Market Spotlight

China's CSI 300 Index rose 0.9% in October, its second consecutive rise after three months of declines. (Source photo by AP and Reuters)
Market Spotlight

Foreign investors tiptoe back into Chinese stocks

Alarm over Xi's regulatory crackdown gives way to fear of missing out

1 November 2021
Investors have reduced their exposure to the South Korean won, the Thai baht, the Japanese yen and other Asian currencies as the dollar gains strength. (Source photo by Reuters and Ken Kobayashi)
Market Spotlight

Soaring fuel costs add to pressure on Asian currencies

Energy exporters spared as inflation, growth scares roil foreign exhange market

25 October 2021
Directives from Beijing this year have crashed prices for iron ore and inflated those for aluminum. (Source photo by Reuters)
Market Spotlight

How China's energy crisis has sent commodity markets reeling

Environmental policy swerves make metal prices more volatile, unpredictable

18 October 2021
Fueled by an influx of new retail investors and optimism for the country's economic recovery, India's benchmark BSE Sensex index set an all-time high above 60,000 last week.
Market Spotlight

The Great Indian IPO Rush: Investors look to tap a frothy market

Billionaires, venture capitalists and even the government are readying share sales

11 October 2021
Numerous neophyte investors in the Indonesia Stock Exchange this year are discovering painfully that sound research beats the casino approach. 
Market Spotlight

Indonesia's novice investors get burned by frequent IPO reversals

One million people have started trading this year, causing dizzy share prices

4 October 2021
Election season is boosting the performance of Japanese stocks as investors bet on potential market winners, including renewable energy and pharmaceuticals. (Source photo by Nikkei)
Market Spotlight

How the winner of Japan's PM race could affect markets

Ruling party set to choose between four very different candidates

27 September 2021
Investors gather at Evergrande's headquarters in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen to demand their money back. (Source photos by AFP/Jiji) 
Market Spotlight

China Evergrande: Investors assess risks of likely default

Crisis at Chinese property developer threatens the bond market, housing market and wider economy

20 September 2021
China is the world's largest producer and importer of thermal coal, and also its biggest user.
Market Spotlight

China and India send coal prices soaring amid green-energy push

Squeeze driven by short-term supply disruption and lack of long-term investment

13 September 2021
The contrast in fortunes of China's and India's stock markets has offered foreign investors an opportunity to rotate their capital. Source photos by AP) 
Market Spotlight

Why China's stock market tumble is giving India's a lift

Investors find a haven in India from Beijing's clampdown on big companies

6 September 2021
A regulatory crackdown has hammered tech companies and the private education sector, casting doubts on whether Chinese companies can list overseas in the near future. (Nikkei montage/Getty Images)
Market Spotlight

China venture capital deals shrink amid regulatory concerns

Foreign investors rethink approach as Beijing cracks down on high tech

30 August 2021
"The stringency in lockdown measures are inversely correlated with market performance, especially stocks sensitive to domestic demand," an emerging market strategist says. (Source photo by Tetsuya Kitayama and Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Delta outbreak clouds Asian stock markets

Investors shy away as infections surge and tighter US monetary policy looms

23 August 2021
Sahap Kavcioglu, governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, has his hands full dealing with an impatient president and unforgiving markets.
Market Spotlight

Heat rises on Turkey's central bank chief

Satisfying Erdogan and financial markets proves a major dilemma for Kavcioglu

16 August 2021
Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia's default on a payment is raising questions over the resolution of non-remittances in Islamic bonds. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/Getty Images/Akira Kodaka)
Market Spotlight

Islamic bonds come under microscope after Garuda Indonesia default

Rating agency highlights legal uncertainty as issuance reaches new high

9 August 2021
An executive order by U.S. President Joe Biden bars American investors from buying several Hong Kong-listed companies controlled by the Chinese government as of Monday. 
Market Spotlight

Trading tax hike adds to Hong Kong market gloom

Ongoing pivot toward China tech stocks sees bears stalk Hang Seng benchmark

2 August 2021
Shares in Top Glove and other Malaysian glove manufacturers soared last year, spurred by global medical demand.
Market Spotlight

Malaysia stocks lag as glove makers lose grip on investors

COVID-19 resurgence and political turmoil dragging on market

26 July 2021
A coal-fired power plant in Hangzhou in China's eastern Zhejiang Province on July 16, the day trading began in China's national carbon market.
Market Spotlight

China fires up carbon trading as Asia turns onto greener path

World's biggest polluter debuts national emissions system, but limits remain lenient

19 July 2021
China's clampdown on its companies listed in the U.S. may be motivated by a desire to cut exposure to Washington and its regulators. (Source photo by Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Beijing's Didi blast shakes $2tn of China stocks in US

Shadow hangs over Wall St after troubled IPO but bonds still attract investment

12 July 2021
The Stock Exchange of Thailand President Pakorn Peetathawatchai said he would focus on the supply of investor-attracting technology company IPOs. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Thai bourse aims for 'sexy' IPOs to boost appeal for investors

SET president prepares incentives to welcome at least 30 companies a year

5 July 2021
Solar panels on a public housing block in Singapore: Investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy are expected to spur green bond issuance.
Market Spotlight

Green bonds grow on Asia's investors

'Net zero' carbon targets for China, South Korea and Japan set to spur issuance

28 June 2021
Shares of AiHuiShou International, which operates an online platform for consumers to sell used smartphones and other electronic devices, rose 22.9% on their NYSE debut on Friday even as the wider market slid.
Market Spotlight

Chinese tech IPOs in US rebound after two-month lull

Didi Chuxing leads new clique of companies seeking to raise as much as $17bn

21 June 2021
The benchmark food price index published by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, which tracks the prices of meat, dairy, cereals, vegetables oils and sugar, has hit the highest level in nearly 10 years. 
Market Spotlight

Decade-high food prices hit Asian consumers and businesses

Bread and mayonnaise costs surge in South Korea and Japan as Thai farmers gain

14 June 2021
The benchmark price for gold slipped below $1,700 an ounce in New York at the end of March, a nine-month low and a 3% drop from the beginning of the year.
Market Spotlight

India's appetite for gold dulled by COVID lockdown

After missed opportunity, jewelers hope for November wedding boost

7 June 2021
JD Logistics priced its IPO close to the bottom of the marketed range before shares began trading on Friday.
Market Spotlight

IPO fatigue hits Hong Kong despite debut boost for JD spinoff

Most of 2021's torrent of listings are trading below their issue price

31 May 2021
The impact of the pandemic has done little to soften demand for copper as China, the largest buyer of the metal, extends its speedy recovery.
Market Spotlight

China and green energy drive copper prices to record high

Shares in Asian miners and nonferrous producers surge despite supply concerns

24 May 2021
Experts say South Korean small investors need to accept that IPO stock prices do not always go up.
Market Spotlight

South Korea's IPO passion fuels warnings of naivete and bubbles

Quick gains entice cash-rich small investors, but experts say hopes too high

17 May 2021