US Federal Reserve policymakers are expected to leave interest rates unchanged at their meeting next week, as the US-Israel war on Iran sends shock waves through markets and recent economic data has begun to show weakness. The Fed will start its two-day meeting on Tuesday, with an announcement of the benchmark lending rate in the…
Fewer Hongkongers withdrew funds from the city’s mandatory pension plan in the fourth quarter of last year, as a stock market rally prompted more members to leave their investments in place even when they stopped working or left the city, according to analysts. The number of people taking their money out of the Mandatory Provident…
The Year of the Horse is set to bring volatility for the investments of Hong Kong’s 4.8 million Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) members, following a record-breaking Year of the Snake that ended on Monday, according to analysts. The next zodiac year, which begins on Tuesday, is the seventh in the Chinese lunar calendar’s 12-year cycle,…
Bitcoin slid to US$74,541 on Monday morning, its lowest level in 10 months, extending a decline of about 40 per cent from its record high above US$126,000. That peak had been fuelled in part by expectations of a more crypto-friendly stance from the Trump administration. Other major tokens also weakened, with Ethereum down more than…
Hong Kong has its mojo back. The city’s economy grew 3.5 per cent last year, the fastest pace since 2021, according to an advanced estimate published by the Census and Statistics Department on January 30. A sharp increase in exports, the unexpected driver of growth in many Asian economies last year, was a key factor…
Hong Kong’s de facto central bank left its base rate unchanged after a similar move overnight by the US Federal Reserve, leaving borrowers in the city with a longer wait for funding costs to fall. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced its decision on Thursday morning to keep the city’s base rate at 4…
Hong Kong banks may not cut their prime rates this year, but local interbank rates will still follow US rates lower, benefiting a majority of borrowers, according to a senior executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). Analysts widely expect the US Federal Reserve to cut its key rate by three-quarters of a point…
The US Federal Reserve under a new chairman in 2026 is expected to press ahead with interest rate cuts of up to 75 basis points, a move that would lower Hong Kong’s interbank-linked loan costs but leave prime lending rates stuck at their historical low, according to analysts. The Fed and the Hong Kong Monetary…
The US Federal Reserve under a new chairman in 2026 is expected to press ahead with interest rate cuts of up to 75 basis points, a move that would lower Hong Kong’s interbank-linked loan costs but leave prime lending rates stuck at their historical low, according to analysts. The Fed and the Hong Kong Monetary…
Shares of HashKey Holdings, operator of Hong Kong’s largest licensed cryptocurrency exchange, fluctuated on their trading debut, as investors shunned risk amid a downturn in both equity and digital asset markets. Trading under the stock code 3887, HashKey shares first changed hands on Wednesday at HK$6.70, or 0.3 per cent above the offer price of…