Reuters Asia Business

By Ellen Zhang and Florence Lo BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s job fairs are making a comeback after being forced online by COVID-19 for three years, but subdued wages and less abundant offerings in sectors exposed to weakening external demand point to an uneven and guarded economic recovery. Authorities announced hundreds of such events across the …

At job fairs in China, employers are thrifty and applicants timid Read More »

By Faith Hung TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s export orders in January contracted from a year earlier for a fifth month in a row, though at a slower pace, hit by a continued slump in Chinese demand and weaker global consumer spending due to inflation and interest rate rises. The island’s export orders, a bellwether for …

Taiwan Jan export orders fall more slowly, downside risks remain Read More »

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia booked a current account surplus of $13.2 billion in 2022, or 1% of gross domestic product, as the resource-rich country enjoyed high commodity prices and exports last year, its central bank said. The current account surplus in 2022 was the biggest since 2009 in terms of percentage of GDP, according to …

Indonesia posts 2022 current account surplus on commodity boom Read More »

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai banks’ non-performing loans stood at 2.73% of total lending at the end of December 2022, down from 2.77% at the end of September, helped by debt restructuring, the central bank said on Monday. The banking system remained strong with high levels of capital, loan-loss provisions and liquidity and was able to …

Thai banks’ bad loans slow to 2.73% of lending at December-end -central bank Read More »

BEIJING (Reuters) -China’s central bank has told some banks to slow the pace of lending to contain risks after new bank loans jumped to a record in January, three bankers with knowledge of the matter said. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) sent the informal instructions, or the so-called window guidance, earlier this month to …

China central bank asks banks to slow lending in February – sources Read More »

BEIJING (Reuters) – New home sales in 16 Chinese cities rose for the third straight week, a private survey showed on Monday, as the end of Beijing’s zero-COVID policy and more support measures stabilised demand. Sales by floor area, were 7.9% greater during Feb. 12-18 than in the previous seven days, said China Index Academy, …

Chinese home sales post third weekly rise in a row – survey Read More »

By Harshita Swaminathan (Reuters) – Australian supermarkets will reap bigger profits in fiscal 2023 half-year due to decades-high inflation and increased savings, but analysts warned of a rough second-half as households reel from mounting expenses due to higher cost of living. Top supermarket chains Woolworths Group and Coles Group will likely see growth in their …

Aussie supermarkets set to capitalise on high inflation, but softer demand ahead Read More »

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s exports rose 1.6% from a year earlier in January, slower than expected, government data showed on Monday. January’s exports had been forecast to expand 7.4%, according to 10 economists surveyed by Reuters. Imports in January grew 2.3% from a year earlier, data from the International Trade and Industry Ministry showed. …

Malaysia’s Jan exports rise 1.6% y/y, below forecast Read More »

By Winni Zhou and Brenda Goh SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged for a sixth straight month in February, as expected, with the world’s second-largest economy showing more signs of recovery from a pandemic-induced slump. A clutch of better-than-expected data recently suggests economic activity is rebounding as Beijing exited from its …

China holds lending benchmarks for 6th month, but more easing seen Read More »