THE EDGE INSIGHTS
Latest Economic Insights
Economic developments that matter to regional and global markets, analysed daily.
TSMC Profit Jumps 77 Percent to a Record Even as a Chinese AI Model Helps Tip Chip Stocks Into a 20 Percent Bear Market
The two faces of the artificial-intelligence trade were on display within a single week. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company reported a 77.4 percent…
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Market Wrap MENA-Asia 16 July: Cairo Nears 53,000 and Saudi Edges Up to Close the Week as the Bank of Korea’s First Hike Since 2023 Sinks Seoul 6.4 Percent
Asia's whipsaw week found its policy trigger on Thursday and the Gulf closed its first full week of the escalation barely changed.…
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Bank of Korea Raises Its Base Rate to 2.75 Percent in Its First Hike Since 2023
The Bank of Korea raised its benchmark base rate by 25 basis points to 2.75 percent from 2.50 percent on 16 July,…
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Beijing Reportedly Set to Let Top Chinese AI Firms Buy Nvidia H200 Chips, With Approvals Capped Below 200,000 Units
Chinese officials have told Alibaba, ByteDance and DeepSeek in recent weeks that they may soon receive permission to buy Nvidia H200 chips,…
Read more →Market Wrap MENA-Asia 7 July: Asia Sells Off Led by Korea as the Gulf Holds Firm and Egypt Rises
Asian equity markets fell sharply on Tuesday in a renewed technology-led selloff, led by a steep drop in South Korea, while Gulf…
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Market Wrap MENA-Asia 1 July: Dubai Leads the Gulf Higher as Japan and China Advance and Hong Kong Rests for a Holiday
Gulf markets started the second half of the year mostly higher, led by Dubai and Oman, while Egypt ended little changed and…
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China’s Central Bank Adds an Overnight Lending Tool as It Moves Toward a Fed-Style Rate Framework
China's central bank is adding an overnight tenor to its open-market operations, a technical but significant step in a multi-year effort to…
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Apple Seeks US Clearance to Buy CXMT Memory Chips as AI Demand Drives Up Component Costs
Apple has asked US officials for clearance and policy assurances to buy memory chips from ChangXin Memory Technologies, a Chinese DRAM manufacturer…
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China Industrial Profits Rise 18.8 Percent in the First Five Months as AI-Linked Electronics Lead
Profits at China's large industrial firms rose 18.8 percent year on year in the first five months of 2026, to about 3.14…
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Tokyo Inflation Accelerates in June, Strengthening the Case for Gradual Bank of Japan Tightening
Tokyo consumer inflation accelerated in June, giving markets an early signal that Japan's price pressures are firming again after several months of…
Read more →Bank of Japan Signals More Rate Hikes Ahead as Board Eyes a Neutral Rate Near 2 Percent
The Bank of Japan has moved further into policy normalisation, with its June communication pointing to more rate increases if the economy…
Read more →China’s Softer Data Brings the Rate Cut Option Back Into Focus
A further cut in Chinese interest rates this year remains possible, though not assured, as signs of softer domestic demand renew the…
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China Narrows Its Budget Deficit for the First Time Since 2023 as Beijing Holds Back Stimulus
China's combined fiscal deficit narrowed for the first time in more than two years, pointing to a more restrained policy stance even…
Read more →Bank of Japan Raises Rate to 1%, Its Highest Since 1995, and Signals More to Come
The Bank of Japan raised its policy interest rate to around 1.0% from 0.75% on 16 June 2026, lifting borrowing costs to…
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China’s Wholesale Input Prices Split in Early June as Coal Costs Jump and Steel Eases
China's high frequency gauge of industrial input costs pointed in two directions at once in the first ten days of June, with…
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Hong Kong Overtakes Switzerland as World’s Top Wealth Booking Center
Hong Kong narrowly overtook Switzerland as the world’s largest cross-border wealth booking center in 2025, reaching about $2.95 trillion versus Switzerland’s $2.94…
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Aluminium Near Four Year High as China Output Risks Tighten Supply Outlook
Aluminium prices have surged close to their highest level in four years as markets react to potential production cuts in China, the…
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