Abu Dhabi’s L’IMAD Holding has deepened its grip on TAQA after its subsidiary Abu Dhabi Power Corporation bought a further 8.09 per cent stake in the listed power and water utility, lifting its holding to 98.12 per cent. The transaction, disclosed on Wednesday, involved the acquisition of 9.1 billion TAQA shares from Two Point Zero Group. Based on TAQA’s closing share price that day, the stake was […]
The MOU establishes a framework for collaboration to facilitate consented cross-border credit report applications for individuals with financial footprints in either country. The initiative aims to enhance financial inclusion, strengthen credit risk assessment, and support the growing economic integration between the two neighbouring markets.
Singapore and Malaysia share one of ASEAN’s most dynamic economic relationships, with bilateral trade regularly exceeding SGD 100 billion annually. Both countries maintain deep labour, education and business linkages, supported by strong digital infrastructure and rapidly growing digital financial services ecosystems.
The collaboration is strategically aligned with the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), which places strong emphasis on digital industries, data-driven enterprises and technology-enabled services. As the digital economy accelerates cross-border business models, including fintech, e-commerce, digital banking and platform-based SMEs, trusted cross-border credit infrastructure will be critical to enabling secure digital onboarding, responsible lending and seamless access to capital across both markets.
Under the MOU, CBS and Experian Malaysia intend to collaborate on a cross-border initiative that enables the structured and secure exchange of individual credit information between the two markets.
The proposed framework will define:
For consumers, the initiative is expected to improve access to financial products by enabling lenders to consider verified credit histories of individuals from across the border. This may particularly benefit digital-native workers, entrepreneurs and professionals whose financial footprints span both jurisdictions. As more individuals build financial footprints on both sides of the Causeway, the ability to securely and responsibly reflect their credit history across borders becomes increasingly important. A structured cross-border credit reporting framework can help ensure that consumers are assessed more fairly and comprehensively, rather than being treated as “new-to-credit” applicants when they move between Singapore and Malaysia.
For financial institutions, access to cross-border credit data can provide a more holistic view of an applicant’s financial obligations, supporting stronger digital underwriting, reduced cross-border fraud risk and more confident expansion into adjacent markets. Improved cross-border data transparency may also enhance operational efficiency and portfolio resilience in increasingly digital lending environments.
CBS and Experian Malaysia emphasised that data protection, regulatory compliance, and consumer consent are foundational to the initiative. Both parties are committed to working within their respective legal and regulatory frameworks and engaging relevant authorities to facilitate responsible implementation. The MOU also contains confidentiality provisions governing information exchanged in the course of collaboration.
Mr. William Lim, Executive Director of Credit Bureau Singapore, said:
“As individuals and businesses operate more seamlessly across Singapore and Malaysia, credit information systems must evolve to reflect cross-border realities. This collaboration represents an important step towards enabling more seamless and responsible access to credit for consumers.”
Ms. Dawn Lai, Chief Executive Officer of Experian Information Services Malaysia, added: “Trusted data collaboration is key to strengthening digital financial ecosystems. By working together, we aim to enhance financial inclusion, improve risk transparency and support sustainable growth across both markets.”
Mr. Vincent Yap, CBS Board Chairman & Group Chief Credit Officer, Consumer Credit Risk Management of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, said “The access to cross-border credit data can provide a more comprehensive view of an individual applicant’s financial obligations, supporting more accurate risk assessment outcomes, reduced cross-border fraud risk and promote seamless access to capital across both markets.”
Hashtag: #Experian
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Credit Bureau (Singapore) Pte Ltd (CBS), a subsidiary of Credit Bureau Asia Limited (CBA), is Singapore’s most comprehensive consumer credit bureau that has full-industry uploads from financial institutions such as retail banks, merchant banks, finance companies and credit card issuers licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). CBS is a joint venture between The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) and Infocredit Holdings Pte Ltd.
The setting up of a consumer credit bureau in Singapore is a significant addition to enhance the Republic’s risk management capability. Since 2002, the Banking Act, administered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, has allowed CBS members to disclose and obtain credit-related information to mitigate consumer credit risk through information pooling from CBS. From 2021, credit bureaus that conduct consumer credit reporting businesses in Singapore, such as CBS, are regulated under the Credit Bureau Act 2016.
As part of consumer credit reporting business, CBS aggregates credit-related information amongst participating members and presents a more complete risk profile of a customer to credit providers. This helps credit providers to determine the likelihood of the customer repaying, thus enhancing their risk assessment capabilities. Our goal is to also educate and reach out to the wider community on the importance of credit reputation.
CBS has also been designated by the Ministry of Law as the operator of the Moneylenders Credit Bureau (MLCB) under Section 56 of the Moneylenders Act.
MLCB is a central repository of data on borrowers’ loans and repayment records with all licensed moneylenders (LMLs) in Singapore. It will allow LMLs to assess the creditworthiness of borrowers and make informed decisions when granting loan applications. MLCB will also help borrowers to understand their loan information report so as to work towards achieving better financial health.
About Credit Bureau Asia Limited
(www.creditbureauasia.com)
Credit Bureau Asia Limited (CBA) is a leading player in the credit and risk information solutions market in Southeast Asia. CBA provides credit and risk information solutions to an extensive client base of financial institutions (“FI”), multinational corporations, telecommunication companies, government bodies and public agencies, local enterprises and individuals across Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Myanmar. CBA’s business has two core segments, the FI Data Business and the Non-FI Data Business, covering both consumer and commercial credit risk information.
