Market Spotlight

The weak yen raises doubts over Japan's influence in Asia as the currency becomes less of a safe haven and less key in financial markets. (Source photo by Suzu Takahashi) 
Market Spotlight

South Korea shrugs off weak yen as Japan's influence wanes

Samsung, Hyundai Motor unfazed by depreciation, signaling power shift away from neighbor

25 April 2022
The idea of Sri Lanka paying foreign debt while people went hungry became untenable. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Sri Lanka's international bondholders brace for a haircut

Debt-ridden country's recent history is a chronicle of a default foretold

18 April 2022
India has had just a handful of IPOs this year, a marked contrast to the fevered activity in 2021. (Source photos by Kosaku Mimura and Reuters)
Market Spotlight

India's IPO market revives, but caution is the watchword

Economic concerns and stock market swings bring an end to investors' ebullience

11 April 2022
The yen fell to a seven-year low on March 28, ten days after the Bank of Japan's governor predicted that no big decline was likely. (Source photos by Kosuke Imamura and Jiji) 
Market Spotlight

Yen slide breeds uncertainty over BOJ yield cap policy

Costs of ultraloose monetary policy are being counted by Japanese consumers

4 April 2022
Chinese companies see huge differences in valuation in between shares listed on the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges, with mainland investors often paying a premium for stock with the same voting rights and dividend. (Source photo by Reuters/Getty Images)
Market Spotlight

Why do Chinese investors pay more for the same shares?

Premium for mainland stocks over Hong Kong counterparts recently hit 7-year high

28 March 2022
The Hong Kong and Singapore stock markets have cautiously embraced SPAC listings, eager to emulate the success enjoyed by U.S. markets. (Source photos by Getty Images and Akira Kodaka) 
Market Spotlight

Hong Kong, Singapore investors tread carefully on SPAC listings

Financial centers look unlikely to recreate U.S. boom in shell company IPOs

21 March 2022
Miners in Indonesia, the world's top exporter of thermal coal, are looking to cash in on surging prices for the commodity, but government restrictions are casting a shadow.
Market Spotlight

Indonesia coal miners soar over Russia supply concerns

Threat of another export ban stops producers cashing in right away

14 March 2022
Oil prices are higher than they have been since 2008, causing governments to balance budgetary concerns against the need to keep people -- and economies -- moving. (Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images) 
Market Spotlight

In Asia, oil price surge stokes government fear of angry voters

Unaffordable or unavoidable? Helping drivers buy fuel is becoming both

7 March 2022
Some analysts say benchmark gold prices could surge above $2,000 an ounce as the Ukraine crisis unfolds. Others predict rising interest rates will dull the precious metal's luster. (Source photo by Reuters)
Market Spotlight

Gold price swings as Ukraine crisis sharpens market divide

Bulls say the metal is a safe haven but bears point to rising interest rates

28 February 2022
Investors who bought in at the top of a surge in "buy now, pay later" stocks are nursing hefty losses and putting their faith in industry consolidation to revive battered prices. (Source photos by Reuters, Getty Images and courtesy of Afterpay) 
Market Spotlight

'Buy now, pay later' companies lose their stock market luster

Shares tank as investors reevaluate new lending sector

21 February 2022
Tanks and tankers: Ukraine's military conducts exercises, top, and LNG is loaded on a ship in Qatar. (Source photos by AP and Ukrainian Armed Forces Press Service/Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Qatar's Asian gas contracts hamper Ukraine planning

U.S. pursues alternative LNG supplies for Europe if Russian cuts flow

14 February 2022
Tokyo Stock Exchange President and CEO Hiromi Yamaji speaks to Nikkei Asia in Tokyo. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Market Spotlight

Tokyo Stock Exchange boss tells Japan to embrace activist investors

'Frank, open discussions' could help decision-making, says CEO Yamaji

7 February 2022
Fintech and logistics were among the major targets for investors pouring money into Southeast Asian startups in 2021. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

'Gold rush': ASEAN startup fundraising more than doubled in 2021

Fintech and logistics lead growth as region mints 25 new unicorns

31 January 2022
 (Source photos by Tsuyoshi Tamehiro, Karina Nooka, Wataru Ito and Reuters)
Market Spotlight

Weak yen complicates life for Kuroda and Kishida

Traders predict further tests for Japanese currency

24 January 2022
Economists have diverging views on whether the Turkish central bank and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan can stick to a strategy of loosening policy in the face of rocketing prices. Annual inflation in December hit 36%. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

'Let's pray it holds': Turkey's lira gamble keeps investors guessing

New devaluation-protected savings products halt decline but inflation still a menace

17 January 2022
Foreign investors played little role in last year’s Mongolian Stock Exchange rally. (Source photos by Anand Tumurtogoo)
Market Spotlight

Mongolia stock market turns heads with 133% gain

Benchmark index topped world in 2021 as investors prepared for bank IPOs

14 January 2022
A lithium site operated by Chile's SQM. Suppliers of the battery material are rushing to increase output. (Photo by Nozomu Ogawa)
Market Spotlight

Battery costs rise as lithium demand outstrips supply

Carmakers scramble for raw materials in a bid to win global electric vehicle race

3 January 2022
Tech manufacturers were some of the biggest gainers and Chinese education companies among the losers on Asian stock markets in 2021. (Source photo by Getty Images and Lasertec) 
Market Spotlight

Asia's lesser-known tech manufacturers shine in 2021 stock market

Chinese education companies are biggest losers; Alibaba and Tencent tumble

27 December 2021
Cryptocurrency companies are keen to break into the Singapore market, but local regulators are taking a cautious approach to giving their approval. (Source photo by AP)
Market Spotlight

Crypto entrepreneurs find Singapore is not so hospitable after all

Scores of businesses fail to win licenses from city-state's financial regulator

20 December 2021
(Source photos by Getty Images and Reuters) 
13 December 2021
Compared to regional peers, Thailand is a relatively mature economy, leading companies to try to outpace competitors by venturing into other countries or equipping themselves with better digital offerings. (Source photos by AP and Getty Images) 
Market Spotlight

Thailand leads Southeast Asia IPO resurgence, but has challengers

Listing of tech unicorn Bukalapak boosts funds raised in Indonesia above $2bn

6 December 2021
The stock market in Sri Lanka continues to climb despite a disconcerted public beset with rising prices and shortages of daily goods. (Source photo by AP) 
Market Spotlight

Sri Lankan stocks soar even as economic alarm bells ring

Market tops 11,000 for first time as rupee sinks to new low

29 November 2021
A startup event in Bengaluru, left, and the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai: Sensex, India’s benchmark index for public equities, is up 25% since the beginning of the year thanks to investor excitement over tech stocks. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Reuters)
Market Spotlight

Venture capital funds pile into India's startup scene

Country attracts record number of investors as China's appeal dims

22 November 2021
Chaerhan Salt Lake is the largest magnesium deposit bed in China. The country dominates global production of the industrial metal. 
Market Spotlight

Manufacturers rue dependence on China for supplies of magnesium

Auto companies and steelmakers reel from latest metals price spike

15 November 2021
U.S. beef is sold in a supermarket in Tokyo. Rising prices for the meat have hit shoppers in Japan. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
Market Spotlight

Beef price surge piles pressure on restaurants and retailers

Asian demand comes up against global supply constraints

8 November 2021