Market Spotlight

China’s capital markets under president Xi Jinping have been both excited and disappointed for investors looking to capture the returns that mirror its staggering economic growth in the past decade. (Source photos by Reuters)
Market Spotlight

Xi agenda defines a decade, and era, for China's capital markets

Regulatory headwinds dent confidence despite growth of economy

17 October 2022
Gold has been on a downward price trend in 2022, reflecting the attractiveness of holding U.S. dollars instead
Market Spotlight

Gold loses shine amid rising interest rates and strong dollar

Inflation can still propel it higher next year, analysts say

10 October 2022
The resilience displayed by Southeast Asian stocks contrasts sharply with North Asian peers, which are susceptible to trade and dependent on China.
Market Spotlight

ASEAN stocks calm investors despite turmoil in other regions

Emerging markets rebound as economies reopen, but China still weighs on Asia

3 October 2022
A Leapmotor C11: this year's IPO deal value in Hong Kong is expected to be boosted by Thursday's listing by the Chinese electric vehicle maker.
Market Spotlight

Hong Kong IPOs suffer from business downturn and China tension

Fundraising at lowest since 2013 as lack of policy clarity hits market

26 September 2022
After a muted first half of 2022, global investors turned net buyers of Indian stocks in July as its equity markets provide respite from widespread economic gloom. (Source photos by AFP/Jiji and screenshot from BSE's website) 
Market Spotlight

India stocks and bonds lure in foreign investors

Growing expectation of inclusion in benchmark global index

19 September 2022
Yen lost 10% in about a month near 145 against the dollar by Wednesday already, but few expect a return to 110s, where it started the year, in any foreseeable future. (Source photo by Retuers)
Market Spotlight

Investors await effective policy responses as yen tests 1998 low

Japan's lack of attractive assets contributes to capital outflow

12 September 2022
The collapse of 3AC has reverberated through the industry, further damaging the credibility of the asset class. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/AP)
Market Spotlight

Aftershocks: 3AC's collapse reverberates through crypto ecosystem

Creditors scared as cryptocurrency hedge fund's liquidation yields little so far

5 September 2022
Buildings across China are being abandoned half-finished as developers struggle with slumping demand and dwindling liquidity. (Photo by Yusuke Hinata)
Market Spotlight

Loan woes: China's troubled property market hits banks

Spate of profit warnings reveals extent of risk to broader financial system

29 August 2022
Some commodity prices have returned to their prewar levels, partly thanks to an agreement allowing grain carriers to leave Ukrainian ports, but Asian consumers are not benefiting. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
Market Spotlight

Six months since Russia attacked Ukraine: Will grain prices drop?

Expert warns of possible 'second wave' as fertilizer costs remain a problem

22 August 2022
Growing interest in investing among Indonesians has made them more vulnerable to online scams, experts say. (Source photos by Reuters and Takaki Kashiwabara)
Market Spotlight

Indonesia's rising appetite for online investment attracts scams

Growing middle class in ASEAN's biggest economy seen prone to being cheated

15 August 2022
The relentless gyration of the yen has made market players and policymakers nervous about what will come next, and what will happen under the successor to Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda. (Source photos by Kosuke Imamura and AFP/Jiji) 
Market Spotlight

Higher foreign exchange volatility has Japan fretting about yen spike

A weak yen is bad for inflation, but a strong one is bad for stock market

8 August 2022
A coal depot at a coal-fired power plant in Japan. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Market Spotlight

Russian sanctions threaten to make coal dirtier, more costly

Global trade reshuffle adds up to more inefficient and expensive coal transport

1 August 2022
The price of Asia's main food has not been anything like the wild ride of other staples. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Market Spotlight

Thailand export earnings threatened by rice glut

Opinions diverge over outlook as fertilizer shortages loom

25 July 2022
The death of Shinzo Abe, right, has robbed a powerful faction in the ruling LDP of its leader and could give Prime Minister Fumio Kishida more freedom to pursue his own agenda. (Nikkei montage/Uichiro Kasai/Ken Kobayashi/Tetsuya Kitayama)
Market Spotlight

Kishida emerges from Abe's shadow, but markets await policy details

Japanese PM's promise of 'new capitalism' leaves investors scratching their heads

18 July 2022
Activists who have long criticized mining companies now say the industry is painting itself green by arguing that extraction is crucial to the world reaching net-zero carbon emissions. (Source photos by Reuters and Nikkei)
Market Spotlight

Mining companies rebrand as heroes of energy transition

Metals vital for reaching net-zero, but industry carbon footprint clouds narrative

11 July 2022
Mahathir Mohamad was Malaysia's prime minister during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, when he took the controversial decision to defy IMF advice on how to manage the situation. (Source photo by Tetsuya Kitayama) 
Market Spotlight

Mahathir: Deeper currency markets have cut risk of Asian financial crisis repeat

But former Malaysian PM says Sri Lanka is a lesson to region's governments

4 July 2022
As of June 22, MSCI AC Asia ex-Japan index -- a gauge of the region's most-tracked stocks outside of Japan -- had dropped around 18% this year compared to the last six months of 2021 -- the biggest half-year decline since late 2011.
Market Spotlight

Inflation, supply chain disruptions dampen Asian stocks

Interest hikes in emerging markets create uncertainties this year

27 June 2022
Shanghai's STAR Market has risen as the world's busiest IPO market. (Source photos by Reuters and Tetsuya Kitayama)
Market Spotlight

Asia takes lead even as global IPO market contracts

Companies shelve listing plans amid Ukraine war and monetary tightening

20 June 2022
The Aussie dollar has fallen in value against its American counterpart despite a surprisingly large interest rate rise by the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Market Spotlight

Australian dollar: the currency that can't catch a break

U.S. rate rises and China growth fears overshadow booming commodities prices

13 June 2022
The Indian rupee suffered its fifth monthly decline in a row in May, amid relentless selling by foreign institutional investors, slowing economic growth, and a spike in inflation.
Market Spotlight

The droopy rupee: Can India's currency be revived?

Central bank rate rise expected this week as inflation menaces economy

6 June 2022
VC funds focused on Southeast Asia and India have raised $3.1 billion so far in 2022. (Source photos by AP/Reuters/Ken Kobayashi) 
Market Spotlight

VCs raise record funds for Southeast Asia, India as money leaves China

Beijing's regulatory crackdown on tech has prompted startup investors to diversify

30 May 2022
The Bank of Thailand is putting domestic needs before external pressure to raise interest rates, Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput said in an interview with Nikkei Asia on May 20. (Photo by Francesca Regalado)
Market Spotlight

Interview: Bank of Thailand governor resists pressure to raise rates

Central bank will likely lift 2023 inflation forecast, but keep in target range

23 May 2022
By calling inflation "transitory" last month, Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, left, sounded like his opposite at the U.S. Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, last year. (Source photos by Tomoki Mera and Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

How 'transitory' is Japanese inflation?

From flour to fridges: Price pressures loom, but BOJ and experts say they won't last

16 May 2022
Philippine presidential front-runner Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. concerns some investors, who generally favor Vice President Leni Robredo, though historically business has adapted to whoever won. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi, Reuters and Getty Images) 
Market Spotlight

Philippine investors get jitters over potential Marcos presidency

Market favorite Robredo trails as voters go to the polls

9 May 2022
The lockdown in Shanghai and Russian invasion of Ukraine have disrupted supply chains for companies and heightened uncertainty for investors. (Nikkei montage/AP/Reuters)
Market Spotlight

Ukraine war, China lockdowns drag down 70% of Asia's biggest equities

Commodity stocks in India, Indonesia, Malaysia defy broader sell-off

2 May 2022