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☆ An oversupply-led plunge in pork price has pushed the Chinese economy into deflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Pork prices are a significant driver of the consumer price index, and have fallen 26% year-on-year. Pork is the largest driver of the country's Consumer Price Index basket, comprising approximately 3% of it, per the Economist Intelligence Unit. "A rough rule of thumb is therefore that a 10% increase in the pork price will push up the CPI by 0.3%," the EIU said in a research note. The swing in pork prices over the past many years has thrown a huge challenge in front of China's hog farmers. This oversupply and resulting decline in pork prices has weighed heavily on the country's consumer price index, pushing the country into the region of deflation.

Persons: Oversupply, Xi Organizations: Service, Intelligence Unit, National Bureau, Statistics Locations: Wall, Silicon, China, Beijing

☆ The most interesting part of China's stimulus announcement was the omission of a key phrase that ignited the 2020 crackdown on the real-estate sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

China's property market is a huge part of the economy, but it's now in a deep slump. This measure was introduced in August 2020 to limit the amount of money property developers could borrow. Other Chinese real-estate developers ran into similar issues, and the sector started to default on its bond payments. In the background, there were concerns that China's property crisis could spill over into the broader domestic and global economy. In 2022, China's economy grew 3% — well below its official 5.5% target, intensifying the drag on the property sector.

Persons: it's, Xi Jinping, Xi, Lina Batarags, Evergrande, Bo Zhuang, Loomis Sayles, Zhuang, Shenzhen —, Nomura Organizations: Authorities, Service, Bloomberg, Spain's Caixa Bank, Nikkei, Reuters Locations: Beijing, Wall, Silicon, China, Expectedly, Shenzhen

☆ The remote work revolution is officially dead: Zoom just told employees to return to the office.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The move is surprising given how much the company benefitted from remote work. The remote work revolution is officially dead. Zoom, one of the main enablers and beneficiaries of remote work, just asked its employees to head back to the office. Those who live within 50 miles of a Zoom office must now work there at least two days a week, the company confirmed. Many companies have started to require office work this year, but Zoom's change of heart is surprising given the role its technology plays in remote work.

Persons: Zoom, they'd, We'll, Ashley Stewart

[1/2] An Airbus A380 of German air carrier Lufthansa is seen at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, February 12, 2019. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File PhotoBERLIN, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The boom in holiday travel shows no signs of ending, German airline group Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) said on Thursday, as advance bookings for this winter and next year were already a double-digit percentage above the year-earlier level. "Demand will remain exceptionally strong for the foreseeable future," Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told journalists during a conference call as the group published better-than-expected quarterly profits. British Airways owner IAG (ICAG.L) said the outlook for summer travel was encouraging, although it was "mindful" of uncertainty in the wider economy. For the German airline, Spohr said an unimpeded trend towards more premium-class flights, especially among leisure travellers, has underpinned yields and he expected ticket prices to remain at current levels for the foreseeable future.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Carsten Spohr, Spohr, Maria Sheahan, Josephine Mason, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Airbus, Lufthansa, REUTERS, Ryanair, British Airways, IAG, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Europe's

☆ China's tech crackdown cost over $1 trillion. But the economy is in such deep trouble that the country's cozying up to its tech firms again.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China's tech crackdown wiped $1.1 trillion off the valuation of its Big Tech firms. China's economy is struggling to recover after three years of on-off COVID-19 lockdowns. China cracked down on the country's tech sector in 2020, taking down its Big Tech, whose market value has been wiped by $1.1 trillion. But now, authorities are laying out the red carpet for the same firms because the economy is in deep trouble. Local governments in China are wooing tech giants with at least five recent deals to build on the so-called "platform economy," the South China Morning Post reported on Sunday.

