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☆ Alibaba's Singles Day enters healthier phase
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Nov 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - There were no fireworks from Alibaba’s (9988.HK) Singles Day this year, and that's just fine. The biggest omission this year is Alibaba's final sales tally, or gross merchandise value. Singles Day was created in 2009 to win over online shoppers with discounts and promotions; these days, brands use it to clear inventory and experiment with new products. It has become far less important to Alibaba’s bottom line. Alibaba could use more boring Singles Days.

☆ China’s property easing is minor capitulation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, Nov 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Beijing has rolled out more measures to support its flagging real estate sector, including extending repayment periods, facilitating financing for developers and lowering mortgage down-payments. Real estate, contributing roughly a quarter of China’s $17 trillion of output, is a speculative monster that has cannibalised capital better used for other endeavours. Together with other easing steps announced since March, UBS estimates the new policies could contribute more than 1 trillion yuan ($142 billion) in fresh financing to the struggling industry. But if property must correct in the name of rebalancing, that makes boosting the rest of the economy more urgent. Measures include allowing real estate firms to defer repayment on some loans, and trust lenders are instructed to help finance companies seeking to complete rental housing construction or acquire other companies.

☆ Tiny crack opens in China’s zero-Covid wall
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Nov 11 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Beijing announced minor relaxations of its pandemic policy on Friday, including shorter quarantine periods and more narrowly targeted lockdowns. Rumours of relaxations surfaced earlier this month, so the latest announcement lends credence to arguments that President Xi Jinping will return to economic pragmatism. Pressure to revive domestic consumption is becoming acute after the critical export sector suddenly contracted in October. If Beijing can convince sceptical retirees to get the jab, China might avoid a surge of nursing home deaths as observed in Hong Kong. To be sure, none of these marginal measures will do much to revive consumption, production or property investment.

☆ Japan lives at the bleeding edge of good enough
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says he will put innovation and scientific research at the “centre” of his policy push. That has meant pushing the $1.3 trillion Government Pension Investment Fund to get involved funding startups while removing policy bottlenecks. In the United States nearly a third of venture capital came from pensions whereas in Japan it is only 3%, according to a Nikkei report. However, the blunting of Japan is due more to its failure to deploy existing tools and best practices than invent new ones. Investing in the future makes for riveting speeches, but Japan Inc will get more from reinventing itself than inventing new things.

☆ China’s foreign customers leave at worst time
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Off balance: China's trade balance has been risingThe outperformance of China’s export sector throughout the Covid-19 pandemic is a testimonial to the strength of its supply chain. Despite U.S. tariffs and darkening relations with Western trading partners, foreign consumers kept buying Chinese goods. In March 2021 China’s share of world exports touched nearly 16%, a level not enjoyed by any country since the United States in the 1970s. Before Covid-19 emerged, some economists had argued the government should redirect policy support away from exports toward domestic consumption and services. With consumption and investment weak, and exports flagging, government spending, the remaining GDP component, becomes even more important.

HONG KONG, Nov 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Hong Kong’s third-quarter GDP plunged 4.5% from a year earlier as consumers and companies slashed spending. The government is trying to rally enthusiasm for its finance sector - as signaled by the flagship Fintech Week and Global Financial Leaders Investment Summit events happening this week. Beijing's commitment to stamping out Covid-19 infections on the mainland has halted vital flows of tourists and business people to Hong Kong. Moreover, Hong Kong's currency peg to the U.S. dollar means it must follow the U.S. Federal Reserve's rate hikes even though its inflation rate is less than half that in the United States. "Looking ahead, the markedly deteriorating external environment will continue to pose immense pressure on Hong Kong's export performance in the remainder of the year," the city government said.

☆ Toyota’s new, new EV plan suggests smarter driving
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Oct 25 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Toyota Motor (7203.T) may be driving towards its third electric-car reboot in just 13 months as it tries to catch up with Tesla (TSLA.O), Reuters exclusively reported on Monday. But the $218 billion Japanese carmaker’s latest overhaul suggests it’s getting serious about addressing missteps with more speed. Electric-vehicle sales, especially in the past two years, have put the lie to that belief; growth has easily outpaced that of Toyota’s hybrids. The plan would involve slowing down the rollout of electric vehicles already in development so that Toyota could devise a more efficient manufacturing process. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEditing by Robyn Mak and Thomas ShumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Casinos reap unexpected rewards in Singapore
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Oct 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Las Vegas Sands’(LVS.N) main Macau operations are ailing as China doubles down on zero-Covid. Yet Sands’ New York shares rose nearly 6% on Thursday after results revealed it is having better luck in Singapore. The Lion City now accounts for three quarters of Sands’ top line, up from 22% in 2019. By contrast, in Macau, formerly the world’s largest gaming hub, Sands suffered a loss of $152 million, as gaming revenue sunk to around 10% of 2019 levels. Singapore’s resurgence is surprising, given volumes at Changi airport were still only around half 2019 levels in July and August.

