27 h. ago HSBC to grow investment bank to serve rising demand for IPOs

HSBC will expand its investment banking business to serve the rising demand of companies from Asia and the Middle East for initial public offerings (IPOs), said the co-CEOs of the bank’s biggest profit centre. The plan aligns with the bank’s restructuring to focus on high-return areas like Hong Kong and India, as well as exit low-profitability markets like Europe and the US. Hong Kong sits atop the world’s IPO league table, after 27 companies raised US$9.96 billion this year as of last week,...

Economics

3 d. ago L’Oreal sees Middle East and Southeast Asia as next growth engines as China slows: ‘Eventually demographics have to win’

L’Oreal sees Middle East and Southeast Asia as next growth engines as China slows: ‘Eventually demographics have to win’  Fortune

Politics

6 d. ago Malaysia’s Kelantan eyes rare earth riches. Can it dig its way out of debt?

Kelantan’s rare earth reserves offer a potential lifeline for the impoverished Malaysian state, promising a path to slashing debt and driving much-needed economic development. But experts warn it will need to secure more federal funding to build the infrastructure needed to unlock billions of dollars in projected revenue. The Kelantan state government signed a preliminary deal with Australian mining giant Lynas last week to explore the state’s capacity to supply rare earths to the company’s...

Politics

7 d. ago BTG Pactual eyes Hong Kong expansion as China and Brazil strengthen ties

Brazilian investment bank BTG Pactual is seeking to expand its operations in Asia, eyeing opportunities arising from the growing demand for data centres among Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) firms, as Beijing and Brasília strengthen their trade and investment ties amid tariff disputes with the US. Established in 1983, BTG is one of Brazil’s largest banks, with a presence across Latin America, the US, Europe and the Middle East. During an interview with the Post in Hong Kong on Saturday, BTG...

Politics

7 d. ago BTG Pactual eyes Hong Kong growth as China, Brazil strengthen ties

Brazilian investment bank BTG Pactual is seeking to expand its operations in Asia, eyeing opportunities arising from the growing demand for data centres among Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) firms, as Beijing and Brasília strengthen their trade and investment ties amid tariff disputes with the US. Established in 1983, BTG is one of Brazil’s largest banks, with a presence across Latin America, the US, Europe and the Middle East. During an interview with the Post in Hong Kong on Saturday, BTG...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong regains favour with investors, companies: Deutsche Bank

Hong Kong’s corporate activity and yuan-driven business have been revitalised as global market participants strengthen ties to China’s economy amid tariffs and geopolitical tensions, according to a senior executive at Deutsche Bank. Companies and investors have increased their exposure to China and hedged against the US dollar as they adjusted their supply chains and portfolios amid market volatility, said Ole Matthiessen, head of corporate banking for Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa,...

Economics

1 week ago Hong Kong deepens financial ties with Saudi in Sukuk ETF’s bullish debut

Hong Kong is taking another big step to strengthen financial-market linkages with the Middle East with the launch of Asia’s first exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracking Saudi Arabia’s Islamic government bonds, or sukuk. The ETF, called Premia BOCHK Saudi Arabia Government Sukuk ETF, started trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Thursday, giving local investors access to the world’s second-largest market for Shariah-compliant debt securities. The ETF trades in Hong Kong dollars under code 3478...

Politics

1 week ago Saudi sukuk ETFs debut in Hong Kong’s milestone in Middle East ties

Hong Kong is taking another big step to strengthen financial-market linkages with the Middle East with the launch of Asia’s first exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracking Saudi Arabia’s Islamic government bonds, or sukuk. The ETF, called Premia BOCHK Saudi Arabia Government Sukuk ETF, started trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Thursday, giving local investors access to the world’s second-largest market for sharia-compliant debt securities. The ETF trades in Hong Kong dollars under code 3478...

