Private Equity in South Korea: Market Evolution, Key Trends, and the Hahn & Co. - SK Specialty Case Study - 30th March 2025
South Korea's private equity market has undergone major growth since the 2004 regulatory reforms, with independent firms playing a larger role. As conglomerates restructure, private equity funds are acquiring non-core assets, while deal activity grows more selective amid economic uncertainty. The Hanh & Co. acquisition of SK Specialty reflects key trends like strategic sector focus, long-term value creation, and the growing impact of trade policy on investment decisions. Despite short-term challenges, the market shows strong fundamentals and increasing appeal to global investors.

KKR vs. Bain Capital: The Fight for Fuji Soft - 27th March 2025
In mid-2024, two private equity giants, KKR and Bain Capital, made Japanese tech company Fuji Soft the object of a particularly interesting and heated bidding contest, which was ultimately won by KKR. Industry attractiveness, Fuji Soft’s particular characteristics, as well as the company’s potential for improved profitability under new ownership sparked sponsors’ interest in the target. 

Tokyo Metro: From Underground to Wall Street - 14th December 2024
Tokyo Metro’s debut on the stock market on October 23rd is a landmark event, raising $2.3 billion in the largest IPO in Asia over the past six years. Amid a period of market volatility, this milestone reflects renewed investor confidence and underscores Tokyo Metro’s strong financial performance and strategic potential. As the fifth largest listing of the past decade, the IPO highlights the company’s recovery, growth prospects, and its role in shaping the future of urban transportation.

Shattered Trust: What the Adani Scandal Reveals About Emerging Markets - 7th December 2024
The recent Adani scandal highlights India's lax regulatory framework, raising concerns about FDI and exposing vulnerabilities in the broader landscape of emerging economies. Following an overview of the scandal and India's economy, this article will dive into the implications for investor confidence, the challenges of regulatory reform, and the broader impact on emerging markets.​

Driving Market Volatility: The Yen Carry Trade & Its Role in Global Financial Markets - 15th November 2024
The yen carry trade, a popular investment strategy, leverages Japan’s low interest rates by allowing investors to borrow in yen and invest in higher-yielding currencies. This approach has driven asset flows and currency valuations worldwide. However, with changing central bank policies, the risks are high, as shown when a recent rate hike by the Bank of Japan caused a rapid unwinding of positions

China's Economic Crossroads: Can Stimulus and Reform Revive Growth Amid Mounting Challenges? - 12th November 2024
As a powerhouse of global growth, China now faces a difficult balancing act as it seeks to maintain momentum amid mounting pressures. In response, the Chinese government and its policymakers are evaluating a large package of stimulus measures aimed at stabilizing the economy and addressing its pressing internal issues. This article explores the anticipated effects of such measures and possible alternatives Chinese officials could have taken.

Healthy Investments, Unhealthy Outcomes? Balancing Returns and Patients’ Welfare in APAC - 7th May 2024
Investments into the healthcare industry by Private Equity shops have been booming recently, accounting for roughly 15% of the global buyouts in 2023. Asia-Pacific countries have been the latest region in the sights of these firms, becoming the target of investors seeking to capitalize on high synergy potential alongside promising macroeconomic growth prospects. Nevertheless, healthcare buyouts pose challenges as questions have been raised over the alignment of the firms’ priorities with the patients' needs.

Gold in Transition: Evolving Correlations and the APAC Influence - 3rd May 2024
Gold has always been a safe haven asset, but in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China, demand has risen to unprecedented levels. With China as the leading consumer and producer of gold, the central bank's accumulation of gold reserves is a response to domestic economic challenges, including the real estate crisis, the weakening yuan and stock market volatility. These factors, together with rising global geopolitical tensions, are pushing the price of gold higher and higher. In this context, the relationships between gold and other economic factors are changing.

Metals in Motion: Tracking Copper’s Soaring Rise and Global Implications - 30th April 2024
In the dynamic world of industrial economics, early 2024 saw a remarkable surge in demand for key metals amid restricted supply, propelling prices upward. Industry leaders navigate this landscape, while the focus on sustainability and technological advancements adds depth to the narrative. This article explores the causes and consequences of the industrial metals’ surge.

The Chinese Electric Vehicle Market: Trends, Comparisons and Perspectives - 16th April 2024 
​The electric vehicle (EV) industry in China has experienced tremendous growth, driven by government incentives and technological advancements. China is now the world's leading exporter of electric cars, with projections indicating a further 35% growth in global sales by 2030. This article explores trends and prospects for China's electric vehicle market, highlighting the crucial role the country will play in shaping sustainable mobility worldwide.

Chinese investors CHIP in for a self-sufficient production - 12th April 2024
China is currently struggling to keep up with the global developments in the semiconductor industry due to its dependence on imported technology and recent U.S. sanctions. Nevertheless, state-backed investments such as the ‘Big Fund’ underline China’s determination to boost domestic supply and succeed in the chips race, but will these efforts be enough?

​​Japan’s Economic Crossroads: BoJ’s Historic Rate Hike Sends Shockwaves - 9th April 2024
March 12, 2024, marked a historic moment in the financial realm as the Bank of Japan concluded a 17-year period of negative interest rates by implementing a rate hike. This pivotal decision reverberated across currency markets, triggering a significant return of foreign assets to Japan. In this article we delve into the aftermath of this landmark move.

 The Japanese Start-up Revolution: How newly established businesses are reshaping the nation's economic, social and cultural scene - 14th December 2023
Japan‘s labor market is known as being ‘chronically tight’. In a job market where employees work overtime with no additional pay, people are becoming less and less risk-averse. Japan’s start-up market is the perfect opportunity in this sense: challenging the Japanese system, becoming a valuable employment option for young workers and threatening the future of big corporations. 

