The increase in stamp duty on ultra-luxury homes above HK$100 million (US$12.8 million) is unlikely to change buying behaviour, analysts said, as the structural forces underpinning demand from mainland Chinese buyers could outweigh the impact of the rise in transaction costs. The Hong Kong government, in the annual budget on Wednesday, increased the tax rate…
When Wilson Chan Fung-cheung joined Hong Kong’s banking industry as a foreign-exchange trader more than four decades ago, his work involved US dollars, UK pounds, Japanese yen and various European and Asian currencies – but not Chinese yuan. “Back then, there was no yuan trading at all as, in fact, the internationalisation of the yuan…
Following the January 8 shareholder vote that overwhelmingly approved the largest privatisation deal in Hong Kong’s history, many questions remain about the future of Hang Seng Bank, its stakeholders and the broader financial landscape. For Hang Seng Bank’s shareholders, the immediate question is what to do with the HK$106.16 billion (US$13.6 billion) windfall from HSBC…
China and Hong Kong stocks could deliver nearly 20 per cent gains in 2026, supported by resilient global growth, improving earnings and easing competition among e-commerce giants, according to JPMorgan. The bank expected the MSCI China Index to rebound further as valuations normalised and Beijing’s push to curb excess capacity boosted profitability across key sectors,…
China and Hong Kong stocks could deliver nearly 20 per cent gains in 2026, supported by resilient global growth, improving earnings and easing competition among e-commerce giants, according to JPMorgan. The bank expected the MSCI China Index to rebound further as valuations normalised and Beijing’s push to curb excess capacity boosted profitability across key sectors,…
China is betting on bio-manufacturing to boost technological self-reliance and drive economic growth as part of the next five-year plan, elevating the sector on par with electric vehicles and semiconductors. Beijing is upgrading and expanding a nationwide bio-ecosystem, with 43 companies and research institutes selected in the first batch of pilot-scale manufacturing platforms for products…
China’s internet giants are poised to drive the continued adoption of artificial intelligence in the country, with AI chip shortages unlikely to pose significant obstacles for the sector in the short term, according to JPMorgan analysts. Sustained user adoption of AI features would be a key theme in the coming year despite the absence of…
Topline Shares of Palantir fell more than 8% after market open on Tuesday, leading a broader market decline after the software firm reported better-than-expected earnings, as some economists warned of “rally exhaustion” after a meteoric rise for several stocks this year. One analyst suggested stocks may be suffering from “rally exhaustion.” AFP via Getty Images…
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD recorded surging sales in Europe last month after it launched more models and expanded its sales network, narrowing its gap with market leader Tesla. The Shenzhen-based carmaker racked up 24,963 new-car registrations in Europe in September, nearly five times its deliveries of 5,013 units a year ago, according to…
The recent collapse of subprime auto-lenders Tricolor Holdings and debt-heavy auto-parts company First Brands has raised questions about the health of the credit market. JPMorgan’s CEO Jamie Dimon voiced caution over the high-profile crack-ups, saying his “antenna” is up. “When you see one cockroach, there’s probably more,” Dimon said on the bank’s third-quarter earnings call…