Hong Kong opened applications for stablecoin issuers at the start of August, with 77 firms applying during the month. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has repeatedly stated it only plans to license a handful of companies in the first instance. With its initial rules requiring the identity of every stablecoin user, this may favor…
A “low-rate honeymoon” for Hong Kong borrowers has come to an end with an increase in the interest rate banks use to set loan prices, a mixed blessing that drives away carry traders but threatens a property market recovery and discourages corporate borrowing, according to analysts. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority intervened 12 times in…
A “low-rate honeymoon” for Hong Kong borrowers has come to an end with an increase in the interest rate banks use to set loan prices, a mixed blessing that drives away carry traders but threatens a property market recovery and discourages corporate borrowing, according to analysts. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority intervened 12 times in…
In the second instalment of our two-part series on Hong Kong’s beleaguered property market, analysts explore why this slump is different from past downturns. The first instalment discussed how the resurgence of the city’s stock market as a venue for initial public offerings could boost office uptake and ease developers’ pain. Swiss bank UBS got…
In the second instalment of our two-part series on Hong Kong’s beleaguered property market, analysts explore why this slump is different from past downturns. The first instalment discussed how the resurgence of the city’s stock market as a venue for initial public offerings could boost office uptake and ease developers’ pain. Swiss bank UBS got…
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) kept its base rate unchanged in lockstep with the US Federal Reserve, after the American central bank said it needed more time and data to monitor the potential inflationary impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. On Thursday, the HKMA maintained its rate at 4.75 per cent, hours after the…
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is likely to issue the first batch of stablecoin licences early next year, as the city’s de-facto central bank urged potential issuers to submit their applications by the end of September. Ahead of the stablecoin ordinance taking effect on August 1, the HKMA unveiled on Tuesday licensing procedures and…
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) stepped into the foreign-exchange market on Friday for the fifth time in two weeks, scooping up the local currency and increasing overnight lending costs to drive away carry traders who have sought to take advantage of the city’s rate gap with the US dollar. The city’s de facto central…
Hong Kong’s stablecoin licensing regime, set to begin on August 1, is drawing significant interest from the region’s financial and tech heavyweights, with local media in China reporting that over 40 applications have been received. But expectations are being tempered by the reality that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is likely to approve only…
Hong Kong stocks rose from a one-week low as mainland funds ploughed more money into the city’s assets on optimism that Beijing will push for high-quality growth and rein in excessive price competition in some industries. The Hang Seng Index gained 0.5 per cent to 24,182.88 at 9.50am local time on Wednesday, while the Hang…