Navigating the Cashless Revolution: Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges in the APAC Region - 11th December 2023
In the ever-changing landscape of global payments, the Asia-Pacific region is at the forefront of a cashless revolution. Despite challenges such as the digital divide and cybersecurity risks, the region's governments are actively promoting digital payments. With benefits like increased efficiency and transparency, the APAC region is poised to lead the world in transitioning to cashless transactions, projected to reach $3 trillion by 2030.

Stablecoins, Paxos and Singapore’s crypto landscape: is a new dawn finally upon the struggling sector? - 7th December 2023
Last month, Singaporean authorities granted preliminary approval to crypto firm Paxos for the issuance of a USD-pegged stablecoin in the country. The move could significantly reshape the crypto landscape in Singapore, while also acting as a positive signal for crypto markets globally. After months of struggle, is the market finally moving towards renewed prosperity?

What makes Japan's economy an attractive location for investments? - 4th December 2023
To achieve the position it boasts today as an industrial powerhouse and global corporate leader, fiscal and monetary progress and stability were imperative for Japan's economy. To this extent, the Bank of Japan has played a crucial role. In this article we will go deeper in Japan's contemporary and ancient history, understanding the status quo, and perfecting our guesstimates on where the economy is heading.

​The Indian Economy: Challenges, Innovation and Global Integration - 20th November 2023
Amidst today's global uncertainties, India faces economic challenges due to geopolitical tensions and interest rate fluctuations. Despite these hurdles, its strong economic growth, evolving foreign direct investment landscape, and demographic advantages position it as a potential global economic leader, and it's projected to become the third-largest economy by 2027.

Tokenization and the future of money: the case of Australia in the emerging CBDC landscape - 16th November 2023
Australia is one of the latest leading economies to consider a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The move follows a global trend in tokenization efforts, with a number of countries having rolled out pilot programs and implemented electronic currency into their payment systems. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) highlights a range of significant benefits, but simultaneously recognizes relevant challenges that still need to be addressed.

The Chinese EV Industry: Could Macroeconomic Shock, Industry Consolidation and Political Tensions put an end to its dominance? - 13th November 2023
Fueled by a decade of extensive government support, China is the world leader in EV production by a large margin. However, politics and excess supply have been hurting China’s prospects in the EV industry. As such, China’s EV sector is set for a wave of consolidation, reducing hundreds of players to a mere handful. Furthermore, Chinese EV incursion into international markets has elicited varying reactions across the globe, with further consequences on the table.

Is China's economy becoming more fragile? An insight into the role of infrastructure investing - 8th November 2023
China has recently been at the hearth of some of the most prominent financial scandals that hit various sectors of its economy. First, the fall of big property developers, such as Evergrande. Now inconsistent demand is prompting a deflationary spiral and the post-Covid recovery is slowing down. The aim of this article is to understand how exposed is China’s economy and if it is becoming more fragile.

​Rakuten Bank IPO: Japan’s Race to Catch-up with the Others - 16th May 2023
The Asia-Pacific IPO market navigated the recent economic turmoil better than all competitors, seeing the highest aggregate IPO volume and value globally , as well as the smallest yearly decline, thus proving its remarkable resilience. One of the biggest IPOs of the period is the Rakuten Bank one, who started a prosperous period for IPOs in the APAC region.

​China Recovery: a commentary into Q1 GDP data - 11th May 2023
China's GDP experienced a remarkable recovery in the first quarter of 2023 following the reopening after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The nation's successful containment measures, vaccination campaigns, and easing of restrictions propelled its economic resilience and marked a significant turning point in its post-pandemic recovery.

​Japan’s largest Private Equity deal marked by Toshiba acquisition - 8th May 2023
After a prolonged period of corporate governance failures, accounting irregularities, and strategic missteps, Toshiba appears to have secured a buyer. On March 23, 2023, the company's Board of Directors approved a $15bn bid from a consortium of 17 domestic firms and six financial institutions, led by Japan Industrial Partners, a Japanese private equity fund. This proposed transaction, if completed, would be the largest take-private deal ever undertaken in the Japanese market. 

 China’s Belt and Road Initiative: A surging debt crisis? - 3rd May 2023
The Belt and Road Initiative is an effort to develop an expanded, interdependent market for China, grow China's economic and political power, and create the right conditions for China to build a high technology economy. However, not all the BRI projects have been successful, and the initiatives have frequently relied too heavily on the backing of governments and policies. 

​What Harita Nickel IPO tells us about the market for natural resources and the green transition - 28th April 2023
Natural resources are crucial to achieve the green transition targets. Nickel, above all, is raising  attention from investors due to its employment in the Electric Vehicles market. The Indonesian corporation Harita Nickel is an example of this trend, and its successful recent IPO tells a lot about how this market is evolving. In this article, we analyse the economical and geopolitical implications both for exporting countries and more broadly for South East Asia.

Australia's Energy Transition: Brookfield and EIG's Acquisition of Origin Energy - 27th April 2023
The Australian Government has made a net-zero by 2050 commitment. To do so, consolidation and drive towards renewables is at the forefront of their energy transition. A recent step in this direction is the acquisition of Origin Energy by Brookfield and EIG. This deal is uniquely structured in that Brookfield would acquire Origin’s Energy Markets and EIG would acquire Origin’s Integrated Gas business. It signifies a shift in Australia’s energy sector and the APAC region.

The Future of Alibaba: An In-Depth Analysis of the Company's Split - 24th April 2023
Alibaba, one of the world's largest e-commerce companies, recently announced its split into six divisions: Alibaba Core, Tmall, Ant Financial, AliExpress, Cainiao, and Alibaba Cloud. The six divisions are expected to work collaboratively to leverage each other's strengths and create new opportunities for Alibaba's expansion. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the company's split, discussing the reasons behind it, the roles and contributions of each division, and its implications for Alibaba, shareholders and the market.

