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☆ Jack Ma loses more than half of his wealth after criticizing Chinese regulators
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Ma, who also co-founded e-commerce firm Alibaba (BABA), has a 9.9% stake in Ant, according to Bloomberg. Chinese regulators pulled the plug on Ant’s $37 billion IPO in November 2020 and ordered the company to restructure its business. In recent years, he has reportedly spent time in Japan, home to his friend and Alibaba investor, SoftBank (SFTBF) CEO Masa Son, and in Hong Kong. In January, Ma gave up control of Ant after it spent two years revamping its business from consumer lending to insurance products at the behest of regulators. Ant and its units were also fined $984 million by Chinese financial regulators last week, for allegedly breaking rules related to consumer protection and corporate governance.

Persons: Jack Ma’s, Ant, Ma, Masa Son, Alibaba Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Bloomberg, Ant Group, CNN Locations: Hong Kong, China, Shanghai, Japan, Tokyo

☆ China's state planner praises Tencent, Alibaba as attitude towards tech shifts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of Alibaba Group is seen at its office in Beijing, China January 5, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File PhotoBEIJING, July 12 (Reuters) - China's state planner on Wednesday praised Tencent (0700.HK) and Alibaba (9988.HK) in a statement detailing a study it had done on platform firms, in the latest sign authorities are warming up to the technology sector after a nearly three-year crackdown. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said platform companies had become key contributors to areas of tech innovation China was prioritising, such as semiconductors and autonomous driving. The commission's comments come after authorities signalled last week that a crackdown that began in late 2020 on the country's technology sector had ended with fines on Ant Group and Tencent. During the campaign, which wiped billions of dollars off the market value of China's top technology firms, regulators repeatedly criticised and punished these companies for violations ranging from failing to protect customer privacy to monopolistic behaviour.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Tencent, Tencent's, Xi Jinping, Qiaoyi Li, Brenda Goh, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, HK, National Development, Reform Commission, Ant, Index, Baidu, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, Hong Kong

HONG KONG, July 12 (Reuters) - China's major tech companies have shed more than $1 trillion in value -equivalent to the entire Dutch economy - since the government's regulatory crackdown on the sector began more than two years ago, according to Refinitiv data. Reuters GraphicsTechnology stocks (.HSTECH) in Hong Kong have rallied 4.1% since Monday as investors bank on an easing regulatory environment to boost earnings, but some analysts have sounded a note of caution. "Mega-cap tech companies will allocate increasingly large amounts of capital expenditure towards developing generative AI technologies and products in a hostile external environment, potentially impacting profitability," said Redmond Wong, Saxo Markets strategist in Hong Kong. Steven Leung, UOB Kay Hian sales director, said current valuations would last "until we see more supporting policies from authorities". Reporting by Donny Kwok in Hong Kong and Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tencent, Redmond Wong, Steven Leung, UOB Kay Hian, Donny Kwok, Scott Murdoch, Kevin Liffey Organizations: People's Bank of China, Tencent Holdings, HK, Alibaba, Baidu Inc, Reuters Graphics Technology, Saxo Markets, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Sydney

☆ Premier urges Chinese tech giants to support economy as crackdown ends
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

After listening to suggestions from firms that also included PDD Holdings' (PDD.O) Pinduoduo and JD.com (9618.HK), Li told them authorities would seek to make regulation of platform firms more transparent and predictable. Shares in some U.S.-listed Chinese firms rallied in premarket trade, with Alibaba Group Holding gaining 2.2% and PDD Holdings rising 2.7%. Still Zhou Hao, economist at Guotai Junan International, said Wednesday's meeting was a "positive signal". "A sound development of the platform economy is very significant to investors too. Prudent development of platform firms is important to investors' long-term valuation," he added.

Persons: Li Qiang, Li, ByteDance's Douyin, Zhou Hao, Ella Cao, Brenda Goh, Ellen Zhang, Ethan Wang, Ryan Woo, Barbara Lewis, Mark Potter Organizations: Wednesday, HK, PDD Holdings, Alibaba, Ant, Reuters, Guotai, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, premarket

The KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF is up 5.4% since Friday, while back home the CSI Overseas China Internet Index (.CSIH11136) is up nearly 3%. Yet China tech valuations have been gutted in the nearly 3 years since Ant was forced to shelve its initial share offering, and fund managers see plenty of headwinds, apart from just policy scrutiny. "The government has learned that the private sector - particularly the tech sector - is a critical partner in jump-starting growth. The government will continue to exert pressure on key tech companies even as they allow growth to resume," he said. For some sell-side analysts, though, China tech has turned a corner.

