https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/322748/feed The latest news, analysis and opinion on MSCI. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Anand Mathai,Johannes Nugroho Anand Mathai,Johannes Nugroho When 35-year-old Bekasi resident Ika Kartika voted for Prabowo Subianto in Indonesia’s 2024 presidential election, she hoped the former general would restore a “Suharto-like” era of stability, when everyday essentials were affordable and life felt more predictable. Growing up, she had often heard her parents reminisce about the “good old days” under the late strongman, whose rule had brought a sense of order to their lives. Two years into his presidency, however, rising food prices have left Ika... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3371953/big-dreams-growing-pains-indonesia-prabowos-turbulent-2-years-power https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3371953/big-dreams-growing-pains-indonesia-prabowos-turbulent-2-years-power Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:19 +0000 Johannes Nugroho Johannes Nugroho In the wake of Indonesia’s worst stock-market rout since the 1998 Asian financial crisis, President Prabowo Subianto’s administration has turned to appeals to economic nationalism to shore up confidence, urging citizens to rally behind the country’s battered stock market. The government has promised reforms in response to warnings from global index provider MSCI that Indonesia could be downgraded from emerging-market to stand-alone-market status. But analysts say its patriotic appeals will do... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3371767/can-prabowos-economic-nationalism-save-indonesia-potential-msci-downgrade https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3371767/can-prabowos-economic-nationalism-save-indonesia-potential-msci-downgrade Thu, 22 Oct 2026 08:00:14 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore’s state investors Temasek and GIC have denied involvement in Indonesia’s looming MSCI reclassification, following accusations that the city state’s sovereign wealth funds were pulling strings behind the scenes for their own gain. On Wednesday, Fock Wai Hoong, head of Asia-Pacific at Temasek Global Investments, said the claims had “no basis” and were “patently untrue”. GIC also dismissed the allegations. Former Indonesian trade minister Muhammad Lutfi on Monday claimed that both firms... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3371626/singapore-hits-back-over-claims-it-rigged-indonesias-stock-market-crash https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3371626/singapore-hits-back-over-claims-it-rigged-indonesias-stock-market-crash Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:42:25 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar As the threat of a reclassification by MSCI that could relegate Indonesia to an investment hinterland looms, the country’s financial regulators and stock exchange officials have vowed to address systemic concerns, including removing stocks with concentrated ownership. The global index provider announced on Friday it was launching a formal consultation to decide whether to downgrade Southeast Asia’s largest economy from “emerging market” to “stand-alone” status, similar to countries such as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3371515/indonesia-faces-msci-downgrade-threat-officials-vow-reforms-ease-fears https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3371515/indonesia-faces-msci-downgrade-threat-officials-vow-reforms-ease-fears Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:02:45 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Tokyo’s implementation of a rule that requires all property buyers to declare their nationality is raising concerns among investors, according to analysts. Japan’s shift from an ultra-loose monetary policy to gradual normalisation of its interest rates was also likely to force investors to reconsider whether real estate assets were still attractive, they added. “Japan has had a really strong run for the last seven or eight years,” said Neil Brookes, head of Asia-Pacific capital markets at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3371224/new-property-purchase-disclosure-rule-japan-sparks-fears-it-may-curb-foreign-investment https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3371224/new-property-purchase-disclosure-rule-japan-sparks-fears-it-may-curb-foreign-investment Sun, 18 Oct 2026 03:00:07 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia has spent months trying to persuade investors that its economy is on the right course. A weakening rupiah, mounting budgetary pressures and a series of contentious policy decisions have made that task harder. Doubts about the management of Southeast Asia’s largest economy have now coalesced around its central bank, whose independence has come under intense scrutiny recently as President Prabowo Subianto seeks to steer economic policy. The appointment of Destry Damayanti – initially as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3371114/indonesias-central-bank-insists-it-independent-investors-want-proof https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3371114/indonesias-central-bank-insists-it-independent-investors-want-proof Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:00:07 