China's Debt Trap and Its Role in the Sri Lankan Debt Crisis - 14th April, 2023
In May 2022, Sri Lanka officially defaulted. China is considered among the causes of the country’s debt distress due to its debt-trap diplomacy. Indeed, China has expanded its external lending to developing countries in the last years, especially by investing in infrastructure projects. According to some policymakers, this is just a means for China to extend its influence. Using the example of the Sri Lankan debt crisis, we will assess to what extent this claim can be considered valid.

India VS China - The Century of the Dragon versus the Tiger
India and China are currently two of the fastest-growing economies. Both countries are home to over a billion people and have recently undergone significant economic transformations, but the approaches taken by each are markedly different, and that is the main reason why we are witnessing radical changes that could affect the world economy.

Japanese Yield Curve Control: Past, Present and Future
During the last few weeks, we have been increasingly hearing about Japanese Yield Curve Control and the “big move from 0.25 to 0.50”. But what is yield curve control? How has it been implemented in Japan and what is changing now? In the following article we will analyze these issues and provide insights about what might happen next. 

Pakistan’s Recent Development and Uncertain Outlook - 3rd April 2023
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, one of the most populated countries in the world, has been struggling for years due to a persistent status of crisis. This is not only putting more of its citizens in danger of falling into poverty, but it is also negatively affecting the whole South Asian region. Hence, national as well as foreign authorities are negotiating and implementing measures to stabilise the situation. Namely, the State Bank of Pakistan (“SBP”) is targeting the crisis through its monetary policy and the Government is seeking support from foreign institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (“IMF”).

Adani vs. Hindenburg: The Big Short and its Wider Consequences - 29th March 2023​
In January 2023, Hindenburg Research accused the Adani Group, an Indian conglomerate, of stock manipulatiAdani vs. Hindenburg: The Big Short and its Wider Consequenceson, bad accounting practices, and mismanagement of debt in a 413-page report. This caused a fallout on the stock market worth $84B and forced Adani to withdraw its $2.5B public offering. This event has raised questions about the trustworthiness of the Adani Group and India's regulatory system.

The Metaverse in Asia: "The Next Big Thing"?
Mark Zuckerberg’s AR platform, the Metaverse, has often been questioned since its creation has been announced to the public. But while the masses are unsure of the digital future, major companies have been pouring billions of dollars into the development of software and innovative technology to accompany it. In particular, Chinese tech giants are chasing over 8 trillion dollars in the Metaverse, which is a big signal to companies globally that this may be a good investment opportunity. 

Buy Now Pay Later Australian industry: What is next?
The increase of digitisation in the financial  world has favored the strong growth of the 'Buy Now Pay Later', in particular, Asia-Pacific is expected to experience the fastest expansion in the sector. However, authorities and consumers are concerned regarding the regulatory gap and are ready to impose new regulations. This article is aimed at analysing the effects of such developments on the Australian market and speculating about the possible future scenarios and shifts in the Australian economic landscape.

South Korean liquidity crunch: the case of Legoland
South Korea's private sector always had a history of public subsidization. However, this time, the straw which broke the camel’s back in South Korea’s liquidity situation was a Legoland theme park. Legoland  was opened and inaugurated on May 5, 2022, financed by the Gangwon Jungdo Development Corporation (GJC), however, it failed to generate enough profits. This article will go inside the case and present the economic consequences of it.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative - the extent and the uncertainty of the deal
On November 19, 2022, the Black Sea Grain Initiative was renewed, ending months of uncertainty over the future access of many countries to the agricultural exports of Russia and Ukraine. However, speculations over the potential suspension of the deal revealed the precarity of the greater macroeconomic situation. This article will explore the implications of this issue as they relate to the APAC economic region in particular.

The Chinese Real Estate Market: what is happening and where is it going
What is happening in China’s real estate sector? It used to be the country’s main driver of the economy, but it has started to drag it in the opposite direction. Developers are no longer building homes, buyers have started to hold off on paying their mortgages, and the system has run out of capital. China’s plan consists in directing more state-owned money to solve the issue, but the question is: will this system still be sustainable in the long term?

Asian countries take a hit from the US chip export restrictions: will they fight back? - November 20, 2022
Biden’s ban on semiconductor exports to China has become one of the most important economic policies this year as it signalled a shift in the US Administration's approach towards relations with China and has created turmoil for many high-tech industries. This article is aimed at analysing the effects of such restrictions on the Asian semiconductor industry and speculating about the possible future scenarios and shifts in the global advanced technology landscape.

Xi Jinping’s consolidation of power: the detrimental effects of Chinese isolationist policies - November 16, 2022
Xi Jinping’s consolidation of power, marked by the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, officially crowns him as the most powerful Asian leader since Mao Zedong. How has the market responded to the implementation of his national-oriented preferences? This article will analyze the origin of Chinese stocks current valuations, commenting on the impact of Xi Jinping’s measures on expected economic growth, and on the higher risk premium required by investors.  

What lies behind APAC inflation and what is ahead? - November 13, 2022
The global economic outlook has darkened, and growth across Asia and the Pacific is poised to slow further amid the continuing impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other shocks. However, different macroeconomic conditions and monetary policies are observed in most of the countries on the Pacific. What lies behind them?

China's energy transition path - May 29, 2022
Over the past 40 years, China has sustained a strong economic expansion with growth rates averaging 9.5%;  this has brought rising energy consumption. However, 2020 marked a turning point in the country’s energy and climate policy, with the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan and the announcement of climate neutrality by 2060. 

Chinese tech companies and their regulations: why something is changing - May 26, 2022
China’s Big Tech industry is dominated by players such as Alibaba, Bytedance and Tencent, which up to recent weeks have had to face the regulatory actions of the Chinese government, intent on curbing their dominance. But with the Chinese economy slowing, will the government ease regulatory actions to stimulate growth?