As at 31 December 2024, the Group has more than 255 financial institution members across Singapore, Cambodia and Myanmar, including banks, microfinance institutions, leasing companies and rural credit operators.
For its Non-FI Data Business, the Group has more than 6,000 enterprise customers, ranging from multinational corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises. CBA’s Non-FI Data Business operates in Singapore and Malaysia, where enterprise customers can access a wide range of business information and risk management services, sales and marketing solutions, and commercial insights. CBA combines data sourced from a variety of publicly accessible registries, Dun & Bradstreet’s extensive international network, as well as information contributed by businesses which subscribe to CBA’s payment bureau services. The Group has access to a database of more than 580 million business records globally.
CBA was named in Forbes Asia’s 2025 “Best Under A Billion” list, marking the second consecutive year that CBA has been named among the top 200 top-performing publicly listed small and mid-sized companies across the Asia-Pacific region.
About Experian (www.experianplc.com)
Experian is a global data and technology company, powering opportunities for people and businesses around the world. We help to redefine lending practices, uncover and prevent fraud, simplify healthcare, deliver digital marketing solutions, and gain deeper insights into the automotive market, all using our unique combination of data, analytics and platforms. We also assist millions of people to realise their financial goals and help them to save time and money.
We operate across a range of markets, from financial services to healthcare, automotive, agrifinance, insurance, and many more industry segments.
We invest in talented people and new advanced technologies to unlock the power of data and to innovate. A FTSE 100 Index company listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN), we have a team of 25,200 people across 33 countries. Our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland. Learn more at experianplc.com.
Humanity Protocol suffered a sharp market collapse after a private-key compromise hit wallets linked to the Web3 identity project, draining more than $30 million and sending its H token down by nearly 90 per cent during Tuesday trading. The breach exposed a critical weakness in one of the fastest-rising digital identity ventures in the crypto market, where projects promise privacy-preserving proof of personhood but still depend on […]
Michael Saylor’s attempt to frame bitcoin’s sharp fall as a rotation of capital into artificial intelligence has drawn a blunt challenge from Arca, which argues that the more immediate trigger was Strategy’s sale of 32 bitcoin to meet preferred stock dividend obligations. The dispute has turned a small transaction into a larger test of confidence in one of the market’s most influential bitcoin treasury companies. Strategy sold […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Bahrain-based Investcorp has launched an Artificial Intelligence Investment Framework to guide its investment decisions across private equity, real assets and credit, positioning the technology as a central factor in deal screening, portfolio construction and value creation across its global alternatives platform. The framework, set out in a new report, formalises how the Manama-headquartered firm will assess AI-led opportunities and risks at a time […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia has set out fresh conditions for non-resident foreign companies seeking to own real estate in the kingdom without carrying out business operations, adding a more formal registration route for overseas entities under the Investor Guide 2026. The update by the Ministry of Investment creates a defined process for companies that want to hold property as an asset, rather than enter the […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia has opened talks with Russia’s Sistema investment group in St Petersburg as Riyadh seeks to deepen industrial partnerships, localise advanced technologies and strengthen supply chains under its wider economic diversification programme. Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef met senior Sistema executives during a visit to the Russian city, with discussions centred on cooperation in high-priority industrial sectors and the […]
The response came after the won slipped past psychologically important levels against the dollar, intensifying concern among policymakers over inflation, capital flows and financial stability. Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol convened senior economic officials and signalled that Seoul would act quickly if market moves became excessive, while the Bank of Korea and financial regulators kept watch on trading patterns across currency, bond and equity markets.
The won traded around the 1,520 range against the dollar after touching levels not seen for years, reflecting a mix of domestic and external pressures. Higher energy import costs, a strong dollar, portfolio outflows and demand for overseas investments have combined to weaken the currency despite South Korea’s current account surplus and continued strength in key export sectors.
Authorities are seeking to draw a line between normal market adjustment and disorderly moves that could spill into inflation expectations or funding conditions. Their measures are focused on sharper surveillance of foreign exchange transactions, closer coordination among financial agencies and readiness to respond to speculative flows that amplify one-way bets against the currency.
Seoul has avoided announcing broad capital controls, mindful of its ambition to deepen market access and secure developed-market recognition from global index providers. Instead, officials are relying on targeted stabilisation tools, verbal intervention and coordination with major institutional investors to smooth dollar demand. The National Pension Service remains central to those efforts because of the scale of its overseas investment activity and its potential impact on dollar-won liquidity.
The currency’s slide has complicated the Bank of Korea’s policy choices. Inflation rose to 3.1 per cent in May, the highest level in more than two years, pushed up by petroleum products and international travel costs. A weaker won increases the local-currency cost of imported fuel, food and raw materials, raising the risk that price pressures remain above the central bank’s 2 per cent target for longer than expected.
Rate policy now sits at the intersection of slowing growth, currency stability and household debt risks. A rate increase could support the won and restrain inflation, but it would add pressure on consumers and businesses already facing tighter financing conditions. Holding rates steady could protect domestic demand, but might leave the currency exposed if dollar strength persists or foreign investors continue to rebalance away from won assets.
Market pressure has also been shaped by South Korea’s stock market boom and its role in global technology supply chains. The country’s chipmakers and artificial intelligence-linked companies drew heavy investor interest, but sharp gains have also encouraged profit-taking and portfolio reallocation. When offshore investors sell equities or hedge exposure, demand for dollars can rise, adding to currency volatility.
