
Pop Mart's 200% stock rally spurs rush to hike price targets
At least five brokerages, including Deutsche Bank AG and Morgan Stanley, have lifted projections on the Hong Kong-listed stock this week. Citigroup Inc. hiked its price target by 90% to a street high of HK$308 apiece, citing the growing influence of the company's intellectual properties globally.
Pop Mart shares rose as much as 3.5% on Friday, extending their year-to-date climb to around 200%, before erasing those gains midday. Earlier this week, the stock touched a fresh record high.
The growing popularity of Pop Mart's toothy monster dolls is boosting sales prospects for the firm. THE MONSTERS blind-box series, with Labubu at its center, generated more than 3 billion yuan in sales for Pop Mart last year, accounting for almost one-fourth of the company's revenue.
Pop Mart is trading above the 12-month average analyst price target tracked by Bloomberg and the rally has pushed shares to overbought territory. While valuations at 45 times forward earnings have topped that for peers like Sanrio Co. and Walt Disney Co., some analysts are optimistic that shares can continue to rise after tripling so far this year.
The stock is the best performer on the MSCI China Index this year after making it among the biggest gainers on the gauge in 2024. –BLOOMBERG
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Malay Mail
5 hours ago
- Malay Mail
New Home Sales and Returning Investors Help Drive Hong Kong Residential Market Transactions
Overall Office Leasing Activity Picks Up, but Grade A Office and Prime Retail High-Street Rents Remain Under Pressure Homebuyers and investors were both active in the Hong Kong residential market in Q2 2025, incentivized by a weakening HIBOR and rapid launches of new projects by developers at attractive prices. The total residential transaction number for the Q2 period is expected to rise by 30% q-o-q to reach 15,900 units. The Grade A office new-lease transaction area reached 1.2 million sf, the highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic period. However, the overall Grade A office rental level continued to decline, falling 1% q-o-q, resulting in an overall 3.4% drop for the 1H 2025 period. Retail market sale performance has yet to demonstrate significant improvement despite an increase in visitor arrivals. High street vacancy rates generally trended upwards across core districts in Q2, weighing on overall rental levels. Nevertheless, a notable number of new leasing transactions were recorded, reflecting an ongoing "tenant reshuffling" in the market. Grade A office leasing market: New lease area reached 1.2 million sf, the highest level since the COVID-19 period Chart 1: Rents of Grade A offices in Hong Kong Retail leasing market: Retail sales continued to contract despite improving tourist arrivals, while high street rents remained under pressure Chart 2: High street retail rents in prime districts in Hong Kong Residential market: L ower HIBOR and active new launches drive transactions; home prices stabilize in Q 2 Chart 3: Number of residential sale & purchase agreements HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 3 July 2025 -Global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield today held itspress conference. The one-month Hong Kong Interbank Offered Rate (HIBOR) has been gradually softening since May, resulting in lower mortgage rates. Coupled with developers actively launching new residential projects at competitive prices, momentum in the primary residential market remained strong in the period. Improved rental yields also encouraged investors to re-enter the housing market, supporting monthly transaction volumes that exceeded 5,000 cases in the Grade A office sector, net absorption remained positive in Q2, with Hong Kong Island showing greater resilience. However, high availability and an abundant future supply pipeline continued to weigh on rental performance. In the retail sector, despite a steady rise in visitor arrivals, retail sales have yet to show notable improvement. Vacancy pressures persisted, leading to a general downward trend of high street retail rents during Hong Kong Grade A office market witnessed accelerated leasing momentum in Q2 2025, underpinned by relocation and expansion activities from the banking & finance and insurance sectors, The new leased transaction area for Q2 2025 reached 1.2 million sf, the highest quarterly level since Q3 2019. Several big-ticket deals were recorded, including Jane Street's pre-commitment of more than 207,000 sf at Site 3 at the Central Harbourfront project. The overall office availability rate remained largely stable at 19.3% in Q2, while quarterly positive net absorption slowed, dropping almost 50% to record 71,400 sf. With the new supply pipeline remaining abundant, the overall Grade A office rental level continued to trend down, dropping 1% q-o-q in Q2, contributing to an overall 3.4% drop for the 1H 2025 "In the 1H 2025 period, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is expected to rank first globally in terms of funds raised through the Initial Public Offering (IPO) market — reclaiming the top spot for the first time since 2019. With more Chinese mainland stocks expected in the pipeline, this should help support office market sentiment and stimulate downstream leasing demand, particularly in the banking & finance and professional services sectors. Despite the improving market sentiment, an ample new supply pipeline and high availability may continue to weigh on rental performance in 2H 2025, and we forecast the overall office rental to decline by 7%–9% throughout 2025."John Siu added, "According to Cushman & Wakefield's new What Occupiers Want 2025 report, the top three priorities shaping occupiers' leasing strategies are cost control, talent retention, and operational excellence. While occupiers remain cost-cautious, they increasingly recognize the importance of a healthy and engaging workplace in attracting and retaining talent. Against this backdrop, other than offering rental incentives, we encourage landlords to collaborate closely with occupiers to create unique and value-driven work environments, so as to stand out in today's highly competitive office market."For the January to May 2025 period, Hong Kong recorded more than 20 million visitor arrivals, growing 12% y-o-y. We believe this growth is supported by the opening of the Kai Tak Sports Park and the recent hosting of a range of mega-events at the venue. However, the rise in visitor numbers has not yet translated into stronger retail sales. From January to May 2025, total retail sales in Hong Kong amounted to HK$ 155.1 billion, reflecting a y-o-y decline of 4.0%. Visitor spending has become more cautious, with a growing preference for cultural experiences and value-for-money retail offerings. As a result, traditionally popular high-end retail categories have been most affected. Sales in the Jewellery & Watches and Apparel & Accessories sectors declined by 8.8% and 5.7% y-o-y, respectively. The Medicines & Cosmetics and Food, Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco sectors recorded modest growth, rising by 3.4% and 2.7% y-o-y, rates generally trended upwards across core retail districts in Q2 2025. The vacancy rate in Causeway Bay showed the most notable increase to climb to 13.2%, from 5.3% last quarter. Vacancy rates in Mongkok and Central rose slightly q-o-q, to 9.5% and 8.6%, respectively, while Tsimshatsui remained stable at 9.4%. Retail leasing activity was most active in Mongkok in the Q2 period, supported by the district's relatively attractive rental levels and stable tourist street retail rents generally fell in Q2, in response to lifted vacancy pressure. Rents in Causeway Bay fell by 3.6% q-o-q, followed by Tsimshatsui and Mongkok at 3.4% and 1.7% q-o-q, respectively. Rents in Central rose slightly at 0.2% q-o-q, supported by resilient local demand. In the F&B sector, rents across districts recorded a mild decline on a q-o-q basis, within a 1% "The Hong Kong retail market is experiencing a reshuffling of tenants. Retailers and F&B operators that are promoting local culture, offering unique experiences, and offering high-quality services and products, will likely be favored by tourists and will be able to prosper in the market. In contrast, some traditional retailers will be forced out of the market due to their failure to adapt to the shifted consumption patterns. Nevertheless, leasing activity in core districts has remained active. The current attractive rental level is lowering entry costs for new market players, while benefitting more mass-market retailers aiming to enter high-street areas. Looking ahead, with the opening of the Kai Tak Stadium, we expect that the government will continue to promote mega-events and world-class concerts, in turn drawing more international visitors and tourism spending. We expect high street retail rents and F&B rents to remain largely stable in the 2H 2025 period, and to mildly correct in the range of -1% to -3% through 2025."Overall sentiment in Hong Kong's residential market continued to improve in Q2 2025. The decline in the HIBOR during the quarter, which remained at relatively low levels, helped reduce mortgage and entry costs, creating favorable conditions for homebuyers. At the same time, developers actively launched new projects with attractive pricing strategies, fueling strong activity in the primary market and sustaining high overall transaction volumes. According to Cushman & Wakefield estimates, the total number of residential sales and purchase agreements in Q2 is expected to reach approximately 15,900, representing a 30% q-o-q increase, reflecting the continued market purchasing "The positive market response to new launches between March and May supported monthly transaction volumes exceeding 5,000 units, indicating resilient end-user demand and contributing to home price stabilization. Based on data from the