Persons: Jack Ma, Jon Withaar, Ant, Wong Kok Hoi, Wong, Kai Kong Chay, Derrick Irwin, Xi Jinping's, Alibaba's ADRs, Morgan Stanley, Min Lan Tan, Vidya Ranganathan, Kim Coghill Organizations: Group, Alibaba, HK, Pictet Asset Management, CSI China, CSI Overseas, CSI Overseas China Internet, Amazon Inc, APS Asset Management, Greater, Manulife Investment Management, UBS Global Wealth Management, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Asia, Hong Kong, Alibaba, CSI Overseas China, Singapore, Greater China, Boston

☆ Temasek is betting on all its stars aligning
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That’s one consolation Temasek can take from a tricky year. But Temasek’s hopes for a more prosperous year or two ahead rely on matters mostly out of its hands. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsGranted, Temasek had a busy few years propping up the tiny city-state’s companies, like Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), after the pandemic hit. Meanwhile, high valuations in the United States, where Temasek has doubled exposure over the past decade, will limit opportunities. But if Temasek wants to start shining more brightly soon, it’ll need all its stars to align.

Persons: That’s, Temasek’s, Chin Yee, There’s, Antony Currie, Pranav Kiran, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Temasek, Sequoia, Reuters Graphics, Singapore Airlines, Reuters Graphics Finance, SP Group, U.S, Chartered, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Singapore’s, Asia, Japan, China, People’s Republic, Southeast Asia, India, Singapore, United States

SINGAPORE, July 11 (Reuters) - Singapore investment firm Temasek Holdings (TEM.UL) on Tuesday posted a 5.2% drop in its net portfolio value to S$382 billion ($284.65 billion) in the financial year that ended in March. The drop in net portfolio value is its first since the 2019 financial year and came amid intensified global market volatility. Over the last decade, Temasek has grown its net portfolio value by 77.7% to S$382 billion from S$215 billion in 2013. Its portfolio value hit a record high of S$403 billion in the year ending in March 2022. Most of China's tech companies share prices have rallied since Friday on the hope that strict regulations that have stymied growth for more than two years would ease.

Persons: Chin Yee, Temasek, Rohit Sipahimalani, it's, Yantoultra Ngui, Xinghui, Robert Birsel Organizations: Temasek Holdings, Ant Group, Temasek, DBS, China Construction Bank, PSA International, Mapletree Investments, Ant, People's Bank of, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Singapore, China, Asia, Temasek, People's Bank of China

☆ Morning Bid: As yields and the yen go, so goes the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Traders in Asia nudged both yields and the dollar a whisker lower on Tuesday, with an eye on Wednesday's U.S. inflation data. Two-year and ten-year Treasury yields are back below 5% and 4%, respectively. The yen is in the driver's seat in foreign exchange markets, as investors pull back on high-yielding bets in emerging markets that have been funded by cheaply borrowed yen. Such trades are placed by selling yen for dollars and then dollars for emerging-market currencies such as the peso or the real, so reversing them requires selling dollars for yen. The yen has risen to the strong side of 141 per dollar for the first time in three weeks.

Persons: Tom Westbrook, Janet Yellen's, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Traders, ., HK, Ant Group, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Asia, U.S, Beijing, Hong Kong

July 11 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. All else equal, this would be a tailwind for Asian stocks, bonds and currencies. A New York Fed survey of consumer and inflation expectations was also "risk-friendly." Sentiment toward Asian stocks in recent months has been mostly bearish, with the exception of Japan, but a pause in the selling on Monday lifted the gloom a little. Chinese and broader Asian stocks rose for the first time in four sessions, while the yuan and yen strengthened to two-week highs against the dollar.

Persons: Jamie McGeever, Marguerita Choy Organizations: New York Fed, Mainland Banks Index, Ant, Thomson, Reuters Locations: U.S, Japan, underperformance, Hong Kong, Mainland, Philippines, Australia, Germany

☆ CNBC Daily Open: June’s jobs report won’t stop rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A 'Now Hiring' sign posted outside of a restaurant looking to hire workers on May 05, 2023 in Miami, Florida. This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Jobs growth cooledU.S. nonfarm payrolls increased 209,000 in June while the unemployment rate was 3.6%, according to the Labor Department. Job creation was — for once — lower than economists' expectations of 240,000, though the unemployment rate, which was 0.1 percentage point lower than in May, was exactly on the mark.

