Alibaba plans to offload bonds for debt repayment and stock repurchase, taking advantage of low interest rates. The leading Chinese online commerce company will be issuing bonds in US dollars and yuan to facilitate their debt repayment and stock buyback scheme.

The company stated on Monday in a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange that specifics such as the main sum, interest percentages, expiration dates, and additional conditions of the notes would be set when the offering is priced.

According to an anonymous tip featured in a Reuters article, Alibaba – who owns the South China Morning Post – is planning to raise a staggering $5 billion. The report outlines that the dollar bonds are set to mature over spans of 5.5 years, 10.5 years and 30 years. Additionally, the yuan bonds will mature at intervals of 3.5 years, 5 years, 10 years and 20 years.

Kenny Ng Lai-yin, a strategist at Everbright Securities International, has stated that the current low-interest rates in the Asia-Pacific region and elsewhere globally have made issuing debt comparatively affordable. This provides a tactical chance for businesses to invest or carry out share buybacks to boost capital returns.

Alibaba, headquartered in Hangzhou, in the eastern region of Zhejiang province, has initiated its most ambitious share repurchase program since its inception during the height of the Covid-19 crisis in late 2020, to bolster its stock value. The e-commerce giant has invested $14.7 billion in the current year, a significant increase from the $9.5 billion in 2023, $10.9 billion in 2022, and $10.6 billion in 2021, as per the company's official documents.

A survey indicates that Hong Kong investors have a positive outlook on Trump's presidency. According to the poll, 70% of Hong Kong residents think Trump would be more beneficial for the global economy compared to his rival, Harris.

The report, released on Monday, indicates that 70% of residents in Hong Kong are of the opinion that Trump's term in office would have been more beneficial for the worldwide economy compared to Kamala Harris's, even with the possibility of increased strain between the US and China, which could impact local economic expansion.

The study, conducted by MDRi, a division of the British legal consultancy firm Mishcon de Reya Group, also discovered that investors from Hong Kong are prepared to enhance their investment in the US market due to a surge in confidence in the global economy.

Currently, 58% of the 500 surveyed investors based in Hong Kong reported investing their money in the domestic market, while the US came in a near second with 19%. Following the election, 24% of those surveyed indicated plans to increase their investments in the US.

Warner's Max begins operations in Asia, challenging Netflix in the Hong Kong streaming battle. The American streaming platform is aiming for a spot among the top three in its fresh Asian markets, states WBD CEO, JB Perrette.

Max is set to debut in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and numerous Southeast Asian nations, providing audiences with a substantially improved, more diverse range of content. This includes favored series such as Harry Potter and the DC Universe, according to JB Perrette, the CEO of WBD and the president of global streaming and games.

Perrette, in a recent interview, stated that although launching in North America, South America, and Europe was a significant achievement, they could not truly label themselves as a global product until they made their mark in Asia-Pacific, given its sheer size and importance.

The executive stated that WBD is aiming to be among the top three leaders in its new Asian markets in terms of size, involvement, and profitability.

As per the data from Rakuten Insights reported by Statista, Netflix, ViuTV, and YouTube Premium are the top three on-demand video platforms in Hong Kong as of June. Other platforms like Disney+, Apple TV+, and Amazon Prime Video are also accessible in the city.

Chinese banks experience a boost as guidelines from CSRC advocating for higher shareholder returns raise assurance

Chinese banks skyrocket following regulator's push for heightened shareholder returns, with the goal of improving stock values and corporate governance

Chinese banks skyrocket following regulator's push for heightened shareholder returns, with the goal of improving stock values and corporate governance

Leading Chinese banks experienced a surge following an encouragement from the country's securities regulator for listed firms to enhance their share values and amplify returns for shareholders.

A collection of 42 banks, which are publicly traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, saw an increase of over 2% on Monday, as per the information from financial data service, Shanghai DZH. Some of the largest government-supported banks, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Bank of China, and China Construction Bank, experienced a minimum rise of 2.9% in Hong Kong, exceeding the 0.8% increase in the Hang Seng Index.

"The fresh regulation on market capitalisation will bolster investor anticipation for increased stock repurchases," stated Liu Xinqi, a financial analyst at Guotai Junan Securities in Shanghai.

According to the guidelines of the CSRC, businesses that have maintained a price-to-book ratio less than one for an extended period are mandated to formulate strategies for improvement and announce the corrective actions approved by their board. These businesses must assess their strategies annually and make changes if needed, as per the regulator's directions. Furthermore, these companies must allocate a dedicated portion in their yearly reports to clarify the execution of these strategies.

BYD is set to surpass Volkswagen's operations, becoming China's leading manufacturer due to a rise in EV shipments. Throughout the year up until October, BYD's overall shipments have surpassed those of Volkswagen, the consistent market leader.