☆ Aussies put net-zero nationalisation on the map
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MELBOURNE, Oct 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Nationalisation and capitalism are supposed to be like chalk and cheese. He also accused privately run energy generators of reaping huge profits “at our collective expense” without helping to achieve net-zero goals. If done right — and the details will be key — other governments facing similar net-zero challenges can take note. His plan involves restoring the State Electricity Commission to build new renewable energy projects. The SEC has not been involved in building energy projects since 1993 when the state’s energy assets were privatised.

☆ Water risk powers fear-then-greed coal trade
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Oct 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Shareholders have found a distressing silver lining to the floods that have been pounding eastern Australia. Investors immediately sent stock in both the company and rival New Hope (NHC.AX) sinking 6% or more. Such indifference to water risk in the energy sector is common, with scarcity causing problems with hydropower, and few paying attention to green hydrogen’s H2O needs. While good news for miners, it’s yet more bad news for a world in the middle of an energy crisis. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

HONG KONG, Oct 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Solving Hong Kong's brain drain problem need not be complicated. Leader John Lee hopes lower property taxes and a new visa scheme will persuade foreign talent not to move to destinations like Singapore. As a result, Hong Kong's mid-year population dipped 1.6% to 7.29 million - the steepest year-on-year drop on record. Non-residents are also eligible to apply for a refund of the extra stamp duty paid for buying property in Hong Kong once they become a permanent resident. Lee may be ignoring them, but the main policy solutions are staring him in the face.

☆ Drop of blood leads to arrest of N.Y. man accused of killing former in-laws more than 30 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A drop of blood led to the arrest of a New York man who is suspected of killing his former in-laws more than 30 years ago. Catherine and George Peacock. Vermont State PoliceHe is accused of killing George Peacock, 76, and Catherine Peacock, 73, at their Danby, Vermont, home on Sept. 17, 1989, Vermont State Police announced in a news release. "The blood sample had been tested previously during the investigation, as DNA testing technology was emerging, and that earlier test had been inconclusive," police said in the release. Advancements in DNA testing have been used to help law enforcement solve a slew of cold cases.

HONG KONG, Oct 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The world is facing a difficult 2023 as growth slows in most developed economies. The world economy will expand by 2.7% in 2023, per the IMF. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterChina’s contribution to global growth will be more than three times greater than the United States. The South Asian nation produces roughly 3% of world GDP. Even if it expands by 6.1% as forecast, it will account for just 7.7% of global growth.

☆ Qantas shareholders take cautiously to the skies
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Oct 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Shareholders have become accustomed to bad news from airlines. So it’s only fitting that Qantas Airways’ (QAN.AX)prediction on Thursday of bumper earnings prompted a somewhat muted response. The $6 billion Australian carrier reckons its underlying pretax profit for the six months to the end of December will be between A$1.2 billion and A$1.3 billion ($753 million and $815 million). But it implies investors are factoring in just A$130 million of additional earnings on an annual basis, after applying the stock’s almost 10 times forward earnings multiple and assuming a constant tax rate. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ TSMC ignores geopolitical elephant in room
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Executives at the $324 billion Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (2330.TW) barely addressed questions regarding Washington's technology export controls on China during its earnings call on Thursday. Against a worsening geopolitical backdrop and looming global recession, such deliberate ambiguity will be cold comfort to shareholders. Analysts at Bernstein say TSMC could lose anywhere between 0.4% and 5% of its 2023 revenue. Rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, will make it harder for TSMC to stay neutral and continue to sell to both sides. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

HONG KONG, Oct 11 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Washington's sweeping technology curbs on China today will have ripple effects across global supply chains tomorrow. But the ban may prompt Chinese chipmakers to hasten their progress in the commoditised parts of the market, embedding firms like Semiconductor Manufacturing International (0981.HK) in global supply chains. The measures mark a huge escalation in President Joe Biden's efforts to hobble Beijing's chip advances. Essentially, any company that uses American equipment will be restricted from selling relatively high-tech semiconductors or tools to Chinese firms. And because nearly every factory relies on crucial hardware and software from U.S. suppliers like Lam Research (LRCX.O) and Applied Materials (AMAT.O), the latest move potentially sets back Chinese chipmakers by years, if not decades.