Persons: NetEase, Yin Li, Kuaishou, Yin Yong, Daniel Zhang, Lei Jun, Alibaba, Jack Ma Organizations: Big Tech, Morning, China Morning Post, Sunday, Communist Party Locations: China, Beijing, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Shenzhen

☆ Exxon Reports Leaner Earnings in Second Quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Santul Nerkar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The NumbersExxon’s revenue declined in the latest quarter, to $82.9 billion from $115.7 billion a year earlier. The company reported earnings per share of $1.94, compared with $4.21 in the second quarter last year. Exxon’s reduced profit is relative to the unusual level achieved in a roiled energy market a year ago. Why It Matters: A reflection of lower oil prices. Still, at about $80 per barrel now, oil prices are lower than they were at the start of the war.

Persons: Exxon’s, Darren Woods, Biden Organizations: Chevron, Shell, Exxon, West, United, Strategic Petroleum Reserve Locations: Ukraine, West Texas, United States, Texas, New Mexico, Saudi Arabia, —, Russia

Financial firms and their regulators have cut salaries and bonuses after China's top graft-busting watchdog vowed to eliminate "Western-style hedonism" in the $57 trillion sector. "Wage cuts will intensify deflationary risks and reduce willingness to spend," said Zhaopeng Xing, ANZ's senior China strategist. Reuters GraphicsWEAK BARGAINING POWERUnilateral wage cuts are illegal in China, but complex salary structures offer ways around that. Shao, who sold make-up in the eastern city of Suzhou and only gave her surname for privacy reasons, had a choice to leave her company or accept a 50% wage cut. Their bargaining power ... is weakened so they tend to accept wage cuts," said Aidan Chau, researcher at Hong Kong-based rights group China Labour Bulletin.

Persons: Yao, Zhaopeng Xing, ANZ's, Unit's Xu Tianchen, Zhaopin, Shao, Aidan Chau, Xu, he's, Xiangrong Yu, Ellen Zhang, Marius Zaharia, Liangping Gao, Kripa Jayaram, Kim Coghill Organizations: Communist Party, Financial, Economist, Reuters, Workers, China Labour Bulletin, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Citi, Graphics, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, HONG KONG, Hefei, Suzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing

☆ IMF raises growth forecast for India, which is set to be fastest growing major economy in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The International Monetary Fund raised its 2023 growth forecast for India by 20 basis points to 6.1%, bolstering expectations that the current G20 chair will be the world's fastest growing major economy this year. Still, the IMF expects China to grow by 5.2% this year and 4.5% next year. The IMF then expects growth in the Japanese economy to slow to 1.0% in 2024, as the effects of past stimuli dissipate. The IMF raised its 2023 global growth prediction by 0.2 percentage point to 3%, up from 2.8% in its April assessment. The IMF kept its 2024 growth forecast unchanged at 3%.

Persons: China's Organizations: Monetary Fund, Economic, IMF Locations: Allahabad, India, Beijing, China, Asia, Japan, U.S

☆ Look out, Elon Musk: Mark Zuckerberg is now a blue belt in jiu-jitsu
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Haley Tenore | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mark Zuckerberg announced on Instagram that he is now a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. More recently, Zuckerberg and Musk have entertained the idea of a cage fight, though nothing has been finalized. Mark Zuckerberg is one step closer to mastering Brazilian jiu-jitsu as speculation remains about a potential face-off with Elon Musk in a cage fight. Zuckerberg announced on Sunday that he was promoted to blue belt in jiu-jitsu, posting some photos to commemorate the occasion on Instagram. Meanwhile, the looming question is whether Zuckerberg will eventually fight Twitter — or should we say "X" — owner Elon Musk.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Dave Camarillo, John Wick, Keanu Reeves, I've, Lex Fridman, Khai Wu, Aljamain Sterling, he's Organizations: Morning, Elon, Meta, UFC, Twitter

☆ She traveled to Japan more than 50 times. Here are 3 life habits she learned from the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Cheesie's love for Japan was evident even before her big move to Tokyo — the Malaysian had traveled to Japan at least 56 times and covered all 47 prefectures. The 39-year-old blogger's love for Japan was evident even before her big move to Tokyo — the Malaysian had traveled to Japan at least 56 times and covered all 47 prefectures. Cheesie Blogger"I love Japan very much and very [intensely]. Cheesie's love for Japan goes beyond its delicious food and the more tangible aspects of its rich culture. "These are the small things or gestures that I find really fascinating, and it makes appreciating things a lot easier in life," Cheesie said.