Persons: nonfarm, Hong, Janet Yellen, she's Organizations: CNBC, Labor Department, Ant, PPI, Treasury, U.S, China Locations: Miami , Florida, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Alibaba . Hong Kong, China

☆ Ant Group valuation: Jack Ma's speech cost Chinese company about $230 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The company was co-founded by Jack Ma, as was e-commerce giant Alibaba Group (BABA). On Friday, Chinese financial regulators fined Ant and its subsidiaries a total of 7.1 billion yuan ($984 million) for breaking rules related to consumer protection and corporate governance. The fines mean the regulatory “overhang” over the Chinese internet sector has finally been removed, Jefferies analysts said Saturday. Chinese tech shares rallied Monday, with Alibaba rising 3.2% and Tencent gaining 0.7%. Friday’s fines mark the conclusion of the regulatory crackdown on Ant and could pave the way for the company to revive its long-anticipated IPO, according to analysts.

Persons: Jack Ma, Didi, Meituan, Ant, ”, Alibaba, Ma, ” Ma Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Ant, Alibaba, CNN, Jefferies, Saudi Aramco, Bund Financial Locations: Hong Kong, China, Shanghai, Saudi, Beijing

☆ Alibaba shares rise after Chinese regulators fine Ant Group, ending regulatory uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"We calculate that Ant Group would be worth $89 billion~ of which Alibaba's stake is $29.4 billion~ given their 33% ownership in Ant Group. We suggest such valuation presents upside from consensus," said Yang, referring to Bloomberg's valuation of Ant Group at just $22 billion to $57 billion. "In our view, [Bloomberg's] valuation range is too low, as Ant Group is comparable to PayPal. On Saturday, Ant Group announced a share buyback that values the company at $78.53 billion, according to state media CGTN. This is lower than Ant's $315 billion valuation when it tried to list in 2020.

Persons: Qilai Shen, Alibaba, Ronald Wan, CNBC's, Wan, Shawn Yang, Ant, Yang, Kumarasiri Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, LightStream Research, Partners Financial Holdings, Ant, Blue Lotus Research, Ant Group, PayPal, Group Locations: Hong Kong, China

☆ Alibaba and Ant Group growth rates will be 'significantly restricted,' financial holdings firm says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | 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 EmailAlibaba and Ant Group growth rates will be 'significantly restricted,' financial holdings firm saysRonald Wan of Partners Financial Holdings says both companies' valuations will be "kind of limited."

Persons: Ronald Wan Organizations: Ant, Partners Financial Holdings

☆ 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

HONG KONG, July 10 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group (9988.HK) and Tencent (0700.HK) shares rose in Hong Kong on Monday after China's $984 million fine against the Jack Ma-founded Ant Group appeared to signal the end of a regulatory crackdown on the country's technology sector. Alibaba's Hong Kong-listed shares were up nearly 4% by 0230 GMT on Monday, outpacing a 1.3% gain for the broader market (.HSI), while Tencent's shares were up 1%. ANT GROUP VALUATION SLASHEDAlibaba, which spun off Ant 11 years ago and has a 33% stake, said on Sunday it was considering whether to participate in the buyback. Alibaba's U.S.-listed shares rose 8% on Friday after the penalty, one of the largest-ever fines for an internet company in China, was delivered. ($1 = 7.2310 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney and Donny Kwok in Hong Kong; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jack Ma, Ant, Dickie Wong, Oshadhi Kumarasiri, Scott Murdoch, Donny Kwok, Anne Marie Roantree, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Jamie Freed Organizations: Alibaba, HK, Ant, People's Bank of China, Kingston Securities, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, Beijing, Alibaba's U.S, China, Sydney

☆ Jack Ma's run-in with Beijing not only saw him disappearing for over 2 years, it also cost his companies over $850 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jack Ma's Alibaba and Ant Group collectively lost $850 billion in value since their peak in 2020. They came under pressure following Ma's criticism of Beijing, which spurred a regulatory crackdown. On Friday, Beijing announced a $985 million fine for Ant Group, signaling an end to the crackdown. In April, he was appointed an honorary professor at the University of Hong Kong. Alibaba shares in Hong Kong were up 3.1% at 86.90 Hong Kong dollars apiece at midday, buoyed by news of the fine.

