PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Wednesday 29 April 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong
The Bank of Japan left its short‑term rate at 0.75% but signaled a possible hike in June, while upgrading its inflation outlook. Brent crude surged to a three‑week high of $111 per barrel, with some analysts forecasting prices could reach $150 this quarter as the Iran‑Israel conflict tightens supply. The United Arab Emirates announced it will exit OPEC on May 1 to gain production flexibility, and China reported adding nearly 3 million urban jobs in Q1, keeping unemployment near 5.3%. Meanwhile, South Korea’s equity market jumped over 45% this year, pushing its total market capitalization to $4.04 trillion and overtaking the United Kingdom as the world’s eighth‑largest stock market.
PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Tuesday 28 April 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong
Iran’s foreign minister signaled willingness to negotiate an interim deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States lifts its port blockade, a move that could ease the oil‑supply shock from the ongoing conflict. Oil prices responded...
Stocks Drift Higher
U.S. equities drifted higher as a narrow set of mega‑cap names lifted the S&P and Nasdaq, masking thin market breadth. At the same time, Brent crude remains above $100 per barrel, reflecting a shift from a temporary disruption to a...
TMTB Morning Wrap
OpenAI is teaming with MediaTek and Qualcomm, with Luxshare as the exclusive system‑on‑chip partner, to launch AI‑powered smartphone processors slated for mass production in 2028. AMD received a downgrade to Market Perform as intensified competition from Intel and Nvidia, coupled...
KOSPI Surges +2.15%: Semiconductor Earnings Concentration Drives All-Time High
The KOSPI jumped 2.15% to an all‑time high as semiconductor earnings from Intel, Samsung and SK Hynix sparked a concentrated rally. Samsung (25.45% weight) and SK Hynix (17.19% weight) together drove 72.8% of the index’s gain, accounting for roughly $1.3 billion of foreign...
New Iranian Proposal Helps Bolster Risk Appetites
An unexpected Iranian proposal has revived hopes of a diplomatic resolution with the United States, prompting a shift toward risk‑on assets. The U.S. dollar weakened, allowing the euro to climb back above $1.17 and keeping the yen in a narrow...
PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Thursday 23 April 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized two cargo ships and fired on a third in the Strait of Hormuz, sending Brent crude above $100 per barrel. South Korea’s producer‑price index jumped 4.1% year‑on‑year in March, the strongest rise in three...
Alibaba & Tencent Seeking DeepSeek
Alibaba and Tencent are backing AI startup DeepSeek in a fresh financing round that values the company at roughly $20 billion. The news lifted Alibaba’s U.S.‑listed shares and sparked a $624 million net buy of Hong Kong‑listed stocks via Southbound Stock Connect....
Equities and Dollar Unmoved by Fast-Approaching War Deadline
Equities in Asia and Europe nudged higher and the dollar ticked up 0.1‑0.2% as markets stayed steady despite the looming two‑week cease‑fire deadline in the Middle East. President Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports remains in place, while Fed Chair nominee...
TMTB Morning Wrap
Amazon announced an additional $5 billion investment in Anthropic, with an option to add up to $20 billion, bringing its total commitment to $13 billion. The deal grants Anthropic access to as much as 5 GW of current and next‑generation Trainium AI chips, and...
Asian Marco Initial Thoughts: Things to Know Before Trading Asia on Monday. If the Straits of Hormuz Are Closed Markets...
Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz is closed after three tankers were attacked, reigniting fears of an energy shock in Asia. The closure, coupled with North Korea’s missile launches, is expected to push Asian equity markets lower on Monday unless...
KOSPI -0.55%: Semiconductor Derisking and Rotational Seeding
On April 17 foreign investors sold roughly KRW 1.35 billion ($978 million) of Korean semiconductor stocks, a move amplified by a weaker won and rising local yields. Simultaneously they placed KRW 267.5 billion ($193 million) into less‑exposed names such as Samsung SDI, Koh Young and...
PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Thursday 16 April 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong
Donald Trump announced that a second round of US‑Iran talks could occur this week as the US maintains a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, pushing Brent crude above $94 a barrel and driving US crude exports to a...
PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Wednesday 15 April 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong
The Iran‑US confrontation escalated this week as Washington imposed a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, driving oil premiums to historic levels and prompting a brief dip in Brent and WTI prices. China’s trade data showed export growth slowing...
KOSPI -0.86%: Hormuz Oil Shock Splits Markets. Gold’s Drop Flags Liquidity Stress.
A Hormuz Strait blockade pushed WTI crude above $104 per barrel, triggering $780 million of foreign and institutional selling that knocked the South Korean KOSPI down 0.86%. The oil spike also dragged gold 0.92% lower, reviving a margin‑call pattern reminiscent of...
PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Monday 13 April 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong
US‑Iran peace talks in Islamabad fell apart, with Vice President JD Vance citing Tehran’s refusal to commit to forgo nuclear weapons, reigniting fears of military escalation in the Gulf of Hormuz. The fallout pushed physical oil markets to record levels,...
Asian Marco Initial Thoughts: Data Impacting Asia April 13 -17
The Asian data calendar for April 13‑17 is light overall, but China dominates with a suite of macro releases including GDP growth, retail sales, industrial production, house‑price index and fixed‑asset investment. India will publish key inflation, unemployment and wholesale‑price data,...
KOSPI +1.40%: Foreign Capital Rotates Into HBM Supply Chain
Foreign investors poured into South Korea’s high‑bandwidth memory (HBM) and related AI‑infrastructure supply chain, lifting the KOSPI 1.4% as the KRW weakened. The inflow coincided with a post‑ceasefire risk‑premium compression and a 2.1% rally in the S&P 500, signaling targeted conviction...
PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Friday 10 April 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong
Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East intensified Thursday as Iran warned it could abandon the US‑Iran cease‑fire after Israeli strikes in Lebanon, while the United States dispatched a delegation to Pakistan for talks. The fragility of the truce pushed oil...
TMTB Morning Wrap
CoreWeave expanded its AI cloud infrastructure agreement with Meta to a $21 billion, decade‑long deal ending in 2032, prompting a 7.8% pre‑market rise in its shares. Morgan Stanley highlighted Meta’s newly launched Muse Spark model as a catalyst, projecting roughly 25% upside...
How Global Investors Are Thinking About India Today
Global investors are pulling back from India, citing heightened geopolitical risk, especially vulnerability to oil price shocks, and a lack of compelling AI investment opportunities. Valuations are viewed as rich, while a weakening rupee further erodes appeal. Recent tax reforms—higher...
PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Thursday 9 April 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong
US President Donald Trump announced a two‑week cease‑fire with Iran, contingent on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The truce sent Brent crude down 15% to $92.97, its steepest fall in six years, and pulled WTI lower as well. Japan reported...
Asian Markets Jump, Oil Plunges on News of Iran-US Ceasefire
The United States and Iran agreed to a temporary cease‑fire, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which triggered a sharp market reversal on Wednesday. Oil benchmarks tumbled about 15% to just under $100 a barrel, while Asian equities surged—Nikkei up 5.4%...
Extremely Hard Indeed
Asian equity markets slumped after President Trump’s hard‑line remarks on Iran, with the Korean market leading losses while India posted a modest gain. Mainland Chinese investors poured roughly $1.1 billion into the Hong Kong Tracker ETF via Southbound Stock Connect, bringing...
KOSPI -4.47% / KOSDAQ -5.36%: Institutional Deleveraging
Korean equity indices slumped on April 2, with the KOSPI falling 4.47% to 5,234.05 and the KOSDAQ dropping 5.36% to 1,056.34 as institutional investors rapidly deleveraged. The sell‑off was sparked by a Trump‑linked spike in WTI crude to $106.5, which...
PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Wednesday 1 April 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong
The United States signaled a willingness to end its military campaign against Iran, even if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, prompting a brief rally in equities and continued oil volatility. Brent crude surged to $118 per barrel, marking the...
