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☆ Asia shares slip as China casts a pall, dollar's slide abates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] FILE PHOTO-People walk past a screen displaying the Hang Seng stock index outside Hong Kong Exchanges, in Hong Kong, China July 19, 2022. Investors are waiting for clearer signs that inflation is cooling, with the readings on U.S. retail sales and industrial production to be released later on Tuesday. Economists reckon retail sales in June will show a 0.5% rise from May, strong enough to keep the soft landing scenario without rekindling worries about inflation. The Fed, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan are holding policy reviews next week. The U.S. dollar index dipped slightly to 99.71 in Asia trade, having struck its lowest since April 2022 on Friday.

Persons: Lam, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Gary Ng, Ng, Brent, Selena Li, Simon Cameron, Moore, Sam Holmes Organizations: Hong Kong Exchanges, REUTERS, Federal, Bank of America, Natixis Corporate, Investment Bank, The, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan, Japan's Nikkei, ECB, Fed, Bank of England, U.S, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Asia, Pacific, Japan

☆ Asia shares slip further as China casts a pall, dollar's slide abates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) slipped 0.63% in the morning session. Investors are waiting for stronger signs of inflation cooling, with the readings on U.S. retail sales and U.S. industrial production to be released later on Tuesday. Economists reckon retail sales in June will show a 0.5% rise from May. The U.S. Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan are holding policy reviews next week. A possible divergence of U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank on rate hikes has recently caused dollar to weaken.

Persons: Gary Ng, Ng, Brent, Selena Li, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Natixis Corporate, Investment Bank, The U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan, Japan's Nikkei, . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Fed, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, U.S, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong, China

☆ What people are saying about Ant Group's $984 mln fine and share buyback
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 10 (Reuters) - China's Ant Group has announced a surprise share buyback that values the fintech giant at $78.5 billion, well below the $315 billion touted in an abandoned IPO in 2020, in a move that may let some investors exit. "And second, of course, we're talking about the share buyback plan. DICKIE WONG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT KINGSTON SECURITIES IN HONG KONG:"Their share prices have strongly rebound today mainly driven by the expectation that regulatory pressure from mainland government will ease. Ant Group is on the right track to achieve their final target of an IPO." According to the company, the reason for the buyback is providing liquidity to existing investors and attracting and retaining talented individuals through employee incentives.

Persons: GARY NG, KENNY NG, DICKIE WONG, SUMEET SINGH, Xie Yu, Yantoultra, Scott Murdoch, Anne Marie Roantree, Jamie Freed Organizations: Alibaba, HK, ASIA PACIFIC, CHINA, HONG, People's Bank of, Ant Group, KINGSTON, SINGAPORE WHO, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, People's Bank of China, SINGAPORE, COLOMBO, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney

Most economists expect another modest 10 bps LPR cut in the second half - on top of a 25 bps cut in banks' requirement ratio (RRR). The PROC last cut the RRR - the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves -- in March, by 25 bps. Each 5 basis points LPR cut could reduce pre-tax profits of major banks by as much as 1.8%, China Merchants Securities said in a report. "A small rate cut is a useful painkiller for symptoms but cannot alleviate the real problem," said Gary Ng, Asia Pacific senior economist of Natixis. On Friday, China's cabinet discussed policy measures to support the economy.

Persons: COVID, NIM, Wang Yifeng, Wang, Gary Ng, China's, Zhang Ming, Zhang, Morgan Stanley, Kevin Yao, Ziyi Tang, Kripa Jayaram, Sumeet Chatterjee Organizations: People's Bank of China, Reuters, Everbright Securities, China Merchants Securities, Asia Pacific, stoke, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, Beijing, Asia

☆ China's biggest state banks cut deposit rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, June 8 (Reuters) - China's biggest banks on Thursday said they have lowered interest rates on yuan deposits, in actions that could ease pressure on profit margins and reduce lending costs, providing some relief for the financial sector and wider economy. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (601398.SS), Agricultural Bank of China Ltd (601288.SS), Bank of China Ltd (601988.SS) and China Construction Bank Corp (601939.SS) all cut their rates from Thursday, websites from each bank showed. The state-backed banks cut rates on demand deposits by 5 basis points and three-year and five-year time deposits by 15 basis points. China cut the RRR in March but has kept its benchmark lending rate unchanged this year, as widening yield differentials with the United States limited the scope for substantial monetary easing. Major state banks' net interest margins have shrunk following pressure to lower borrowing cost for individuals and businesses to stimulate the economy, and as credit demand remains subdued.