Persons: Cheesie, it's Organizations: Malaysian, Malaysia, CNBC, Okinawa — Locations: Japan, Tokyo, Dewa Sanzan, Yamagata Prefecture, Singapore, Malaysia, Osaka, Okinawa

☆ IMF raises global growth forecast despite China's recovery 'losing steam'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowThe International Monetary Fund on Tuesday raised its growth forecast for the global economy, turning slightly more positive despite slowing momentum from China. In the latest update to its World Economic Outlook, the IMF raised its 2023 global growth prediction by 0.2 percentage point to 3%, up from 2.8% in its April assessment. "The global economy continues to gradually recover from the pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In China, the recovery following the reopening of its economy shows signs of losing steam amid continued concerns about the property sector, with implications for the global economy," Gourinchas said. This is due to weaker manufacturing output and lower growth performance during the first quarter of this year, the IMF said.

Persons: Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, Gourinchas, Cyrus de la Rubia Organizations: Monetary Fund, Economic, IMF, Hamburg Commercial Bank Locations: China, Ukraine, U.S, United States, Beijing, Germany

☆ What new norm of slower Chinese growth could mean for the global economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Ying Tang | NurPhoto | Getty ImagesThe Chinese economy could be facing a prolonged period of lower growth, a prospect which may have global ramifications after 45 years of rapid expansion and globalization. The ruling Chinese Communist Party has set a growth target of 5% for 2023, lower than usual and notably modest for a country that has averaged 9% annual GDP growth since opening up its economy in 1978. For the global economy, however, the most immediate spillover of a Chinese slowdown will likely come in commodities and the industrial cycle, as China reconfigures its economy to reduce its reliance on a property sector that has been "absorbing and driving commodity prices." "This shift from a complementary economy, where Beijing and Berlin kind of benefit from each other, to now being competitors is another big consequence of the structural slowdown," Green said. He noted that beyond the immediate loss of demand for commodities, China's reaction to its shifting economic sands will also have "second order impacts" for the global economy.

Persons: Ying Tang, Julian Evans, Pritchard, Evans, it's, Xi Jinping's, Rory Green, Green Organizations: Beijing, Communist Party, Capital Economics, Triple, TS Lombard, CNBC Locations: Suzhou, Shanghai, China, Asia, Beijing, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Berlin

☆ Everything's pink: How Barbiecore fashion has fueled a movie's buzz
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

There are Barbie sneakers, Barbie backpacks, Barbie swimsuits, and Barbie hoodies for your dog. A few months later, photos showed Barbie movie star Margot Robbie on set in a hot pink Western jumpsuit. As the style took off, fashion magazines chronicled celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Harry Styles in bright Barbiecore outfits. Barbie-inspired foods include an ice cream flavor and a Barbie burger with pink sauce sold at Burger King in Brazil. Robbie, who rotated through Barbie-inspired looks during the movie's publicity tour, even rolled pink suitcases through the airport in Sydney.

Persons: Mattel Inc's, Barbie, Barbie swimsuits, Barbie hoodies, Richard Dickson, Couture, Valentino, Margot Robbie, Madeline Hirsch, Hirsch, Kim Kardashian, Harry Styles, Kendra Scott, Dreamhouse, Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Ken, Rich Daughtridge, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Tom Cruise's, Filmgoers, Jeff Bock, Bock, Lisa Richwine, Rollo Ross, Sarah Mills, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Mattel, InStyle, Balmain, Old Navy, Microsoft, Burger King, Warner Bros, Malibu, Party, Relations, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, French, Burger, Brazil, Sydney, Barbiecore, Maryland, flamingo, Los Angeles, London

☆ Teens are using social media to diagnose themselves with ADHD, autism and more. Parents are alarmed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

But Coleman is one of nearly two dozen parents who told CNN that they are grappling with a different but related issue: teens using social media to diagnose themselves with mental health conditions. Some parents said social media has helped their teens get mental health information they’ve needed and has helped them feel less alone. According to Hamlet, social media companies should tweak algorithms to better detect when users are consuming too much content about a specific topic. Meanwhile, Mary Spadaro Daikos from upstate New York feels mixed about her daughter using social media for reasons related to her autism diagnosis. “She’s doing a lot of self-discovery right now in so many areas, and social media is a big part of that,” she said.