Exporters have not provided the same level of support to the won that authorities might have expected during previous cycles. Companies with large overseas revenues have been cautious about converting dollar earnings, partly because of expectations of further currency weakness and partly because global investment plans require foreign currency holdings. That has deepened the imbalance between dollar demand and supply.
South Korea’s external position remains stronger than the currency’s movement alone suggests. The economy continues to benefit from semiconductor exports, sizeable foreign reserves and a sophisticated financial system. Yet the won has become more sensitive to swings in global risk appetite, partly because households, pension funds and institutional investors have increased overseas securities purchases over the past several years.
The government’s challenge is to calm markets without appearing to defend a fixed exchange-rate level. Officials have framed their intervention as an effort to prevent excessive volatility rather than reverse market fundamentals. That distinction matters because heavy-handed action could invite criticism from trading partners and undermine Seoul’s commitment to market liberalisation.
The United States and South Korea have already discussed currency stability, with both sides describing excessive volatility in the won as undesirable. Those consultations add a diplomatic layer to Seoul’s response, especially as South Korea balances foreign exchange concerns with large investment commitments abroad and shifting trade policy under Washington’s current tariff regime.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 5 June 2026 – The 19th (2026) International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Exhibition & Conference (SNEC 2026) was grandly held from June 3 to 5, 2026, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Attracting over 3,000 exhibitors from 95 countries worldwide, the event stands as the largest and most influential professional grand gathering for the photovoltaic and energy storage sectors across Asia and globally.
During the exhibition, Mr. Yiu Wang Lee, Chairman of the Board of Wing Lee Development Construction Holdings Limited (“Wing Lee” or the “Group”, stock code: 9639.HK); Mr. Cai Huihui, General Manager of Wing Kai New Energy Technology Co., Limited (“Wing Kai New Energy”); Mr. Wang Yi, Key Account Manager of QIJI Energy; Mr. Xu Jun, Overseas Energy Storage Commercial Director of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL); and Mr. You Yuxian, ASEAN Regional Energy Storage Sales Director of CATL, jointly visited the exhibition booth of C&D Hi-Tech. The delegation engaged in in-depth discussions with the team led by General Manager Mr. Zhan Shengli, focusing on battery swapping station projects in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. By integrating multi-party resources, the teams successfully finalized and signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement.
Through this signing, the three parties will join forces to address and resolve the industry pain points of overseas markets regarding regulatory compliance, engineering infrastructure, and supply chain coordination. The collaboration represents a deep integration of QIJI Energy’s cutting-edge battery swapping solutions, Wing Kai New Energy’s localized infrastructure and operational capabilities across Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and C&D Hi-Tech’s robust global resource allocation strengths. Moving from single-project development to an ecosystem of mutual win-win, this partnership will significantly enhance the delivery efficiency of green energy across Hong Kong, Macau, and the Southeast Asian region, setting a brand-new benchmark for regional zero-carbon smart transportation.
As a subsidiary of Wing Lee, Wing Kai New Energy has been rooted in Hong Kong since its inception while radiating its presence globally, deeply cultivating sustainable clean energy solutions. Addressing the acute pain points in the Greater Bay Area and Southeast Asian markets, where rapid fluctuations in energy prices have led to surging cost pressures for logistics distribution enterprises, Wing Kai New Energy will focus on urban distribution logistics battery swapping businesses in the future. The company plans to integrate site resources, infrastructure, and operations to fill the gap in regional infrastructure. We firmly believe that this cooperation will effectively bridge the cross-border green energy eco-link, accelerate the construction of a green energy service network, and contribute solidly to the realization of the “dual carbon” goals. Meanwhile, we sincerely invite more partners to join the Zero-Carbon Smart Alliance to jointly advance sustainable development.
Hashtag: #WingLee
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Deeply rooted in Hong Kong, Wing Lee is an established contractor engaged in civil engineering, electrical and mechanical engineering, and new energy businesses, and has participated in various large-scale landmark projects in Hong Kong. The Group’s civil engineering business specialized in site formation waterworks as well as road and drainage works, while its electrical and mechanical engineering business specializes in power system-related projects and emergency maintenance works. In recent years, the Group has actively expanded into the new energy sector, undertaking solar photovoltaic projects, distributing various electric commercial vehicles and electric construction machinery, and engaging in the construction and subsequent maintenance of charging piles, battery swapping, recycling, and energy storage businesses. In 2025, Wing Lee Construction, together with SANY Group Co., Ltd. and CATL, among other industry giants, founded the “Zero-Carbon Smart Alliance” to develop full-industry-chain solutions for photovoltaics, energy storage, charging and battery swapping, and smart applications in green transportation.
Since its official inclusion in NVIDIA’s approved and recommended vendor lists for server chassis and rack components in September 2025, Karrie has continually advanced its collaborations based on the NVIDIA MGX architecture and DGX-related platforms. During COMPUTEX this year, Karrie’s relevant server products and mechanical solutions have been featured prominently across the booths of major technology giants, showcasing its milestone achievements spanning from front-end R&D and collaborative design to back-end precision manufacturing. As highlighted by Karrie’s official statement during the exhibition: “We are proud to support NVIDIA MGX™ and be part of the ecosystem shaping the next generation of AI factories.”
Mechanical Technology Upgrade: Transitioning from Traditional Chassis to Full-Scale AI Mechanical Integration to Accelerate Hardware Deployment
As the industry undergoes this generational technological shift, mechanical engineering has become a critical part of system readiness. Behind every advanced AI computing platform is a robust, precise, and production-ready mechanical foundation—from rack-level structures and server chassis to key brackets, frames, and other precision assemblies that support system integration, serviceability, and large-scale deployment.
