Hong Kong businesses have scope to put cash flow to work to propel growth, expert says

South China Morning Post - Nov 13, 2026

Hong Kong’s economy is showing resilience, with real gross domestic product (GDP) growing 5.1 per cent year on year in the first half of 2026. For businesses, that momentum brings opportunities alongside the need to navigate a landscape of uneven growth. “We see the growth concentrated in a few sectors, which is AI-led,” says Regina Lee, head of commercial banking at Hang Seng Bank. According to the Hong Kong government’s half-yearly economic report released in August, the value of overall...

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PSA: Investment pledges surged 83% in Q3 to P628B

Nov 13, 2026

PSA: Investment pledges surged 83% in Q3 to P628B

MANILA, Philippines — Investments committed by Filipino and foreign investors rose sharply in the third quarter, reaching P628.19 billion as pledges from overseas investors more than doubled during the period. Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that investment commitments approved from July to September surged by 82.7 percent from P343.81 billion in the

Hong Kong’s New World Development suspends trading as financial rescue speculation mounts

Nov 13, 2026

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Hong Kong property developer New World Development suspended trading of its shares and a series of bonds on Friday morning, pending an announcement. Trading in the developer’s shares and 14 bond issues, issued by its wholly owned subsidiaries and guaranteed by the company, was halted at 9am, according to a Hong Kong stock exchange filing. New World’s shares last closed at HK$4.87. The suspension comes after Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Chow Tai Fook Enterprises was seeking about HK$5...

Softer bank, property earnings pull Ayala core profit down by 6%

Nov 13, 2026

Softer bank, property earnings pull Ayala core profit down by 6%

MANILA, Philippines — Ayala Corp.’s core net income fell 6 percent to P34.5 billion in the first nine months of 2026 as weaker earnings from its banking and property businesses and lower non-operating income weighed on the conglomerate. On Thursday, the conglomerate said steady core earnings from Globe Telecom Inc., a higher contribution from AC Energy

Marketing rescue: Beware of 4 untested business assumptions

Nov 13, 2026

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MANILA, Philippines — In recent sessions of our Marketing Rescue free consulting program at Mansmith and Fielders, we observed a recurring pattern among business owners and founders. Sales are slowing. Customer acquisition costs are rising. New product launches are underperforming. In response, management teams are working harder, spending more and launching more initiatives. Yet revenue

Can paper-based packaging crack the canned tuna market?

Nov 13, 2026

Can paper-based packaging crack the canned tuna market?

MANILA, Philippines — The tin can has long defined the look of packaged tuna. On supermarket shelves where competing brands vie for shoppers’ attention, the familiar format leaves little room for visual distinction. Tetra Pak wants Philippine tuna brands to consider Tetra Recart, a retortable paper-based packaging format designed for shelf-stable foods. The company says it

US defense firm eyes $20-M drone hub in Aurora

Nov 13, 2026

US defense firm eyes $20-M drone hub in Aurora

MANILA, Philippines — A Virginia-based defense logistics company that supports both the US Department of War and the Armed Forces of the Philippines is eyeing a $20-million investment in a drone hub in Aurora province. Anglicotech plans to build a drone manufacturing facility on a five-hectare site within the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone, focusing on aerial

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Nov 13, 2026

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MANILA, Philippines — Another major government shakeup that has reshuffled President Marcos’ economic team is raising fresh—and, for now, unanswered—questions about the Philippines’ much-touted Pax Silica hub. As early as Wednesday night, rumors were already swirling that Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and CEO Joshua Bingcang, whose agency oversees the planned hub, would be

UA&P: Sugar industry can reduce import dependence

Nov 13, 2026

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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine sugar industry still has room to improve productivity and reduce its dependence on imports despite persistent production challenges, according to a report from the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P). In a briefer, the UA&P-CFA said the sugar industry continues to face structural challenges hampering its productivity and competitiveness

PFDA upgrades fish ports in CamSur, Camiguin, Pampanga

Nov 13, 2026

PFDA upgrades fish ports in CamSur, Camiguin, Pampanga

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) is upgrading major fish port and market infrastructure projects in Camarines Sur, Camiguin, and Pampanga to improve postharvest handling and expand market access. “The projects will benefit approximately 137,000 fishermen and industry players by boosting fish handling, improving cold storage capacity, and creating more efficient market access

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Nov 13, 2026

Another major fuel rollback seen next week

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Eli Lilly beats Novo Nordisk to China approval for first oral GLP-1 weight-loss drug

Nov 13, 2026

Eli Lilly beats Novo Nordisk to China approval for first oral GLP-1 weight-loss drug

China has approved US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly’s weight-loss pill orforglipron, making it the country’s first available oral GLP-1 treatment for obesity as global drug makers seek to tap the country’s massive weight-management market. China’s National Medical Products Administration announced the approval on Thursday, saying that the once-daily pill, marketed as Foundayo, could be used for chronic weight management by obese or overweight adults. GLP-1 receptor agonists are synthetic...

Beijing tax rule is slowing Hong Kong’s insurance sales to mainlanders, official says

Nov 13, 2026

Beijing tax rule is slowing Hong Kong’s insurance sales to mainlanders, official says

Beijing’s newly enforced tax rules put off mainland visitors from buying insurance policies in Hong Kong in the third quarter of the year, according to Insurance Authority CEO Clement Cheung Wan-ching. “We have seen some mainlanders taking a wait-and-see approach to buying insurance policies in Hong Kong as they need time to study the tax rules,” he said during a media briefing at an insurance conference on Thursday. China has tightened controls over mainland families’ use of cross-border wealth...

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