Asian Market Sense - Data Impacting Asia March 30 - 3 April. Holiday Shortened for Many Markets. US Jobs, PMI's,...
Markets entered the week amid heightened volatility, with the VIX breaking above 30 and equity indices in the US and Europe closing lower. A holiday‑shortened week places the crucial US non‑farm payrolls and a suite of Asian PMI releases at...
KOSPI Plummets 3.22%: 3.11 Trillion KRW Foreign Exit Signals AI Positioning Shift
The KOSPI slid 3.22% to 5,460.46 points after foreign investors liquidated roughly 3.11 trillion KRW – about $2.3 billion USD – primarily from the electronics sector. The sell‑off was led by semiconductor names, with SK Hynix tumbling 6.23% and Nvidia down 4.16%,...
KOSPI -2.73% / KOSDAQ -1.79%: Semiconductor Leadership Recedes as Macro Headwinds Surge
South Korean equity markets slumped on March 19, with the KOSPI dropping 2.73% and the KOSDAQ 1.79% as semiconductor giants SK Hynix and Samsung fell over 4% each. The decline was driven by a massive foreign outflow—1.88 trillion KRW from...
Asian Stocks Sink After Oil Surges 5% and Energy Fears Rise
Oil prices surged over 5% on Thursday, with Brent breaching $113 per barrel after Iran struck Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG hub and threatened the South Pars field shared with Israel. The attacks reignited regional energy‑supply fears, sending European gas up more...
Asian Market Update; Data Out and Initial Trading Moves. Japanese Trade Data Better than Expected.
Asian equity markets opened mixed on Tuesday as several key data points were released. Japan posted a surprise trade surplus in February, lifting the Nikkei and supporting the yen, while New Zealand’s consumer confidence fell and its current‑account deficit narrowed. In...
Trump Delays China Trip, Tencent Reports Earnings Tomorrow
President Trump has asked to postpone his planned visit to China by a month, citing ongoing geopolitical tensions. Meanwhile, Chinese tech giant Tencent is slated to release its earnings tomorrow, a focal point for investors after a week of mixed...
TMTB Morning Wrap
Futures jumped 1% as traders speculated on an international coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though details remain vague and escort operations may wait for hostilities to cease. Bitcoin rallied 2.5% while Asian equity markets posted mixed results, with...
KOSPI -0.48% / KOSDAQ +1.02%: Energy Security & Defensive Infrastructure
KOSPI slipped 0.48% to 5,583.25 while KOSDAQ rose 1.02% amid a sharp jump in WTI crude to $92.98, heightening cost pressure on energy‑intensive Asian hardware firms. Foreign investors dumped roughly 1.78 trillion KRW of semiconductor stocks, yet poured capital into Hyundai Energy...
Tencent & OpenClaw Adoption Lead Hong Kong Higher
Asian equities rallied after President Trump’s Iran remarks, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index breaking back above 25,000. The surge was led by a wave of OpenClaw adoption, as Tencent unveiled its WorkBuddy AI agent and Alibaba launched HiClaw, sending...
BOJ Policymaker Himino: Underlying Inflation Gradually Accelerating to 2% Target
Bank of Japan (BOJ) policymaker Hiroshi Himino said underlying inflation is gradually accelerating toward the bank's 2% price‑stability target, while the central bank keeps monetary conditions broadly accommodative. He emphasized that the BOJ will fine‑tune the degree of accommodation but...
Asian Marco Initial Thoughts: Weakness in Markets Continues as Oil Rises. US Payrolls Could Add 'Fuel to the Fire' Tonight....
Asian markets posted a modest rebound on Thursday, with only Vietnam slipping, as rising oil prices and heightened tensions over the US‑Israel strike on Iran weigh on sentiment. The US dollar strengthened and European bond yields climbed, while a poll...
KOSPI +9.63% / KOSDAQ +14.10%: Institutional Absorption of AI Supply Chain Bottlenecks
Korean equity markets surged on March 5, with the KOSPI up 9.63% and the KOSDAQ climbing 14.10%, driven by heavy institutional buying in AI‑focused semiconductor equipment firms. Mid‑cap players such as Hanmi Semiconductor (+21.6%) and Wonik IPS (+13.1%) led the rally,...