Leveraging decades of experience in server chassis, precision metal and plastic components, tooling development, automation, and high-volume manufacturing, Karrie consistently turns complex AI server and rack-level requirements into practical, production-ready, and deployment-flexible mechanical solutions. These capabilities support customers in accelerating their infrastructure rollouts based on the NVIDIA MGX architecture and the next-generation NVIDIA Vera Rubin platform.
Deeply Aligned with the Core Supply Chain: Early Engineering Involvement Empowers Tech Leaders Toward Volume Deployment
At COMPUTEX 2026, in addition to NVIDIA, multiple system integrators and ODM partners also showcased Karrie’s 1U, 2U, and 6U series AI chassis and rack-related products developed based on the MGX architecture. This extensive display fully demonstrates Karrie’s executive capability in delivering comprehensive engineering solutions and rapid prototyping, solidifying its position as a highly engaged mechanical engineering partner in the global AI supply chain.
Strategic Positioning for the Future of Intelligent Computing: Serving as a Trusted Mechanical Partner to Build the Physical Foundation for Accelerated Computing
As AI factories continue to scale worldwide, Karrie is committed to serving as a trusted mechanical engineering strategic partner for global technology leaders. The Group will continue to deepen its collaboration with world-class chipmakers, server brands, and cloud service providers to build the ultimate physical foundation for the accelerated computing ecosystem.
Karrie — A Leading Mechanical Partner for Global AI Computing Infrastructure.
Hashtag: #嘉利 #Karrie #COMPUTEX2026 #NVIDIA
http://www.karrie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/karrie-industrial-co–ltd-/
https://www.youtube.com/@karrieinternational8734
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Bitget has added 15 tokenised stocks and exchange-traded funds as eligible margin assets for futures trading, extending the role of equity-linked digital assets from spot exposure into collateral management inside its unified trading system. The change took effect on June 4, UTC+8, and applies to the exchange’s Unified Trading Account and Multi-Asset Mode for USDT-M Futures. It allows users to deploy selected tokenised equities and ETFs as […]
Microsoft’s unveiling of its Majorana 2 quantum chip has intensified debate over how quickly Bitcoin and other digital assets must prepare for a post-quantum security era. The chip, presented at the company’s Build conference in San Francisco, marks the next stage of Microsoft’s long-running push to develop a fault-tolerant quantum computer based on topological qubits. Microsoft says the new processor delivers a sharp improvement over Majorana 1, […]
The plan, worth about $4.3 billion, reflects a sharp turn by Gulf from its traditional base as a power producer into a broader infrastructure group linking electricity generation, telecommunications, cloud services and industrial logistics. The investment push comes as Thailand seeks to position itself as a regional data hub, helped by rising demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence workloads and data-localisation capacity across Southeast Asia.
Gulf’s strategy is built around a simple commercial premise: AI facilities need vast, reliable and increasingly low-carbon electricity. Data centres are among the most power-intensive assets in the digital economy, and operators are under pressure to secure stable energy supply while meeting sustainability commitments from global technology clients. Gulf’s existing position in gas-fired power, renewable energy and utilities gives it an advantage that pure technology infrastructure firms may struggle to match.
Sarath, Gulf’s chief executive and controlling figure, has spent years reshaping the group from a conventional energy developer into a conglomerate with exposure to telecoms, satellites, digital platforms and cloud infrastructure. The merger of Gulf Energy Development and Intouch Holdings created a larger listed platform linked to Advanced Info Service, Thailand’s biggest mobile operator, and Thaicom, the satellite company. That structure gives Gulf access to telecom traffic, enterprise clients and digital distribution channels that can support its data-centre ambitions.
The investment programme is expected to support new data-centre capacity, related infrastructure and power projects needed to serve hyperscale and enterprise customers. Gulf has already moved into the sector through partnerships involving global technology names and regional operators, while its digital arm has explored cloud and AI services designed for corporate and government clients. The company’s first major data-centre project has become a reference point for its expansion into facilities that can host high-density computing workloads.
Thailand’s broader investment environment has also shifted in Gulf’s favour. Authorities have approved large-scale data infrastructure projects from global technology players, including server and data-processing investments across Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao. Google, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft and ByteDance-linked operations have all announced or pursued major commitments in the country, intensifying competition but also validating Thailand’s role in the regional digital economy.
For Gulf, the opportunity lies not only in renting data-centre capacity but also in selling bundled infrastructure: power, connectivity, cloud access and long-term operational reliability. That model could create recurring income and reduce dependence on regulated returns from power generation. It may also help Gulf deepen its relationship with large technology clients seeking local partners that understand land, energy approvals, grid constraints and domestic regulatory requirements.
The group’s financial position gives it room to move, though the scale of the programme will be closely watched by investors. Gulf reported strong first-quarter earnings for 2026, helped by its energy operations and profit contribution from Advanced Info Service. Revenue growth and core profit gains have strengthened confidence in its ability to finance new projects, but data centres require heavy upfront spending and returns can depend on utilisation rates, long-term contracts and energy costs.
The timing is also sensitive. Across Asia, governments are competing for data-centre investment while confronting pressure on power grids, water use and land availability. Singapore’s cautious approach to new data-centre capacity has encouraged developers to look at Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam, but each market faces its own constraints. Thailand has industrial land, policy incentives and improving connectivity, yet grid readiness and clean-energy availability remain decisive issues for hyperscale clients.