The company situated in Shenzhen has supplied 2.9 million fully electric and hybrid vehicles to global clients this year until October, marking a 35 per cent rise from the previous year. Projections from data source CnEVPost suggest that sales could surpass 4 million units this year, especially with end-of-year promotional events anticipated to boost sales.

"The company's performance this year is expected to significantly surpass Wang's yearly prediction of 3.6 million units," stated Phate Zhang, the originator of the Shanghai-based firm. "Currently, it holds a dominant position over all other manufacturers in China."

Volkswagen's manufacturing plants in China have produced and distributed 2.23 million electric and gasoline vehicles within the initial 10 months of this year. Since establishing local partnerships with SAIC Motor and FAW in 1984, the German automotive company has held the leading position in China's car market.

In the third quarter, BYD surpassed Tesla in both sales volume and revenue. BYD reported sales of 1.13 million electric cars from July to September, reflecting a 38% increase compared to the same period last year. In contrast, Tesla only sold 462,890 units during the same timeframe. Furthermore, BYD's revenue soared by 24% to 201.1 billion yuan (equivalent to US$28.2 billion), while Tesla generated a revenue of US$25.2 billion.

Technology Conflict: Hong Kong's Nvidia graphics card producer, PC Partner, relocates to Singapore

The company, which has been in operation for 27 years, announced its change of base to Singapore, where it also made a secondary listing, due to the strain on the chip supply chain.

In a recent announcement on Friday, the firm confirmed its shift of head office to Singapore, along with a secondary placement on the country's stock exchange. This move aims to broaden their research, development, and production efforts in the Southeast Asia region. The company has also commenced operations in a new Indonesian factory last week.

Nvidia is prohibited from shipping its highest-end chips, such as its top-of-the-line consumer graphics processing unit (GPU), the GeForce RTX 4090, to customers in China. Nvidia plans to unveil its upcoming 50-series GPUs during the CES electronics fair in Las Vegas come January.

Trump's victory raises expectations for TikTok's survival from a potential US prohibition as ByteDance's worth soars.

The chances of TikTok evading a possible US prohibition have grown, as ByteDance's estimated value allegedly rises to US$300 billion.

The future appears significantly more promising for the beleaguered short-video platform following Trump's victory, according to Cameron Johnson. Johnson, a senior partner at TidalWave Solutions and an American who has over two decades of business expertise in China, believes the platform has overcome the worst.

The new government could possibly require specific compromises from TikTok, like localizing data and management. However, they might not completely prohibit the platform because it was significantly beneficial during their election campaign, according to Johnson.

Johnson suggested that preserving TikTok could provide Trump with an advantage in future discussions with the Chinese government.

A year prior to the U.S. presidential race, TikTok's top brass reportedly advocated for a change in the platform's content management policies. This change leaned towards a more right-wing perspective and, as reported by The Information last week, could have advantaged Trump and his followers.

Special Report | Manulife on track to exceed earnings expectations in Asia, driven by creative products and skyrocketing sales

In the third quarter, Asia was the top income generator for the Canadian insurance company, accounting for 44 percent of the company's total profits.

Manulife, the leading insurance firm in Canada, is poised to exceed its profit goals in Asia, owing to the introduction of numerous groundbreaking products that have been enthusiastically received by affluent clients and tourists from the mainland purchasing policies in Hong Kong, as reported by a high-ranking official.

The insurance company based in Toronto disclosed its third-quarter outcomes last week, demonstrating a 17% rise in essential earnings – profits derived from its main business functions – in Asia. The area also emerged as the biggest source of profit, making up 44% of the organization's aggregate earnings. This marks an increase from last year's 37%, moving closer to its goal of deriving 50% of its earnings from Asia by 2027.

"Efforts are definitely advancing to meet our goal of having half or more of our revenue generated from Asia," stated Phil Witherington, Manulife Asia's CEO, in an exclusive discussion with the Post. "We are entirely assured that we will reach this landmark by 2027 or earlier."

The Asian base in Hong Kong has been a key factor in the significant increase in earnings. Yearly premiums from insurance sales skyrocketed 173 per cent year-on-year to US$570 million in the third quarter, due to a surge in mainland visitors persistently purchasing insurance in the city. About 30 per cent of the total came from mainland visitor purchases, while the remaining portion was contributed by local residents.

During the initial six months of the year, the metropolis welcomed 21 million visitors, marking a 64 percent surge compared to the previous year, as per the statistics released by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The majority of these tourists, about two-thirds, originated from mainland.

Hongkong Land's US$10 billion asset liquidation goal hinges on China and Singapore.

Experts endorse the developer's decision to shift focus, while emphasizing that its effective implementation is crucial for success.