Persons: Erin Coleman, ” Coleman, doesn’t, Coleman, Julie Harper, Larry D, he’s, ”, it’s, Mitnaul, Larry Mitnaul, he's, Patricia Mitnaul “, I’m, that’s, Mislabeling, isn’t, Harper, “, they’ve, Alexandra Hamlet, Jason Lancaster, Liza Crenshaw, ” Crenshaw, Meta, Instagram, TikTok, Linden Taber, “ I’ve, …, Julie Fulcher, influencers, Mary Spadaro Daikos, Amanda Clendenen, Laura Young, she’s, ” Young Organizations: CNN, Social, Adobe Stock Social, US, Well Locations: “, Wichita , Kansas, Kentucky, New York City, Linden, Chattanooga , Tennessee, Raleigh , North Carolina, New York, Austin

☆ Ukrainian-founded Duolingo rival Preply banks $70 million to push into A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Preply, a language learning platform connecting people with tutors, raised $70 million of fresh capital to ramp up its use of artificial intelligence, the company told CNBC exclusively. The equity portion was led by Horizon Capital, a venture capital firm focused on investing in emerging entrepreneurs, particularly Ukrainians. The funding adds to a $50 million Series C funding round Preply raised last year, and takes its total funding raised to over $170 million. It comes as Duolingo, a competitor to Preply, has been incorporating OpenAI's GPT language processing software to enhance its app's personalization to users. Horizon Capital raised $125 million for a startup fund aimed at backing Ukrainian founders.

Persons: Kirill Bigai, Dmytro Voloshyn, Serge Lukianov, Preply, Preply's, Max Lytvyn, Alex Shevchenko, Dmitriy Zaporozhets Organizations: CNBC, Horizon Capital, Reach Capital, Hoxton Ventures, Bain, Horizon, Google, Samsung, Amazon Locations: Ukraine, U.S, GroupM, Ukrainian, Preply, Russia, Moscow

☆ Column: Turkey emerges as Europe's largest coal power producer in June
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

July 19 (Reuters) - Turkey overtook Germany and Poland to become Europe's top coal-fired electricity producer in June, and for the opening half of 2023 generated more coal power than Poland for the first time to emerge as Europe's second-largest coal user behind Germany. Even Poland, Europe's most coal-dependent economy, has seen a modest net capacity decline since 2018. Indeed, Turkey's electricity generation from all clean sources has risen by 40% since 2018, while generation from fossil fuels declined by more than 8% over that period. Further increases in coal-fired generation may in turn push Turkey farther ahead of Poland in terms of coal generation over the near term, and potentially narrow the gap more on Europe's top coal user, Germany. That should undermine coal's usage momentum in Turkey's energy system, and potentially result in Turkey making only a fleeting entry as one of Europe's main coal users.

Persons: Turkey's, Gavin Maguire, Robert Birsel Organizations: Germany, COVID, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Turkey, Germany, Poland, Europe, Turkey overtakes Poland, Southern Europe, Italy, Romania, Czech Republic, Ukraine

☆ UK on track for most company insolvencies since 2009
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - England and Wales are on track for the highest quarterly number of company insolvencies since early 2009, as businesses struggle to repay COVID-19 loans against a tough economic backdrop, government figures showed on Tuesday. Over the three months to the end of June, there were 6,403 companies declared insolvent. If this figure is confirmed when official quarterly numbers are published later this month, it would be the highest non-seasonally-adjusted calendar-quarter total since the first quarter of 2009. As usual, most company insolvencies were creditors' voluntary liquidations - where company directors and creditors agree to wind up a company without a formal court order. "The drop is likely to come mainly from a fall in 'shut down' Creditors' Voluntary Liquidations where the catch-up from low points of Covid and Government support will largely be flushed out," Harris said.

