Asia Economy
Singapore dollar exhibits safe-haven currency features. But it’s no yen or Swiss franc — yet
A staff member counts Singapore dollar currency notes at Raffles Place financial business district in Singapore on October 6, 2022. Roslan Rahman | Afp | Getty Images In times of uncertainty, investors turn to safe-haven assets — gold, Treasuries as well as currencies such as the Japanese yen, U.S. dollar and the Swiss franc. These […]
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Chinese companies are waging fierce price wars — but the consumer isn’t always the winner
A store in a shopping mall in Beijing on Aug. 7, 2024. Pedro Pardo | Afp | Getty Images Fierce price wars in China are hitting industries from cars to food deliveries to solar panels, squeezing profits and worsening the country’s deflationary slide. Though consumers may be lured by ultra-cheap deals, the trade-offs for them […]
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China holds key lending rates as softening consumer sentiment persists in world’s second largest economy
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) building in Beijing, China, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Bloomberg | Getty Images China kept its benchmark lending rates steady on Monday as the country continues to grapple with weak consumer sentiment and softening growth. The People’s Bank of China held the 1-year loan prime rate at 3.0% and […]
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Asia markets set to open mixed as investors assess trade developments, await China benchmark rates
Here are the opening calls for the day Good morning from Singapore. Investors will be keeping a close watch on the People’s Bank of China’s decision on its 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates for July expected later in the day. Futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index stood at 24,883, pointing to a stronger open compared […]
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Australian stocks hit record high as Asia-Pacific markets track Wall Street gains
Australia stock markets climb to record high Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.58% to a record high of 8,689.4 during early trading hours. Year-to-date, the benchmark index as risen 6.62%, data from LSEG showed. Index heavyweights like mining giant BHP and Rio Tinto are up 1.7% and 1.32% respectively. Biotech firm CSL is up over 1.7%. Stock Chart […]
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Japan’s core inflation cools in June as expected, coming down from 29-month high as rice prices ease
A customer visits a store at Togoshi Ginza shopping street in Tokyo on January 23, 2025. Philip Fong | Afp | Getty Images Japan’s core inflation cooled to 3.3% in June, coming down from a 29-month high of 3.7% as rice inflation showed signs of easing. The figure — which strips out costs for fresh […]
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China’s premier urges tighter price oversight as deflation pressures squeeze economy
TOPSHOT – China’s Premier Li Qiang delivers his speech during the ASEAN – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – China Economic Forum official dinner after the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur on May 27, 2025. Vincent Thian | Afp | Getty Images Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for tighter […]
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TSMC’s second-quarter profit soars nearly 61%, beating estimates as AI chip demand stays strong
A motorcycle is seen near a building of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which is a Taiwanese multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company, in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on April 16, 2025. Daniel Ceng | Anadolu | Getty Images Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company on Thursday reported a near 61% year-on-year rise in second-quarter profit, beating […]
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Construction begins on Las Vegas Sands’ $8 billion ‘ultra luxurious’ resort in Singapore
Construction has started on an $8 billion “ultra luxurious” integrated resort in Singapore that will expand the city-state’s Marina Bay Sands integrated resort and Las Vegas Sands’ presence in Asia. Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Las Vegas Sands co-founder Miriam Adelson attended a ground-breaking ceremony Tuesday, where it was revealed that the development will […]
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Japan’s exports fall for second straight month with no U.S. trade deal in sight, raising recession fears
New Isuzu Motors Ltd. trucks bound for shipment at a port in Yokohama, Japan, on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Japan’s exports in June contracted 0.5% year over year, extending the 1.7% drop seen in May as deliveries continued to decline for the second straight month. The decrease in exports […]
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