TOPIC

Banking & finance

Related Topics:
Banking & finance
News about the global financial industry with a focus on developments in Hong Kong and China.
Cranes tower above an unfinished apartment building in Beijing. Photo: Getty Images
China consumption

Why mortgage subsidies could be key to getting China’s consumers spending

Beijing is striving to boost household spending amid an economic slowdown. But first it needs to stabilise the housing market, scholars say.

videocam
IPO

Alibaba, JPMorgan said to back Chinese chip firm’s Hong Kong listing

Hong Kong economy

‘One of a kind’: tributes pour in for David Webb, Hong Kong’s ‘voice of integrity’

Sovereign wealth fund

Growth in sovereign investors’ China exposure slows amid political tensions

Inflows fall 58 per cent as sovereign wealth funds grow cautious, yet outlook signals selective opportunities ahead, experts say.

12
Sovereign investment activity has become increasingly politicised, forcing some Western state-owned investors to avoid major deals in China, according to a data platform. Photo: EPA
China manufacturing

Fears over China’s trade surplus misplaced as West also driving trend: analysts

China’s global manufacturing dominance is a tale of two halves; reliant on home-grown industrial growth and Western consumption, experts say.

videocam
4
China stock market

Chinese rocket shares slump after warnings on ‘irrational’ rally

Long-term prospects for sector are ‘very promising’, but market in the short term is ‘mainly driven by speculative sentiment’, analyst says.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Yuan

China’s PBOC sets onshore yuan fixing at strongest point in nearly 16 months

Analysts note how Beijing’s policy goals, such as internationalising China’s currency and curbing overcapacity, are aligning with a firmer exchange rate.

videocam
The People’s Bank of China set the yuan’s midpoint rate, also known as the daily fixing rate, at 7.0103 to the US dollar on Tuesday. Photo: dpa
China property

Expect no ‘systemic shock’ from Vanke’s ‘technical default’: HSBC

Even an ‘aggressive’ haircut would pose limited downside risks to key developers, bank says.

Hong Kong property

Hong Kong’s housing market gets a vote of confidence from major banks

Most financial institutions forecast price gains ranging from 5 to 10 per cent, supported by supply constraints and end-user demand.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng’s flying car unit readies Hong Kong IPO for take-off

Aridge, formerly AeroHT, eyes listing this year as it aims to accelerate its efforts in the low-altitude market, sources say.

videocam
The X2 flying car designed by Xpeng affiliate Aridge is seen at an auto show in Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia, on July 26, 2025. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong property

Financial firm Ares doubles Hong Kong office footprint as outlook improves

Rents for prime offices in Central could rise up to 5 per cent, according to JLL, while Knight Frank expects a gain of as much as 8 per cent.

Ares Management is doubling its Hong Kong office footprint, adding 12,500 sq ft to its existing space in Hongkong Land’s Gloucester Tower. Photo: Handout
Donald Trump

Trump-Powell conflict over Fed escalates with threat of criminal indictment

Jerome Powell calls legal threats against him pretexts to pressure the US Fed over policy.

videocam
8
HSBC

Which stocks will Hang Seng shareholders buy with their US$14 billion windfall?

Investors could favour high-dividend stocks like HSBC and Bank of China as they seek stable returns and growth potential, analysts say.

China stock market

Opinion | Hong Kong’s fertile ground for AI IPOs aligns with China’s tech strategy

If Hong Kong remains a stable offshore bridge linking global capital with priority technologies, it will bolster China’s innovation funding.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange on December 30. China is increasingly using Hong Kong as an offshore capital platform for funding priority technologies. Photo: Sun Yeung
Stocks

Macroscope | Why Asian family businesses are pivoting to private equity

Family firms, the backbone of the Asian economy, have tended to be reluctant to go public but are increasingly open to private equity funding.

A man walks past an electronic board displaying the Nikkei 225 stock prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on January 5. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s finance chief confirms early surplus, vows more elderly support

Paul Chan cites financial market performance and stock trading stamp duty for surplus, as he addresses calls for more welfare at public forum.

Chinese offshore investment

How China’s global investment model is changing – and what it means for the yuan

The trade war, weak domestic demand and stronger policy support push more firms to invest overseas, with growing implications for currency.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

Letters | 5 years on, digital banks are taking root in Hong Kong

Readers discuss perceptions of virtual banks, vetting of English teachers, and the outlook for Hong Kong.

People use ATMs in Central in 2024. A 2025 survey found a majority of respondents reporting that digital banks could meet at least half of their daily banking needs. Photo: Eugene Lee
HSBC

What does HSBC’s buyout of Hang Seng Bank mean for its future and investors?

HSBC’s historic US$13.6 billion buyout of Hang Seng Bank aims to cut costs, tackle bad debts and fuel growth, but challenges abound.

China's economic recovery

China cautions against ‘compound errors’ from clashing policies

Party mouthpiece calls for better coordination and market guidance as 15th five-year planning period begins, warning conflicting rules unsettle investors.

Yuan

Yuan to strengthen to 6.85 per US dollar in first quarter 2026: Morgan Stanley

Strong export growth and US dollar weakness are expected to bolster the currency, the bank says.

The yuan has appreciated against the US dollar in recent weeks. In late December, the offshore yuan dipped below the benchmark rate of seven against the US dollar. Photo: AFP
China inflation

China prices pick up, Venezuela raid fallout, Carney visit

This week: China inflation hits highest since February 2023, US abduction of Venezuela’s Maduro spurs criticism, Meta-Manus deal draws scrutiny. Next week: Canada’s Carney visits China, December trade figures come out, Jimmy Lai returns to court in Hong Kong and more.

Photo: EPA
Hong Kong

Chinese financial firms press on with debt issuance to fund overseas expansion

Guangzhou-based GF Securities announces plan to raise US$780 million after mainland Chinese finance firms raise over US$10 billion in 2025.

IPO

TCM firms eye Hong Kong IPOs to fuel global expansion

Over the past year, 34 innovation and technology, life and health science companies set up or expanded their operations in Hong Kong.

US-Venezuela conflict

‘Odious debt’: why China is at risk of painful losses in post-Maduro Venezuela

China has lent Venezuela tens of billions of dollars in recent decades. But Caracas could simply declare those obligations void, analysts say.

38
Vehicles drive past the El Palito refinery in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. Photo: AP
Cambodia

Cambodia dissolves accused scam tycoon Chen Zhi’s Prince Bank

The central bank said the lender has been ‘suspended from providing new banking services, including accepting deposits and providing credit’.

A Prince Bank branch in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo: AFP
HSBC

Hang Seng Bank shareholders approve HSBC’s US$14 billion buyout plan

HSBC receives strong backing from Hang Seng Bank’s independent shareholders, getting 85.75 per cent of the votes.

China property

China Vanke offshore creditors face near wipeout in Barclays worst-case scenario

British bank warns recoveries could fall below 1 per cent as restructuring priorities and access to assets remain uncertain.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement