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☆ Malaysia might add a casino to boost troubled $100 billion mega-development Forest City
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Malaysia may add a casino to Forest City, a mega-development that has turned into a ghost town. AdvertisementMalaysia's Forest City mega-development started with big ambitions and big money. Now, Malaysia is in talks with several high-profile investors to add a casino to Forest City, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on Wednesday. AdvertisementThe southeast nation's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with the heads of a Malaysian property development firm and a resort company at Forest City last week. Expensive, empty apartmentsA casino — which would only be the second in Malaysia — could help struggling Forest City.

Persons: —, Anwar Ibrahim, Ibrahim Iskandar, King Ibrahim, Anwar, They're, Al Marjan Organizations: Service, City, Bloomberg, nation's, Forest City, Garden, Genting Group, Berjaya Corp, Business, United, United Arab Emirates, Las Vegas, downstate Locations: Malaysia, Forest City, Singapore, Malaysia's, Malaysian, Forest, Genting, Marielle, Johor, United Arab, Al, York City, York

☆ China may have to brace for a new wave of bond defaults, S&P says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China's state-directed economy may be creating the conditions for a new wave of bond defaults that could come as soon as next year, according to an S&P Global Ratings report released Tuesday. It comes against a backdrop of extremely few defaults in China amid concerns about overall growth in the world's second-largest economy. China's corporate bond default rate fell to 0.2% in 2023, the lowest in at least 8 years and far below the global rate of about 2.6%, S&P data showed. "We've seen directives or guidance from the government in the past year to discourage defaults in the bond market." "The question is: When the guidance to avoid the defaults in the bond market [ends], what happens to the bond market?"

Persons: Charles Chang, that's, Chang, We've Organizations: Country Garden Holdings Co Locations: Phoenix, Heyuan, Guangdong province, China, BEIJING

☆ Fitch's negative outlook for China is more bad news for its stalling economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewFitch Ratings has cut its outlook for China, adding to the gloom surrounding the world's second-largest economy. It cut its outlook from "stable" to "negative," but maintained its overall rating at "A+." The move comes after Moody's Investor Services, another major credit-rating agency, also downgraded its outlook for China to "negative" in December. As a result Fitch expects economic growth to fall to 4.5% for 2024. The ratings agency said policymakers will probably have no choice but to borrow to address its economic woes.

Persons: —, Fitch, Fitch's Organizations: Service, Business, Moody's Investor Services, Analysts, St Louis Federal Reserve, CSI Locations: China, Beijing

☆ Shimao Group: Another big Chinese property developer faces a liquidation suit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Shanghai-based property giant Shimao Group said on Monday that it had received a liquidation petition from a Chinese state-owned bank in yet another instance of creditors taking legal action to reclaim money from troubled developers in the world’s second-largest economy. A “winding-up petition” was filed against the company by China Construction Bank (Asia) on April 5 in Hong Kong, according to a stock exchange filing by Shimao. The company’s shares were down over 14% in Hong Kong on Monday, having fallen nearly 40% this year. In January, Evergrande, the world’s most-indebted property developer and the poster child of China’s property crisis, was ordered to liquidate by a Hong Kong court. Country Garden, another major developer that defaulted on its debt last year, received a liquidation petition in February from a creditor after not repaying a loan.

Persons: ”, Shimao Organizations: CNN, Shimao, China Construction Bank, HK Locations: Shanghai, Asia, Hong Kong, Evergrande

☆ I spent a night in one of the empty apartments in Malaysia's $100 billion ghost town, and I can see why very few people want to live there
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

I spent a night in one of these apartments and found they weren't as luxurious as they were branded to be. Dozens of vacant units in the estate are listed for rent on Airbnb. I first visited Forest City in May 2022, and it was a ghost town. Forest City projects that some 700,000 people will live in the estate in the next six years. Take a look inside one of the thousands of vacant apartments in Forest City.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Forest City, Business Locations: Forest, Malaysia, China's, Johor Strait, Singapore, China, Forest City

☆ Country Garden misses results and likely faces trade suspension in fresh blow for China’s property sector
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong CNN —Troubled housing giant Country Garden announced late Thursday that it would delay the publication of its annual results, in the latest sign of the turmoil still coursing through China’s huge property sector. The move is likely to cause its share trading to be suspended from Tuesday, as is required by Hong Kong’s listing rules. Country Garden, once the China’s largest property developer, is reeling under about $194 billion worth of debt. Last month, it received a liquidation petition in Hong Kong from a creditor for non-payment of a loan worth 1.6 billion Hong Kong dollars ($204 million), according to the company. Country Garden’s woes echo that of another huge, and now insolvent, Chinese property giant Evergrande.