Rating and Valuation Department, the overall residential price index edged up by 0.5% between April and May, narrowing the first five months' decline to 0.9%. On the leasing front, the growing number of expats and non-local students, coupled with the traditional leasing peak season in May and June, drove the private residential rental index up by 0.67% m-o-m in May, resulting in a 1.4% increase over the first five months of 2025. Looking ahead, while global uncertainties persist and the sustainability of low HIBOR remains uncertain, a potential interest rate cut by the U.S. later this year could further support lower HIBOR levels, providing a positive narrative for the housing market. We maintain our earlier forecast that overall transaction volume will be similar to last year, with full-year home price fluctuations expected to remain within a ±3% range."concluded, "According to our tracking of popular housing estates, all market segments showed some improvement in Q2. Notably, City One Shatin, representing the mass market, recorded a 2.3% q-o-q sale price increase. Taikoo Shing, representing the mid-market, saw a modest 0.4% q-o-q rise, while Bel-Air, representing the luxury segment, saw sale prices decline narrowly by 2.5% q-o-q. Recently, some banks have relaunched mortgage cash rebate programs, effectively lowering the entry threshold and stimulating buying interest among prospective purchasers. Over the past one to two months, we observed an approximately 5% increase in mortgage inquiries compared to April. Among the newly signed provisional sale and purchase agreements, 60%–70% of transaction prices were 3% to 5% higher than their online valuations. These changes were most concentrated in properties priced at around the HK$10 million mark, and particularly in the HK$3– 4 million range, indicating a recovery in demand for small- to mid-sized units."Please click here to download 1: (From left to right), Senior Director, Valuation and Consultancy Services, Hong Kong, Cushman & Wakefield;, Managing Director, Head of Project and Occupier Services, Hong Kong, Cushman & Wakefield and, Executive Director, Head of Research, Hong Kong, Cushman & #Cushman&Wakefield The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Cushman & Wakefield Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global commercial real estate services firm for property owners and occupiers with approximately 52,000 employees in nearly 400 offices and 60 countries. In Greater China, a network of 23 offices serves local markets across the region. In 2024, the firm reported revenue of $9.4 billion across its core services of Valuation, Consulting, Project & Development Services, Capital Markets, Project & Occupier Services, Industrial & Logistics, Retail, and others. Built around the belief that Better never settles, the firm receives numerous industry and business accolades for its award-winning culture. For additional information, visit or follow us on LinkedIn (


The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
Pangaea Connectivity announced FY2025 Results: Revenue increased 53.8% to HK$2,128,200,000 driven by AI-Optimized Connectivity and Green Energy Technologies
HONG KONG SAR - EQS Newswire - 3 July 2025 - Pangaea Connectivity Technology Limited ('Pangaea' or the 'Company', together with its subsidiaries, the 'Group', stock code: 1473), a key player in the advanced connectivity segment, is pleased to announce its annual results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025. The Group achieved a historic milestone with record revenue of HK$2,128,200,000, representing a 53.8% year-on-year growth. This exceptional performance underscores the Group's success of its strategic initiatives and business focus in AI-optimized connectivity, renewable energy technologies, and next-generation wireless solutions, despite persistent global trade challenges. Three Core Technologies Fueling Growth The Group's success stems from three technological pillars: AI-Optimized Optical Connectivity, and High-Power Laser and Next-Gen Wireless Communication. Amid the explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC), the Group's 800G/1.6T Linear-drive Pluggable Optics (LPO) technology solution has emerged as a game-changer. By eliminating power-hungry digital signal processing (DSP) chips found in traditional optical modules, LPO delivers power savings while maintaining ultra-low latency—making it a critical enabler for AI data center upgrades. The Xi'an Industrial Laser Service Center has developed to be a hub for supporting the innovation in high-power laser processing for solar back-contact (BC) battery manufacturing. Renewable energy technologies are advancing rapidly, particularly in solar BC battery manufacturing where the Group's high-power laser systems deliver unparalleled processing efficiency and precision working alongside the market existing generation of TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) and N-type technologies. The