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…
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…
Family offices based in Singapore are increasing allocations to Asian private credit, seeking income and collateral-backed exposure after several years in which venture capital and public equities delivered uneven returns. Wealth advisers say the move is being driven by higher base rates, a slower IPO market and growing demand from mid-sized companies that no longer…
When Hyundai Motor Group announced plans in 2022 to invest $21 billion in the United States through 2030, the move was widely interpreted as a strategic masterstroke. The South Korean automaker would build electric vehicle and battery manufacturing capacity in Georgia, positioning itself to capture incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act while deepening its foothold…
Asian conglomerates are reopening acquisition talks after nearly a year of caution, as lower market volatility and improving credit conditions give corporate boards more room to pursue regional expansion. Bankers in Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo say deal committees that spent much of 2025 focused on debt reduction are again reviewing targets in logistics, healthcare,…
The first quarter of 2026 will be remembered as a period that began with historic optimism and ended in crisis. Asian equity markets opened the year at record levels, fueled by Samsung and SK Hynix’s HBM production ramp, TSMC’s record earnings, Japan’s Takaichi-driven fiscal expansion, Singapore’s AI-centered budget, and India’s emergence as the region’s fastest-growing…
Asian equity markets opened the final week of March with broad declines as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran entered its fifth week without a ceasefire or a credible pathway to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The KOSPI led regional losses, tracking a Wall Street technology sell-off that reflected growing concern about the war’s economic impact….
Brent crude closed at $103.14 per barrel on Friday, its highest settlement since 2022, as the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively shut to commercial shipping for a fourth consecutive week. The oil price trajectory has accelerated in the final days of March, driven by Iran’s March 18 strike on Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG complex, which…
China’s National People’s Congress formally approved the 15th Five-Year Plan on March 12, completing an eight-day session that set the policy framework for the country’s economic and industrial development through 2030. The plan, which WilmerHale described as making the 2026 Two Sessions “particularly important for business audiences,” codifies Beijing’s commitment to technological self-reliance, high-quality growth,…
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s meeting with President Trump at the White House on Wednesday produced a framework for expanded bilateral trade and deepened defense cooperation, though the full details of any trade agreement remain subject to further negotiation. The summit, which marked Takaichi’s first official visit to Washington since securing her historic supermajority in February,…