The CNOOC IPO
On April 11th, 2022, the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, better known as CNOOC, officially went public on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE). To fully understand the reasons underlying this IPO and its relevance, the present article explains the business model and history of the company and further elaborates on its NYSE delisting.

The Chinese Zero-Covid Policy and its Implication
A new rise in Covid cases and subsequent restrictions imposed by the Chinese government have led many Chinese cities to come to a standstill. Apart from the social and humanitarian consequences of ongoing lockdowns, Chinese businesses and the Chinese economy are also majorly impacted by the measures. The present article takes a deep dive into the current situation in China

​Investing in South Korea: opportunities and risks - May 10, 2022
​South Korea’s economy is fourth in Asia and tenth in the world by nominal GDP. Having experienced an extraordinary economic growth since the Korean War, the state is now one of the most developed on the planet: what are the opportunities and the risks relative to investing there?

Ferretti chooses China for its IPO - May 7, 2022
If there was one market that had an interesting IPO situation over the last two years, it would without a doubt have to be China. Given the presented market conditions, we analyse the IPO of Ferretti, an Italian shipbuilding firm, that decided to offer its shares in Hong Kong and we perform a peer valuation. We conclude by answering the question: the IPO was to be done in China?

GoTo’s Way to the top of the Indonesian Tech Sector
Why is Indonesia a potential hub to new startups? How was GoTo, the Indoensian giant of e-commerce and ride hailing, able to develop its business in the country and decide to go for an IPO? A deep dive into the challenges technological start-ups face in Indonesia.  

Role of Asian companies in the development of the metaverse - April 11, 2022
On the 28th October 2021, Mark Zuckerberg decided to undertake one of the most daring rebranding operations the market has ever seen by taking his company to a completely new online environment known as the metaverse. In this article, we analyze the players in the development of the metaverse in Asia and what steps they are taking to secure a role in this futuristic market.

Share Buybacks - The Alibaba Case
Companies have two main ways of returning value to their shareholders: They may either rely on the issuance of dividends or on share buyback programs. While dividends have been a popular alternative for various reasons, numerous Tech companies have increasingly relied on share buybacks in the past. The present article elaborates on buyback programs by explaining the theory behing buybacks and brings forward practical evidence from Alibaba's proposed buyback program.

​Comparative tax policy across China and Korea: an examination of economic growth and asset pricing
Tax systems play a crucial role for fiscal policy and management of the public sector. Little tax revenue makes it difficult for governments to spend on public infrastructure, education and health services; high tax burdens deter economic growth, as they discourage work effort and private investment. Why are China and South Korea changing their stances on some of their tax policies?

The financial implications of the Russia - Ukraine conflict on the Asian economy - April 4, 2021
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine there has been much discussion of its global implications. Markets were swept with uncertainty and countries began to respond to Russia’s actions politically and economically. This article examines the financial positions of Japan, India, and China. It also takes a deeper dive into the effects of the invasion on China’s geopolitical stance and its goal of destabilizing the dollar as the dominant currency.

The case of Variable Interest Entities of Chinese listed companies
It has been a turbulent year for Chinese companies, as tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent have seen their share price fall by more than 50% from their respective highs. One of the reasons for the large drop in value can be traced back to the use of Variable Interest Entities, which give western investors the chance to invest into Chinese companies. The present article takes a look at such a company structure and the associated risks when using VIEs.

How can Asian Trade Agreements Defy the Headwinds Against Globalization?
The accelerating trend of globalization has over the last decades transformed the Asian continent from a largely underdeveloped region marked by the scars of colonial histories to a flourishing landscape with a number of thriving economies at the heart of global supply chains. However, over recent years, several headwinds from the global rise of economic protectionism to geopolitical tensions have threatened to slow or even reverse this development.

The case of Evergrande. Are we looking at the next Lehman Brothers? - November 17, 2021
Evergrande Group is the second largest property developer in China by sales. Over the past 15 years the company has embarked on an impressive growth journey based on its “high debt, high leverage, high turnover and low cost” business model. Nevertheless, Evergrande’s extreme usage of leverage, that underpinned its incredible expansion, eventually caught up to it.

Fumio Kishida, Japan's new Prime Minister. Is this the end of Abenomics? - November 16, 2021
While Japanese stock market is reaching 30 year highs following the pandemic recovery, Fumio Kishida has been elected as Japan’s new Prime Minister on October 4th 2021. In the following paragraphs we analyze the impact that this election could have on the world’s 3rd economy by defining the characteristics of the Japanese economy as well as the stock market’s specific features trying to come up with possible outlooks on the future of Japan.

TATA’s Acquisition of AirIndia - November 14, 2021
On October 8th, Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata announced the historical return of lossmaking carrier Air India to the founders after its nationalization 68 years ago. Starting from an overview of the airline industry and a brief description of the two companies involved in the transaction, this article seeks to develop a thorough understanding of the risks, rationale, and synergies of the deal.

Energy Market Disruptions. The impact of China's energy shortage - November 11, 2021
Driven by the surge in the prices of the main energy commodities, international supply chain disruptions are putting under strain the speed of the recovery of global economies from the pandemic. The spike in the prices of coal, oil and natural gas is exacerbating the rise in global inflation and together with the unavailability of supplies and policies for the green transition, is causing severe damage to the Chinese economy, the largest coal exporter. What’s next for the energy market and where is China placed into the picture?

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Panasonic's acquisition of Blue Yonder - June 19, 2021
Panasonic Corp. is a Japanese multinational electronics company, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It offers a wide range of products and services like rechargeable batteries and industrial systems. To improve the quality of the products and services offered to clients, Panasonic has announced on Friday 23 April its intention to buy the U.S. supply-chain software provider Blue Yonder Holding Inc. from Blackstone Group Inc. and New Mountain Capital LLC for $7.1 billion.

