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Singapore named world’s most expensive city for luxury spending for fourth year in a row
Markets

Singapore named world’s most expensive city for luxury spending for fourth year in a row

Singapore is the world’s most expensive city for luxury spending for a fourth consecutive year, as prices on items such as watches and jewellery surge around the globe. Zurich climbed to second place, edging out London, while Monaco entered the top three for the first time since the survey began in 2020, according to an annual report by Swiss wealth manager Julius Baer Group. Hong Kong and London rounded out the top five. Zurich’s three-place rise was propelled by the strengthening of the Swiss...

‘Real-world’ competition tests students’ financial literacy and teamwork
Markets

‘Real-world’ competition tests students’ financial literacy and teamwork

Undergraduates from around the world show analytical and problem-solving skills in Global Finals of HSBC/HKU Business Case Challenge A few pages of business information, a blank sheet of paper and a room of senior executives waiting for answers – that is where the Global Finals of the annual HSBC/HKU Business Case Challenge begins. The latest event held in Hong Kong, supported by The Hongkong Bank Foundation – the charity arm of HSBC – and now in its 19th year, featured 24 four-member teams of university undergraduates from 20 countries across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East tackling business problems in real time. Last month’s Global Finals of the HSBC/HKU Business Case Challenge 2026 – drawn from an international field of more than 12,000 students after competing in local rounds across the region – saw Australia’s University of Sydney crowned champions after five days of intensive analysis, debate and live presentations before a panel of business executives. The event was hosted at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) Business School and at the HSBC Main Building in Central.

Hong Kong’s IPO surge
Markets

Hong Kong’s IPO surge

Higher forex, southbound investment to give ‘vitality’ to Hong Kong: PBOC chief
Markets

Higher forex, southbound investment to give ‘vitality’ to Hong Kong: PBOC chief

The governor of China’s central bank made the comment at the Hong Kong FIC & Bond Connect Summit on Tuesday Mainland China’s foreign reserve would continue to increase asset allocation in Hong Kong, providing further momentum to the city’s capital market development, the governor of the People’s Bank of China said on Tuesday. Pan announced that the annual net investment quota under the Bond Connect scheme would be increased to 800 billion yuan (US$117.82 billion) from the current 500 billion yuan quota. The programme would also expand the number of eligible products to include Hong Kong dollar bonds and related yuan-denominated assets, with the scope extended to cover Macau’s bond market.

Hong Kong’s pension fund suffers a loss in June but reports first-half gains
Markets

Hong Kong’s pension fund suffers a loss in June but reports first-half gains

On average, each MPF member saw a pension savings loss of HK$5,087 in June, but gained HK$18,500 in the first six months, according to MPF Ratings Hong Kong’s Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF), the city’s compulsory retirement scheme covering 4.8 million members, recorded a HK$24.4 billion (US$3.12 billion) loss in June, eroding the gains it made in the first half of this year to HK$88.8 billion. On average, each MPF member saw their pension savings suffer an investment loss of HK$5,087 in June, but they still made gains of HK$18,500 over the first six months of 2026, according to data from independent research company MPF Ratings. The monthly loss in June was lower than the loss of HK$20,071 in March, MPF Ratings said. “According to the Chinese, ‘8’ is a lucky number. MPF has delivered HK$88.8 billion in investment gains in the first half of this year, which means more luck for members,” said Francis Chung, chairman of MPF Ratings. Total MPF assets stood at HK$1.67 trillion (US$214 billion) at the end of June, up 7 per cent, or HK$112.1 billion from the end of last year, reflecting a combination of investment gains in the first half of this year and ongoing member contributions.

Hong Kong US dollar gold futures trading hits record high ahead of clearing system launch
Markets

Hong Kong US dollar gold futures trading hits record high ahead of clearing system launch

The surge comes as the city pushes to become a global bullion trading and storage hub Hong Kong’s gold futures trading has surged on the back of a fee waiver and as the city government presses ahead with plans to become an international trading hub for the precious metal, with volumes breaking a record on Monday. Bid-ask spreads for active contract months were as tight as one tick, or US$0.01, for the August contract and two ticks for the December contract, according to the post. The exchange announced it would waive fees for its US dollar gold futures for a year, starting on Monday, as it relaunched the product, according to a circular sent to gold traders. “HKEX’s efforts to revitalise gold futures have drawn broad participation from across the market, including banks, securities firms, high-frequency trading firms, trading houses, gold producers and consumers,” it said in the LinkedIn post. “This is an important step in HKEX’s broader strategy to enhance our gold product suite and deepen our multi-asset ecosystem, supporting Hong Kong’s development as a leading international gold trading and storage centre.”

