Flash News

TREE NEWS update: The Shenzhen Stock Exchange announced that Hong Kong Stock Connect southbound trading will be suspended from September 25 (Friday) to September 27 (Sunday) for the Mid-Autumn Festival, resuming on September 28 (Monday). Trading will again be halted from October 1 (Thursday) to October 7 (Wednesday) for National Day, resuming October 8 (Thursday). September 20 (Sunday) and October 10 (Saturday) are weekend closures.

TREE NEWS reports: Tata Sons’ board is reportedly set to seek an extension of its chairman’s term and has approved a plan to take the company public. The move would open India’s largest conglomerate holding company to outside shareholders. No timeline or further details were given.

TREE NEWS update: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on September 17 that dialogue with the United States has produced no substantive results for Russia and is unlikely to do so. His remarks follow US envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s visits to Russia and Ukraine on September 5-6 with a so-called peace plan, and a one-hour call between the two presidents on September 8 that both sides assessed positively.

TREE NEWS update: The 2026 China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Ministerial Roundtable was held in Nanning, Guangxi, bringing together AI-related government representatives from China and 11 ASEAN countries, along with ASEAN diplomats in China and delegates from key AI enterprises, research institutions and financial institutions. In the roundtable session, participants held in-depth discussions on AI development, governance, application and industrial cooperation, focused on AI safety and ethics and data and security cooperation.

TREE NEWS update: Shannon Semiconductor (Shannon Xinchuang) said on September 17 at the 2026 Anhui listed-company investor online reception that its operations are running normally and its partnership with core supplier SK Hynix is sound and stable. The company said product prices are affected by supply and demand and other factors, and it holds a cautiously optimistic view on memory product prices.

TREE NEWS reports: Nasdaq 100 futures rose 1.1% on the day, reaching a new intraday high. The move extends gains in the index’s futures contract, with the advance broadening during the session. No further details were immediately available.

TREE NEWS reports: Eurozone harmonized consumer price inflation for August was finalized at 3.2% year over year, Eurostat data showed, below the 3.3% analyst expectation and the 3.3% preliminary reading. The downward revision puts headline inflation further below the prior flash estimate for the month.

TREE NEWS reports: European Central Bank Governing Council member Gabriel Makhlouf said every policy meeting is a live one for possible rate action, and did not rule out a hike at the October 29 meeting. He said there are no worrying signs yet that inflation is spreading into wages, and that officials will decide on rates based on conditions as they develop. Makhlouf said nothing can be excluded or guaranteed at upcoming meetings.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy International Trade Representative Ling Ji attended the 25th Meeting of Economic and Trade Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states on September 17 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The meeting focused on implementing key consensus from the SCO Bishkek summit and planning the next stage of regional economic cooperation, preparing the economic and trade agenda for this year’s SCO Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) Council meeting.

TREE NEWS update: Russia destroyed a bridge in Ukraine that is critical to the country’s grain exports, Reuters reported. The strike targets infrastructure used to move agricultural commodities out of Ukraine. No further details on the location, timing or damage were immediately available.

TREE NEWS update: The Ya’an Economic and Technological Development Zone has published the first environmental impact assessment notice for CATL’s lithium salt production base, a 1.4 billion yuan project designed to produce about 40,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate, 30,000 tonnes of lithium dihydrogen phosphate and 130,000 tonnes of thenardite annually. The filing comes as lithium carbonate prices slide, with the GFEX LC2701 contract closing at 125,820 yuan per tonne on September 16, down 2.95% and its sixth straight decline.

TREE NEWS update: French far-right leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said she has not ruled out tabling a no-confidence motion against the government over the 2027 budget. She simultaneously pledged not to take any action that could worsen France’s already strained fiscal position. The remarks leave open the possibility of a parliamentary challenge to the government while signalling restraint on fiscal stability.

TREE NEWS update: Australian Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke announced on the 17th that the government will tighten student dependent visas and adjust working holiday visa policies to reduce migration levels. Speaking in Canberra, Burke said the government aims to lower net overseas migration to 245,000 this fiscal year and further to 225,000 in fiscal 2027-2028.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held a video meeting with European Commission Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič to discuss China-EU economic and trade issues. The talks took place at the EU side’s request. No further details of the discussion were disclosed.

TREE NEWS reports: The onshore yuan closed at 6.7085 per US dollar at 16:30 Beijing time, down 21 pips from the previous official close. Against the prior overnight close, the currency gained 16 pips. The official fixing marks the reference point for the trading day.

TREE NEWS update: Xiaomi affiliate Hanxing Venture Capital and a vehicle controlled by JD.com founder Liu Qiangdong have joined Shanghai Wuyuan Shiyuan Private Fund Partnership as partners, with the fund’s capital contribution rising from 10 million yuan to 450 million yuan. The fund, established in June 2026, engages in private equity investment, investment management and asset management.

TREE NEWS reports: ZAMS Asset Management, a London-based energy commodities hedge fund founded by former Balyasny trader Zulfiqar Ali, is positioning to profit from how an evolving super El Niño reshapes global weather patterns and markets. Ali said that as El Niño grows “increasingly strong,” the fund is ready to seize opportunities and exit quickly when markets become dislocated, with average holding periods of just eight days.

TREE NEWS reports: The Japanese Bankers Association warned Thursday that continued rises in government bond yields could lead to asset write-downs and losses at banks. Chairman Masahiko Kato said sustained increases in JGB yields may result in valuation losses and actual losses, and that banks may wait to add JGB holdings until the yield outlook is clearer and policy rates peak. Japan’s financial regulator said this month it is closely watching how banks manage interest-rate risks.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, met with Luhut, chairman of Indonesia’s National Economic Council, in Beijing on September 17. The meeting was confirmed by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

TREE NEWS reports: Shanghai’s cumulative imports and exports reached 3.44 trillion yuan in the first eight months of the year, up 17.1% year on year. In August alone, trade rose 13.1%, with exports up 16.1% and imports up 10.5%, despite two typhoons. Trade with South Korea grew 64.3%, with exports up 1.3 times, while ASEAN remained Shanghai’s largest trading partner for a fourth month, with trade up 30.6%.