A pullback in gold prices is sending some Asian investors back into equities, as portfolio managers reduce defensive positions and rebuild exposure to technology, financials and consumer stocks. Wealth advisers say the shift is most visible among clients who bought bullion during recent volatility and are now taking profits after a strong run. Gold remains…
China’s consumer trade-in campaign is beginning to ripple through regional retail and manufacturing supply chains, giving Asian appliance, electronics and auto-related companies a stronger spring season than many executives expected. The policy push, aimed at encouraging households to replace older goods, has produced early signs of demand for refrigerators, washing machines, smartphones, air conditioners and…
Investors have spent years treating Japan as a tactical market: buy when the yen weakens, sell when global growth slows, and assume corporate behaviour will remain conservative. That view is increasingly outdated. Japan’s corporate reinvention is slower than a technology boom, but it may prove more durable because it is rooted in governance, balance sheets…
ASEAN governments are backing a tougher regional crackdown on cross-border scam networks, with new banking and payments rules aimed at slowing the movement of stolen funds across digital channels. Officials and compliance specialists say the measures reflect growing frustration with fraud operations that exploit differences between national banking systems. Online scams have become a regional…
Japanese companies are stepping up overseas expansion plans after a stronger earnings season, using improved cash flow and investor pressure for better capital efficiency to pursue acquisitions abroad. From industrial machinery to food ingredients and specialist services, management teams are looking beyond Japan’s mature domestic market for growth that can support higher returns. The new…
Japanese robotics firms are gaining momentum in the next automation cycle as manufacturers look for reliable systems that can offset labour shortages, reduce quality defects and support more flexible production. While global excitement has shifted toward artificial intelligence software, Japan’s advantage lies in the machinery that turns digital instructions into factory output. The current cycle…
An IPO revival is building across Hong Kong and Mumbai as improving equity sentiment, stronger domestic liquidity and a backlog of delayed listings create a more active pipeline for the second quarter. Bankers say issuers that postponed offerings during last year’s volatility are testing investor appetite again, particularly in technology, healthcare, consumer brands and financial…
Southeast Asia has the demographics, digital adoption and manufacturing momentum to become one of the world’s most important growth regions. But to realise that potential, governments must choose scale over protectionism. The region’s biggest opportunity lies in acting more like an integrated market and less like a collection of guarded national economies. Protectionist instincts are…
Hong Kong is moving to streamline compliance procedures for technology listings as the city seeks to revive its IPO market and defend its role as a preferred fundraising venue for Chinese and Asian growth companies. Lawyers and bankers say the effort is aimed at reducing procedural uncertainty without weakening disclosure standards. The exchange has faced…
Singapore is reasserting itself as Southeast Asia’s data-centre capital after a period of tighter capacity controls, as operators adapt to stricter sustainability requirements and rising demand for cloud and AI infrastructure. Industry executives say the city-state’s combination of connectivity, legal certainty and enterprise demand continues to outweigh its land and power constraints. For years, Singapore’s…
