
Hong Kong Stocks Rally As Hang Seng Hits Multi-Year High
The HSI advanced from around 24,280 on July 14 to close at 24,825.66 on July 18, marking a robust 2.2% weekly gain. The rally mirrored upbeat sentiment in regional markets, as the MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan index also hit a multi-year high, buoyed by strong US economic data and positive corporate earnings.
All sectors contributed to the advance, with Chinese blue-chip stocks leading gains. Investors shrugged off lingering tariff concerns and focused on improving macro signals from the US and China.
The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) also announced major infrastructure updates, including a proposal to shorten the equities settlement cycle from T+2 to T+1, aiming for implementation by 2027. This move aligns with global financial hubs and aims to reduce systemic risks.
HKEX also launched a 30-year RMB interest rate swap under Northbound Swap Connect and introduced a new order routing service on its Integrated Fund Platform, reinforcing Hong Kong's position as a key cross-border financial centre.
Outlook: With momentum building and HIS at a multi-year high, investors are eyeing this week's US macroeconomic data and developments in China's property sector for further direction. Analysts remain cautiously optimistic but note that volatility could return on shifting global trade and interest rate dynamics. Related
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Malay Mail
12 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Alibaba Unveils Cutting-Edge AI Coding Model Qwen3-Coder
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Malay Mail
12 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
‘Turun Anwar is trending but is it the answer? — E Jia Xi
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When Anwar Ibrahim took office in late 2022, he didn't just inherit a seat, he inherited a ticking fiscal time bomb. An annual subsidy bill ballooning to over RM80 billion. Billions borrowed today just to repay the RM48 billion 1MDB debt. National debt and liabilities approaching RM1.5 trillion. 27 consecutive years of budget deficit. A rakyat fatigued by instability, and suspicious of every policy. None of this can be solved in two and a half years. To claim otherwise is either naive, or dishonest. The world is hurting - not just us Malaysia doesn't exist in a vacuum. Global inflation didn't spare us. Since the pandemic, supply chains have fractured. Wars in Ukraine and Gaza have pushed commodity prices upward. The US, China, and Europe are battling their own inflation crises, while central banks worldwide are raising interest rates. We are not alone in our struggles. 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That a government is only legitimate if it delivers miracles in two years? That we want change, but only if it feels good, fast, and free? That's not democracy. That's impatience dressed as principle. We forget that democratic maturity isn't measured by how often we change leaders but by how well we hold them accountable without collapsing the system. And we must ask: if not Anwar, then who? If not now, then when? If we replace a government midstream with no credible alternative coalition, we invite chaos. When opposition politicians chant hashtags instead of offering real solutions, they are not building a better future. They are gambling with our present. They want power, not progress. And when the dust settles, it will be us who juggle three jobs, or struggle to pay rent, not them. Criticism is healthy, cynicism is not This is not a call for blind loyalty. Anwar and his team must communicate better, listen harder, and act faster. Malaysians have every right to demand more: more transparency, more empathy, more urgency. But tearing down a reformist government without offering a better plan is not activism. It is despair. If we really want to fight injustice, then our frustration must fuel policy advocacy, not performative hashtags. We can choose to be angry and constructive. We can hold our leaders accountable and protect our democratic process. These are not contradictions. They are the duties of citizens in a fragile democracy. We are all being tested, not just the PM This is not just Anwar Ibrahim's test. It is ours. Can we resist the temptation of instant gratification? Can we support reform even when it hurts in the short term? Can we distinguish between disappointment and disaster? Anwar is not perfect. No leader is. But for the first time in a long time, we have a leader trying to clean up the mess instead of covering it up. That deserves scrutiny, not sabotage. We've spent decades watching this country fall apart. Don't let a moment of frustration undo the hope we've finally begun to rebuild. Reform is not a sprint. It is a long, uneven road. If we abandon it at the first storm, we'll never know how far we could've gone. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.


Malay Mail
42 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
20 things we think you should buy at MR D.I.Y.
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