HSBC’s Elhedery to kick off 2026 with extended Hong Kong stint
His temporary relocation is part of an effort to cut down on a hectic travel schedule HSBC Holdings staff in Hong Kong are about to see a lot more of chief executive officer Georges…
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Fashion
Chinese chip firms line up for Hong Kong listings in coming weeks
At least six Chinese companies related to artificial intelligence are set to go public in Hong Kong in the coming weeks, people familiar with the matter said, building on the strong recent…
At a Silicon Valley summit, robots fold laundry—and investors open their wallets
Robots from around the world converged on Silicon Valley to provide a glimpse of a potential future. Two robots picked up T-shirts with orange-tipped claws, then neatly folded and piled…
Volkswagen budget cuts force battery unit to seek external funds
PowerCo is considering bank loans, external investors and a potential public offering Volkswagen’s battery business is being forced to seek external financing after the German carmaker cut…
South Korea central bank sees upside inflation risk with a weaker won
South Korea’s central bank said on Wednesday (Dec 17) that headline inflation in 2026 could exceed earlier forecasts, if the won stays at its current level against the dollar. “If the…
Warburg Pincus is said to near acquisition of Asian firm Acclime
The transaction may value the corporate services firm at US$950 million to US$1 billion Warburg Pincus is nearing a deal to acquire Asia-focused corporate services firm Acclime, sources…
Bank Indonesia keeps rates steady, focuses on rupiah stability
The bank also leaves its deposit and lending rates unchanged at 3.75% and 5.50%, respectively Indonesia’s central bank held its policy rates unchanged for a third straight meeting on…
Gold could hit US$5,000 an ounce in 2026 if risk hedging persists: market watchers
Returns are expected to moderate for the precious metal in the new year, say analysts Gold has surged more than 60 per cent since the beginning of 2025 – its strongest annual performance…
Hans Patuwo gets GoTo shareholders’ nod as CEO amid investor push for Grab deal
Shareholders of Indonesia’s digital giant GoTo Group have approved the appointment of Hans Patuwo as president director and chief executive officer. The appointment was approved at GoTo’s…
Louis Vuitton sues unit of SGX-listed ValueMax over alleged trademark infringement
LV has four trademarks registered in Singapore: the ‘LV’ monogram and three graphical motifs Global luxury and fashion goods company Louis Vuitton has sued a wholly owned subsidiary of…
Amazon in talks to invest in OpenAI, source says
AMAZON is in discussions to invest in OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, in a potential deal that could value the artificial intelligence company at over US$500 billion, a source familiar…
Chip-sector linchpin Resonac seeks to tap China’s AI ambitions
Japan is home to a network of little-known companies that dominate in key materials that are indispensable for semiconductor manufacturing Semiconductor materials linchpin Resonac Holdings…
S&P Global shifts Genting companies’ outlook to negative on weaker credit quality forecasts
Group capital expenditure could double in 2026, with earnings ‘unlikely’ to keep pace S&P Global Ratings revised its outlook for the Genting group of companies to “negative”, citing…
Visa offers stablecoin settlement for US banks using Circle’s USDC
Visa is opening its US network to stablecoin settlement, expanding crypto-linked products and services enabled by the relaxed regulatory environment under the second Trump administration.…
Coupang CEO fails to appear at South Korean parliamentary hearing on data breach
The founder of South Korea’s Coupang failed to appear before a Wednesday parliamentary hearing about the massive data breach at the e-commerce giant, angering lawmakers who said they would…
Japan’s Mizuho to buy majority of India’s Avendus from KKR for up to 81 billion yen
Japan’s Mizuho Securities on Wednesday (Dec 17) said that it will buy a majority stake in Indian investment bank Avendus from US investment firm KKR for up to 81 billion yen (S$675…
Gold ticks higher as US unemployment climbs in November
Gold climbed on Wednesday (Dec 17) after a US jobs report showed the unemployment rate rose in November, buoying bets of further US interest rate cuts next year while pressuring the US…
Silver tops US$65 for first time; gold firms as US unemployment rate climbs
Silver vaulted past the US$65 mark for the first time on Wednesday (Dec 17), while gold edged higher as weaker US labour data rekindled expectations of interest-rate cuts, pressuring the…
China lowers EU pork tariffs in final ruling after 18-month probe
Importers will receive a refund on the difference between the rates paid since September. [BEIJING/MADRID] China on Tuesday (Dec 16) sharply reduced tariffs on European Union pork imports…
China’s market revival hinges on gloomy economy turning corner
China’s markets shed the “uninvestable” tag this year. To bury it for good, investors say an acceleration in the domestic economy is needed so the bullishness does not fizzle out. The…
China chipmaker MetaX debuts after wildly oversubscribed IPO
CHINA will have another major chip debut on Wednesday (Dec 17), eagerly watched by stock-market investors after the stellar gains by its peer Moore Threads Technology earlier this month.…
MUFG, SMFG among Japanese firms piling into India for growth
The total volume of deals targeting Indian companies has climbed 15% this year to almost US$90 billion Japanese companies are expanding in India, making it one of the busiest corridors for…
Wall Street slips at open as investors assess key jobs data
Wall Street’s main indexes slipped at the open on Tuesday (Dec 16) after data broadly signalled a cooling US economy, paving the way for more monetary policy easing by the Federal Reserve…
Pfizer forecasts 2026 profit below expectations on lower Covid product sales
Pfizer has rolled out a sweeping cost reduction programme in response to the drop in Covid-19 sales Pfizer on Tuesday (Dec 16) forecast 2026 profit below Wall Street estimates as it…