Persons: Jack Ma's Alibaba, Jack Ma, Ma, —, Ant — Organizations: Ant Group, Ant, Michelin, University of Hong, Hong Locations: Beijing, China's, Alibaba, China, Bangkok, Thai, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, University of Hong Kong, Japan, New York

☆ Explainer: What's next for Ant after its nearly $1 bln fine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

After the fine, the next step would be to obtain the financial holding license, which is crucial for reviving any listing plans by Ant. A second license Ant is waiting to procure is one for a personal credit reporting company. IPO PROSPECTSThe resolution of Ant's regulatory woes has revived talk of whether the company's listing could be back on the cards. Alibaba, which has a 33% stake in Ant, said on Sunday it was considering whether to participate in the buyback. Ant's major shareholders, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership and Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, have voluntarily decided not to participate in the repurchase.

Persons: Ant, Ant ., Jack Ma, Warburg Pincus, Ant's, Roxanne Liu, Brenda Goh, Christina Fincher Organizations: Ant, Financial Regulatory Administration, State Council, Reuters, Ant Group, Shanghai's STAR, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership, Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, China Life Insurance, China Pacific Life Insurance, Plan Investment, Yunfeng, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Canada

☆ Zelenskyy honors victims of World War II massacres of tens of thousands of Poles carried out by Ukrainian nationalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

They honored the Polish victims of World War II massacres carried out by Ukrainian nationalists. Images shared by Zelenskyy's Twitter account showed him and Polish President Andrzej Duda in a church in Lutsk, a city in western Ukraine. Polish civilian victims of March 26, 1943 massacre committed by Ukrainian Insurgent Army assisted by ordinary Ukrainian peasantry. Wikimedia CommonsEstimates for the death toll during the World War II ant-Polish massacres range from 20,000 to 100,000, The New York Times previously reported. Even as Vladimir Putin uses "denazification" to justify the ongoing conflict, the Ukrainian president is confronting Ukraine's dark history during World War II.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's, Andrzej Duda, Zelenskyy, Poland —, Ukraine's staunchest, Mateusz Morawiecki, Vladimir Putin, Morawiecki Organizations: Sunday, Russia, Service, Twitter, Ukrainian Insurgent Army, Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, Hitler's, New York Times, Polish, Associated Press, Poland Locations: Poland, Wall, Silicon, Lutsk, Ukraine, Volyn, Volhynia —, Ukraine's Volyn Oblast, Polish, Poland's, Russia, Ukrainian

☆ China’s Ant Gives Trapped Investors an Opportunity to Cash Out
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Rebecca Feng | Serena Ng | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-ant-gives-trapped-investors-an-opportunity-to-cash-out-44d42d14

Persons: Dow Jones

That represents a steep 75% discount to the $315 billion valuation in 2020 for what was set to be the world's largest IPO had it not been derailed at the last minute by Chinese regulators. "China needs to resolve the Ant IPO to restore investor confidence," said Wang Qi, chief executive of China-focused asset manager MegaTrust Investment. For the broader technology sector, Ant's fine marks a key step towards the conclusion of China's bruising crackdown on private enterprises, which began with the scrapping of Ant's IPO in late 2020 and subsequently wiped billions off the market value of several companies. "At the same time, initiating a stock buyback also indirectly informs investors that the possibility of a short-term IPO recovery is unlikely." On Friday, Chinese authorities also announced fines against two Chinese banks, an insurer, and Tencent Holdings' (0700.HK) online payment platform Tenpay.

Persons: Ant, Zhang Zihua, Wang Qi, Jack Ma, Hanyang Wang, Julie Zhu, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh, Zhang Yan, Scott Murdoch, Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill Organizations: Saturday, Ant, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership, Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, Beijing Yunyi, MegaTrust Investment, Fidelity, Reuters, Tencent Holdings, HK, People's Bank of China, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hangzhou, Hangzhou Junhan, Beijing, China

☆ Ant's share repurchase plan values firm around $79 bln, down sharply before crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It marked a sharp fall in the $300 billion-plus value ascribed to the company in mid-2020, before its IPO planned for later that year was pulled. Ant said it had proposed to all of its shareholders to repurchase up to 7.6% of its equity interest at a price that represents a group valuation of approximately 567.1 billion yuan. The repurchase proposal will also provide a liquidity option for the company’s investors," it said. Ant's major shareholders, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership and Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, have voluntarily decided not to participate in the repurchase, the company added. "At the same time, initiating a stock buyback also indirectly informs investors that the possibility of a short-term IPO recovery is unlikely."