Persons: Gareth Harris, Harris, David Milliken, Andy Bruce Organizations: COVID, Insolvency Service, RSM, Service, Bank of, Thomson Locations: England, Wales, May's, Bank of England, Covid

[1/5] A worker sweeps a street in the Central Business District on a rainy day in Beijing, China, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas PeterBEIJING, July 18 (Reuters) - China is entering an era of much slower economic growth, raising a daunting prospect: it may never get rich. He expects growth to slow to 3%, which "will feel like an economic recession" when youth unemployment is already above 20%. The April-June data puts 2023 growth on track for roughly 5%, with slower rates thereafter. But China's annual growth averaged around 7% last decade, and more than 10% in the 2000s.

Persons: Thomas Peter BEIJING, Desmond Lachman, year's, Wang Jun, Zheng Shanjie, Zheng, Richard Koo, Juan Orts, Xi Jinping's, Zhao, Cai Fang, Zhu Ning, Koo, Liangping Gao, Ellen Zhang, Ziyi Tang, Kevin Yao, Joe Cash, Marius Zaharia, David Crawshaw Organizations: Central Business District, REUTERS, American Enterprise Institute, Reuters, Communist, Huatai Asset Management, Reform Commission, Overseas, Nomura Research Institute, Fathom Consulting, Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Japan, United States, Young, Africa, Latin, U.S, Central

LONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - Copper's electrical conductivity makes it a core component of the green energy transition, whether it be in the form of solar panels, electric vehicles or wind turbines. Which begs the question of where it might be if funds were collectively to buy into the green copper story. Fund positioning on the CME copper contractCHOPPY COPPERMoney manager net positioning on the CME copper contract has been flipping between long and short in recent weeks as LME copper chops around in a $8,140-8,870 range. China's recovery has disappointed copper bulls and funds shifted to the short side in May, coinciding with LME copper hitting the lower end of its trading range. Both volumes and open interest have perked up this year, but the driver appears to have been the China reopening story rather than the longer-term green energy narrative.

Persons: Conor Humphries Organizations: Citi, London Metal Exchange, CME, Traders, Shanghai Futures Exchange, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China

☆ Uxbridge by-election: In Boris Johnson's back yard, Britons are desperate for a change
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

A mid-term by-election to replace Johnson is taking place on Thursday, alongside two other by-elections to replace MPs elsewhere in the country. Boris Johnson is seen on a walkabout in Uxbridge in 2020, during his time as prime minister. Inside, the owner told CNN: "They're all the same ... Johnson’s company ran the first major opinion poll ahead of the Uxbridge by-election, which found a solid but assailable eight-point lead for Labour. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (far right) and Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves (right) on a campaign visit with Danny Beales, the local Labour candidate (back center).

Persons: Mike Okoli, ”, Okoli, Boris Johnson –, Johnson, “, ” Okoli, Rob Picheta, CNN Johnson, Manoj Supeda, I’ve, hasn’t, ‘, ’ He’s, Supeda, Johnson’s, ” Supeda, “ It’s, ” Manoj Supeda, Tony Blair, Labour's, Brexit, CNN Okoli, he’s, “ I’ve, Sonia Caetano, Boris Johnson, Stefan Rousseau, there’s, ” Caetano, Danny Beales, We've, Caetano, Keir Starmer, Steve Reed, Piers Corbyn, Jeremy Corbyn, Steve Tuckwell, ” Tuckwell, Reed, ” Reed, They’re, Mick, Starmer, “ We’re, we’re, ” James Johnson, Theresa May’s, Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, ” Tracy Peabody Organizations: United Kingdom CNN, European Union, CNN, Labour Party –, Tories, Labour, Conservatives, Britain, Uxbridge, Beales, London’s Labour, Conservative, Hillingdon Hospital, CNN ‘ Labour, “, Press Association Locations: Uxbridge, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Caribbean, London, South Ruislip, Britain, “, Okoli, Portuguese, Yiewsley, Portugal, Covid, Ukraine, Hillingdon, Ruislip Manor