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Property markets in the Asia-Pacific region are likely to remain attractive despite heightened uncertainty over monetary policy after the US Federal Reserve delivered its first interest rate increase in more than three years this month, analysts say, with several asset classes and sectors expected to draw investor interest. “We’ve seen volumes, specifically cross-border volumes in the region, increase by around 30 per cent to date,” said Emily Fell, senior director for living sectors in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3368796/how-asia-pacific-property-markets-are-drawing-fresh-capital-despite-us-rate-uncertainty https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3368796/how-asia-pacific-property-markets-are-drawing-fresh-capital-despite-us-rate-uncertainty Sun, 27 Sep 2026 03:00:16 +0000 Zhang Shidong,Howard Liu Zhang Shidong,Howard Liu The inclusion of ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) in a broad MSCI gauge of Chinese stocks may strengthen the chipmaker’s position as the most valuable stock on the onshore market, with the move expected to spur passive buying, analysts say. CXMT, China’s biggest maker of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips used mostly in electronic products, joined the MSCI China All Shares Index on Monday. The benchmark tracks yuan-denominated stocks as well as mainland Chinese companies trading in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3363490/how-china-dram-champion-cxmts-msci-entry-could-lure-fund-inflows-cement-its-top-ranking https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3363490/how-china-dram-champion-cxmts-msci-entry-could-lure-fund-inflows-cement-its-top-ranking Mon, 10 Aug 2026 05:00:21 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji When global index provider MSCI warned in January that Indonesia risked being demoted from emerging to frontier market status, it unleashed a wave of volatility, sell-offs and wild trading swings. Six months on, Jakarta’s investment chief argues the real story is not about whether the country can earn investors’ trust. “For Indonesia, this is not about short-term market status,” Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani told This Week in Asia in written replies to questions. “It is about building a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3361434/indonesia-steps-market-reforms-avert-msci-downgrade https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3361434/indonesia-steps-market-reforms-avert-msci-downgrade Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:01:30 +0000 Daisy Wu Daisy Wu Wall Street giant Citigroup has adjusted its emerging market asset allocation recommendation, upgrading China to “overweight”, saying that investors should increase their exposure to assets that could benefit from a broadening market rally. The bank acknowledged that while China’s relative earnings-per-share momentum remained a weak spot following a cautious start to the year, the market now screens as a prime candidate for capital rotation. Strategists highlighted light investor positioning,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3361150/citi-upgrades-china-overweight-amid-ai-volatility-geopolitical-friction https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3361150/citi-upgrades-china-overweight-amid-ai-volatility-geopolitical-friction Mon, 20 Jul 2026 03:16:32 +0000 Bloomberg,The Korea Times Bloomberg,The Korea Times The South Korean won was stable against the dollar after inching higher as the currency began its first day of 24-hour trading, marking a milestone in Seoul’s push to open its financial markets to global investors. The won eased 0.1 per cent to 1,531.40 against the US dollar, after rising as much as 0.2 per cent when it started trading at 6am. Other major currency pairs were little changed. The launch of 24-hour trading is the centrepiece of a years-long effort to improve foreign access to local... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3359506/south-korean-won-holds-steady-historic-24-hour-trading-begins https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3359506/south-korean-won-holds-steady-historic-24-hour-trading-begins Mon, 06 Jul 2026 01:10:44 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal With Japan imposing higher visa fees for tourists from July while moving away from an ultra-loose monetary policy, foreign investors must prepare themselves for both direct and indirect impacts on their real estate assets, according to agents and analysts. There is a dearth of data on the total number of homes bought by non-residents in Japan, but agents said the two main reasons for purchasing were to either use them as a primary base while they explored the country’s tourist destinations, or... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3358584/will-japans-tourist-visa-fees-interest-rate-policy-impact-its-booming-property-market https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3358584/will-japans-tourist-visa-fees-interest-rate-policy-impact-its-booming-property-market Sun, 28 Jun 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro In July 2024, India’s weight in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, a leading gauge of stocks in developing economies, hit a record high of 19.99 per cent. At the time, this was less than three percentage points below China’s weight, which at one point was as high as 43 per cent. Between 2022 and 2024, India was the darling of emerging market equity investors. The combination of the country’s fast-growing economy, strong corporate earnings, the Covid-19 pandemic-induced boom in retail trading and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3358283/investors-love-affair-india-ending https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3358283/investors-love-affair-india-ending Thu, 25 Jun 2026 08:30:04 +0000 Reuters Reuters SpaceX roared past Amazon’s market valuation on Tuesday ⁠and briefly topped that of Microsoft, rapidly scaling the list of the world’s most valuable companies on a topsy-turvy trading day fuelled by frenzied action in the firm’s newly listed option contracts. SpaceX shares rose 4.8 per cent to close at US$201.80, giving Elon Musk’s company a market value of roughly US$2.655 trillion – some US$800 billion more than its value when it sold its record initial public offering last week and about... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3357354/spacex-vaults-past-amazons-market-value-briefly-topping-microsoft https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3357354/spacex-vaults-past-amazons-market-value-briefly-topping-microsoft Tue, 16 Jun 2026 22:58:57 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro The global energy shock has accentuated some of the risks in property markets across the Asia-Pacific. The performance of tourism and hotel industries, particularly in Thailand, has come under scrutiny, while there are concerns about the impact of higher interest rates on leasing and investment activity, especially in Australia. However, the crisis has also focused attention on the strengths of the region’s real estate industry, which include premium offices and luxury homes, as well as signs of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3355509/property-recovery-hong-kong-mainland-china-warrants-attention https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3355509/property-recovery-hong-kong-mainland-china-warrants-attention Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:17:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro When US President Donald Trump last met President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on October 30 last year, the US Federal Reserve had just embarked on a monetary easing cycle. At the end of 2025, bond investors were betting that the Fed would continue reducing interest rates this year. Fast forward to today and the financial landscape is markedly different. While investors were still anticipating cuts in borrowing costs just before the war in Iran erupted at the end of February, they are now... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3353499/trump-xi-summit-puts-us-vulnerabilities-display https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3353499/trump-xi-summit-puts-us-vulnerabilities-display Thu, 14 May 2026 12:30:04 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal The Asia-Pacific region’s commercial property investments surged in the first quarter, according to data tracked by analysts, as early signs of recovery in office and retail segments across Hong Kong and mainland China boosted deal volumes. Total investment in offices, retail spaces, industrial units, data centres, hotels, apartments, senior housing and other asset classes climbed 22 per cent to US$51.1 billion from the same period in 2025, data from MSCI showed. Hong Kong contributed US$1.8... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3353239/hong-kong-mainland-china-spur-surge-asia-pacific-commercial-property-deals https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3353239/hong-kong-mainland-china-spur-surge-asia-pacific-commercial-property-deals Tue, 12 May 2026 09:00:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro A wave of bullishness is sweeping through Hong Kong’s real estate market. A report by S&P Global Ratings on May 5 said an “upside surprise” could materialise. One of the catalysts for a stronger-than-expected recovery was evidence of more competitive bids at residential land auctions in recent months. S&P said, “Hong Kong has become the first major city in China whose property market has bottomed. That could attract developers from mainland China looking to secure new projects”. More aggressive... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353092/hong-kongs-property-recovery-could-be-more-robust-many-think https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353092/hong-kongs-property-recovery-could-be-more-robust-many-think Mon, 11 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro A decade ago, some investors believed the United States’ retail industry was going the way of the subprime mortgage market, whose collapse triggered the 2008 global financial crisis. The combination of the overbuilding of shopping centres and the dramatic rise of online shopping plunged bricks-and-mortar stores into crisis. Fears of a “retail apocalypse” were rife. The double whammy of overcapacity and the “Amazon effect” also hit the United Kingdom’s retail sector hard, with prominent stores... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345094/unique-resilience-australias-retail-property-deserves-attention https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345094/unique-resilience-australias-retail-property-deserves-attention Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:30:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro It is one of the oldest sayings on Wall Street, yet the adage “markets hate uncertainty” has never stood up to scrutiny. Like most maxims, it has a ring of truth but is a gross oversimplification. What is indisputable, however, is that for several decades investors took major economic, financial and political trends for granted. For a long period beginning in the 1980s, the world was relatively predictable. Many economists dubbed this era “the great moderation”. Others pointed to the impact of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344685/trumps-normalisation-market-chaos-can-only-go-so-far https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344685/trumps-normalisation-market-chaos-can-only-go-so-far Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:45:14 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal As Hong Kong, mainland China and several other Asian markets usher in the Year of the Horse on Tuesday, the region’s commercial real estate sector is expected to draw increased cross-border capital, with certain segments set to outperform as mega-deals make a comeback, analysts said. Asia-Pacific was set to be a focus among global investors, with data cited by global commercial real estate consultancy Colliers showing that capital raised for the region’s property markets had surged by 130 per... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3343573/asia-pacific-properties-set-steal-spotlight-mega-deals-return-year-horse https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3343573/asia-pacific-properties-set-steal-spotlight-mega-deals-return-year-horse Sun, 15 Feb 2026 06:00:12 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li Global index provider MSCI revised its China gauge on Wednesday, swapping property and conglomerates for semiconductor and artificial intelligence stocks in a sign of technology’s rising role in the economy. The MSCI China Index added tech stocks including SenseTime, Pony.ai and Hesai Technology for a second straight quarter of net constituent growth since late 2025, a move analysts said would accelerate capital flows into the country’s technology sector. Against a macro backdrop of a relatively... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3343220/index-compiler-msci-tilts-towards-chinese-tech-stocks-latest-revamp https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/markets/article/3343220/index-compiler-msci-tilts-towards-chinese-tech-stocks-latest-revamp Wed, 11 Feb 2026 23:30:08 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Indonesia is on track for 10 per cent economic growth by 2029, beyond the 8 per cent target set by President Prabowo Subianto, his climate and energy envoy Hashim Djojohadikusumo has insisted. Hailing multiple projects in the works such as social housing and the development of boarding schools for low-income families, Hashim told a forum in Jakarta on Tuesday that his elder brother Prabowo had to go up against “a quagmire of bureaucratic inertia and resistance” after winning the top job in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3343102/indonesia-track-10-growth-2029-energy-envoy-hashim-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3343102/indonesia-track-10-growth-2029-energy-envoy-hashim-says Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:37:35 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim As sovereign wealth funds are increasingly deployed as geopolitical tools, Indonesia’s new state-backed vehicle is setting itself apart by operating with transparency and professional discipline, according to one of its top executives. Pandu Sjahrir, chief investment officer of Danantara Indonesia, said the sovereign wealth fund was being run for profit rather than politics, even as governments around the world tapped heavily into such stashes to pursue strategic goals. “In the new geopolitical... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3343078/danantara-indonesia-chief-vows-keep-politics-out-trillion-dollar-fund https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3343078/danantara-indonesia-chief-vows-keep-politics-out-trillion-dollar-fund Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:40:20 +0000 Zuraidah Ibrahim,Kolette Lim Zuraidah Ibrahim,Kolette Lim Hashim Djojohadikusumo is smiling almost beatifically, but the trademark feistiness is unmistakable. We are sitting down for a chat amid the turmoil gripping Indonesia’s capital markets and he says emphatically that “it’s good, it’s good” that it happened. This unvarnished answer is one of several he gives as we talk about his country, nearly two years after his elder brother, Prabowo Subianto, won the presidential election by a wide margin, securing 58.6 per cent of the votes on his third... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3342707/inside-indonesias-inner-circle-hashim-djojohadikusumo-his-brother-prabowos-vision https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3342707/inside-indonesias-inner-circle-hashim-djojohadikusumo-his-brother-prabowos-vision Sat, 07 Feb 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Bloomberg,Reuters Bloomberg,Reuters Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa pushed back at Moody’s Ratings’ decision to lower the country’s outlook, saying that the nation’s improving growth and controlled deficit were unlikely to result in a credit rating downgrade. “Our economy is improving, deficit is still under control – compared to other countries, we are still in a better position,” Purbaya told reporters in Jakarta on Friday. “There are not strong enough reasons for a downgrade. In fact, we should gradually see... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342597/danantara-indonesia-urges-reform-policy-consistency-after-moodys-warning-shot https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342597/danantara-indonesia-urges-reform-policy-consistency-after-moodys-warning-shot Fri, 06 Feb 2026 04:01:02 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Indonesia’s stock market needed just two days of chaos to highlight what investors have long lamented: parts of the market are not trading freely. Last week’s worst tumble in nearly three decades drew attention to a major problem at the heart of Southeast Asia’s biggest equity market: a handful of billionaires own so much of their listed companies that barely any of those companies’ shares are left to trade. At least three billionaires directly control 85 per cent or more of three listed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342468/indonesia-force-billionaires-sell-shares-loosen-control-or-lose-market-status https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342468/indonesia-force-billionaires-sell-shares-loosen-control-or-lose-market-status Thu, 05 Feb 2026 05:04:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesia is fighting to save its financial reputation after a disastrous two days saw stock prices plunge by 8 per cent. Authorities are racing to pass new rules to prevent a downgrade that has already scared investors into pulling billions of dollars out of the local market. The rout, which knocked off about US$80 billion in overall market value, came after index provider MSCI flagged concerns about ownership and trading transparency in Indonesian stocks, the latest setback for a market that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341716/indonesia-scrambles-halt-us80-billion-market-crash-rupiah-hits-record-low https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341716/indonesia-scrambles-halt-us80-billion-market-crash-rupiah-hits-record-low Thu, 29 Jan 2026 11:13:46 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro A cursory glance at Asia’s commercial real estate leasing and investment markets shows that mainland China and Hong Kong are the weakest links. With the exception of Ho Chi Minh City and Taipei, mainland China’s first-tier cities and Hong Kong are the only markets that will experience a decline in office rents this year, according to Knight Frank data. In the investment market, while transaction volumes across the Asia-Pacific increased 7 per cent in the first three quarters of 2025, they fell... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338726/will-hong-kong-mainland-property-see-recovery-2026-dont-bet-it https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338726/will-hong-kong-mainland-property-see-recovery-2026-dont-bet-it Mon, 05 Jan 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Richard Harris Richard Harris Investment narratives abound at this time of year, and many of them may develop into generally accepted financial myths that often don’t make much sense. Declaring myths as such is a risky business. A week is a long time to forecast in the investment markets, let alone a year. However, investment shocks and surprises can move markets, and it is important to be contrarian and think outside the box. Recognising alternative investment outcomes against the market consensus is what makes successful... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338257/5-financial-myths-beware-2026 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338257/5-financial-myths-beware-2026 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Judging by investor sentiment in the final quarter of last year, the spectacular rally in mainland Chinese and Hong Kong equities is over. The CSI 300 index of Shanghai- and Shenzhen-listed stocks declined 0.2 per cent while the MSCI China Index fell by over 7 per cent. The Hang Seng Index, meanwhile, lost 4.5 per cent. While most Wall Street banks remain bullish on Chinese stocks, some have turned more cautious. Morgan Stanley believes 2026 will be “a year of stabilization after 2025’s high... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338368/why-investors-should-remain-bullish-hong-kong-mainland-stocks-2026 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338368/why-investors-should-remain-bullish-hong-kong-mainland-stocks-2026 Thu, 01 Jan 2026 08:37:37 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro When US President Donald Trump stood outside the White House on April 2 and unveiled his punitive “Liberation Day” tariffs on most US trading partners, Asia was singled out for particularly harsh punishment. With the region accounting for seven of the 10 economies with the largest trade surpluses with the US, Asia was bound to be hit hard. However, as 2025 draws to a close, Asia’s economies have shown remarkable resilience. While several factors are at play, the most important one is the boom in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3337983/how-ai-helped-asias-real-estate-sector-pass-tariff-stress-test https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3337983/how-ai-helped-asias-real-estate-sector-pass-tariff-stress-test Mon, 29 Dec 2025 08:31:10 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro As 2025 draws to a close, Wall Street’s love affair with Chinese equities is in full swing. While the relationship between global investors and China has been a rocky one, market sentiment is now about varying degrees of bullishness. In a panel discussion moderated by JPMorgan at the annual meeting of the Emerging Markets Trading Association earlier this month, some of the speakers said China’s stock market had undergone a shift from “uninvestable” to “irresistible”, especially in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3337436/has-chinas-stock-market-gone-uninvestable-irresistible https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3337436/has-chinas-stock-market-gone-uninvestable-irresistible Thu, 25 Dec 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Numbers do not always tell the whole story. But they are revealing nonetheless. In 2013, direct investment transaction volumes in India’s commercial property sector stood at around US$1.3 billion. By contrast, in China (excluding Hong Kong), investment activity reached US$27 billion. In South Korea, transactions stood at US$12.2 billion, data from MSCI shows. The woefully low level of investment in India – a leading emerging market that at the time was already the world’s third-largest economy... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3336433/indias-property-market-enters-big-league-challenges-remain https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3336433/indias-property-market-enters-big-league-challenges-remain Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Investment in Hong Kong’s commercial property more than tripled in the third quarter from a year earlier, making it the second-fastest growing market in the Asia-Pacific region amid rising confidence in the city’s bruised real estate sector, according to MSCI. Some US$4.9 billion was pumped into offices, data centres, retail spaces, hotels and senior housing in the September quarter, a year-on-year increase of 231 per cent, according to the data services provider, which compiled deals worth at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3334097/out-icu-hong-kongs-third-quarter-commercial-property-deals-triple-us49-billion https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3334097/out-icu-hong-kongs-third-quarter-commercial-property-deals-triple-us49-billion Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:51:43 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal The resumption of a policy easing cycle following the US Federal Reserve’s quarter-point interest-rate reduction is likely to spur more investments into property globally, according to analysts. For mainland China and Hong Kong, however, the impact could be less significant owing to fundamental and geopolitical strains, they added. “Rarely do central banks do ‘one and done’,” said Pamela Ambler, head of capital markets research for Asia-Pacific at JLL. “This [Fed] cut is likely to kick off a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3326288/feds-rate-cut-fuel-property-investment-globally-hong-kong-faces-hurdles https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/article/3326288/feds-rate-cut-fuel-property-investment-globally-hong-kong-faces-hurdles Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:30:12 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Singapore’s Temasek Holdings is mulling one of its biggest overhauls in years, potentially reorganising the firm into three investment vehicles in a bid to boost returns and efficiencies, according to people familiar with the matter. Under the proposal still being discussed at senior levels, Singapore’s state-owned investor could divide its business into three arms. One would focus on Temasek’s biggest domestic holdings, such as Singapore Airlines, and another would oversee largely foreign... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3322544/singapores-temasek-mulls-major-overhaul-boost-returns https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3322544/singapores-temasek-mulls-major-overhaul-boost-returns Wed, 20 Aug 2025 11:31:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro One of the big themes in Asia’s real estate industry this year is divergence. The average price of second-hand homes in Japan in the first quarter of 2025 rose at an annualised pace of 9.5 per cent, while in mainland China it contracted 7.5 per cent, according to Knight Frank’s Global House Price Index. In the commercial property market, investment activity in Australia was up 15 per cent in the first half of this year, while in Hong Kong it fell 59 per cent, according to MSCI data. In fact, one... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322185/how-closer-mainland-integration-lifting-hong-kongs-residential-market https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322185/how-closer-mainland-integration-lifting-hong-kongs-residential-market Mon, 18 Aug 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong The rotation to emerging markets in Asia that spurred the US dollar’s worst performance in more than five decades will probably continue, as a de-dollarisation trend outweighs a record rally in US stocks, according to Societe Generale. Global investors had turned cautious about their estimated US$62 trillion in dollar-based assets – equivalent to the size of the Nasdaq – as the Trump administration’s “reciprocal tariffs” eroded the status of the world’s reserve currency, analysts led by Frank... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3316939/de-dollarisation-favours-asian-assets-despite-record-us-stock-run-societe-generale-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3316939/de-dollarisation-favours-asian-assets-despite-record-us-stock-run-societe-generale-says Fri, 04 Jul 2025 06:53:04 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong’s bourse operator has declared victory in its quest to eliminate all-male boards from companies listed on the region’s third-largest stock exchange, an improvement in corporate governance that analysts said would help attract international investors. Fewer than 10 of Hong Kong’s around 2,600 listed companies had all-male boards as of the end of June, according to Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX). A spokesman said these exceptions were companies that had long been suspended from... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/companies/article/3316530/hong-kongs-all-male-boardrooms-are-all-gone-most-companies-embrace-diversity https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/companies/article/3316530/hong-kongs-all-male-boardrooms-are-all-gone-most-companies-embrace-diversity Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:30:08 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Divergences and idiosyncrasies are an important part of Asia’s real estate landscape. Whether it is the stark contrast between Seoul’s remarkably resilient office market and its ailing counterpart in Hong Kong or the big difference between Japan’s mature and institutionalised rental housing market and its nascent peers elsewhere in the region, Asia’s property sector is far from homogeneous. Yet among the leading economies in the region, the performance gap between China and India is far and away... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3316331/why-indias-real-estate-surge-doesnt-make-it-substitute-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3316331/why-indias-real-estate-surge-doesnt-make-it-substitute-china Mon, 30 Jun 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel pressed its intense bombardment campaign on Iran on Sunday, striking a defence facility and fuel depots as the arch foes kept up their most intense confrontation in history. It came after Iranian missile fire on Israel killed at least 10 people overnight, according to authorities, pushing the toll up to 13 since Iran began its retaliatory strikes on Friday. In Tehran, a heavy cloud of smoke billowed over the city after Israeli aircraft struck two fuel depots. For days, Iranians have... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3314485/israel-and-iran-launch-fresh-strikes-conflict-escalates https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3314485/israel-and-iran-launch-fresh-strikes-conflict-escalates Sat, 14 Jun 2025 22:21:16 +0000 Aileen Chuang Aileen Chuang UBS Group is optimistic about Chinese stocks, citing the recent tariff pause with the US, potential stimulus measures from Beijing and attractive low valuations as key drivers, according to a senior executive. “I’m optimistic on China and Hong Kong, as the markets should focus on the valuation opportunities that they represent,” said Neil Hosie, the Swiss bank’s global head of execution services, in Hong Kong last week. “There are still more stimulus measures that China can take that could... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3312525/ubs-upbeat-china-stocks-citing-tariff-pause-us-and-potential-beijing-stimulus https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3312525/ubs-upbeat-china-stocks-citing-tariff-pause-us-and-potential-beijing-stimulus Mon, 02 Jun 2025 01:30:17 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro When US President Donald Trump announced now-suspended swingeing “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly all America’s trading partners on April 2, Asian economies – which account for seven of the 10 economies with the largest bilateral trade surpluses with the United States – were singled out for punishment. To some currency analysts, Trump’s tariff blitz added to the strain on the region’s currencies, which had caused the Bloomberg Asia Dollar Index – a gauge of the performance of