Gulf’s renewable energy targets are likely to form part of its sales pitch. The company has set out plans to raise the share of renewables in its generation portfolio and reduce carbon intensity, while continuing to rely on gas as a stable baseload fuel. Its long-term LNG supply arrangements also point to a strategy that balances energy security with transition commitments, even as customers demand cleaner electricity for digital operations.
Sarath’s expansion plan underscores how AI is redrawing corporate strategy beyond Silicon Valley. Energy groups, telecom operators and infrastructure funds are increasingly competing for the physical assets behind the digital boom. Gulf’s bet is that Thailand’s AI economy will be shaped as much by power plants, fibre networks and industrial sites as by software models and cloud applications.
MMC Port Holdings Sdn Bhd has approached prospective bidders for a minority stake in the business, shifting attention from a delayed public listing to a private transaction that could test investor appetite for one of Southeast Asia’s most significant port platforms. The move follows the postponement of an initial public offering that had been expected to rank among Malaysia’s largest listings in more than a decade. The […]
Bitcoin fell four percent on Wednesday to $64,721.39, its weakest level since 28 February, as pressure from fund withdrawals, leveraged liquidations and shifting macroeconomic signals deepened a broad retreat across digital assets. The slide extended a difficult stretch for the world’s largest cryptocurrency, which has moved sharply lower after failing to hold above key support levels near $70,000. Selling accelerated as investors reduced exposure to risk assets, […]
The Tokyo-based maker of NAND flash memory and solid-state drives has become one of the most closely watched stocks on the Tokyo Stock Exchange after a sharp rally tied to demand for data-centre storage, AI servers and high-performance memory systems. Its market capitalisation has climbed into the tens of trillions of yen, placing it near Toyota and behind SoftBank Group in a reshuffled ranking that would have seemed unlikely when Kioxia priced its initial public offering at 1,455 yen a share in December 2024.
The shift marks a wider challenge to the long-standing dominance of Japan’s manufacturing champions. Toyota, the global carmaker that symbolised the strength of Japan Inc. for decades, has been displaced from the top position by SoftBank during the latest AI-led surge, while Kioxia has risen rapidly from a former Toshiba memory unit backed by Bain Capital into a central player in the market’s technology rotation.
Kioxia’s climb reflects investor expectations that memory will remain a bottleneck in AI infrastructure. Generative AI systems require vast amounts of storage and high-speed data movement, pushing demand beyond the older cycle driven mainly by smartphones and personal computers. Data-centre operators, cloud companies and chip designers are competing for components needed to train and run large AI models, giving memory producers stronger pricing power after years of volatility.
The company’s earnings have strengthened sharply. Kioxia has projected operating profit of about 1.3 trillion yen for the April-June quarter, a figure that puts it among the most profitable listed companies in Japan. Its latest annual results showed strong momentum in revenue, margins and cash generation, helping ease earlier concerns about debt and cyclicality. Rating upgrades to investment grade have added to the perception that the balance sheet is improving at a time when investors are rewarding semiconductor exposure.
Kioxia’s origins give its rise broader industrial significance. The company traces its roots to Toshiba’s memory business, which was sold to a Bain-led consortium in 2018 after Toshiba’s financial crisis. The group was renamed Kioxia in 2019, drawing on the Japanese word for memory and the Greek word for value. Its public listing in 2024 valued it below 800 billion yen, after earlier IPO attempts were delayed by weak valuation conditions and pressure in the memory market.
That cautious debut contrasts sharply with its current status. Shares have multiplied as investors reassessed the role of NAND flash in AI systems, especially as large-scale data centres require higher storage density, faster access and more energy-efficient hardware. Kioxia has also been developing advanced BiCS FLASH technology and promoting next-generation SSDs for AI storage infrastructure.
The rally has also lifted questions over valuation risk. Memory chips remain one of the semiconductor industry’s most cyclical segments, with prices exposed to shifts in capital spending, inventory levels and customer demand. A sharp rise in market value leaves Kioxia vulnerable if hyperscaler investment slows, if competitors add capacity faster than expected, or if customers push back against higher pricing.
Competition is intense. Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Micron Technology and SanDisk remain key players across memory markets, with SK Hynix holding a dominant position in high-bandwidth memory used in AI accelerators. Kioxia’s strength is more closely tied to NAND flash and SSDs, where demand from AI infrastructure has broadened the market but does not eliminate the risk of oversupply once new capacity comes on stream.
Toyota’s relative decline in the rankings does not point to operational weakness alone. The carmaker remains one of the world’s largest manufacturers by sales and a major profit generator, but investors have been rotating away from traditional industrial leaders towards companies with direct AI exposure. Concerns over electric-vehicle competition, currency movements and the cost of future technologies have weighed on auto valuations, even as Toyota continues to command global scale in hybrid vehicles and supply-chain management.
SoftBank’s ascent has further highlighted the changing market narrative. Its exposure to Arm and AI-related investments has drawn investors seeking Japan-based access to global AI infrastructure. Together, SoftBank and Kioxia now represent a market story centred on chips, data centres, software platforms and computing capacity rather than the export-led industrial model that long defined Japan’s equity market.
Foreign investor flows have amplified the shift. Japan’s equity market has benefited from corporate-governance reforms, stronger capital returns and renewed interest in companies linked to the AI supply chain. The Nikkei 225 has reached record territory, though the rally has been uneven, with gains concentrated in a limited group of technology-linked names while broader market performance has been more mixed.