Persons: Gary Ng, Ng, Christopher Cushing, Sam Holmes Organizations: Industrial, Commercial Bank of China Ltd, Agricultural Bank of China Ltd, Bank of China Ltd, China Construction Bank Corp, Asia Pacific, United, People's Bank of China, CSI Banks, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Asia, United States

SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE, June 2 (Reuters) - China's yuan has skidded to six-month lows against the dollar and analysts say it could weaken further as investors fret over a bumpy pandemic recovery in the world's second-largest economy. "The yuan suffers as China's reopening story is less appealing than before, and there is no sign of further stimulus," said Gary Ng, senior economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis. "A weaker currency at the current juncture can help export performance, especially as global trade is shrinking this year." "A weaker yuan helps exporters when they convert the dollar receivables to yuan," said Barclays' FX strategist Lemon Zhang. A weaker yuan might also temper deflationary pressures being seen in parts of the economy due to weak domestic demand.

Persons: Gary Ng, Alvin Tan, Tan, Tommy Wu, Lemon Zhang, Serena Zhou, Winni Zhou, Brenda Goh, Tom Westbrook, Kim Coghill Organizations: Asia Pacific, Reuters, People's Bank of China, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, Barclays, FX, Mizuho Securities, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, United States, Natixis, Asia, China, Shanghai, Singapore

[1/3] People walk past a branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in Beijing, China April 1, 2019. REUTERS/Florence LoSummarySummary Companies Top five lenders post shrinking net marginsNon-performing loans hold steady at all fiveQ1 net profit growth mostly flatSHANGHAI/BEIJING, April 28 (Reuters) - Five of China's largest lenders posted shrinking margins in the first quarter on Friday, as loan re-pricing bites. Following suit were Agricultural Bank of China Ltd (AgBank) (601288.SS), Bank of China (BoC) (601988.SS), China's Bank of Communications Co Ltd (BoCom) (601328.SS), and China Construction Bank Corp (CCB)(601939.SS), all posting dips in their NIM. All lenders posted flat to around 5% net profit growth with BoCom logging the highest first-quarter net profit at over 5%. AgBank came in second with 1.75% as the others posted flat net profit growth over the same period.

☆ Taiwan's economic growth will decelerate to 2% this year, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTaiwan's economic growth will decelerate to 2% this year, economist saysGary Ng of Natixis discusses the outlook for Taiwan's economy and explains why things will be more challenging for the island in the short run.

☆ Asia stocks rise on hopes regional central banks hold steady on rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 0.6% as trading resumed after a long holiday weekend in many major Asian markets. On Tuesday morning, South Korea's central bank held interest rates steady for a second consecutive meeting, as expected. Hong Kong stocks were tech sector gains, with the benchmark Hang Seng (.HSI) climbing 0.9%. The dollar index edged down by 0.098% to 102.36, while the Japanese yen weakened 0.15% versus the dollar to 133.4. In oil markets, U.S. crude gained 0.6% to $80.19 per barrel while Brent was at $84.65, also up 0.6%.

☆ SVB deal helps to steady banks amid credit crunch concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The sudden collapse of tech-focussed SVB earlier this month destabilised the sector and drew some of Europe's biggest banking names into investors' focus. In March, the Stoxx index of European bank shares .SX7P is down more than 18% and the U.S. KBW regional bank index .KRX has lost 21%, with investors on edge about what's next. In Europe, bank bonds are under pressure and credit default swaps, or the cost of insurance against defaults, uneasily high. First Citizens said it would take on assets of $110 billion, deposits of $56 billion and loans of $72 billion, and expand in California. It will share further potential losses with the FDIC and the FDIC retains some $90 billion in securities held for disposal.