leading Asian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3310866/stronger-asian-currencies-mixed-blessing-regions-property-markets https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3310866/stronger-asian-currencies-mixed-blessing-regions-property-markets Mon, 19 May 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The proportion of seats occupied by women on the boards of Hong Kong-based companies has surpassed one in five for the first time, but significant disparities remain in senior-management representation and pay equity, reports show. Across all Hong Kong-listed companies, 20.8 per cent of board seats were occupied by women as of October, up from 19 per cent a year earlier and 16 per cent in 2022, according to a report published by MSCI, an American financial company known for its indices.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/companies/article/3301013/women-hold-1-5-board-seats-hong-kong-firms-first-time-report-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/companies/article/3301013/women-hold-1-5-board-seats-hong-kong-firms-first-time-report-says Tue, 04 Mar 2025 23:30:08 +0000 Zhang Shidong,Yuke Xie Zhang Shidong,Yuke Xie The MSCI China Index will probably rise as much as 10 per cent in the next three to six months, as earnings growth picks up and companies look to boost returns to shareholders through buy-backs and improved governance, according to UBS Group. The gains will be driven by an average 7 per cent growth in profit for companies on the index in the second half and some valuation expansion, James Wang, head of China strategy at the Swiss bank, said in a briefing in Shenzhen on Monday. The dismal outlook... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3276852/ubs-turns-bullish-china-profit-growth-buy-backs-give-msci-index-10-upside https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3276852/ubs-turns-bullish-china-profit-growth-buy-backs-give-msci-index-10-upside Mon, 02 Sep 2024 08:29:35 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Global index compiler MSCI will remove 60 Chinese stocks from its gauges in its latest quarterly review, the third straight cull this year, reflecting the waning significance of the nation’s equities in overseas investors’ portfolios. Fifty-six companies trading on China’s onshore exchanges and four in Hong Kong will be removed from the MSCI China Index at the end of August, MSCI said in a statement on Monday. The biggest yuan-traded stocks on the A-share market that are set to be ejected... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3274307/msci-removes-china-tourism-59-more-chinese-stocks-global-investors-turn-india https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/china-business/article/3274307/msci-removes-china-tourism-59-more-chinese-stocks-global-investors-turn-india Tue, 13 Aug 2024 09:00:16 +0000 China and the Middle East have the potential to revitalise their historical link through financial collaborations, but more mutual understanding is needed, according to Wei Zhen, a managing director at MSCI. The index provider, which first included Saudi Arabian stocks in its Emerging Markets Index in 2019, has helped to put the kingdom on the map of international investors, as the index provides a benchmark to gauge the market’s movement and performance. As the relationship between China and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3262249/china-middle-east-link-creating-untapped-world-investment-potential-msci-director-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3262249/china-middle-east-link-creating-untapped-world-investment-potential-msci-director-says Sun, 12 May 2024 03:00:31 +0000 We have selected seven of the biggest and most important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese manufacturers in Mexico tread on thin ice amid threat of US barriers “Keep a low profile.” Such was the advice often repeated by Chinese embassy officials in Mexico to the country’s Chinese-funded factories in April. The factories, however, did not need to be reminded. Warnings from the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3260915/chinese-factories-mexico-thin-ice-xi-biden-talks-and-surprise-tiny-ev-hit-7-reads-about-us-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3260915/chinese-factories-mexico-thin-ice-xi-biden-talks-and-surprise-tiny-ev-hit-7-reads-about-us-china Wed, 01 May 2024 16:01:56 +0000 Index provider MSCI is cutting dozens of Chinese companies from its global benchmarks following its February review, after many stocks tumbled as China’s market erased trillions of dollars in value. At the same time, it raised India’s weightage in its Global Standard (Emerging Markets) index to a historic high of 18.2 per cent. MSCI added five Indian stocks to its Global Standard index with no deletions. In contrast, the index provider deleted 66 Chinese stocks in the highest tally of exclusions... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3251818/indias-stock-weightage-climbs-record-high-msci-global-standard-index-seen-rising-further https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/business/banking-finance/article/3251818/indias-stock-weightage-climbs-record-high-msci-global-standard-index-seen-rising-further Tue, 13 Feb 2024 05:21:37 +0000