Hong Kong: The Asian Miracle - 18 June, 2021
In the late 1800s, Hong Kong rose to international prominence when it acted as a base of operations for British colonial trade, effectively bridging the prosperous West and emerging Eastern world. And while modern-day Hong Kong has certainly evolved over the past two centuries, its role in the global economy has remained largely unchanged. 

The deterioration of the China-Philippines relationship in the South China Sea - 18 June, 2021
The South China Sea has been home to maritime disputes since China laid claims on almost its entirety with the nine-dash line (then eleven-dash line) in 1947. In April 2021, China and the Philippines had an unusual confrontation following the threatening presence of more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels near the Spratlys, located in the middle of the region. 

How CVC had planned to buyout Toshiba - 16 June, 2021
It is no secret that in the last years, activist investors have identified in the Japanese stock market an incredible investment opportunity. Investors identify in the Japanese financial market a developed market to find firms trading below their intrinsic value.
Toshiba was a prime example of such an attractive investment opportunity for active investors. In 2021, the company had managed to improve its financial performance after a very turbulent period. 

Leveraging infrastructure investments for a green economic recovery - 6 May, 2021
According to the World Bank, the ongoing pandemic triggered the deepest worldwide recession since World War II  and many governments are looking at green infrastructure projects as a way to provide relief to a pandemic-damaged economy. The EU and the US have already launched massive infrastructure bills. For the years ahead, Asia, and China in particular, will lead the way with $35bn infrastructure spending out of the $66bn in global infrastructure expenditure forecasted between 2021 and 2040.

​Orocobre-Galaxy merger: the new behemoth in lithium industry - 5 May, 2021
On April 19th, the Brisbane-based Orocobre Limited announced they have come to an agreement with the peer Galaxy Resources Ltd. to merge in a A$4 (US$3.1) bn deal. This union will give birth to the world’s fifth largest player – by market capitalization - in one of the fastest growing industries: lithium chemicals.

Japan Post and Rakuten: a joint effort to escape a downward spiral - 25 April, 2021
Rakuten Inc’s shares surged up 24% on March 15th after it announced plans to raise $2.2 billion through stake sales with Chinese tech behemoth Tencent, Japan Post Holdings and Walmart in its latest attempt to fend off competition from Amazon.

Social media industry shake-up in South-East Asia - 22 April, 2021
The age of social media has changed the whole world as no trend did before, and now social media is a parcel of the everyday life of users. Due to the immense potential of social media, the global social media market is expected to tread along a healthy growth track. The scene is dominated by US and Chinese tech giants, and therefore, in March 2021, the SoftBank-backed Z Holdings merged with Line, reaching a market capitalization of $43bn, in order to become the third force in the social media landscape and reshape the industry as US giants did with previous mergers.

What is going on within the Semiconductors Market? An overview of the industry and its main logics  - 18 April, 2021
Given their wide range of applications,  global supply of semiconductors has increased in size in the previous years. To really understand the dynamics of this industry, we should focus on the supply chain and its implications. Is automotive industry a unique case or is it just the first of many sectors to suffer from the semiconductors shortage? Will the trend of de-globalization intensify this trend?

How the most significant carbon emitter can turn carbon-free by 2060 - 10 April, 2021 
At the United Nations General Assembly last December, China has pledged to become carbon neutral in the next 40 years. From increasing the number of renewable energy installations to shutting down coal mines and investing in carbon capture and storage (CSS) technologies, China has certainly a long way to go. How will the largest carbon emitter become a carbon quitter?

Baidu's IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange - 9 April, 2021
Baidu raised more than $3 billion on the 23rd of March during its IPO at the Hong Kong stock exchange. However, the increased fees on trading imposed by Chinese authorities and the general rotation from growth to value stocks didn't allow the listing to match the high expectations there were.

SPAC to De-Spac: will Asia be the next hotspot? - 5 April, 2021
The surge of newly listed SPACs in 2020 signals that more and more companies are looking for targets to acquire by the end of 2022, namely to “de-SPAC”. Asia-Pacific, where tech startups thrive on economic growth, is the place-to-be for listed SPACs. This region is experiencing a growing interest because tech-focused startups view SPACs as a more efficient 'exit' option than conventional listings.
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SK Bioscience's listing and the ever-growing South Korean IPO market - 25 March, 2021
Despite the coronavirus-induced pandemic, 2020 has seen a record number of firms going public. The Asia Pacific region has been a special contributor to this “IPO Boom”. SK Bioscience’s listing, completed on March 18, is another confirmation of the South Korean market unstoppable rise within the region. What are the main drivers behind this trend?

Alibaba: still a safe bet for long-term investors?  - 13 March, 2021
Since October Alibaba’s stock has fallen by 25% bringing the company to a market value of $643 billions. Chinese antitrust investigations on tech giants and Ant group’s halted IPO increased uncertainty over the company’s performance. Anti-china policies implemented by former president Donald Trump are another relevant concern for Jack Ma’s group. Is the company ready to face these political and regulatory risks?

Can rare-earth metals become “weapons” in the US-China trade war? - 6 March, 2021
Following the US-China trade war started under Trump’s presidency, rare-earth elements became an increasingly important topic. China is the biggest producer of these metallic elements, and analysts often wondered whether China would block its exports to counter decisions taken by the American government.

China's "e-yuan": an overview of the digital renminbi - 24 February, 2021
As the pandemic acts as a catalyst for greater digitalization, Asian central banks are conducting intense research to issue a digital version of their fiat currency. China confirms its central role in the new economic order and is spearheading the shift to e-currencies and a cashless economy. PRC's authorities, in occasion of the lunar new year of the Ox, handled out through a public lottery thousands of virtual "red packets" worth RMb200 each.​​

Bali's pristine ecosystems in pandemic times - 8 December, 2020
Looking back at 2020, the global economy has changed drastically due to the coronavirus outbreak and this is particularly true for regions where one of the main drivers of GDP was represented by tourism. Indonesia is an interesting example: an archipelago in South-Est Asia famous all over the world mainly thanks to one of its small island, Bali. What are the main countermeasures applied there during the 2020 and what could have been done better?