On a year-on-year basis, GDP expanded 6.3% in the second quarter, accelerating from 4.5% in the first three months of the year, but the rate was well below the forecast for growth of 7.3%. "The data suggests that China's post-COVID boom is clearly over," said Carol Kong, economist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney. The latest data raises the risk of China missing its modest 5% growth target for 2023, some economists say. Authorities are likely to roll out more stimulus steps including fiscal spending to fund big-ticket infrastructure projects, more support for consumers and private firms, and some property policy easing, policy insiders and economists said. So I think this does raise greater urgency for more policy support soon."

Persons: Carol Kong, Alvin Tan, Harry Murphy Cruise, Kevin Yao, Ellen Zhang, Joe Cash, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: National Bureau, Statistics, Reuters, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Analysts, Authorities, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, stoke, Moody’s, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Shanghai, Sydney, China, Asia, Singapore

"The data suggests that China's post-COVID boom is clearly over," said Carol Kong, economist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney. Authorities are likely to roll out more stimulus steps including fiscal spending to fund big-ticket infrastructure projects, more support for consumers and private firms, and some property policy easing, policy insiders and economists said. Most analysts say policymakers are likely to dole out modest supportive measures, instead of embracing any aggressive stimulus due to limited room and worries of growing debt risks, analysts said. For June alone, China's retail sales grew 3.1%, slowing sharply from a 12.7% jump in May, the data showed. Industrial output growth unexpectedly quickened to 4.4% last month from 3.5% seen in May, but demand remains lukewarm amid a bumpy post-COVID economic recovery.

Persons: Carol Kong, Alvin Tan, Kevin Yao, Ellen Zhang, Joe Cash, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: National Bureau, Statistics, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Authorities, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, stoke, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Shanghai, Sydney, China, Asia, Singapore

☆ China's youth unemployment rate just hit a new high and its GDP growth missed analysts' expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

China's youth unemployment rate hit a new high, and its GDP grew by 6.3% in the second quarter. Analysts polled by Reuters expected China's economy to have grown by 7.3%. After an initial spurt, China's economy is struggling to recover from three years of COVID-19 restrictions. Economists polled by Reuters expected China's GDP to grow by 7.3% during the second quarter of the year. China's economy grew 3% in 2022 and Beijing has set a 5% GDP growth target this year.

Persons: Vishnu Varathan, Varathan Organizations: Reuters, Service, Privacy, Mizuho Bank Locations: Wall, Silicon, China, Beijing

☆ China economic data likely to show recovery is fading quickly
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Producer prices fell at the fastest pace in over seven years in June and consumer prices teetered on the verge of deflation, data showed earlier in the week. Authorities are likely to roll out more stimulus steps including fiscal spending to fund big-ticket infrastructure projects, more support for consumers and private firms, and some property policy easing, policy insiders and economists said. The central bank cut the RRR - the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves - in March. China also cut its benchmark lending rates by a modest 10 basis points in June, the first such reduction in 10 months. But the central bank is likely to be wary of cutting lending rates further.

Persons: Kevin Yao, Kim Coghill Organizations: Reuters, Authorities, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, COVID

☆ China GDP: Economy grows 6.3% in Q2 compared with low base
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s economy expanded by 6.3% in the second quarter from a year ago because of a low base, with momentum slowing following a strong reopening in the first quarter. Compared to the first quarter, gross domestic product grew just 0.8% from April to June, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Last year, harsh Covid-19 lockdowns wreaked havoc in the world’s second largest economy, including in the financial hub of Shanghai. The economy rebounded strongly In the first quarter after the lifting of pandemic restrictions, with GDP growing at 4.5%. Youth unemployment hit another record high, with the jobless rate for those ages 16 to 24 reaching 21.3% in June.

Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Bureau of Statistics, Reuters Locations: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing

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