Business

Virtual Facebook currency faces real-world resistance

  by Jitendra JOSHI and Vishal MANVE in Mumbai Agence France Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — If Facebook’s new cryptocurrency should resonate anywhere it should be India, where the social media giant has more than 300 million followers. Many Indians are shut out of banking and face punitive fees for simple transactions, like transferring money to their loved ones. But in India as elsewhere, the US company’s ambitions to remake global finance through its […]

Philippines:  Ready and ripe for REIT

By Caesar Vallejos OPEN FOR BUSINESS, Eagle News Service Chief property experts and players across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region declared that the Philippines is ready and ripe for Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). REIT is a publicly listed corporation that allows investors to buy shares in recurring income-producing real estate assets such as office buildings, hospitals, warehouses, hotels and shopping malls. In the Philippines, it is a stock corporation established in accordance with the […]

Dollar extends losses, Asia markets rally after Fed’s dovish tilt

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — The dollar extended losses and Asian markets enjoyed another day of gains Thursday after the Federal Reserve indicated it could soon cut interest rates. The softer slant from the US central bank provided more support to global investors, who were already in buoyant mood after Donald Trump flagged positive talks with China’s Xi Jinping and raised hopes of a trade deal between the economic giants. After a much-anticipated meeting, Fed […]

With ‘Libra,’ Facebook takes on the world of cryptocurrency

by Glenn Chapman Agence France Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook is leaping into the world of cryptocurrency with its own digital money, designed to let people save, send or spend money as easily as firing off text messages. “Libra” — described as “a new global currency” — was unveiled Tuesday in a new initiative in payments for the world’s biggest social network with the potential to bring crypto-money out of the shadows […]

Huawei phone sales plunge, cutbacks planned as US pressure bites

  SHENZHEN, China (AFP) — Huawei’s founder said Monday the Chinese telecom giant’s overseas smartphone sales have tumbled since the US last month threatened to blacklist the company, and he warned the embattled firm would slash production to weather the US drive to isolate it. The announcements by Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei marked the first clear indication from the company of the impact of the US pressure, which is being applied over concerns […]

Hong Kong rallies after extradition law U-turn as Asian markets bounce

  HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong stocks rallied Monday, leading many Asian markets higher after last week’s losses, with investors cheering a decision by the city to suspend plans to push through a controversial extradition law. Investors are also moving cautiously ahead of two huge market-moving events: the Federal Reserve policy meeting this week with its plans for interest rates in focus, and the G20 summit next week where US President Donald Trump […]

Oil prices surge after suspected attacks on tankers

by Roland JACKSON NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — World oil prices rose Thursday following suspected attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman, worsening frayed tensions in the crude-rich Middle East region. The rise in oil prices — jumping as much as 4.5 percent before pulling back somewhat — boosted share prices of energy companies, while global stock markets also won some support from the prospect of US interest rate cuts this year. […]

Hong Kong leads way again in fresh Asia market sell-off

HONG KONG, China (AFP ) — Asian markets fell again Thursday with Hong Kong suffering a second straight day of heavy losses as investors fret over the impact of protests in the city and plans to introduce a controversial law allowing extradition to China. Equities were once more deep in negative territory owing to uncertainty over the China-US trade saga and following a tepid inflation report out of Washington, while oil prices were wallowing at […]

Amazon dethrones Google as top global brand: survey

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — US retail giant Amazon has moved past hi-tech titans Apple and Google to become the world’s most valuable brand, a key survey showed Tuesday. The brand value of Amazon surged by 52 percent to $315 billion, global market research agency Kantar said in its 2019 100 Top BrandZ report. Amazon jumped from third to first place to eclipse Google — which slid from first to third place with Apple holding […]

Asian markets enjoy fresh rally with focus on Trump-Xi meeting

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Markets extended the previous day’s gains in Asia on Tuesday, with investors turning their attention back to the China-US trade row and a planned meeting between the countries’ leaders later this month. Donald Trump’s decision to drop threatened tariffs on Mexico after a last-minute immigration deal last week sparked relief across trading floors and led to hope that the row with Beijing could also end with some sort of agreement. […]

Asian markets climb on hopes of Mexico tariff delay

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets rose Friday, tracking gains on Wall Street following a report that the United States could delay its plan to hit Mexico with tariffs. The threats against Mexico have intensified anxiety among investors, who were already rattled by the seemingly endless US-China trade war. But US stocks enjoyed a bounce Thursday after Bloomberg News reported that Washington could push back its plan to impose tariffs on Mexico on June […]

Asian markets tumble on trade tensions

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian stocks largely fell Tuesday, reversing early gains on a bargain-hunting push by investors, as global trade tensions continued to weigh on markets. Fears of an economic slowdown have mounted in recent days as US President Donald Trump has threatened Mexico with tariffs, adding to anxieties over the US-China trade war, which shows no signs of a resolution. The market’s “assumption that the slowing global economy would recover later this […]