HONG KONG, Oct 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - China’s lackluster Golden Week holiday this year casts a dark cloud over the economy. Domestic tourism sales during the country’s annual spend-and-travel blitz fell to $40 billion, less than half of pre-pandemic levels. Before the pandemic, domestic tourists splurged some 650 billion yuan ($91 billion) during the 2019 Golden Week – over a quarter more than during the Chinese New Year festival. Overall, domestic trips were just 422 million during Golden Week, down 18% from last year. China’s Golden Week has lost its shine.

HONG KONG, Oct 7 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Too much cash can be a problem sometimes, especially in South Korea. Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), meanwhile, may find that deploying its $77 billion war chest is getting trickier. The company estimates third-quarter operating profit at 10.8 trillion won ($7.7 billion), down 32% from a year earlier and below analysts’ expectations. Prices for so-called DRAM and NAND memory chips, a highly cyclical sector that's Samsung's biggest profit driver, have yet to bottom out. CONTEXT NEWSSouth Korea's Samsung Electronics on Oct. 7 announced earnings guidance for the third quarter of 2022.

☆ Mizuho’s fintech punt would overdo optimism
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

First, it values Rakuten Securities at an eye-popping 52 times earnings, based on annualised net profit for the six months to end of June. Listed rival Monex (8698.T) only trades at around 13 times earnings, despite sporting a 22% operating margin, better than Rakuten Securities’ 13%. Second, Mizuho’s largesse will benefit parent Rakuten, the Japanese word for optimism. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterSure, Rakuten Securities has rarity value, not least for banks with less of an online presence. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Singapore air cargo deal elevates its hub status
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, Sept 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Singapore is boosting its hub status as global recession fears loom. Aviation services group SATS (SATS.SI) is acquiring the world’s largest air cargo logistics provider for $2.2 billion from U.S. buyout firm Cerberus. The deal could ultimately lift trade flows through Singapore where aviation contributes more than 5% of GDP. SATS is part of the city-state’s industry trinity that includes its former parent Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI) and Changi Airport. As global cargo activity nears pre-pandemic levels, Singapore is providing a strategic home to an asset that’s passed through multiple financial owners.

☆ Beijing’s property bandage fails to staunch blood
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Sept 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Another day, another Chinese property market selloff. Hong Kong-listed CIFI (0884.HK) on Wednesday confirmed that it defaulted on an onshore trust loan linked to a property development, blaming slow sales. By the next morning, panicked investors had already wiped out half of CIFI’s market value, some $765 million. The stronger parts of the property market are weakening, and fast. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Grab's steady steering offers a smoother ride
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Caroline ChiaHONG KONG, Sept 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A rising tide once lifted all of Southeast Asia's technology giants. With a global recession looming and markets in turmoil, their fortunes are starting to diverge. It's a sharp contrast to its $24 billion Singaporean rival Sea (SE.N), which is retrenching globally to achieve financial "self-sufficiency". With shares down over 60% this year, Grab's confident and careful hand at the wheel gives shareholders something to cheer. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Bank of Japan’s stubbornness keeps yen volatile
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Men look at an electric monitor displaying the Japanese yen exchange rate against the U.S. dollar and Nikkei share average in Tokyo, Japan September 14, 2022. read more That’s understandable, but it will make it harder to moderate an increasingly volatile exchange rate. The yen , currently trading around 144 per dollar, is at its weakest since 1998, but more important is the rate of change. A see-sawing foreign exchange rate, though, makes executives nervous. Exporters including carmakers Nissan Motor (7201.T) and Toyota Motor (7203.T), and drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical (4502.T), which reported nice forex tailwinds in its last quarterly report, are benefitting from unexpected exchange rate gains on paper.

☆ China property IPO bets on big name to calm fears
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Jennifer Hughes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/StringerHONG KONG, Sept 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Big names generate deal interest, but that comes with risks, too. At the top of the price range, residential and commercial property manager Onewo will raise about $790 million in what will be Hong Kong’s biggest initial public offering. Two years ago, similar floats were commanding valuations of up to 27 times expected earnings. Those were better times: a Hong Kong index for the sector has dropped 72% since then. Parent Vanke will take some comfort however from other recent listings in Hong Kong.

☆ Sea CEO’s distress call will make tech waves
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A person stands in front of a signage of Southeast Asian e-commerce and gaming group Sea Ltd's, at their office in Singapore March 5, 2021. REUTERS/Edgar SuHONG KONG, Sept 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Candour is often welcome during times of distress. Forrest Li, the chief executive of Singapore's Sea (SE.N), is not mincing his words as he sounds the alarm at his $26 billion e-commerce to video-games outfit. Losses are widening at the $11 billion super-app as it continues to invest in fintech read more . They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

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