Kioxia’s next test will be whether it can convert favourable pricing and sold-out capacity into durable earnings. Investors will look for clearer shareholder-return plans, disciplined capital expenditure and evidence that AI storage demand can remain strong beyond the current investment wave. The company’s contemplated US share listing would widen access to global technology investors and could further raise its profile if market conditions remain supportive.
House of Doge has struck a partnership with Paxos to place Dogecoin on regulated brokerage and custody infrastructure used by major financial technology platforms, marking a fresh push to move the meme-origin cryptocurrency deeper into mainstream digital asset services. The agreement, announced on June 1, 2026, will integrate DOGE into Paxos’s enterprise crypto platform, allowing Paxos clients to offer buying, selling, holding and transfer functions for the […]
Typhoon Jangmi lashed the Tokyo metropolitan area on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain, swollen rivers, power cuts and widespread disruption to air and rail services after striking central Japan and moving towards the country’s most densely populated region. The storm, classified as a severe tropical storm as it crossed parts of Japan, pushed flood risks higher across central and eastern prefectures, with authorities warning residents in vulnerable areas […]
Qatar Investment Authority has raised its exposure to Anthropic by joining the artificial intelligence company’s $65 billion Series H financing, marking its third consecutive investment in the Claude maker and signalling a deeper Gulf move into frontier AI infrastructure, enterprise software and advanced computing. The Series H round values Anthropic at $965 billion post-money, placing the San Francisco-based company among the most highly valued private technology groups […]
Gold has overtaken US Treasuries as the world’s largest reserve asset by market value, marking a significant change in the composition of official reserves and underlining how central banks are adjusting to geopolitical risk, high debt levels and uncertainty over the dollar-based financial system. The European Central Bank’s latest review of the international monetary system shows gold accounted for 27 per cent of total official foreign reserves […]
The stock climbed about 6 per cent on Tuesday as investors reacted to signs that Tencent is moving closer to embedding a task-performing assistant inside WeChat, the messaging, payments and social platform used by more than 1.4 billion people. The prototype is designed to help users complete everyday actions within the app, including finding venues, interacting with mini-programmes and placing customised orders, rather than merely answering questions in chatbot form.
The planned agent would mark a significant step in Tencent’s push to convert its AI investments into consumer products at scale. WeChat already functions as a digital operating system for daily life in China, covering messaging, payments, shopping, food delivery, public services, entertainment, ride-hailing and enterprise communication. That reach gives Tencent an advantage that few rivals can match: a single platform with a vast user base, heavy daily engagement and a dense network of third-party services.
People familiar with the prototype have indicated that users would be able to access the AI agent through a swipe gesture on the main WeChat screen. Tencent is expected to begin the regulatory compliance process before wider testing, with a small group of external users likely to receive access before any phased public launch. A firm release date has not been set, reflecting both regulatory uncertainty and the technical demands of deploying agentic AI across a platform of WeChat’s size.
The market response underscores how investors are reassessing Tencent’s AI position after months of concern that the company was trailing Alibaba, ByteDance and Baidu in the race to commercialise generative AI. Tencent has promoted Yuanbao, its AI chatbot, developed its Hunyuan foundation model and introduced productivity-focused AI tools, but WeChat remains the asset most capable of turning those efforts into a daily consumer habit.
Tencent’s first-quarter earnings showed both the strength and the cost of that strategy. Revenue rose 9 per cent year on year to RMB196.5 billion, while IFRS net profit attributable to equity holders increased 21 per cent to RMB58.1 billion. Marketing services revenue rose 20 per cent to RMB38.2 billion, helped by AI-driven advertising improvements, while domestic games revenue grew 6 per cent and international games revenue climbed 13 per cent. Capital expenditure reached RMB31.9 billion, up 16 per cent, as spending on AI infrastructure continued to rise.
The company has told investors that new AI products are weighing on margins, even as core businesses continue to generate strong cash flow. Excluding new AI products, non-IFRS operating profit rose 17 per cent in the first quarter, compared with a 9 per cent increase overall. That gap highlights the near-term drag from AI investment, but also explains why investors are sensitive to any sign that Tencent can place AI directly into revenue-generating services.
Competition is intensifying across China’s technology sector. Alibaba has pushed Qwen into consumer and enterprise markets, ByteDance has expanded AI features across its content ecosystem, and Baidu continues to build around Ernie and AI cloud services. The key battleground is shifting from chatbots to agents that can perform tasks, connect with apps and act across digital services with limited user input.
WeChat’s mini-programme ecosystem could be central to Tencent’s approach. Millions of merchants, developers and service providers already operate within the platform, allowing an AI agent to navigate services without pushing users outside Tencent’s environment. For merchants, an effective agent could increase conversion rates by shortening the path from search to purchase. For Tencent, it could deepen engagement, improve advertising relevance and strengthen its fintech and business services ecosystem.
Regulation remains a critical constraint. China requires generative AI services offered to the public to comply with rules covering data security, content control and algorithmic governance. Any WeChat agent would need to satisfy those requirements before broad release, especially because it could interact with payments, commerce and public services.
The reported move, if confirmed, would mark a significant shift in the composition of India’s external buffers at a time when oil prices, foreign portfolio outflows and import demand are combining to test the country’s balance of payments position. The RBI has not publicly confirmed any gold sale of that scale, and the latest available reserve data show a fall in the value of gold holdings rather than a definitive disclosure of physical bullion sales.