Nikkei Futures Are up 3.8%
Nikkei futures surged 3.8% to 56,310, reversing a 3.6% drop the day before. The index remains up 7.7% year‑to‑date and 45% over the past year, reflecting strong investor appetite for low‑multiple Japanese stocks and tech exposure. The Bank of Japan...
The Dollar Is the Only Game in Town
The U.S. dollar is strengthening across major G10 pairs as the Middle East conflict fuels risk aversion, pushing the euro, yen, and sterling lower. Emerging market currencies such as the peso, yuan and real also slide, while equity markets suffer...
Asia Wrap: The Strait, The Semis, But Mostly The Invoice Korea Could Not Ignore
Korea’s KOSPI slumped over 7% on its first post‑holiday session as oil prices spiked amid heightened Hormuz risk. Roughly 70% of Korean crude comes from the Middle East, linking oil shocks directly to trade balances, inflation and currency pressure. The...
Risk Off Rules The Day
Attacks in Iran and retaliatory strikes across the Middle East sparked a classic risk‑off rally, pushing the U.S. dollar higher and dragging most Asian equity markets lower, with the notable exception of commodity‑heavy Australia. Hong Kong’s benchmark indices fell sharply, while...
PETER’S ASIAN BUSINESS & FINANCE BRIEFING – Monday 2 March 2026, 06:00 Hong Kong
Over the weekend, coordinated US and Israeli strikes hit Iran, prompting missile and drone retaliation that shut Dubai’s airport and threatened oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict pushed Brent crude toward $73 a barrel and heightened geopolitical...
Japan Capital CPI Slips Under BOJ Target in Policy Test
Tokyo’s February CPI showed headline inflation at 1.6% year‑on‑year, while core inflation slipped to 1.8%, falling below the Bank of Japan’s 2% target for the first time in 16 months. The core‑core measure, which excludes fresh food and energy, accelerated...
PBOC Cuts FX Risk Reserve Ratio to 0%, Slowing Yuan Appreciation
China's PBOC will cut the foreign‑exchange risk reserve ratio for forward FX sales from 20% to 0% starting March 2, 2026. The move aims to ease hedging costs, curb excessive yuan appreciation, and signal a shift from emergency policy tools....
How a Former Hedge Fund Analyst Built a Six-Figure Newsletter Covering Asia’s Overlooked Stocks
Michael Fritzell, a former hedge‑fund analyst with 15 years in investment banking and buy‑side roles, left finance in 2021 to launch Asian Century Stocks, a paid newsletter spotlighting overlooked Chinese and Southeast Asian companies. Leveraging his Mandarin fluency and on‑the‑ground...
HSBC Earnings Out, Upper End of Estimates. Also HK Budget Out
HSBC reported a 7.4% year‑on‑year drop in 2025 profit before tax to US$29.907 billion, landing near the top of its forecast range. Basic earnings per share were US$1.21 and the bank declared a fourth interim dividend of US$0.45, bringing the total...
Dollar May yet Benefit From Further US-Iran Geopolitical Escalation - BofA
Bank of America sees the U.S. dollar gaining strength if geopolitical tensions with Iran intensify. Rising odds—now 69%—of a U.S. military strike by June could push oil prices higher while global equities weaken, a combination that traditionally benefits the greenback....
China Weekly Wrap: Markets, Macro & Tech
The episode reviews the Asian market landscape during the week of Feb 15‑20, 2026, highlighting that Mainland China’s Lunar New Year closure shifted price discovery offshore, with earnings-driven rotation favoring North Asian hardware stocks. Korea led the earnings surge thanks...
The Hour Glass (HG SP)
The Hour Glass (HG SP), Singapore’s premier luxury watch retailer, posted a robust fourth‑quarter 2025 earnings report, highlighting a 12% year‑over‑year revenue increase. The company expanded its physical footprint with three new stores in key Southeast Asian markets while digital...