The "Game Changer" in SK's strategy - 6 December, 2020
SK Group is South Korea’s third-largest company. Recently, the group has decided to end all its new investments in oil and gas overseas and to lower the gas emission by two-thirds. This decision represents a significant change in the company strategy.

Antitrust laws: Is this the end of fintech monopoly? - 5 December, 2020
According to Morgan Stanley, the competitive environment in China has intensified over the years and tech giants continue to fend off new rivals that are taking away portions of their market share. For this reason, China’s bureau for regulating monopolies — the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has approved to stop anti-competitive practices in the internet sector.

China's property market seems unstoppable, but some debt issues could emerge on the horizon - 2 December, 2020
The resilience of the Chinese’s housing market could be the parachute to avoid painful economic contractions this year. However, long run trends of indicators such as urbanization rate and house prices could deflate in the near future and raise concerns on the financial stability of the massively leveraged Chinese’s property developers.

Nomura's profits from M&A have increased, due to Covid-19 - 30 November, 2020
During the past few months, Japanese companies were involved in a lot of deals, that were accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. All of these helped Nomura have one of its strongest half-yearly performances in more than two decades. 

Monte Carlo of the East - 28 November, 2020
When we think about the most-impacted business by the coronavirus outbreak, we usually refer to transportation, and hospitality but actually, the gambling sector is one of the most damaged. "Pure" casinos' operators saw their revenues decline by approximately 99% due to restrictions and have no idea how the future will look like.

A halt on the Techfin Ant Group’s IPO: an unsustainable “asset-light” business model? - 19 November, 2020
Expected to raise at least $34.4bn with the biggest-ever market listing, the colossus Ant has received a halt from Beijing.  Only two days before the expected debut, the Chinese government has published a draft regulation on the booming micro-lending sector which could cause a 6-months delay on the IPO, as well as considerable shrink in the value of Ant Group.

Some insights about the Philippine Stock Market - 15 November, 2020
The Philippine stock exchange is currently underperforming, some measures have been put into practice to revive the country's situation, with a focus in particular on small companies and emerging start-ups.

How the US ban will affect Huawei in global retail sector - 10 November, 2020
The US restriction policies and trade blacklist has affected numerous companies in Asia, in particular, the giant tech company Huawei. This action has removed the world's largest telecom equipment and smartphone vendor from all suppliers’ products that incorporate U.S. technology.

Renminbi rallies as China’s economy invigorates - 8 November, 2020
Chinese yuan’s swift appreciation has been triggered and fueled by booming economic recovery of the country in the pandemic’s aftermath and the US contribution. An omen to a dollar’s possible decline?

The “Great Leap Forward” into Finance: China’s unstoppable rise in an ever-evolving world - 1 November, 2020
Amid Sino-American tensions escalating to unprecedented levels, it is highly debated whether the "New Cold War" will jeopardize Uncle Sam's once undisputed leadership. China's incredible rebound since January and the strong optimism around its growth projections confirms the asian superpower's position as an outsider among the world's major economies

Will SoftBank find a strategy to path out from the “coronavirus valley”? – October 31, 2020
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank has attracted the attention of the markets as one of the key and more influential players and made the news for many reasons. From the heavy divestiture strategy, moving to the “Nasdaq whale” bets and ending with the talks of a potential delisting of the company, Masayoshi Son’s group has been on the headlines of the newspapers.

An alternative to traditional government bonds: the rise of foreign investments in high-yield China - 27 October, 2020
FTSE Russell has recently claimed that starting from October 2021, Chinese sovereign bonds will be included in the World Government Bond Index (WGBI). The same has been done by JP Morgan Chase and Bloomberg Barclays, which had preceded FTSE Russell in adding Chinese Renminbi bonds in their respective benchmarks, a move that highlights the increasing foreign attraction into the market.

India’s new FDI rule: Dear neighbour, you are no longer welcome - 5 May, 2020
In the midst of the global pandemic, when the slogan is “Stay at home”, India locks its doors even more with a new policy directed at foreign direct investments. The Ministry of Commerce announced that any entity based in or tied to a country “which shares [a] land border with India” will require government approval before investing in an Indian company, a move ultimately aimed at China.

Olympics postponement deals heavy blow to an already struggling Japanese economy - 27 April, 2020
After the Japanese asset price bubble, in which real estate and stock market prices were greatly inflated, Japan has experienced 3 decades of low growth and stagnation, sometimes referred to as “The Three Lost Decades”. The Olympic Games were an opportunity to reset that and to boost the economy. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, Japan’s prime minister and the International Olympic Committee agreed to postpone the Tokyo 2020 summer games until next year. This postponement will hit the struggling Japanese economy very hard.

Stay safe but be prepared- Taiwan's game - 26 April, 2020
The country of Taiwan has seen a fairly small number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 compared with its regional neighbors: Hong Kong, Singapore and especially South Korea and Japan. These results are outstanding considering the high contagiousness of the virus and the continuous exchanges with this neighbourhood. 

Who owns what? How China "shops" US high tech firms - 23 April, 2020
Once upon a time there was a land, where almost everyone could start his own business and be successful. It’s the American Dream, it’s United States of America. But right now, the owners of those companies, the ones founded by successful self-made men are really different.

The Chinese banking system under severe stress - 22 April, 2020
The outbreak of Covid-19 will cause a global recession. Policymakers have used the banking system to mitigate the slowdown of the economy. China is not an exception. The stock of NPLs will rise all over the country. Smaller regional banks exposed to SMEs and to the wholesale and retail sector are the institutions more at risk. Nevertheless, contagion risk remains high.