☆ Reaction to China relaxing COVID restrictions in major policy shift
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REDMOND WONG, GREATER CHINA MARKET STRATEGIST, SAXO MARKETS, HONG KONG"The 10 new measures are underwhelming, given the high expectations. GARY NG, ECONOMIST, NATIXIS, HONG KONG"The latest announcements show China is determined to speed up its reopening due to economic pressure. It is likely to see upswings cyclically in business sentiment from suppressed demand, especially in sectors heavily affected by the covid restrictions. "The next checkpoint will be Chinese New Year; I think markets are looking for further relaxation to facilitate return to their hometowns by Chinese New Year." SAKTIANDI SUPAAT, REGIONAL HEAD OF FX RESEARCH & STRATEGY, MAYBANK, SINGAPORE"I think markets have, in some ways, priced in that element (of further easing).

☆ China property sector surges on fundraising support, but COVID protests cloud outlook
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Xie Yu | Jason Xue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The move is the latest regulatory easing as Beijing steps up support for the property business, a sector that accounts for a quarter of the Chinese economy. Yuan-denominated bonds issued by Chinese developers CIFI Group, Guangzhou Times Holdings, Country Garden rocketed between 20% and 50% each on Tuesday. “Most of the funding channels the property developers need are covered now,” said Gary Ng, senior economist at Natixis. “It is now up to whether the market, or basically the state players will actually support the sector,” he said. If funds could be raised from state-backed investors, there will be meaningful consolidation in the property sector, Ng said.

☆ China's stocks, yuan tumble as COVID protests rattle nerves
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A U.S. crackdown on Chinese tech giants citing national security concerns also weighed on shares of technology firms. Nevertheless, the social unrest and rising coronavirus cases had fuelled expectations of an earlier end to China's zero-COVID policy, putting a floor under stocks and boosting tourism and consumer shares. "The market does not like uncertainties that are difficult to price and the China protests clearly fall into this category. While state media has not reported the protests, photos and videos of the protests circulated on social media. "The demonstrations ... mean the current COVID policy mix is no longer politically sustainable.

☆ Comments from market watchers on the COVID-19 protests in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

ALVIN TAN, ASIA FX STRATEGIST, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, SINGAPORE:"The scale of the protests will necessarily elicit a response from Beijing. KEN CHEUNG, CHIEF ASIA FX STRATEGIST, MIZUHO, HONG KONG:"The China economy is heading to the direction of reopening but the road to the reopening could be a bumpy one. "Overall, the China Q4 growth outlook should remain grim given the COVID resurgence and the related mobility tightening. GARY NG, ECONOMIST, NATIXIS, HONG KONG:"The market does not like uncertainties that are difficult to price and the China protests clearly fall into this category. MARTIN PETCH, VICE PRESIDENT, MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE:"We expect the protests ... to dissipate relatively quickly and without resulting in serious political violence.

☆ Market watchers' comments on COVID-19 protests in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Here's what market watchers are saying about the unrest:ALLAN VON MEHREN, CHIEF ANALYST, DANSKE BANK, COPENHAGEN:"Normally protests in China are aimed at local governments but a crowd in Shanghai directed their protest against the Communist Party and Xi Jinping." "The protests come as the recent tweaks in the zero-Covid policy seem to have backfired as they led to rising cases across the country that subsequently triggered new restrictions being implemented. MARK HAEFELE, GLOBAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT CIO, UBS, ZURICH:"We do not expect economic or market headwinds in China to abate significantly over the coming months. KEN CHEUNG, CHIEF ASIA FX STRATEGIST, MIZUHO, HONG KONG:"The China economy is heading to the direction of reopening but the road to the reopening could be a bumpy one. GARY NG, ECONOMIST, NATIXIS, HONG KONG:"The market does not like uncertainties that are difficult to price and the China protests clearly fall into this category.