Persons: Hong Kong’s, Evergrande Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Garden, Hong Kong Locations: Hong Kong, China’s

☆ Malaysia's $100 billion ghost town really wants to draw in tourists. It's not working.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Forest City, a luxury development in Malaysia, is banking on tourism to shed its ghost town image. AdvertisementWendy Noble lives 15 minutes away from Malaysia's Forest City, across the border in Singapore. Country Garden, the largest developer in China, spent $100 billion building Forest City. "Forest City is able to attract the weekend tourists," Adilah said, referring to tourists like Noble and Nemis. Forest City Golf Resort's lobby, with a miniature figure of the development.

Persons: it's, —, Wendy Noble, Ree Nemis, Noble, Marielle, Nemis, Adilah Zain, Adilah, Sultan Ibrahim, Shawn, Gary, We've, Chandran Organizations: Forest City, Service, Malaysia's, MARA Technological University, Garden, Bloomberg, BI, Forest, Challenge, Hotel Locations: Forest, Malaysia, Malaysia's Forest City, Singapore, Forest City, China, Johor —, Malaysian, Monaco, Challenge Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

☆ Vanke: China scrambles to prevent another big property developer going bust
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Vanke’s stock soared in Hong Kong and Shenzhen following the reports of potential new financing. On Monday, Moody’s cut Vanke’s rating to Ba1, which is often referred to as a junk rating. Residential buildings being built by Vanke in Nanjing STR/AFP/Getty ImagesFounded in 1984 in Shenzhen, Vanke is a flagship company in China’s property sector. It was the first listed property company in mainland China, boasting a high-profile IPO in 1991 on the still-nascent Shenzhen Stock Exchange. In 2023, property sales dropped 6.5% from 2022.

Persons: Moody’s, China Vanke, Vanke, Kaven Tsang, Fitch, Wang Shi, Donald Trump, Refinitiv Eikon, Vanke’s, it’s, —, Ni, ”, ” Nomura Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Economic Observer, CNN, Getty, Time, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Shenzhen Metro, National People’s Congress Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Evergrande, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Vanke

☆ Beijing says property developers in deep trouble must go bankrupt
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China's housing minister, Ni Hong, said real-estate developers in serious trouble should be bankrupted and restructured. Analysts suggest Beijing's priority is to ensure delivery of property projects, not to save developers. AdvertisementChina's housing minister said Beijing will not be bailing out the country's distressed property developers. China's real-estate debt crisis has already taken down property giant Evergrande, which is currently undergoing liquidation. "We view the tone on the property sector set at the 'Two Sessions' as negative," they added, referring to China's parliamentary sessions.

Persons: Ni Hong, —, Xi, Li Qiang's, Ni, Jizhou Dong, Riley Jin Organizations: Service, Authorities, Nomura Locations: China, Beijing, Hong Kong

☆ China's housing minister says real estate developers must go bankrupt if necessary
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China's struggling real estate developers won't be getting a major bailout, Chinese authorities have indicated, warning that those who "harm the interests of the masses" will be punished. "For real estate companies that are seriously insolvent and have lost the ability to operate, those that must go bankrupt should go bankrupt, or be restructured, in accordance with the law and market principles," Ni Hong, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said at a press conference Saturday. "Those who commit acts that harm the interests of the masses will be resolutely investigated and punished in accordance with the law," he said. That's according to a CNBC translation of his Mandarin-language remarks published in an official transcript of the press conference, held alongside China's annual parliamentary meetings. Ni's comments come as major real estate developers from Evergrande to Country Garden have defaulted on their debt, while plunging new home sales have put future business into question.

Persons: China's Organizations: BEIJING, Hong, Housing, CNBC Locations: Evergrande

☆ How China's property bubble burst
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Gaelle Legrand | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Since China's economic liberalization in the 1970s and housing reforms in the late 1980s, locals have flocked to properties as the investment vehicle of choice over alternatives such as the stock market. The property and construction boom helped fuel China's – and the world's – economic growth for 30 years. By some estimates, property in China was worth $60 trillion at its peak, making it the biggest asset class in the world. But the country's property crisis has deeper roots than speculation and uncontrollable debt. Watch the video to find out how China's property bubble burst.

Persons: wasn't Locations: China, Beijing

☆ China's Country Garden gets liquidation petition from creditor
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

China's Country Garden Holdings said Wednesday it received a liquidation petition filed by one of its creditors, deepening worries about the country's beleaguered property sector. Country Garden said it will oppose the petition "vigorously" and seek legal measures to do so. Country Garden said it intends to "proactively communicate" and work with its offshore creditors on its restructuring plan. China's property sector has historically been the bedrock of the country's economy, accounting for a large share of gross domestic product. Companies like Country Garden and Evergrande have struggled to repay their debt obligations and are now embroiled in drawn-out debt restructuring processes.

Persons: China Evergrande Organizations: Garden Holdings, Hong Kong, Monetary Fund, Companies Locations: Hong Kong, China

☆ Country Garden: Troubled Chinese property developer faces liquidation petition
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Chinese property developer Country Garden, which defaulted on its debt last year, says it has received a liquidation petition from a creditor after not repaying a loan. The winding-up petition was filed by Ever Credit Limited, which had lent Country Garden a term loan facility worth 1.6 billion Hong Kong dollars ($204.5 million), the developer said in a Wednesday stock exchange filing. The news, which sent shares in the developer falling by more than 12%, comes just a month after rival property firm Evergrande was ordered to liquidate by a Hong Kong court in a landmark ruling. As for Country Garden, it said in the filing it would “vigorously” oppose the liquidation petition, which was filed at Hong Kong’s High Court on Tuesday. Formerly China’s largest homebuilder, Country Garden missed the payment on a $500 million bond as it battled a liquidity crisis.

Persons: Evergrande, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ever Credit, Hong Kong, Hong, Garden Locations: China, Hong Kong, Evergrande

☆ Another Chinese Property Giant Faces a Creditor Who Wants It Dismantled
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Keith Bradsher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Country Garden, China’s largest real estate developer as recently as 2022, said on Wednesday that a creditor had asked a Hong Kong court to liquidate its operations and pay off lenders, in the latest sign that China’s housing crisis continues unabated. Ever Credit Ltd., a Hong Kong lender, is petitioning the city’s High Court to shut down Country Garden. Ever Credit’s petition, known as a winding up petition, is meant to force Country Garden to close its doors and sell its assets to make money it can use to pay back its creditors. Country Garden dethroned Evergrande as China’s largest developer in 2021 when Evergrande endured a financial collapse. Country Garden said it would fight the court petition “vigorously,” and that the first hearing on the petition had been scheduled for May 17.

Persons: Evergrande, “ Organizations: Hong Locations: Hong Kong, China

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mostly higher in Asia after Chinese markets reopened Monday from a long Lunar New Year holiday. Markets will be closed Monday in the United States for President's Day. Elsewhere in Asia, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% higher to 7,665.10 and the Kospi in Seoul picked up 1.2%, to 2,680.26. It also discouraged bets that a Fed move to relax conditions on the economy and financial markets could come even in May. Higher rates and yields make borrowing more expensive, slowing the economy and hurting prices for investments.

Persons: Hang Seng, Australia's Organizations: President's, Ocean, China Vanke, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, New York Mercantile Exchange, Brent, U.S Locations: BANGKOK, Asia, United States, China, Shanghai, Seoul, India

☆ The 2008 housing bust suggests China's only halfway through its property crisis. Here's how the downturns compare.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"We estimate that real house prices in China declined 16% from the peak in 2021Q3 to 2023Q3," Goldman analysts said. For context, US real house prices peaked in early 2006 and bottomed in 2012. Goldman's derived measure of China's real house prices has only dropped by half as much as the US saw during its six-year collapse, as the chart shows below. Goldman Sachs"[O]verly loose mortgage lending standards and too much mortgage debt, which were at the center of the US subprime crisis, do not apply in China," Goldman analysts said. Foreclosures soared as homeowners couldn't afford to pay off or refinance their mortgages, which lowered house prices further.

