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Markets

Hong Kong stock exchange moves to ease spin-offs and shareholder approval rules

Proposals aim to streamline corporate actions and align Hong Kong more closely with rival markets, HKEX says The 10-week consultation, which runs until November 30, proposes removing the profit test currently used to determine whether a transaction requires disclosure or shareholder approval. Companies would instead use market capitalisation or net asset value, whichever is higher. The proposal would also reduce the number of transactions requiring shareholder approval. Deals equivalent to between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of a company’s size would require disclosure only, rather than shareholder approval under current rules. According to the consultation paper, regulators in the UK and Singapore had already relaxed similar requirements, increasing pressure on Hong Kong to remain competitive.

September 21, 2026

Markets

How Hong Kong is positioning for a bigger role in Asia’s family wealth transition

City courts next-generation wealth as family businesses reinvent themselves and deploy capital into new sectors and markets “Under our unique ‘one country, two systems’ principle, Hong Kong is the only city in the world that converges both the China advantage and the global advantage,” Chan said. The framework guaranteed the free flow of capital, a common law legal system, a simple low-tax regime and a compatible regulatory environment, providing “certainty, security, transparency and predictability” for wealthy families, he added.

September 21, 2026

Markets

Expect ‘high tide’ of Chinese biotech deals as threat of US curbs fades: analysts

Stocks jump on reports Washington will allow most licensing deals under ‘substantially softer stance’ than had been feared, analysts say US-China biotech deals are expected to thrive because Washington is reportedly leaning away from sweeping restrictions, according to analysts, giving Chinese healthcare firms a major boost following Beijing’s ambitious five-year plan for the sector. Out-licensing deals between China and the US would “ride on a high tide” in the favourable environment, said Nomura’s head of China healthcare research Jialin Zhang, in a research note on Sunday. The US Treasury Department was drafting investment rules for American pharmaceutical firms that would preserve their ability to license most Chinese drugs, barring links to pathogens or weaponisable biotechnology, Reuters reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources. That stance would represent a “substantially softer stance” than had been feared based on restrictions outlined in two US bills earlier this year, said Tony Ren, head of Asia Healthcare Research at Macquarie, in a note on Monday.

September 21, 2026

Markets

Asia investors demand AI revenue proof as focus shifts from exposure to earnings: BofA

Investments in artificial intelligence increasingly hinge on monetisation, Bank of America survey finds, as ‘fundamentals drive everything’ Investors in Asia are demanding clearer evidence that artificial intelligence can translate into revenue and earnings, rather than simply seeking exposure to the technology, as the sector moves into a more mature phase, according to Chris Oberoi, head of Asia-Pacific research at Bank of America (BofA) Global Research. “The issue increasingly is: does it add to productivity, and is it being monetised,” Oberoi said. “And the answer is, ‘absolutely yes’.” Separately, President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump are preparing to meet in Washington on Thursday, with trade and technology expected to feature in talks between the world’s two largest economies.

September 21, 2026

Markets

Why a hawkish US Fed won’t derail Hong Kong’s property recovery

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the city’s de facto central bank, probably anticipated the rise in US interest rates last week. However, it is unlikely it foresaw the extent to which the Federal Reserve shifted in a hawkish direction. Even Fed watchers were surprised by the unanimous vote to increase borrowing costs and the unambiguous signal that the central bank plans to raise interest rates further in the coming months. While the HKMA, which moves in lockstep with the Fed to safeguard the...

September 21, 2026

Markets

Despite stock stress, CATL likely to retain EV battery dominance in China, analysts say

CATL’s tech edge and brand safeguard its EV battery lead, though carmakers are seeking alternative suppliers Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited’s (CATL) dominance in the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) market is unlikely to slump over the coming year given its brand recognition and edge in technology, analysts said, though its shares have already tumbled amid the battle with profit-squeezed EV makers. Chinese carmakers have been doubling down on efforts in recent weeks to reduce their reliance on CATL – in September, Xiaomi and Li Auto highlighted their partnership with tier-two battery manufacturers, including CALB Group, while Xpeng planned to make in-house battery packs this year. Amid concerns about a potential loss of market share, CATL’s Shenzhen-listed shares have lost 25.7 per cent since mid-August and 36.5 per cent from their all-time high seen in early May. On Monday, the equities of the Fujian-based firm fell by a further 1.6 per cent in Shenzhen and 0.59 per cent in Hong Kong.

September 21, 2026

Markets

Once the world’s most-visited city, Hong Kong now converts hotels into student dorms

Late last month, an open tender for Hotel Cozi Harbour View in Kwun Tong was announced, with interested parties given until October 15 to submit bids. The 598-room hotel, located in Hong Kong’s eastern Kowloon Peninsula, a former industrial area, was taken over by Nanyang Commercial Bank for HK$1.87 billion (US$238.4 million) in 2025, with the bank now looking to dispose of the asset to the highest bidder. Just a week after the announcement of the tender, Nina Hospitality, one of the largest...