Are China’s electric vehicle goals threatened by coronavirus and oil shock? - 19 April, 2020
In the last decade, China increasingly became the biggest investor in renewable energies and the biggest market for electric vehicles. The country is the greenest in the world, since it has more solar and wind plants than anybody else, but also the most polluting, with increasing numbers of new coal plants being built. That’s why the Chinese government has aggressively favored the shift towards electric vehicles. However, the government’s goals could be severely jeopardized by recent disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak and the crash in oil prices.

RBI attempts to rescue Yes Bank - 16 April, 2020
India’s financial system is currently facing a big crisis. Lenders’ problems have become one of the most important issues for financial authorities, as they try to address a wave of bad loans that has already led to some non-bank lenders collapsing. In the beginning of the month, India’s central bank seized control of the heavily indebted Yes Bank, the fourth-largest private lender, replacing its board and temporarily limiting withdrawals to Rs50,000.

Philippines and Sri Lanka shut the financial markets on COVID-19 turmoil, should other countries follow in their steps? - 14 April, 2020
Philippines and Sri Lanka shut the financial markets amidst the COVID-19 turmoil, should other countries follow their steps? The concerns regarding the worldwide spread of the virus have been reflected in the financial markets, triggering their circuit breakers on multiple occasions.​

Jollibee’s U.S. Gamble costs $2.9 billion in market value - 12 April, 2020
In the midst of the flailing global economy, Philippine fast food giant Jollibee is no exception. However, Jollibee Foods Corp, responsible for 56% of the US$5 billion fast-food market in the Philippines, was struggling long before the coronavirus outbreak started. Jollibee has captured the Filipino market since inception and trounced McDonald’s on its home turf with its signature fried chicken. 

Hong Kong: a property market analysis during violent anti-government protests and coronavirus - 10 April, 2020
During the last period Hong Kong property market, one of the most unaffordable in the world, has been under pressure, firstly because of violent pro-democracy protests and the uncertainty connected to trade war between US and China, but mainly due to the outbreak of coronavirus. Indeed, home values of Hong Kong are following a declining trend, and, in February, home prices recorded the biggest drop in the last 15 months. 

Will coronavirus hit the credit card ABS market? - 1 April, 2020
Asset-backed securities (ABS) are investment products derived from pooling together several receivable assets and selling their cash flows to investors. Many of these products tend to deliver poor performances when unexpected shocks cause disruption in the economy. That is what happened in 2008. Coronavirus has shaken credit markets all around the globe, how would this virus impact ABS? South Korea was one of the first countries affected by this epidemic and studying what happened there may tell us what is going to happen in Europe in the near future.

Coronavirus: A coup de grâce for Chinese start-ups? - 31 March, 2020
From a poor fishing village on China’s Southern coast, in less than 30 years Shenzhen has developed into one of the most important tech hubs in the world. This new Silicon Valley offered a unique mixture of tech know-how and cheap manufacturing costs. While in 2018 Chinese start-ups attracted nearly 30% of global venture capital, in 2019 they managed to raise only $54 billion, about half of the figure of the previous year.

UK’s Tesco exits Malaysia and Thailand, completing its retreat from Asia - 28 March, 2020
Tesco (LSE: TSCO), the leading supermarket chain in the UK and Ireland, announced on March 9, 2020 that it has agreed to sell its Malaysian and Thai business for $10.6 billion in cash to Thai conglomerate CP Group. This deal represents the largest acquisition in Asia in the year to date and is the biggest in Thailand’s history.

The smart move of Islamic finance: sukuk bonds - 26 March, 2020
Sukuk, plural for sakk, “legal instrument”, is the Arabic name for financial certificates, incorrectly named “Islamic bonds”. These securities bend the problem of the interest payment by interposing, generally, a tangible asset in the investment: in doing so, Sukuk holders receive their profit as a sort of rent (which is allowed under Islamic law).

Gojek raises $1.2 bn capital to fight Grab. Would a tie-up make sense? - 25 March, 2020
Indonesia’s ride-hailing giant Gojek has raised $1.2 billion for expansion and increased its Series F round total to just under $3 billion, according to an internal memo sent by its co-CEOs on March 17th. The new financing was finalized just over the past week, when the Covid-19 outbreak quickened its spread and triggered market routs across the globe.

Thriving real estate markets: Singapore - 22 March, 2020
The Singapore luxury property market, which performed further above expectations in 2019, is likely to outperform in 2020 as new deliveries are due. At the same time, intense competition among developers may occur price increases for higher-end properties.  Foreign buyers will continue their investments as they regard Singapore a relatively cheaper property destination compared to the likes of London or New York.

Will Nio recover? Chinese TESLA Alternative Bailout Request - 19 March, 2020
China and the United States have, in recent years, engaged in what the Brookings Institution calls “responsible competition” not only through their notorious trade war, but also by means of expanding into foreign markets. Tensions between the two countries have further burgeoned as China attempts to infiltrate the vehicle manufacturing market. 

SoftBank: outlook for the second vision fund? - 18 March, 2020
SoftBank Group Corp. is a Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company with the headquarter in Tokyo. The company owns stakes in Softbank Corp., Softbank Vision Fund, Arm Holdings, Alibaba, Yahoo Japan, Uber, many more companies. The Japanese-based company reported earlier this month the second quarter of losses regarding its first Vision Fund. This information is pushing Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son to scale back his second fund.

Big Hit Entertainment, the label of K-pop boy band BTS, picks underwriters for IPO - 11 March, 2020
K-Pop has never been more popular. How valuable is K-pop to the South Korean economy is a little tricky to quantify but surely it is playing an increasingly important role. It contributes to the so-called “Korean culture export” that values 10 billion dollars annually according to local economists, but this figure is a little bit skewed because includes gaming and movies but it does not include around 5 billion dollars in annual sales of consumer goods.

