Market Spotlight

Many bad loans at China's midsize banks have ended up on the books of state-owned distressed asset management companies. (Source photo by AP) 
Market Spotlight

Chinese banks ditch bad loans amid property woes

Hundreds of billions of yuan in distressed assets were sold last year

10 April 2023
Analysts point that out that the commercial real estate sector is particularly sensitive to rising rates, weighing on hopes for a revival in the market. (Source photo by AP)
Market Spotlight

From Hong Kong to Japan, commercial property sector faces chill in Asia

REITs could lose out as China reopening hopes fade and interest rates bite

3 April 2023
AT1 prices were hit last week after Swiss regulators decided to wipe out $17.5 billion of such bonds issued by Credit Suisse as part of its acquisition by UBS. (Source photos by Getty Images and Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Chinese regulation seen boosting AT1 bond prices during crisis

Investors find comfort in Beijing bureaucrats' history of supporting wobbly banks

27 March 2023
Like Silicon Valley Bank, Japan's big lenders have been investing a lot of their depositors' money in securities, many of which are now losing value as interest rates climb. (Source photos by AP/Reuters)
Market Spotlight

SVB collapse hits Japanese banks harder than Chinese ones

Investors punish Asian lenders with big portfolios of interest rate-sensitive bonds

20 March 2023
The regulatory changes in China come as President Xi Jinping is placing loyalists into key government positions. (Source photos by Getty Images and Yusuke Hinata)
Market Spotlight

China's debt issues loom as Beijing revamps financial regulation

Changes could make it harder for local governments to borrow, analysts say

13 March 2023
The bullish case for Delta rests on the company's plans to double its EV business as EV makers BYD, Great Wall Motor, and Tesla make inroads in Thailand. (Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images)
Market Spotlight

EV boom creates unlikely stock market star in Thailand

Thai subsidiary of Taiwan's Delta Electronics becomes kingdom's most valuable company

6 March 2023
Hong Kong has embarked on a charm offensive to attract crypto businesses. (Source photos by Getty Images)
Market Spotlight

Hong Kong courts crypto industry as other governments crack down

Chinese territory is seen as 'desperate' to catch up with regional rival Singapore

27 February 2023
A stock market rally early in the year is already losing steam as economic data fails to reassure investors. (Source photos by AP) 
Market Spotlight

Chinese reopening rally stalls as foreign investors cut purchases

Recovery hopes wane after property sales, cargo shipments prove disappointing

20 February 2023
The Adani Group has accumulated debts of $30 billion as it became a central player in India's push to develop world-class infrastructure. The worry for analysts is how much of that debt has been secured with shares.
Market Spotlight

Adani retains astronomical valuation even after stock market rout

Indian conglomerate trades at higher price-earnings multiple than Apple or Amazon

13 February 2023
A worker processes nickel at a nickel smelter.
Market Spotlight

EV battery material suppliers brace for gluts as competition heats up

Lithium, nickel producers expand as U.S. pushes for non-Chinese supplies

6 February 2023
Soaring prices across the globe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and rapid interest rate hikes have prompted investors to shy away from bets on young companies. (Nikkei montage/AP/GoTo)
Market Spotlight

Grab, Coupang shares rebound as investors cheer cost-cutting

IPO prospects remain uncertain despite gains by Asian tech stars

30 January 2023
Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, who is due to retire in April after 10 years in the job. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/Satoko Kawasaki)
Market Spotlight

Bank of Japan's communication breakdown leaves investors in dark

Like the U.S. Federal Reserve, the BOJ has trouble making itself understood

23 January 2023
In the first nine trading days of 2023, foreign investors bought a net 64 billion yuan ($9.5 billion) of Chinese stocks via the trading link between the mainland and Hong Kong. (Source photo by Getty Images) 
Market Spotlight

Foreign investors rush back to Chinese stocks despite worries

After recent gains, market no longer seems 'uninvestable'

16 January 2023
China's economic recovery from COVID restrictions and U.S. interest rate policy and the desire of some countries to control key resources are likely to set the tone in commodity markets this year. (Source photos by Getty Images, Kyodo and Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

China's opening and U.S. rates to stir commodity markets in 2023

From oil to gold, prices likely to ease from historic highs seen in 2022

9 January 2023
Analysts and investors predict 2023 will offer more opportunities in Asia, though shaking off the challenges of last year may take time.
Market Spotlight

Why 2023 could be the best -- and worst -- year for VCs in Asia

Venture capitalists see pickup in deal activity, but expect difficulties in fundraising

2 January 2023
The region's best-known high-tech sector stocks faced significant downturns due to tighter monetary policies and projected economic slowdown. (Nikkei montage/AP/Koji Uema)
Market Spotlight

Inflation, monetary tightening sway Asian markets in 2022

Singapore dollar, Indian stocks show resilience in 'torrid time'

26 December 2022
Inflation has started to ease in most economies in Asia, but there are now signs of weaker growth. One silver lining for the region is an economic reopening of China. (Source photo by Getty Images) 
Market Spotlight

South Korea tipped to lead Asia's exit from rising interest rates

Thailand and India also seem to be near tightening peak as inflation slows

19 December 2022
Investors in Chinese equities are holding on to what could be a bumpy ride as the country slowly lets go of draconian COVID policies. (Source photos by Reuters/Getty Images)
Market Spotlight

China's COVID shifts take investors on a wild ride

Caution remains over potentially volatile exit from past pandemic strategy

12 December 2022
Vietnam has seen the sharpest stock market drop in Asia this year, as a crackdown on corruption and worries about the real estate market weigh on sentiment. (Photos by Ken Kobayashi)
Market Spotlight

Vietnam stocks hit by recession fears and graft crackdown

Bear market has echoes of China's corruption scandals and property woes

5 December 2022
Building construction and infrastructure demand in China are the major drivers of demand for copper, which is mostly used for electric wiring. (Source photo by AP and Refinitiv)
Market Spotlight

Copper's green future keeps miners bullish despite China weakness

Experts expect more resource deals amid scramble for 'future-facing' red metal

28 November 2022
At least nine Singapore and Hong Kong upstarts this year have announced plans to go public with SPACs listed in America. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
Market Spotlight

Tech startups shun Singapore and Hong Kong for U.S. SPACs

Blank-check companies in Asian financial hubs show little results

21 November 2022
Debt concerns that started at a Legoland theme park developer have rattled corporate bond markets in South Korea, though stocks have not been affected. (Source photos by Yonhap/Reuters and Getty Images)
Market Spotlight

South Korea suffers from corporate debt liquidity crunch

Companies struggle to raise money in bond market amid investor concern

14 November 2022
An excavator at the Fortescue Solomon iron ore mine. Australian exporters did well this year due to supply constraints magnified by Russia's war in Ukraine.
Market Spotlight

Australia's resource-led economy digs stock markets out of hole

Share prospects brighten as central bank nears end of rate-tightening cycle

7 November 2022
Foreign investors voiced their opinion of Xi Jinping's new Politburo Standing Committee by selling their holdings of Chinese stocks. (Source photos by Getty Images and Yusuke Hinata)
Market Spotlight

China stocks reel after Xi tightens grip

New leadership offers little confidence to international investors

31 October 2022
An LNG tanker arrives in Japan. A colder-than-expected winter could further tighten the world's gas market. (File photo by Kyodo)
Market Spotlight

Scramble for LNG brings winter risks for Asia

Supplies and storage levels look adequate for now but concerns remain for 2023

24 October 2022