Persons: Ant, Hanyang Wang, Jack Ma, Brenda Goh, Zhang Yan, Josh Ye, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Saturday, Ant, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership, Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, Tencent Holdings, HK, People's Bank of China, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong

☆ Ant Group's share repurchase plan values firm at nearly $79 billion, down sharply before crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

HANGZHOU, CHINA - OCTOBER 27: A logo of Ant Group is seen at the company's headquarters on October 27, 2020 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. Ant Group on Saturday announced a share repurchase plan that values the fintech giant at 567.1 billion yuan ($78.54 billion), as the management seeks to replenish its staff incentive pool and let some investors exit after regulators fined the firm. "The repurchased shares will be transferred into Ant Group's employee incentive plans to attract talents. Ant's major shareholders, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership and Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, have voluntarily decided not to participate in the repurchase, the company added. On Friday, Chinese authorities also announced fines against two Chinese banks, an insurer, and Tencent Holdings' online payment platform Tenpay.

Persons: Ant, Jack Ma Organizations: Ant, Saturday, Hangzhou Junhan Equity Investment Partnership, Hangzhou Junao Equity Investment Partnership, Tencent Holdings, People's Bank of China Locations: HANGZHOU, CHINA, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

The benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) was solidly higher for most of the afternoon, but stocks sold off toward the end of the session. "The jobs report today I think is consistent with what the Fed would like to see," said Josh Jamner, investment strategy analyst at ClearBridge Investments. Among S&P 500 sectors, defensive groups fell the most, with consumer staples (.SPLRCS) down 1.3%. For the week, the S&P 500 fell about 1.2%, the Dow slid roughly 2% and the Nasdaq dropped 0.9%. The S&P 500 posted 11 new 52-week highs and five new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 45 new highs and 63 new lows.

Persons: Levi Strauss, Quincy Krosby, stoked, Josh Jamner, Brendan McDermid, Russell, Dow, Austan Goolsbee, Alibaba, decliners, Lewis Krauskopf, Sinead Carew, Bansari Mayur Kamdar, Johann M, Caroline Valetkevitch, Shinjini Ganguli, Richard Chang Organizations: Dow, Nasdaq, LPL, Reserve, ClearBridge Investments, Dow Jones, Energy, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Chicago Fed, Rivian Automotive, Ant Group, NYSE, Thomson Locations: U.S, New York City, New York, Bengaluru

The U.S. added the fewest jobs in 2-1/2 years in June, although persistently strong wage growth pointed to still-tight labor market conditions, U.S. government data showed. "The jobs report today I think is consistent with what the Fed would like to see," said Josh Jamner, investment strategy analyst at ClearBridge Investments. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 (.SPX) lost 12.42 points, or 0.28%, to end at 4,399.17 points, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) lost 18.33 points, or 0.13%, to 13,660.72. Energy (.SPNY) and materials (.SPLRCM) were among the biggest-gaining S&P 500 sectors, while defensive groups including consumer staples (.SPLRCS) lagged. Friday's jobs report kicks off a busy month of data including reports on inflation and corporate earnings ahead of the Fed meeting at the end of July.

Persons: Levi Strauss, payrolls, Josh Jamner, Austan Goolsbee, Carol Schleif, Alibaba, Lewis Krauskopf, Bansari Mayur Kamdar, Johann M, Caroline Valetkevitch, Shinjini Ganguli, Richard Chang Organizations: Reserve, ClearBridge Investments, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Energy, Chicago Fed, BMO Family, Rivian Automotive, Ant Group, Thomson Locations: U.S, New York, Bengaluru

China's central bank said that financial regulators would fine Ant and its subsidiaries a total of 7.12 billion yuan, require it to stop operations of its crowdfunded medical aid service Xianghubao and compensate users. Reuters reported earlier, citing sources, that Chinese authorities intended to unveil its fine on Ant as early as Friday. The sources had earlier said that the fine on Ant had been revised to at least 8 billion yuan. Reuters reported in April that Chinese regulators were considering fining Ant about 5 billion yuan, a lower sum than what they initially had in mind. Alibaba was fined a record 18 billion yuan in 2021 for antitrust violations.

Persons: China c.bank, Ant, Ping, Rukim Kuang, Jack Ma, Jeffrey Towson, Pan Gongsheng, Pan, Didi Global, Alibaba, Julie Zhu, Jane Xu, Jason Xue, Kevin Huang, Meg Shen, Twinnie Sui, Josh Ye, Ethan Wang, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Brenda Goh, David Holmes, Susan Fenton Organizations: Ant, Singapore FinTech Festival, REUTERS, Ant Group, People's Bank of China, Reuters, Ping An Bank, PICC, HK, Postal Savings Bank, Tencent Holdings, Alibaba, Hong Kong, Financial Regulatory Administration, State Council, Lens Consulting, Thomson Locations: Singapore, China, HONG KONG, Ant's, Hong, Beijing, CHINA

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