September 21, 2026

Markets

4 mainland Chinese firms jump into cooling Hong Kong IPO market

Four Chinese companies launched initial public offerings (IPOs) in Hong Kong on Monday, aiming to raise as much as HK$14 billion (US$1.8 billion) in total, with strong backing from cornerstone investors countering apparent weakness in the market so far this month. Automated equipment manufacturer RoboTechnik has the biggest target, planning to raise as much as HK$5.18 billion. The new entrants are braving a market that shows signs of slowing. After a blistering year so far – Hong Kong listings...

September 21, 2026

Markets

Geopolitical risks see institutional investors rush to stockpile cash, survey finds

Report says net cash allocation intentions rose 35.5 percentage points to a positive 22 per cent in poll conducted in June and July Global institutional investors and wealth managers are stockpiling cash at the fastest pace on record while quietly retreating from US and UK equities as persistent inflation and mounting geopolitical risks dominate portfolio decisions, according to a report by Marsh Investments. The institutional investment consultancy polled 430 asset owners managing a combined US$5.76 trillion and found that 37.8 per cent planned to increase cash allocations over the next 12 months, up from just 9 per cent in a similar survey last year. Net cash allocation intentions rose 35.5 percentage points to a positive 22 per cent – the sharpest year-on-year swing of any asset class in the survey. United States and United Kingdom equities were the only two asset classes where more investors planned to cut exposure than add, with net allocation intentions falling to negative 10.3 per cent and negative 16.5 per cent, respectively.

September 21, 2026

Markets

China’s collection of stock stamp duty jumps more than 80% as AI frenzy boosts trading

Average daily trading values on mainland China’s stock markets rose 72 per cent in first eight months of the year China’s revenue from stamp duty on stock sales jumped more than 80 per cent in the first eight months this year as improved sentiment bolstered trading activities. China collected 216 billion yuan (US$32.3 billion) from the tax between January and August, up 82 per cent year on year, data released by the Ministry of Finance showed. Average daily trading values on mainland China’s stock markets rose 72 per cent in the first eight months of the year as the artificial intelligence boom bolstered demand for equities. While the benchmark CSI 300 Index has remained flat this year, much of the trading has focused on technology stocks, driving the chip-heavy Star Market 50 Index up by 23 per cent in the first eight months of the year. Stocks worth a daily average of 2.67 trillion yuan changed hands on the mainland’s exchanges this year, according to industry data.

September 21, 2026

Markets

As Chinese consumption of gold jewellery slumps 34%, sellers look to markets abroad: WGC

Domestic gold jewellers are seeking to leverage advanced crafting techniques as market sees turbulence, says China CEO of the World Gold Council Chinese gold jewellers are seeking opportunities in the Middle East and India with their advanced crafting technologies, as the industry struggles amid gold price volatility, the World Gold Council (WGC) says. At the most recent Jewellery & Gem World Hong Kong fair, buyers from the two regions accounted for most of the visitors, said Wang Lixin, China CEO of the WGC, the international association for the gold industry, in a recent interview with the South China Morning Post. The interest was driven by the increasing demand for new jewellery products amid gold price volatility and the progress of Chinese producers in so-called hard pure gold, a new product category using a crafting technique that made the jewellery thinner and harder without contributing extra weight to the gold materials, Wang added. As consumers in the Middle East and India favoured inlaid jewellery, Wang expected Chinese jewellers could leverage the technique to find local buyers.

September 21, 2026

Markets

Betting on People-First Banking

China CITIC Bank International’s Wendy Yuen says the future of finance will not be won by technology alone, but by banks that combine digital speed with human trust, cross-border insight and lifelong learning. China CITIC Bank International’s Wendy Yuen says the future of finance will not be won by technology alone, but by banks that combine digital speed with human trust, cross-border insight and lifelong learning. As head of the Personal and Business Banking Group at China CITIC Bank International, Wendy Yuen sits at the intersection of technology, regulation and real-world customer needs. Based in Hong Kong, she works across retail banking, SME support, fintech innovation and cross-border growth in the Greater Bay Area. Across that wide remit, her message is consistent: technology is powerful, but people and purpose must come first. “We are a society of people,” she says, “particularly in the banking industry, the service industry. We are using people to serve people.” For Yuen, the most profound change in banking is not digitalisation itself, but what it allows banks to become. The old advantage of a large branch network is giving way to a model built on speed, convenience and intelligent connectivity.

September 20, 2026