Last month, the developer, who is the largest commercial property owner in Central Business District of Hong Kong, announced its ambition to recycle a total of US$10 billion by 2035. This sum includes US$6 billion from development properties.

In order to achieve their objective, it's probable that Hongkong Land will put 37 of its residential schemes in mainland China up for sale, along with six in Singapore and over 14 throughout Southeast Asia, says Xavier Lee, a stock market analyst at Morningstar.

"Hongkong Land is expected to maintain a certain level of ownership over their high-end commercial properties. We suspect that they may repurpose some of their shopping centers as part of their 'The Ring' series, which caters more to the general public," stated Lee.

The Ring is known for creating premier shopping malls in Chinese metropolises like Chengdu and Chongqing, marking the developer's unique signature.

A Hong Kong-based start-up's AI-enabled intelligent bin aims to address recycling issues. The smart collection bin from Green AI has the capability to segregate trash into four classes – plastic bottles, aluminum cans, beverage cartons, and general waste.

Green AI Technology, a pioneer in Hong Kong for creating an AI-based waste segregation system, is set to introduce an intelligent collection bin by the start of next year. This could significantly enhance recycling efforts in the city.

The start-up, supported by the Hong Kong Productivity Council, announced that the intelligent waste containers would first be aimed at proprietors and occupants of shopping malls, hotels, and commercial structures, a significant number of which are owned by publicly traded companies.

The regulations of the Hong Kong stock exchange mandate that companies reveal information regarding the waste produced from their activities and establish goals for its reduction, as an element of their sustainability reports.

"Businesses need to understand the makeup of their waste for documentation needs, something that can't be achieved with ordinary waste containers," commented Cola Lam, co-founder and CEO. "Intelligent waste bins permit precise waste sorting and improve the worth of the collected waste for recycling purposes."

The containers also come with an electronic weighing system to measure the garbage, and have the ability to condense it to optimize space.

Southeast Asia has become the latest hotbed for Singles' Day activities as its appeal diminishes in China. Advertisements from Chinese online marketplaces are becoming increasingly prevalent in people's everyday lives throughout the region, a place where online shopping is experiencing a significant surge in popularity.

The largest global online shopping event, often referred to as Double 11 due to its initial date on November 11, is gaining new traction in the swiftly expanding Southeast Asian markets. This comes 15 years after Alibaba's Taobao first launched the festival in China, a place where its appeal is currently declining.

Recently, 28-year-old Nattapong Koomuang from Bangkok made a purchase of skincare items valued at 3,600 Thai baht from Shopee, an online retail platform operated by the Singapore-based Sea Group. He managed to save approximately 20% thanks to discounts available on the site, and his order was delivered punctually as expected. If there were any delays in delivery, the company would compensate with extra discount coupons.

"Sales on Double 11 usually offer greater savings than other promotions," Koomuang stated. "It simplifies my decision to buy more expensive items."

He sometimes buys from TikTok Shop as well, but his purchases there are more impulsive, frequently prompted by content that catches his attention.

China's electric vehicle sector attracts new participants, challenging BYD's dominance – a risky venture

New participants are risking it all for a piece of China's lucrative EV market, despite overproduction and fierce pricing battles.

Dreame, a company that rivals international brands such as Dyson and Philips, has assembled a group to create and introduce a hybrid electric vehicle (EV) model post-2026, as per a local news article from the previous month. The business, located in Suzhou in the eastern region of Jiangsu province, also has plans to expand its market to Europe, as indicated by the report.

Rox Motor has ambitious plans following the release of its Rox 01 sport-utility vehicle (SUV) the previous year. The automobile manufacturer has entered into agreements to market and trade its hybrid SUV, named Rox 01 – the only electric vehicle in its lineup to date – in countries such as Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kuwait, Azerbaijan, the Philippines, and Egypt.

The electric vehicle (EV) market within China, the largest globally, is expected to experience a plateau in overall industry revenue over the forthcoming two years. Major players such as BYD, Geely Auto, Xpeng, and Li Auto have successfully delivered over 10 million units this year alone. However, since the introduction of the first of 25 million EVs on the road in 1993, more than a dozen out of approximately 100 competitors have failed.

Car dealerships across the country have suffered almost US$20 billion in losses due to overproduction issues and pricing battles.

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China intensifies support for swapping traditional vehicles for electric ones.

Yuan Zhijun, the chairman of Wuling Motors, has indicated that the shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) is an unavoidable progression in the automotive industry. Wuling Motors, in partnership with General Motor and SAIC Motor, produces a two-seater mini electric vehicle named Hongguang. Zhijun stressed the need to cultivate fresh avenues for growth, and confirmed that they've collectively agreed on making the transition to EVs.