Market Spotlight

Foreign investors are betting on India's burgeoning middle class and growing internet-savvy population, while their domestic counterparts cower at the lack of profitable exits from startup investments. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters, Getty Images and AP)
Market Spotlight

For India tech startups, IPO success hinges on foreign investors

While domestic managers exercise caution, overseas funds take opportunities

2 October 2023
An atmosphere of caution has made its presence felt among property equities in Asia as a state of depression sinks in. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

China property crisis holds Singapore, Hong Kong REITs back

Asia's real estate shares suffer doldrums as investors tread cautiously

25 September 2023
Country Garden Holdings reported over 3 billion yuan in net foreign exchange loss, contributing to a record half-year net loss of 48.93 billion yuan. (NIKKEI montage/Source photos by Reuters)
Market Spotlight

China's top developers lost close to $3bn due to weakened yuan

U.S.-dollar indebted Evergrande, Sunac and Country Garden head the list

18 September 2023
In June, Mori Trust led by CEO Miwako Date bought a 49.9% stake in 245 Park Avenue, a 45-story commercial tower worth $2 billion, from SL Green Realty. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Kyodo and Mori Trust)
Market Spotlight

Japanese investors buy New York office property despite risks

Weak yen fails to stop Japan Inc. from diving into U.S. commercial real estate

11 September 2023
A worker loads harvested palm fruits in Malaysia. Major exporters Indonesia and Malaysia are pushing new uses for the tropical oil in the face of market headwinds.
Market Spotlight

Indonesia, Malaysia push biofuel to offset palm oil price downturn

Falling prices hurt companies; risks loom from El Nino and EU deforestation law

4 September 2023
Investors remain focused on tech companies' ability to generate cash amid an increasingly competitive environment. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and Getty)
Market Spotlight

Grab shares jump but Sea's dive as investors applaud cost cuts

Southeast Asian tech stars face increasing pressure to generate profit

28 August 2023
"Rents and occupancy rates will be under continuous pressure," says Soho China, a Hong Kong-listed owner of office buildings in Beijing and Shanghai. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Getty Images) 
Market Spotlight

China's property downturn spreads to trophy office buildings

Vacancies rise at top Beijing and Shanghai towers as tenants seek lower rents

21 August 2023
Country Garden Holdings, one of the largest Chinese developers by revenue, said it had missed an August 7 deadline for making $22.5 million in coupon payments on two U.S. dollar-denominated bonds. (Source photo by AP)
Market Spotlight

China property woes spread, adding to national economic gloom

Country Garden becomes latest big developer to miss bond payment

14 August 2023
The yen's fall has put investors on alert about another possible currency intervention by the Bank of Japan and the government. (Nikkei montage/Satoko Kawasaki)
Market Spotlight

Bank of Japan's policy adjustment hasn't stopped the yen's slide

Japan-U.S. yield gap remains wide after Treasury rates shoot up

7 August 2023
Regulators are facing calls to investigate auditors and stock brokers that failed to spot Stark's questionable practices. (Source photo by Getty and logo from Stark's website)
Market Spotlight

How Thailand's Stark covered up debt and losses at Vietnam wire maker

Regulators pressed to tighten rules on backdoor listings, earnings reports

31 July 2023
Commercial space activity has expanded rapidly in recent years, but there have also been many failures. Insurance is expected to reduce the economic risk of failure. ( Source photos by AP and Getty. Logo from LLOYD'S 's website )
Market Spotlight

Japanese insurers reach for the stars with space policies

Niche market expected to grow as commercial space activity takes off

24 July 2023
Foreign investors increased their holdings in "emerging" Asian bond markets outside China by over $20 billion in the first half of 2023. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Indonesia, South Korea bonds benefit from China turmoil

Foreign investors favor Asian debt markets where currency gains are expected

17 July 2023
Delistings have outnumbered initial public offerings so far this year in Singapore. (Source photos by Akira Kodaka and Getty Images) 
Market Spotlight

Singapore lags rival Hong Kong in race for stock market listings

Exchange setbacks contrast with city-state's rise as wealth-management hub

10 July 2023
Indian students using Byju's app, as pictured above, helped the company obtain a $22 billion valuation in March 2022. (Source photo by Kosaku Mimura) 
Market Spotlight

Indian corporate governance comes under fire as Byju's stumbles

Online tutoring app's woes threaten venture capital funding for other startups

3 July 2023
The Nikkei Stock Average has risen 26% in yen terms this year, though this gain gets trimmed to 18% in dollar terms. (Source photo by AP) 
Market Spotlight

Japanese stock rally looks less impressive in dollar terms

Rally more sustainable if accompanied by a moderately stronger currency, analysts say

26 June 2023
Under the new scheme, foreign investors will get a chance to trade yuan-denominated shares in 24 Hong Kong-listed companies. (Source photos by Kenji Kawase and AP) 
Market Spotlight

Hong Kong's yuan share-trading scheme debuts at difficult time

Chinese currency's fall undercuts effort to promote use by foreign investors

19 June 2023
Indonesia's massive supplies of nickel -- a key component in batteries -- are helping meet increasing global demand for electric vehicles. (Source photo by Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Nickel surplus seen widening in 2023 as Indonesian output soars

EV batteries to lead demand growth; prices under pressure but still historically high

16 June 2023
Venture capital companies are facing a tougher fundraising environment, as U.S.-based investors have grown wary following the banking crisis that started in March. (Source photo by Reuters)
Market Spotlight

ASEAN's VC 'funding winter' worsens on Grab, GoTo slowdown

Wary venture capital investors slash valuations of startups as interest rates rise

5 June 2023
Foreigner nationals, especially from China, have shown unwavering interest in Singapore's residential property market. (Source photo by Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Singapore property market heats up, squeezing expat renters

Chinese investors may shrug off higher stamp duty imposed on foreign buyers

29 May 2023
Bullish investors argue that the Nikkei Average could go even higher this year given the valuations of Japanese companies. (Source photo by Tomoki Mera) 
Market Spotlight

Japan stocks soar as global investors applaud governance changes

'This is no longer foreigners versus Japanese people,' activist says

22 May 2023
Philippine Stock Exchange CEO Ramon Monzon says that without short-selling, the bourse is a "long only" market with limited appeal to foreign investors. (Photos by Jilson Tiu)
Market Spotlight

Philippine Stock Exchange pushes short-selling to lure hedge funds

Bourse chief Ramon Monzon says foreign investors want ways to manage risk

15 May 2023
The Tokyo Stock Exchange's demand for "concrete action" plans pressures Japanese companies trading below book value. (Source photo by Kyodo)
Market Spotlight

Japanese companies embrace shareholder activism as never before

Low valuations coupled with rising payouts attract global investors

8 May 2023
Despite China's economic revival in recent months, the CSI 300 equity index is lower than where it was last year. (Source photo by Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Chinese stocks falter as far-flung regions struggle to recover

Distressed asset specialists head to Guizhou province to boost 'real economy'

1 May 2023
Indian venture capital firms are pinning their fundraising hopes on investors in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. (Source photos by AP and Kosaku Mimura) 
Market Spotlight

Indian venture capitalists chase Asian cash as U.S. money dries up

Finding American backers for a new fund is 'like getting admission at Harvard'

24 April 2023
Hedge funds and private equity companies are coming to Japan because 'things around the world are expensive,' analysts say. (Source photos by Getty Images, Mizuho Miyazaki and Shinya Sawai) 
Market Spotlight

Warren Buffett leads global investors into 'cheap' Japan

Hedge fund billionaires Ken Griffin and Steve Cohen build up operations in Tokyo

17 April 2023