Economic news

China’s CATL to raise $2.85 billion to fund battery projects China’s leading vehicle battery manufacturer CATL said that it would be raising over 20 billion Yuan ($2.85 billion) in order to fund its battery production and storage projects. According to a Wednesday filing to the Shenzhen stock exchange, the company will aid in expanding its […]

New Zealand’s business outlook in January had dropped as the coronavirus outbreak in China and abroad piled on concerns over global economic growth, according to an ANZ Bank survey on Thursday. The survey showed that a net 19.4% of participants had expected the economy to stagnate during the current year in contrast to the 13.2% […]

The Central Bank of South Korea kept its rates steady and unmoved on Thursday, killing hopes for monetary easing, despite the glaring coronavirus risks as it continues to spread in the country, threatening to hurt the fourth-largest economy in Asia. The base rate of the policy board of the Bank of Korea remained at 1.25%. […]

TOKYO- Oil prices hit a five-day low on Thursday, its lowest performance since January 2019. Such inactivity was brought by increasing rate of coronavirus diagnosis outside China which intensified investors’ fears that the contagion will drag and lower demand for oil. Brent crude LCOc1 inched down 77 cents, equivalent to 1.4%, and last stood at […]

SINGAPORE- Oil and Asian share markets continued to hit lower grounds on Thursday as the fast-paced contagion of the novel coronavirus brought market sentiment down and made investors seek safe-haven assets. The MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan finished its session with 0.5% decline and is 4% lower for this week’s trading activity. […]

Banks in Hong Kong are faced with two quarters of slow loan growth and declining asset quality due to the coronavirus outbreak’s impact on consumer banking. The Asian financial hub, including HSBC and Standard Chartered, are experiencing low demand for mortgages, corporate loans, and credit card usage. Hong Kong has its biggest exposure to China […]

TOKYO- Asian shares sunk down on Wednesday after the United States warned that further spread of novel coronavirus may end up as a global emergency. The announcement dragged Wall Street and tied earnings on safe-haven Treasuries to low grounds. The S&P 500 .SPX and the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI lost 3% on Tuesday’s session, […]

Hong Kong announces $15.4 billion relief package to boost economy Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced on Wednesday a HK$120 billion ($15.4 billion) relief package in an attempt to bolster the country’s economy amid the coronavirus outbreak and civil unrest. Chan’s annual budget featured a handout of HK$ 10,000 ($1,300) to each permanent resident […]

Thailand reports worse-than-expected January factory output, down by 4.6% Thailand reported its manufacturing production index (MPI) for January which dropped sharply for a ninth-straight month. The country’s PMI, which slid 4.59% lower from a year earlier, was a result of a decrease in the production of automobiles, sugar, and palm oil, according to the ministry […]

The dollar slipped on Wednesday as investors question its relative strength, together with other US financial assets, as central bank imposed rate cuts and health officials warned of a potential domestic virus outbreak. The dollar’s index declined to 98.980 against a basket of major currencies. It lost 0.9% since its peak at 99.915 the previous […]