Persons: —, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Price Organizations: Service, International Monetary Fund, Business, Housing Locations: China, Beijing, 2021Q3

☆ China's housing bust is happening at 'a historically rapid pace' only seen in the worst collapses of the last 3 decades
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Most pressing, however, is its real estate trouble, which the International Monetary Fund characterized as a historic bust matching levels only seen in the worst collapses of the last three decades. AdvertisementYears of overreliance on real estate as an engine of the economy has led to a buildup of risks, the researchers said. Now, Beijing must clean up distressed developers like Evergrande and Country Garden, support falling real estate prices, and figure out how to put the sector on a more sustainable path. The collapse has transpired at "a historically rapid pace only seen in the largest housing busts in cross-country experience in the last three decades," researchers said. "Large public subsidies in the previous decade helped millions of people move to newer housing from older buildings lacking modern amenities.

Persons: Henry Hoyle, Sonali Jain, Chandra, homebuyers Organizations: International Monetary, Business, Housing, IMF Locations: Beijing, China

☆ Donald Trump scares Chinese investors as much as China's faltering economy, Goldman Sachs says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese investors are worrying about November's presidential election, according to Goldman Sachs. Donald Trump has signaled he'd impose tariffs of more than 60% on Chinese imports if elected. Local investors are also fretting about China's faltering economy, Goldman Sachs found. AdvertisementChinese investors aren't just worried about China's faltering economy — they're also fretting about Donald Trump's potential return to the White House, according to Goldman Sachs. On Sunday, he told Fox News that he'd impose tariffs of more than 60% on Chinese goods.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Donald Trump, —, aren't, — they're, Donald Trump's, who's, Maggie Wei, Trump, they've, that's, Hong Organizations: Service, White, Republican, Trump, Fox News, Washington Post, CSI Locations: Beijing, China, Hong Kong, Washington

☆ IMF expects new housing demand in China to drop by around 50% in the next decade
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Demand for new housing in China is set to drop by around 50% over the next decade, making it harder for Beijing to quickly bolster the country's overall growth. China's real estate sector and related industries have accounted for about a quarter of the country's gross domestic product. Zhang said China's housing demand would remain large, and policy support would gradually kick in. "Therefore, a significant decline in housing demand is very unlikely to happen," he said. The IMF report compared housing demand and new starts from the 2012 to 2021 period with estimates for 2024 to 2033.

Persons: Zhengxin Zhang, Zhang, Evergrande, Sonali Jain, Chandra, Nir Klein Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, International Monetary Fund's, IMF, U.S ., People's Bank of China Locations: Huai'an, China, BEIJING, Beijing, Evergrande, Hong Kong, Asia, Pacific

☆ Evergrande's liquidation crisis won’t be China’s ‘Lehman moment,’ China Beige Book CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

China Evergrande Group's logo is displayed on a phone screen in this illustration photo taken on September 27, 2021. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesA liquidation order to property giant China Evergrande liquidation crisis this week deepened concerns about China's struggling real estate sector — but analysts say the spillover will likely be contained, with one saying it might actually be "good news." On Monday, a Hong Kong court issued a liquidation order to the embattled property developer after it failed to reach a restructuring deal with creditors. In other words, no massive credit event," Qazi told CNBC. China Evergrande, once among the country's largest property developers, is the world's most indebted company — with more than $300 billion in liabilities.

Persons: Jakub Porzycki, Shehzad Qazi, Lehman, Qazi, CNBC's, It's, China Evergrande, Evergrande, Linda Chan, Charlene Chu Organizations: Nurphoto, CNBC, Lehman Brothers, Hong, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, China macrofinancial, Autonomous Research Locations: China, Hong Kong

☆ Evergrande's liquidation crisis won’t be China’s ‘Lehman moment,’ China Beige Book COO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

China Evergrande Group's logo is displayed on a phone screen in this illustration photo taken on September 27, 2021. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesA liquidation order to property giant China Evergrande liquidation crisis this week deepened concerns about China's struggling real estate sector — but analysts say the spillover will likely be contained, with one saying it might actually be "good news." On Monday, a Hong Kong court issued a liquidation order to the embattled property developer after it failed to reach a restructuring deal with creditors. China Evergrande, once among the country's largest property developers, is the world's most indebted company — with more than $300 billion in liabilities. Still, questions remain on whether China will recognize the Hong Kong court order for Evergrande's liquidation — since most of the company's assets are in the mainland.