India’s foreign exchange reserves fell to $681.4 billion for the week ended May 22, down $7.5 billion from the previous week. Foreign currency assets declined by about $3 billion to $543 billion, while the value of gold reserves dropped by roughly $4.5 billion. The fall came as the rupee traded near record lows, having weakened by more than 4 per cent since the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict and the accompanying rise in energy prices.
The rupee has been under sustained pressure from higher crude oil and liquefied natural gas costs, wider hedging by importers and withdrawals by overseas investors from domestic equities. Brent crude has traded in the mid-$90 range, raising concern over India’s import bill because the country depends heavily on overseas energy supplies. Any prolonged disruption in Gulf shipping routes would add to inflation risks and intensify demand for dollars from refiners and importers.
The RBI has intervened through state-run banks to slow the currency’s decline, with traders indicating that the central bank has been uncomfortable with disorderly depreciation. The rupee was around 95 to the dollar this week after briefly sliding close to 97 in May. The central bank’s policy decision due this week is being watched for signals on whether it will rely mainly on liquidity tools, dollar sales and administrative measures, or consider a firmer monetary response.
The reported $12 billion gold-related action has drawn attention because India’s gold holdings have expanded in importance within the reserve portfolio. The central bank held about 880.5 tonnes of gold at the end of March, with gold accounting for nearly 17 per cent of total foreign exchange reserves. The physical stock has been broadly steady around 880 tonnes since mid-2025, suggesting that changes in the dollar value of gold reserves can reflect price movements, accounting effects and reserve operations as well as outright sales.
Gold has become a larger part of central bank reserves worldwide as monetary authorities seek diversification away from dollar assets and protection against geopolitical shocks. India has also moved more of its bullion to domestic vaults, reducing custody risks linked to overseas storage. That strategy had been seen as a long-term strengthening of sovereign reserve control, making any suggestion of sizeable gold liquidation politically and financially sensitive.
The government has moved separately to curb foreign exchange outflows. Import duties on gold and silver have been lifted sharply to about 15 per cent from 6 per cent, reversing earlier tariff relief and increasing the landed cost of precious metals. Rules around some bullion imports have also been tightened, while appeals have been made to households to reduce discretionary gold purchases.
Fuel prices have also been raised as state-run retailers pass through part of the increase in international crude costs. Petrol and diesel prices have risen after several years of limited retail adjustments, adding to household costs but reducing the burden on public-sector oil marketing companies. The step is intended to limit under-recoveries at fuel retailers and reduce the fiscal strain that would otherwise build if global prices stay elevated.
The combined policy response reflects the strain of a classic external shock: a weaker currency lifts import costs, higher oil prices widen the trade deficit, and investors demand higher compensation for risk. India enters this phase with substantial reserves, moderate inflation by past crisis standards and a financial system that remains broadly stable, but the speed of the rupee’s decline has revived comparisons with earlier episodes of currency stress.
For markets, the key question is whether the central bank can preserve confidence without exhausting liquid dollar assets or signalling panic. A calibrated use of reserves can smooth volatility, but heavy intervention may raise doubts if investors see it as a defence of a particular exchange-rate level. The RBI’s challenge is to keep currency markets orderly while allowing enough flexibility for the rupee to adjust to the oil shock and global risk aversion.
Shares in Masayoshi Son’s technology investment group surged in Tokyo trading, lifting its market value to about ¥47.2 trillion, or roughly $296 billion, ahead of Toyota’s ¥45.7 trillion after the carmaker’s stock fell nearly 5 per cent. The move placed SoftBank at the top of Japan’s corporate valuation table for the first time in more than two decades and added momentum to a Nikkei 225 rally that pushed the index above 67,000.
The change is more than a stock-market milestone. It reflects how the AI boom has reshaped capital allocation in Japan, where investors are assigning higher value to companies with exposure to semiconductors, data centres, power infrastructure and generative AI platforms. Toyota remains one of the world’s largest and most profitable carmakers, but its valuation is now being weighed against a slower earnings outlook, tariff pressure, currency swings and the heavy cost of electrification.
SoftBank’s advance has been driven by a powerful combination of portfolio gains and expectations that its AI-linked holdings could generate fresh liquidity. The group’s exposure to Arm, the British chip-design company it took public in 2023, has become a key pillar of its market value. Arm’s technology is used widely across smartphones, cloud computing and increasingly AI-related chips, giving SoftBank a central position in the semiconductor supply chain.
OpenAI has become the second major driver of investor attention. SoftBank has committed tens of billions of dollars to the ChatGPT developer and is positioning itself as a core financier of AI infrastructure. Expectations that OpenAI could move towards a public listing have intensified interest in SoftBank’s asset base, even as analysts continue to debate how much of the group’s valuation depends on private-market pricing and future monetisation.
The latest surge followed SoftBank’s plan to invest up to €75 billion in AI infrastructure in France, including data centres and power-intensive computing capacity. The first phase is expected to involve about €45 billion of investment to build 3.1 gigawatts of capacity by 2031, with further expansion potentially taking the total to 5 gigawatts. The project places France at the centre of Europe’s push to develop sovereign AI infrastructure, helped by its nuclear-heavy power system and available industrial sites.
SoftBank is also moving to create public-market vehicles around AI infrastructure. SB Energy, its power and data-centre platform, is preparing for a potential US listing and has been linked to a valuation above $50 billion. The company is involved in large-scale power projects designed to support AI workloads, including a 1.2-gigawatt data-centre development in Texas. A separate robotics venture, Roze, is also being prepared for a possible listing, highlighting SoftBank’s attempt to build an ecosystem around energy, construction automation and computing capacity.