Politics

1 week ago Trump’s surreal call to Ishiba not about tariffs, but fighter jets, self

When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba took a surprise 45-minute call from US President Donald Trump on Friday, Tokyo braced for tough talk on tariffs. Instead, officials were reportedly met with a meandering monologue that some say reflected Trump’s need for affirmation more than any real interest in Japan – or Ishiba. According to insider sources cited in a report published by the Asahi newspaper on Tuesday, Trump spoke at length about his recent Middle East trip, digressed into a...

Politics

1 week ago Trump’s surreal call to Ishiba not about tariffs, but jets, self

When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba took a surprise 45-minute call from US President Donald Trump last week, Tokyo braced for tough talk on tariffs. Instead, officials were reportedly met with a meandering monologue that some say reflected Trump’s need for affirmation more than any real interest in Japan – or Ishiba. According to insider sources cited in a report published by the Asahi newspaper on Tuesday, Trump spoke at length about his recent Middle East trip, digressed into a...

Politics

1 week ago ANALYSIS: Unpacking China’s Offer to Southeast Asia and the Middle East

ANALYSIS: Unpacking China’s Offer to Southeast Asia and the Middle East  The China-Global South Project

Politics

1 week ago ‘Asian alliance’: how China is forging a new power centre amid the trade war

China is pushing to forge a powerful new economic bloc with countries across Southeast Asia and the Middle East to counteract rising US protectionism, with some analysts suggesting a prototype for an “Asian Union” may be taking shape. Premier Li Qiang attended the opening of a new forum bringing together leaders from China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday, where he remarked that the current global tensions offered an...

Events

1 week ago Asean aims for more investments from GCC as US tariffs spur diversification

Southeast Asian economies have signalled their readiness to allow more investments from the Gulf region in sectors such as technology, artificial intelligence and renewable energy, as they look to diversify growth and shield themselves from the impact of US tariffs. In return, the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council is seeking partners beyond the Middle East to tap its oil wealth as part of its efforts to play a greater role in global growth. Southeast Asia’s economies have been reeling since...

Economics

1 week ago Malaysia eyes halal exports to Middle East amid US trade tensions

Malaysian businesses are eyeing more sales to Gulf nations, whose burgeoning Muslim populations need a bigger range of halal products – from pet food to cosmetics – and are willing to pay trusted sources for them. Majority-Muslim Malaysia is a global leader in halal products and has a rigorous certification regime recognised by scores of Muslim nations and bodies worldwide. Businesses selling to the six oil-rich nations of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain...

Events

1 week ago Malaysia eyes halal exports to Middle East in bid for new markets

Malaysian businesses are eyeing more sales to Gulf nations, whose burgeoning Muslim populations need a bigger range of halal products – from pet food to cosmetics – and are willing to pay trusted sources for them. Majority-Muslim Malaysia is a global leader in halal products and has a rigorous certification regime recognised by scores of Muslim nations and bodies worldwide. Businesses selling to the six oil-rich nations of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain...

Politics

2 w. ago China’s Pop Mart conquers Middle East with Labubu plush toys

After a meteoric rise in the US and Southeast Asia, Pop Mart International’s latest iteration of its hit Labubu character is winning deep-pocketed fans in the Middle East, a fresh sign that the Beijing-based toymaker’s ambition to become a “truly global company” is gaining momentum. Google trend data shows that interest in the character surged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after the April 25 launch of the latest Big Into Energy series. Among the largest emirates, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah...

Politics

2 w. ago Israeli strike on Gaza school sheltering displaced people kills at least 20

Children killed in strike that Israel’s military said targeted militants operating from school.

Events

2 w. ago Israeli PM Netanyahu meets visiting US homeland security chief Kristi Noem in Jerusalem

Netanyahu’s office said Noem, who visited city’s Western Wall, ‘expressed unwavering support for the prime minister and the state of Israel’.

Politics

2 w. ago Israel’s Netanyahu meets US homeland security chief Noem in Jerusalem

Netanyahu’s office said Noem reaffirmed US support for Israel amid the Gaza conflict.

Politics

2 w. ago Syrian government to aid search for missing Americans, US envoy says

The US lifting sanctions paves the way for reconstruction, with authorities relying on foreign help to foot the cost of rebuilding.

Politics