Persons: Jakub Porzycki, Shehzad Qazi, Lehman, Qazi, CNBC's, It's, China Evergrande, Evergrande, Linda Chan, Charlene Chu, we've, Chu Organizations: Nurphoto, CNBC, Lehman Brothers, Hong, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, China macrofinancial, Autonomous Research Locations: China, Hong Kong, Commerzbank

☆ Evergrande liquidation: Here’s what may happen next
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But there is still little clarity over how the liquidation of Evergrande will unfold. That’s because the legal systems of Hong Kong and China remain distinct, despite Beijing’s growing control over the former British colony in recent years. No Chinese company as huge as Evergrande — which was once China’s second largest developer— has been wound up by a Hong Kong court. Hui Ka Yan, chairman of property developer China Evergrande. Since then, Evergrande has been building and selling apartments in mainland China, even though it has been unable to repay its debts.

Persons: Alvarez, Marsal, —, ”, John Bringardner, Hong, Hui Ka Yan, Xu Jiayin, Hui, Xiao En, Bobby Yip, Xiao, Evergrande, Florence Lo, homebuyers, Will, Andy Wong, Diana Choyleva, Xiao Yuanqi, ” Bringardner, ” Choyleva, Choyleva, “ Evergrande Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Shimao, Kaisa Holdings, Group, “, Real, Century Business Herald, China Index Academy, Enodo, Communist Party, China’s, Financial Regulatory Administration, Getty, People’s Bank of China, Finance Ministry, Evergrande, Marsal Locations: Hong Kong, United States, China, British, New York, China . Hong Kong, Shenzhen —, Asia, Florence, Beijing, Real, Hainan

The order by the Hong Kong High Court also is not a remedy for the crisis of confidence haunting China’s financial markets. Markets in both Hong Kong and Shanghai fell Tuesday while share prices of property developers sank. State-owned Chinese banks and other domestic entities own most of the debt owed by Chinese property developers. David Goodman, director of the University of Sydney’s China Studies Center, said he thinks China’s property debt burdens are unlikely to precipitate a major financial crisis. “The fact of the matter is that the Chinese financial system is not as open or as marketized (as in the United States),” he said.

Persons: Brock Silvers, haven't, Silver, ”, Seng, David Goodman, —, Soo Organizations: Evergrande, Hong Kong High, Kaiyuan, ”, Sunac China Holdings, F Properties, Shanghai, Swiss Re Institute, Swiss, University of Sydney’s China Studies Center Locations: BANGKOK, Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, United States, U.S, Singapore

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Tuesday, with Hong Kong and Shanghai leading declines, ahead of a decision by the Federal Reserve this week on interest rates. But shares in China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group gained 7% as they resumed trading after they also were suspended on Monday. Other property companies led the decline in Hong Kong, where the benchmark Hang Seng index sank 2.4% to 15,694.69. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesTechnology companies also retreated, with food delivery company Meituan down 2.8% and e-commerce giant Alibaba falling 1.9%. On Monday, U.S. stocks gained as they kicked off a week where Wall Street’s most influential stocks may show whether the huge expectations built up for them are justified.

Persons: ” Stephen Innes, Australia's, Archer Daniels, Brent Organizations: Federal Reserve, China Evergrande Group, Energy Vehicle Group, Evergrande, Services, Sunac China Holdings, F, Technology, Management, Nikkei, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Big Tech, Microsoft, Traders, Fed, Archer Daniels Midland, Amazon, New York Mercantile Exchange, U.S Locations: BANGKOK, Hong Kong, Shanghai, China, Guangzhou, Asia, South Korea, U.S, Wall, iRobot

☆ China's economy is facing a nightmarish Year of the Dragon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

With the Year of the Dragon less than two weeks away, China's economy wobbled again on Monday. Fragile growthIn late 2022, China's Communist Party finally called time on its harsh zero-COVID measures — but the economy hasn't enjoyed the post-lockdown rebound many forecasters had predicted. DeflationFalling prices are another source of China's economic woes. AdvertisementNone of that speaks to a dedication to the free market — so China will likely keep struggling to attract more foreign investment in 2024. The sell-off reflects investor concern about the economy's overall health, as well as Chinese tech companies falling behind their US rivals in the development of AI.

Persons: wobbled, Linda Chan, Evergrande, Liquidators, hasn't, they'll, Li Qiang, John Kerry, Janet Yellen, Elon Musk, Xi Organizations: Hong, Business, China's Communist Party, World Bank, Tesla, Communist Party, Bain, Co, Big Tech, CSI Locations: Hong Kong, Evergrande, Beijing, China, Japan, Shanghai

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