Group's early-mover advantage has recognized by leading global energy players. The same high-power laser innovations are also revolutionizing PCB and semiconductor manufacturing through faster, more energy-efficient processing. In wireless connectivity, the Group's pioneering WiFi8 products are expected to deliver multi-gigabit speeds, ultra-low latency, and enhanced network efficiency, making it ideal for smart factories, autonomous vehicles, and immersive digital experiences. By collaborating with leading suppliers and end users, the Group aims to be an early adopter and enabler of this transformative standard. Global Expansion Strengthens Supply Chain Resilience To navigate geopolitical challenges, the Group has expanded its smart logistics hubs in Wuhan and Shenzhen, enabling faster response times and reduced lead times for critical components. Our 24/7 technical support and maintenance services further strengthen customer trust and satisfaction. Southeast Asia represents a key growth market, with Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam investing heavily in 5G/AI infrastructure, the Group has been engaging with few regional infrastructure developers. Outlook: Leading at the Nexus of AI and Green Energy Looking ahead, Pangaea's commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and supplier/customer collaboration ensures the Group is well-positioned to capitalize on the recent and upcoming trends. The technological expertise of the Gorup in the high-growth sectors - LPO for AI infrastructure, advanced high-power laser applications, and next-gen wireless – well positions the Group for sustainable long-term growth in the evolving tech landscape. Mr. Fung Yui Kong, Chairman, CEO, and Executive Director of Pangaea Connectivity Technology Limited, said, 'Our record performance proves the power of converging AI and green energy technologies, as we enter the 1.6T era for AI infrastructure and the mass adoption of BC solar technology, Pangaea is uniquely positioned to drive sustainable technological transformation.' The chairman emphasized that, 'Global AI data center growth has created unprecedented opportunities. We've actively advanced AI development, recognizing rising demand for AI-enabled communications devices in data centers and HPC environments. Our products meet AI's stringent requirements , and are driving innovation. As AI demand surges, our connectivity solutions play a pivotal role. Moving forward, we'll intensify investment to deliver high-performance, efficient and scalable products, strengthening our market leadership and technological edge.' About Pangaea Connectivity Technology Limited Founded in 1990, Pangaea Connectivity Technology Limited is an innovative technology company. The Company focuses on four major market sectors, namely AI HPC (High Performance Computing), Green Energy (Industrial Lasers), Wi-Fi and IoT Connectivity, and Telecommunication Infrastructure. In recent years, the Company has been actively involved in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and green initiatives, and is committed to capitalizing on the rapidly evolving generative AI technologies to drive cross-industry transformative outcomes. Meanwhile, as part of its commitment to sustainability and green initiatives, the Company has pioneered the development and utilization of industrial laser processing technology for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels application.


Malaysia Sun
6 hours ago
- Malaysia Sun
BMI maintains Malaysia's CPO prices forecast as ample supply caps gains
Xinhua 03 Jul 2025, 11:45 GMT+10 KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Xinhua) -- BMI Country Risk and Industry Research has maintained its forecast for Malaysia's crude palm oil (CPO) prices as ample supply to cap gains despite policy-driven support. The Fitch Solutions research house said in a note on Tuesday that it maintained its average annual price forecast for Bursa Malaysia-listed CPO futures contracts in 2025 at 4,150 ringgit (981 U.S. dollars) per ton. As of the market's closure on June 27, front-month CPO contracts settled at 3,986 ringgit per ton, bringing the year-to-date average to 4,360 ringgit per ton. "We expect global production to reach 80.6 million tons in the 2025/26 season, representing a 2.4 percent year-on-year increase, facilitated by an expected 0.5 percent year-on-year increase in Malaysia, and a 3.3 percent increase in Indonesia," said the research house. BMI also expects global palm oil consumption in the 2025/26 season to reach 78.3 million tons, representing a year-on-year increase of 1 percent. "Despite only a marginal year-on-year increase in consumption, we expect the global production surplus to widen from 1.2 million tons in the 2024/25 season to 2.3 million tons in the 2025/26 season, which we anticipate will place a lid on global prices throughout the remainder of 2025 and into the first half of 2026," it said. (1 ringgit equals 0.24 U.S. dollars)