HONG KONG/BEIJING, Nov 24 (Reuters) - China's biggest commercial banks have pledged at least $162 billion in fresh credit to property developers, bolstering recent regulatory measures to ease a stifling cash crunch in the sector and triggering a rally in property shares. Three state-owned banks lined up around $131 billion worth of credit lines to developers on Thursday, a day after three other lenders committed $31 billion, responding to Beijing's call for support. The massive, coordinated injection of liquidity into the property sector buoyed the shares of major developers on Thursday. PSBC late on Thursday announced that it would provide a total of 280 billion yuan in financing to Country Garden as well as others. China Construction Bank Corp (601939.SS) signed cooperative agreements with eight property developers, including Vanke, Longfor and Midea, financial media outlet Yicai reported.

☆ It'll be 'very difficult' for Asian firms to produce chips without U.S. tech, says economist
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIt'll be 'very difficult' for Asian firms to produce chips without U.S. tech, says economistGary Ng of Natixis says the pressure between U.S. and China will continue to grow and discusses what could happen if the Republicans win the midterm elections.

☆ Hong Kong economy shrinks 4.5% yr/yr in Q3, outlook remains weak
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong’s economy shrank faster in the third quarter, contracting 4.5% from the same period a year earlier, the third straight quarter of downturn, advance government data showed on Monday, as external demand remained weak. Hong Kong, China June 29, 2020. The city’s economy shrank by 4.0% and 1.3% in the first and second quarters respectively. It was the deepest contraction since the second quarter of 2020 when gross domestic product shrank 9.4% as COVID-19 took its toll around the world. In his first policy address earlier this month, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee prioritised improving international competitiveness and attracting more overseas talent.

HONG KONG, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Hong Kong aims to restore its reputation as a global financial hub by playing host to a bevy of top Wall Street executives this week, defying critics who say a talent crunch and geopolitical tension will hobble its ambition. Alongside the main theme of "navigating through uncertainty", the summit is widely expected to focus on whether Hong Kong can remain a global financial centre after almost three years of border controls and pandemic restrictions. COVID-19 CONTROLSThe two-day summit, organised by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) - the de-facto central bank - has suffered at least two marquee participants dropping out after contracting COVID-19. Those who make it will look for reassurances of the city returning to pre-pandemic normalcy, making it easier for them to move talent to Hong Kong. Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Kane Wu and Selena Li in Hong Kong; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Reaction to China's 20th Communist Party Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 23 (Reuters) - China's Xi Jinping secured a precedent-breaking third leadership term on Sunday and introduced a new Politburo Standing Committee stacked with loyalists, cementing his place as the country's most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong. I can imagine that zero-COVID policy is likely more entrenched and there’s going to be further push on this issue of common prosperity and the like.”CHRIS MILLER, PROFESSOR AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY, MASSACHUSETTS“The party congress has reaffirmed Xi's decisive role in ruling the Communist Party, marking a continued shift away from collective leadership of party elites toward a personalized dictatorship. It also appears to have confirmed the downgrading of economic growth as a key party goal, relative to other agenda items such as zero-COVID and the party's political and ideological control. On tech, the key theme was self-sufficiency in science and technology, which is to be expected given the increasing decoupling of the U.S. and Chinese tech sectors.”GARY NG, SENIOR ECONOMIST, ASIA PACIFIC, NATIXIS, HONG KONG“The new inner circle will extend and heighten the current policy stance, and generally it seems that most of the newly appointed officials seem to be Xi’s key allies. So I guess this is also a move of the further consolidation of power, or maybe in the future, of course, performance is important, but also loyalty is increasingly a key concern when picking officials.”Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Rae Wee in Singapore and Xie Yu in Hong Kong; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Reactions: Putin mobilises more troops for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +20 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin makes an address on the conflict with Ukraine, in Moscow, Russia, in this still image taken from video released September 21, 2022. I think even with this Russia stuff it’s hard to see the market really rally a lot more from here ahead of the FOMC. From a geopolitical standpoint, Putin is frustrated that the war isn’t going his way and he’s threatening the west. "If it gets really, really bad, I'd expect the dollar to rise." This announcement by Putin to intensify the escalation in Ukraine definitely doesn’t help.

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