-end bonuses shrink in China amid slowing growth, report finds

As China heads into the Year of the Horse, its firms’ bonuses have slowed to a trot, with many employees missing out completely.

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Thailand

Thailand’s economy rebounds despite tourism decline, pandemic

Lagging regional peers since the pandemic, the Thai economy has faced multiple headwinds, including US tariffs, high household debt and a strengthening baht.

People walk next to decorations ahead of the Lunar New Year’s Day at a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday. Photo: EPA-EFE
HSBC

Hong Kong banks lure wealthy clients with gold, mahjong sets, fireworks

HSBC, Hang Seng Bank, Standard Chartered, Citibank and DBS offer the metal to select clients while it hovers near a record high.

Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF)

Can Hong Kong’s MPF members repeat record gains in Year of the Horse?

Volatility looms in the Year of the Horse, analysts forecast, after the Year of the Snake delivered estimated earnings of US$32 billion.

Financial regulation

China puts another big bank under stricter watch – why now?

Beijing continues to impose stricter regulatory standards on major lenders, shielding the financial system from mounting strains.

A signboard of China Zheshang Bank is seen at its branch in Beijing on March 14, 2016. Regulators have now tightened oversight of the bank. Photo: Reuters
US Treasury

Opinion | Why Asia’s sovereign wealth funds are rethinking US Treasuries

Asian funds are no longer treating US Treasuries as the default destination for their surplus capital, but as one option among many.

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The Department of the Treasury building in Washington, DC, on August 20, 2022. Photo: AFP
China consumption

China’s gold rush: why families are doubling down on precious metals

Gold is becoming more popular in China ahead of the Lunar New Year, with households viewing the asset as a safety net amid an uncertain economy.

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Japan

Macroscope | How robust domestic financial markets could ease era of AI uncertainty

Attempts to develop financial centres must go beyond luring global capital and talent.

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China's economic recovery

As Chinese provinces slash revenue outlook, analysts warn of debt control

Local governments seen curbing infrastructure spending as Beijing’s fiscal discipline pushes regions to prioritise social services and tech over large projects.

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An unfinished construction project is seen in China’s Anhui province. A number of local-level governments that lent to certain real estate and infrastructure projects have had trouble getting paid back amid a property slowdown. Photo: Getty Images
Bitcoin

Crypto rout set to deepen as Standard Chartered warns of further downside risks

Bank expects a ‘price capitulation in the next few months’ before recovering for the rest of the year.

A bitcoin ATM in San Rafael, California. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
China’s crackdowns

Gold rush backlash: why China is clamping down on ‘get rich’ promises

Regulators intervene to contain fallout after volatility in global prices sparks market turmoil at home.

China-Africa relations

As China seeks to globalise the yuan, it finds a new vehicle in Africa

Africa Finance Corporation executive says entering Chinese capital markets is a ‘natural evolution’.

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Millionaires and billionaires

Li Ka-shing tops Hong Kong’s billionaire list with US$45.1 billion: Forbes

The collective net worth of tycoons on Hong Kong’s 50 Richest list rose 22 per cent to US$366 billion.

Li Ka-shing, dubbed “Superman” for his deal-making prowess, is Hong Kong’s richest individual. Photo: The Li Ka Shing Foundation
Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

Hong Kong banks’ profit growth slows amid rising bad debt, slim margins

Profit growth slows to 7.3 per cent from 8.4 per cent a year earlier as bad loans exceed two-decade average, HKMA says.

Cryptocurrency

Hong Kong bridges traditional, digital finance with new virtual asset initiatives

The first initiative will allow licensed virtual asset brokers to offer margin financing to clients with strong credit profiles.

Yuan

China lets yuan rise to strongest level in years as de-dollarisation trend grows

China’s central bank sets the yuan’s midpoint rate at its strongest level since mid-2023, as jitters over the US dollar buoy the Chinese currency.

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The yuan has steadily appreciated against the US dollar in recent months amid a growing de-dollarisation trend among global investors. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong stock market

WuXi Biologics earnings jump as ‘follow and win the molecule’ strategy pays off

Chinese contract drug maker forecasts 46.3 per cent profit rise and signals continued growth despite US political scrutiny.

WuXi Biologics credits the performance to its “follow and win the molecule” strategy, which aims to secure work across the full lifecycle of client drugs. Photo: Shutterstock
Fintech

Indonesia turns to digital finance to reach unbanked population

With millions still lacking access to banking services, Indonesia is drawing on regional lessons and forging international partnerships.

Mainland China

China’s property woes likely to hurt some Hong Kong banks’ 2025 earnings: Citi

Bank of China (Hong Kong) and Bank of East Asia could be affected the most as they have the highest exposure to China’s property sector.

Family offices

Hong Kong adds 681 family offices as wealthy shift focus from US: Deloitte

The auditing firm’s survey shows a 25 per cent increase in the city’s single-family offices over two years, with the affluent wary of US volatility.

There were an estimated 3,384 single-family offices in Hong Kong by the end of last year. Photo: Sam Tsang
Biomedicine: Industry Trends

Mainland China’s investors pour into Hong Kong-listed drug stocks

An index tracking Stock Connect buying of 40 mainland drug firms gains 9 per cent in a week as China’s industry heft grows.

An employee works on a drug production line at a pharmaceutical company in Meishan, China, on January 30, 2024. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
Shanghai

China slashes wait times for loss-making tech firms seeking refinancing, fundraising

Three of China’s stock exchanges have relaxed fundraising time thresholds on listed tech companies as Beijing pushes for self-reliance.

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Cryptocurrency

Scams and outflows: why China slammed the door on real-world asset tokens

Beijing’s clampdown aims to help safeguard financial security and monetary sovereignty while leaving room for regulated fintech innovation in Hong Kong.

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