Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 749
Bitcoin Pops Above $68,000 as Market Recovers From a Midweek Rout
Bitcoin rose above $68,000, continuing a rebound after a sharp midweek sell-off driven in part by forced liquidations in derivatives markets. The episode highlights persistent volatility driven by leveraged positions and concentrated liquidity, creating execution risk for investors and a potential focus for regulators.
Chinese Commodity Futures Slide as Shanghai Silver Plunges Nearly 15%
China’s commodity futures closed mostly lower, with Shanghai silver plunging about 15% and several industrial metals dropping sharply. Energy contracts were mixed, with LPG and fuel oil rising modestly while crude oil broadly held small gains. The moves highlight volatile, leverage-sensitive market dynamics that could strain producers and prompt regulatory scrutiny.
China Tightens Rules on Platforms and Food Safety as Markets Jolt — A Daily Regulatory and Market Snapshot
China published a draft national standard for pre-made dishes and implemented new e‑commerce livestreaming rules that treat influencer endorsements as advertising, tightening the regulatory environment for platforms and brands. The announcements came as regulators fined major platforms and a viral promotional campaign ran into distribution controls, while markets reacted with volatility and China achieved a milestone test flight of an aerospace-made eVTOL.
From Charity to Claims: How an Ophthalmology Empire Is Tied to Systemic Medicare Fraud in Psychiatric Care
Journalistic investigations have connected Aier Eye Hospital's chairman, Chen Bang, through a chain of affiliates to seven psychiatric hospitals that repeatedly billed China's public health insurance illegally. The pattern—duplicate billing, split charges and fictitious treatments—mirrors earlier concerns about Aier-linked charitable funds flowing back into affiliated providers, raising systemic governance and regulatory questions.
China’s Securities Regulator Opens Probe Into Listed Firm Yahui Long Over Disclosure Irregularities
Yahui Long said it received a formal CSRC filing notice on 6 February 2026 alleging suspected information-disclosure violations, triggering an official investigation. The move fits a broader regulatory tightening by Chinese authorities aimed at improving market governance and could provoke short-term share-price volatility and closer scrutiny of the company.
Manufacturing Shake-up in Guangdong: Foshan Slips as Dongguan Surges
Foshan has recorded consecutive periods of GDP contraction, driven by an export slump and a deepening property downturn that hit its furniture and building‑materials industries. Dongguan, by contrast, is growing faster after a concerted pivot toward higher‑value electronics, advanced manufacturing and cultural IP, narrowing the two cities' GDP gap to its smallest level since 2006.
China’s Platforms Tell on Restaurants: The End of ‘Underreported’ Revenues for Small Eateries
A June 2025 rule forcing internet platforms to report merchant transaction data, combined with China’s Gold Tax Phase IV, has enabled tax authorities to reconcile platform receipts with restaurants’ declared sales. Small eateries that historically underreported income through cash sales and shared food‑court licensing now face retroactive tax bills, forced licensing, and a surge in compliance costs. The policy aims to broaden the tax base and curb unhealthy price competition but risks short‑term closures and consolidation in the sector.
Why Betting on Moutai Is No Sure Thing: Demographics, Demand and a Slowing Profit Engine
A recent Rmb100m stake by investor Duan Yongping in Kweichow Moutai has prompted debate about whether to follow. Despite Moutai’s brand strength, industry-wide baijiu output has fallen for seven years and Moutai’s profit growth is decelerating amid demographic declines and changing younger-consumer preferences. These structural trends make high valuations and dividend-based investment arguments riskier.
From 22 Piglets to a HK Powerhouse: Muyuan’s Founder Lists the World’s Biggest Hog Farmer in Hong Kong
Muyuan Foods, China’s largest hog producer, completed a secondary listing in Hong Kong, giving it an A+H capital platform and an opening market value of about HK$226 billion. The IPO strengthens capital access for the company as it cements a roughly 10% share of China’s pork market and prepares for overseas expansion amid broader Henan‑based IPO activity in the food sector.
From Chatbots to Rockets: How Eight Private Giants Are Rewriting the Rules of Global Tech Infrastructure
A small set of private companies now commands valuations normally associated with public tech giants, and their worth derives less from single products than from durable infrastructure — compute and model stacks, satellite and launch networks, payment rails, logistics and urban transport systems. The recent SpaceX–xAI deal and Waymo’s funding round illustrate a market reappraising which startups are foundational, reshaping commercial competition and regulatory priorities globally.
Bitcoin Flash Crash Wipes Out Hundreds of Thousands of Leveraged Positions in 24 Hours
A sudden Bitcoin sell-off in early February triggered a cascade of forced liquidations, with a NetEase post reporting over 580,000 wiped‑out positions in 24 hours and other counts near 186,400 when BTC slipped below $70,000. The episode underlines how heavy leverage and thin liquidity can amplify corrections and will likely spur calls for tougher risk controls across the crypto ecosystem.
Amazon’s $200bn AI Gamble Roils Markets Despite Robust Quarter
Amazon beat expectations in Q4 with solid revenue and profit growth, but its pledge to raise 2026 capital expenditure to roughly $200 billion — driven by AI infrastructure and other strategic projects — alarmed investors. The stock fell sharply as markets weighed the risk that such heavy spending could outstrip near‑term cash flow and returns. The outcome will hinge on whether Amazon can convert large upfront investments in data centres, custom chips and networking into durable, high‑margin cloud and AI services.