China’s latest nuclear reactor goes live, first in Greater Bay Area with Hualong One tech
Markets

China’s latest nuclear reactor goes live, first in Greater Bay Area with Hualong One tech

New reactor at Taipingling Nuclear Power Plant launches as Guangdong sees a growing number of reactors built across the province China’s domestic design is fuelling a nuclear reactor-building spree in the country’s largest provincial economy of Guangdong, with a new Hualong One reactor counting down to entering commercial operation this week ahead of peak demand for electricity this summer. Many of Guangdong’s nuclear plants, including its first one built more than 30 years ago, imported foreign technologies for their superior Western design but China is increasingly building out its domestic supply chain for nuclear energy. The milestone at Taipingling caps five years of construction, with its initial proposal reportedly favouring technology from Westinghouse in the United States. The project cost 120 billion yuan (US$17.58 billion) and will incorporate six reactors. Beijing is hoping to cut itself off from fossil fuels, especially coal, one of the key contributors to climate change. Together with renewable energy, the world’s second-largest economy and biggest polluter of greenhouse gases aims to peak emissions by 2030 and get to carbon neutrality in 2060.

Global investors pivot from access to scale in yuan operations, anchored by Hong Kong
Markets

Global investors pivot from access to scale in yuan operations, anchored by Hong Kong

Three quarters of respondents expect to increase yuan allocations over the next one to two years Global institutional investors are pivoting away from basic market entry to scaling up their yuan operations, with offshore hubs such as Hong Kong emerging as the central infrastructure for that shift, a new survey showed. Yuan adoption has become portfolio-led, with 66 per cent of respondents citing diversification as their primary driver for allocation, compared with 54 per cent citing China’s global trade footprint and 40 per cent chasing specific yield opportunities. Meanwhile, three quarters of respondents expected to increase yuan allocations over the next one to two years, alongside rising demand for hedging and risk management tools. “What has shifted in recent years is that renminbi market access is no longer about entry; it is about whether investors can operate seamlessly at scale,” said Cheuk Wong, head of markets and securities services for Hong Kong at HSBC, referring to the official name of China’s currency.

China’s EV deliveries remain stuck in downward spiral, exacerbating industry worries
Markets

China’s EV deliveries remain stuck in downward spiral, exacerbating industry worries

China’s electric vehicle (EV) deliveries in June failed to match their year-on-year numbers for the sixth month in a row, even as carmakers offered promotions to attract budget-conscious consumers, exacerbating worries about Chinese EV firms’ profitability. A total of 1.04 million pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars were handed to customers in mainland China last month, down 7 per cent from the same period in 2025, preliminary data from the China Passenger Car Association showed. During the...

Hong Kong targets 2026 securities law overhaul to boost Reits, IPOs
Markets

Hong Kong targets 2026 securities law overhaul to boost Reits, IPOs

Government says it seeks to upgrade its listing regime later this year, boosting the city’s financial hub status and market transparency Hong Kong will seek to amend its securities laws later this year and upgrade its listing regime in a bid to attract more companies and real estate investment trusts (Reits) to list in the city, strengthening its role as an international financial centre, government and regulatory officials told lawmakers on Monday. “The law change will enhance market quality and protect the interests of the investing public by encouraging listed companies and listing applicants to make more transparent and accurate disclosure,” Chan told lawmakers at a Legislative Council financial affairs panel meeting on Monday. “The law change will also ensure the SFC has sufficient tools to address misconduct.” Under the proposed law change, the SFC would be empowered to withdraw objection notices for listing applicants, eliminating the need to resubmit fresh applications after addressing the concerns raised in those notices. The amendment would also allow the SFC to impose post-listing conditions on listed companies, including additional disclosure requirements.

Hong Kong’s roast meat chains expand as recovery in shop markets remains uneven
Markets

Hong Kong’s roast meat chains expand as recovery in shop markets remains uneven

Tourism rebounds as a simple operating model fuels demand for shops, while areas relying on local consumption remain mild The trend is reflecting growing demand for prime street-level shops from operators serving both tourists and local diners. Analysts say roast meat operators have benefited from changing visitor spending patterns, with mainland tourists increasingly seeking local dining experiences rather than luxury shopping. Official data showed visitor arrivals to Hong Kong rose 14 per cent year on year to about 22.9 million in the first five months of 2026, providing another tailwind for operators. Unlike cha chaan tengs, Hong Kong’s traditional all-day cafes that serve extensive menus blending Cantonese and Western dishes, “roast meat shops typically offer a much narrower selection”, Stanley Poon, managing director at Centaline Commercial, said.

Hong Kong pension fund to ease rules and increase gold ETFs, source says
Markets

Hong Kong pension fund to ease rules and increase gold ETFs, source says

MPFA to relax gold ETF investment approval rules as part of Hong Kong government’s push to turn the city into a regional gold trading hub Hong Kong’s pension fund will soon be able to invest in more gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as part of the government’s push to turn the city into a trading hub for the yellow metal, a source with knowledge of the matter told the South China Morning Post. The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA), which oversees HK$1.53 trillion (US$195 billion) worth of pension funds by end-March, planned to amend the rules about gold ETF investment later this week, the person said. Instead of approval on a case-by-case basis, the pension regulator would probably allow all gold ETFs as long as they meet certain criteria that would qualify them as a Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) investment. “The change is aimed at adding more gold ETFs, so that the 4.8 million members of the MPF will have more products to choose from,” according to the person with knowledge of the rule changes.