Coronavirus bonds: helping people or balance sheets? - 7 March, 2020
​On January 31th, the Chinese government along with the people’s Bank of China, the Finance Ministry and Securities and banking Regulators have agreed on a new financial policy package. An interesting part of lengthy financial policy is a new funding instrument called "epidemic prevention and control bonds," otherwise known as “Virus Bonds”.

Understanding Hong Kong’s Real Estate slowdown - 6 March, 2020
For decades, Hong Kong real estate market experienced a crescendo of seamless and thriving growth becoming the most expensive market globally in terms of affordability for medium income households, as shown in several studies. However, a combination of an uncertain political turmoil, the pressure deriving from the US-China trade war and now the current outbreak of the Covid-19 are deeply threatening the sound development of Hong Kong’s property market...

Bad debt surge and liquidity shortfall: the Chinese case - 4 March, 2020
Non-performing loans are credits deemed uncollectible and thus written off by banks. This procedure causes banks’ capital position to deteriorate and thus leverage and risk to pile up in banks’ balance sheets. This problem is becoming crucial in the Chinese banking system, due to a long period of loose lending, sustained by a steep economic growth that initially fueled loans repayment. 

Chinese pharma industry: too expensive? - December 8, 2019
The largest population in the world and an aging trend has made pharma one of the most important and growing industry in China. In particular, China is the world’s second largest pharmaceutical market, worth $130 bln and still expanding at a fast pace. 

SK Biopharmaceuticals IPO: the approval from FDA boosts market expectations - December 7, 2019
First months of 2020 are going to inaugurate a new positive season for IPOs in South Korean markets because of the recent announcement that SK Biopharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of the group SK Holdings Co. and the third drug producer of the country, filed the preliminary requests for the process of listing in the Korea Exchange.

Yahoo Japan and Line are merging to repel US tech giants from the Asian market - December 5, 2019
Japan's biggest search engine and messaging app are set to merge under a deal agreed by their parent companies. Masayoshi Son, the founder of SoftBank (that is the parent of Yahoo Japan), is trying to orchestrate a deal between Yahoo Japan and Line that values the messaging service at $11.5 billion. SoftBank and South Korea’s Naver Corp. will take Line private and then fold Line and Yahoo Japan into a new joint venture. 

Investors aren't scared of Hong Kong recession - December 3, 2019
Chinese retail group Alibaba has announced this year's biggest share sale in June, with a plan to raise up to HK$100bn (£10bn) through a listing in Hong Kong. This is the first sale of this size being reviewed just days after confirmation of Hong Kong's plunge into the recession. Daily turnover on HK's stock market was HK$75.9 billion, down 20% annually. 

Thailand’s economy - an inside look - November 29, 2019
The Bank of Thailand announced earlier this month that Thailand’s benchmark interest rate would be cut to a record low of 1.25%. It is the second time in three months that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has agreed to a rate cut after the Southeast Asian country has seen the weakest growth in five years and is need of both monetary and fiscal stimulus to ramp up the economic outlook. 

Chinese banks need for capital: perpetual and convertible bonds - November 27, 2019
Years of strong economic growth and loose lending policies have brought to a rapid expansion of Chinese banks’ balance sheets. Now the situation has completely changed, with corporate bonds’ default levels dramatically increasing and growing concern on banks’ solidity. To respond to mounting financial risk the Chinese regulator has implemented the global Basel III rules on banks’ capital adequacy, forcing institutions to increase their capital to withstand possible future financial downturns.

​US blacklists 28 major Chinese companies; among them some of the leading AI companies in the world - November 25, 2019
On the 9th of October 2019, CNN shared a video named “Xinjiang: A New Explanation.” The video shot from a drone shows a large number of blindfolded, handcuffed men being transferred from a train station in China and it has managed to intensify suspicions over the crackdown on the Muslim minority of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Northwestern China. But how did these suspicions lead to the US blacklisting 28 major Chinese companies and among them some of the leading AI companies in the world?

​Driving into the future - Toyota’s opportunity to disrupt the market with hydrogen fuel cell automobiles - November 21, 2019
When it comes to the automotive industry, most of the discussions boil down to electric vehicles and sustainability. Indeed, as environmental awareness is significantly building, car makers face a huge pressure from both regulators and from the society to cut emissions and greenhouse gases. 

Why South East Asia is so important to Alibaba - November 19, 2019
Ant Financial, Alibaba’s affiliate company, is in talks to lead a 600-million-dollar round of funding for the Indian company Zomato, after it acquired 10% stake last year for 210 million. This is only the latest move in the company’s broader strategy in South East Asia. Ant Financial controls the world’s largest mobile and online paying platform, Alipay, and has been expanding in the industry, acquiring companies in area, creating a vast network for digital payments. 

Chinese economic slowdown affects the World economy - November 17, 2019
China has the world’s fastest growing economy averaging a growth rate of 10% over the past 30 years. Driven by its manufacturing sector which exports goods that are consumed all over the world, in 2017, China’s economy was the second largest by gross domestic product and the largest by purchasing power parity. The country’s economic growth is slowing down leading to an expansion of merely 6% this quarter which is considered to be quite low for the Chinese economy-a reason for people to worry.

Why President Xi Jinping aimed to ‘shake’ Crypto Market with his endorsement of blockchain - November 15, 2019
On October 25th 2019, following a three-day plunge, there was a sharp 40% increase in the value of Bitcoin within the span of less than 4 hours; being the third all-time increase of the currency jumping as high as $10,332 on peak hours. The cause of this price spike is theorized to have occurred as a consequence of China’s president Xi Jinping’s declaration that the country must “seize opportunity” to adopt blockchain, which is the technology underpinning cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.