Toyota’s fall in ranking does not signal operational weakness. The carmaker reported operating income of ¥3.8 trillion for the financial year ended March 2026, supported by vehicle sales and pricing power despite tariff costs and rising expenses. It remains a global force in hybrid technology, production efficiency and supply-chain management. However, investors have become more cautious about its growth outlook as the auto sector faces higher regulatory costs, slower battery-electric vehicle adoption in some markets, and intensifying competition from China-based manufacturers.
The contrast between SoftBank and Toyota captures a broader reordering of Japan’s equity market. AI-linked names, chip suppliers and infrastructure companies are drawing strong inflows, while parts of the auto sector and older industrial groups face questions over margin durability. Kioxia, the memory-chip maker, has also climbed sharply this year, showing how investor enthusiasm has spread beyond SoftBank into companies tied to storage and high-performance computing.
The rally has strengthened the profile of Son, whose investment record has swung between spectacular gains and painful losses. SoftBank’s Vision Fund suffered heavy write-downs after the collapse in technology valuations in 2021 and 2022, while earlier bets such as WeWork damaged confidence in the group’s risk controls. Its comeback has been powered by a more concentrated AI narrative, but that also leaves the shares vulnerable if expectations around OpenAI, Arm or infrastructure listings are revised lower.
For details: https://www.eternal.hk/the-eternal-path-to-china/
Downloadable Photo: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1awiWHa161_BbmFiJVdW_dE8gIm7imaJV?usp=sharing
A Flagship Seminar with Industry Leaders
The flagship session, “Paving the Way to China Fragrance Market,” will take place on 5 June 2026 from 15:00 to 15:45 (CEST) at the Conference Hall on the Main Stage of Esxence 2026. A distinguished panel of industry experts will examine China’s economic landscape and fragrance market, offering practical and insight-driven perspectives on successful market entry strategies. The confirmed speakers are Mr. Stefano De Paoli, Italy Chief Representative of InvestHK; Mr. Haocong Weng, Director of the Xuelei Fragrance Museum; Ms. Wincy Tang, General Manager of Marketing and Partnership at Experience 11 Limited, and Ms. Cindy Chung, Director of General Affairs of Eternal Group.
Beyond the Seminar: A Full Suite of Brand Resources
Beyond the seminar, Eternal Group has curated a comprehensive suite of resources to equip brands with actionable intelligence and operational guidance. Six industry talks will be held at Business Lounge No. 8 with speakers from Hong Kong Productivity Council, PricewaterhouseCoopers, The Loops Hong Kong, as well as expertise from Eternal Group. Topics will cover regulatory compliance, emerging marketing trends, and brand storytelling tailored for Chinese consumers. One-on-one consultations will offer bespoke advisory sessions with Eternal Group’s senior experts. In addition, attendees will have access to The China Market Entry Blueprint, a proprietary guide featuring market insights and consumer trend analysis, NMPA compliance pathways and formula testing requirements, localization best practices, as well as marketing, PR, and retail channel strategies across shopping malls, pop‑ups, and museums.
“For more than 40 years, Eternal Group has served as a trusted bridge for international fragrance brands navigating the complexities of the China market,” said Ms Wendy Lau, Executive Director of Eternal Group.”With ‘The Eternal Path to China’ at Esxence 2026, we are transforming complexity into clarity—providing strategic insights, trusted partnership and a clear pathway to market success. Whether a brand is taking its first step or strengthening its existing presence, we are here to guide its journey into the China market.”
Registration & Inquiries
You are invited to attend the seminar, industry talks, and exclusive briefings. To register or schedule interviews with speakers or Eternal Group representatives, please contact the PR & Corporate Communication Department at ccd@eternal.hk. To register for the seminar, please visit: https://bit.ly/3PRfOrM.
Remarks:
To access both the Conference Hall and Business Lounge, please purchase a standard Esxence ticket on VivaTicket.com. The ticket includes exhibition access (first 3 days are open to industry professionals only; the final day is open to the public). Consumers may register by contacting: events@equipemilano.com.
Hashtag: #EternalGroup
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Eternal Beauty Holdings Limited (Eternal Group) is the largest perfume group (apart from brand-owner perfume groups) in China (including Hong Kong and Macao) in terms of retail sales in 2023*. It primarily sells and distributes products procured from third-party brand licensors, and deploys market for these brand licensors, offering such services as brand management, and designing and implementing customized market entry and expansion plans for their brands. The Group boasts large and diversified brand portfolios that include not only perfumes, but also color cosmetics, skincare products, personal care products, eyewear and home fragrances. As at 31 March 2026, it conducted product distribution and market deployment for a total of 75 external brands, including Hermès, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chopard, Albion and Laura Mercier, with products in different pricing tiers and of versatile features that meet the differentiated demands of consumers in Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and/or Macao. Website: www.eternal.hk
*Data source: Frost & Sullivan
Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event has been the International Artistic Perfumery Event since 2009, it represents for professionals and enthusiasts the opportunity to meet the real protagonists of this fascinating world of fragrances, where history and tradition combine with innovation and research. An exhibition area dedicated to excellence, together with a rich and interesting calendar of meetings and events, which offer to the public – last edition reached more than 10,000 attendees – a unique and unmissable experience. Website: http://esxence.com
