ASIA:   S&P Global Ratings predicts that funding conditions in India will likely restrict loan growth for many banks, leading to a potential 200 basis points decrease in credit expansion in the next fiscal year. The rating agency anticipates a moderation in system-level credit growth to 14% in FY25, starting April 1, down from about […]

  ASIA:   A significant Chinese bank, Chouzhou Commercial Bank, has stopped conducting operations with Russian and Belarusian companies. Other Chinese and Hong Kong banks are reportedly imposing stricter regulations on transactions with Russia to align with Western sanctions. The Kremlin has acknowledged the strained relations between Russian companies and Chinese banks, and Russian government […]

ASIA: India’s industrial output, grew at a faster-than-expected rate of 3.8% year-on-year in December, exceeding economists’ predictions of 2.4%. This growth was primarily driven by a boost in manufacturing activity, with manufacturing output increasing by 3.9% compared to the previous year. However, electricity generation and mining activities showed slower growth rates in December compared to […]

ASIA:   The major Asian stock markets had a negative day today: NIKKEI 225 closed Shanghai closed Hang Seng closed ASX 200 decreased 29.90 points or -0.39% to 7,614.90 Kospi closed SENSEX decreased 523.00 points or -0.73% to 71,072.49 Nifty50 decreased 166.45 points or -0.76% to 21,616.05   The major Asian currency markets had a […]

ASIA:   The major Asian stock markets had a mixed day today: NIKKEI 225 increased 743.36 points or 2.06% to 36,863.28 Shanghai increased 36.21 points or 1.28% to 2,865.90 Hang Seng decreased 203.82 points or -1.27% to 15,878.07 ASX 200 increased 23.40 points or 0.31% to 7,639.20 Kospi increased 10.74 points or 0.41% to 2,620.32 […]

ASIA: India’s markets regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has released a discussion paper proposing methods for offshore funds with expired India licenses to divest their securities. This marks the initial step before potential rule changes by SEBI to address the absence of a mechanism for offshore funds to liquidate holdings post-license […]

ASIA:   The major Asian stock markets had a mixed day today: NIKKEI 225 decreased 193.50 points or -0.53% to 36,160.66 Shanghai increased 87.30 points or 3.23% to 2,789.49 Hang Seng increased 626.86 points or 4.04% to 16,136.87 ASX 200 decreased 44.30 points or -0.58% to 7,581.60 Kospi decreased 15.11 points or -0.58% to 2,576.20 […]

ASIA:   Japan’s economy likely returned to growth in the October-December period, helped by a slight pick-up in foreign demand, although analysts warned that private consumption remained fragile, a Reuters poll showed on Friday. The expected return to expansion, albeit modest, would come as the Bank of Japan debates the likelihood of a near-term exit […]

ASIA:   Japan is expected to experience a significant increase in annual interest payments on government debt, reaching 24.8 trillion yen ($169 billion) over the next decade, according to draft government estimates seen by Reuters. The Ministry of Finance prepared the latest estimate for parliamentary discussion on the government’s budget bills, highlighting the potential rise […]

ASIA: In December, Hong Kong’s retail sales continued their upward trend for the 13th consecutive month, driven by improving tourism. Official data revealed a 7.8% year-on-year increase to HK$36.3 billion ($4.64 billion), following a 15.9% jump in November. The government anticipates further growth in visitor arrivals and attributes this to increased handling capacity recovery. Additionally, […]