For one of the biggest disconnects between financial markets and economies in Asia, look no further than Hong Kong. The dramatic revival of the city’s stock market this year has catapulted it to the top of the global rankings for initial public offerings (IPOs). Mainland Chinese companies are lining up in droves to list in…
The resumption of a policy easing cycle following the US Federal Reserve’s quarter-point interest-rate reduction is likely to spur more investments into property globally, according to analysts. For mainland China and Hong Kong, however, the impact could be less significant owing to fundamental and geopolitical strains, they added. “Rarely do central banks do ‘one and…
Hong Kong’s finance chief has anticipated improving market sentiments after downward trends in the retail, catering and property sectors show signs of stabilising, and the prospect of an interest-rate cut cycle emerging. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Sunday that authorities had been paying attention to the slow recovery of the retail and catering…
For people who monitor interest rates for a living, it has been a hectic week, with several major central banks making announcements. But besides finance professionals, Hong Kong people are also keenly interested. With their mortgages and business loans – and the economy in general – running on a currency pegged to the US dollar,…
Hong Kong’s homebuyers defied a No 3 typhoon signal to snap up apartments during two property sales on Friday, entering the market after commercial banks lowered their prime lending rates a day earlier following the first rate cut by the local monetary authority. New World sold 115 of the 120 units in the House Muse…
Hong Kong’s three note-issuing banks – HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong) – will trim their prime lending rates for the first time since December, reducing funding costs and providing some relief to businesses and mortgage borrowers in the city. HSBC and the Hong Kong unit of Bank of China said on…
The development of fintech and the strong desire of mainland Chinese companies to go global are conducive to Chinese and international banks setting set up operations in Hong Kong, according to the head of the city’s de facto central bank. “While many international and mainland banks already use Hong Kong as a base to develop…
The development of fintech and the strong desire of mainland Chinese companies to go global are conducive to Chinese and international banks setting set up operations in Hong Kong, according to the head of the city’s de facto central bank. “While many international and mainland banks already use Hong Kong as a base to develop…
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is set to encourage more mainland banks to set up regional headquarters in the city, while the local bourse operator plans to enhance the listing regime, as the government aims to fortify Hong Kong’s position as an international financial centre, according to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu. In his…
Hong Kong can help Asia fill a staggering climate-financing gap by helping to tap a global pool of more than US$200 trillion to fund sustainable-infrastructure projects, according to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). There was a glaring disconnect between the vast amount of available capital and the low deployment of funds for climate action…