China’s annual parliamentary “two sessions” have been framed as a show of resilience in a turbulent world. That framing is not wrong but it is incomplete. Beijing’s deliberately lower 2026 economic growth target is less an admission of weakness than a signal that the growth playbook is being rewritten. For Hong Kong, this is not background noise. It is a test of whether policy alignment can be con...
China’s annual parliamentary “two sessions” have been framed as a show of resilience in a turbulent world. That framing is not wrong but it is incomplete. Beijing’s deliberately lower 2026 economic growth target is less an admission of weakness than a signal that the growth playbook is being rewritten. For Hong Kong, this is not background noise. It is a test of whether policy alignment can be converted into institutional credibility. When Premier Li Qiang delivered the government work report last Thursday, the architecture behind the target mattered more than the numbers themselves. China is shifting from growth defined by pace to growth defined by durability, with less reliance on property and greater emphasis on demand quality. Hong Kong’s February budget mirrors that logic almost precisely: restore the operating balance, borrow for long-horizon assets and preserve financial-centre function. The two frameworks are now pointing in the same direction. Whether Hong Kong can anchor the offshore financing and pricing that this reset requires is the open question. Advertisement That shift is visible in Beijing’s fiscal framework. The deficit-to-gross domestic product ratio is set at around 4 per cent, with a deficit of 5.89 trillion yuan (US$853.69 billion) and the general public budget expenditure projected at 30 trillion yuan. This is expansionary policy but not indiscriminate stimulus. It is targeted support where policy reaches into demand and productivity are strongest. The demand package makes this explicit. The work report allocates 250 billion yuan in ultra-long special treasury bonds to consumer goods trade-ins and creates a 100 billion yuan fiscal-financial coordination fund to support domestic demand. The direction is clear: resources are shifting from supply-side capacity building towards boosting household spending power and confidence. 02:16 Chinese premier sets 2026 GDP growth target at 4.5-5% Chinese premier sets 2026 GDP growth target at 4.5-5%
Developing housekeeping-focused robots for North American hotels, capable of ultra-low-latency control across diverse network environments Verified market demand in the U.S. and China; restroom-cleaning prototype to begin on-site testing in Q2 2026 Founding team brings extensive experience in computer vision, robot control, and teleoperation from Tesla, Apple, Meta, and Bear Robotics SEONGNAM, Sou...
Developing housekeeping-focused robots for North American hotels, capable of ultra-low-latency control across diverse network environments Verified market demand in the U.S. and China; restroom-cleaning prototype to begin on-site testing in Q2 2026 Founding team brings extensive experience in computer vision, robot control, and teleoperation from Tesla, Apple, Meta, and Bear Robotics SEONGNAM, South Korea, March 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVER D2SF, NAVER's in-house corporate venture arm, has invested in Khameleon (CEO, Donghoon Lee), a physical AI startup tackling challenges in highly specialized, real-world environments. This pre-seed round marks Khameleon's first funding round since its founding, with participation from NAVER D2SF, Base Ventures, Mashup Ventures, The Ventures, and Schmidt Ventures, as well as institutional investors from the United States and the United Kingdom. Khameleon is developing robots designed for housekeeping tasks in North American hotels. The hotel industry in the region faces severe labor shortages and rising wages, creating strong demand for automation. Housekeeping in particular is affected by annual turnover rates of 70–80%, compelling hotels to raise wages significantly year over year simply to attract and retain workers. However, the complexity and high-quality standards of hotel housekeeping have proven difficult for existing commercial robot solutions to meet. Khameleon has designed versatile hardware capable of handling everything from restroom cleaning to full-scope housekeeping, and has built an infrastructure that enables ultra-low-latency control across diverse network environments. Having validated market demand in both the U.S. and China, the company has already secured a pipeline of prospective customers. A restroom-cleaning prototype is set to begin on-site testing in Q2 2026, with plans to gradually expand its capabilities to cover all housekeeping tasks. Khameleon's founding team, led by CEO Donghoon Lee, brings extens...
India’s central bank is poised to play a bigger role in both currency and bond markets as crude oil surges above $100 a barrel, raising the risk of higher inflation and putting pressure on government finances, analysts say. The Reserve Bank of India has stepped up intervention in offshore and domestic markets to support the rupee, which has slid to a record low. Late Friday, the RBI said it will b...
India’s central bank is poised to play a bigger role in both currency and bond markets as crude oil surges above $100 a barrel, raising the risk of higher inflation and putting pressure on government finances, analysts say. The Reserve Bank of India has stepped up intervention in offshore and domestic markets to support the rupee, which has slid to a record low. Late Friday, the RBI said it will buy 1 trillion rupees ($10.9 billion) of bonds from the open market this month, adding to the screen-based purchases carried out in recent weeks. The moves highlight how skyrocketing oil prices are forcing the central bank to act on several fronts. Costlier energy threatens to stoke inflation, widen the trade gap and pressure the currency. By stepping into forex markets and buying bonds, the RBI is trying to steady the rupee, replenish liquidity and keep a lid on borrowing costs. “The balance of payments may come under immense pressure if the Middle East crisis were to sustain beyond the near term,” said Upasna Bhardwaj , chief economist at Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. That may force the RBI to intervene frequently in currency markets and potentially boost bond buying beyond the 4 trillion-rupee base case, she said. The central bank likely sold $18 billion to $20 billion in forex markets last week to support the rupee, with much of the intervention taking place offshore, according to Bhardwaj. It has also been doing buy/sell swaps to replenish liquidity, she said. India’s foreign exchange reserves stood at a record $728.5 billion at the end of February. Meanwhile, the rupee has slumped to new lows amid the current crisis, breaching 92 per dollar. The currency will likely remain under pressure, Barclays Bank Plc. economists, including Mitul Kotecha , wrote in a note. Oil smashed through $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022, with the US-Israeli war against Iran showing no sign of easing. Talks of a co-ordinated release of reserves cooled the rally slightly, but the surge co...
(RTTNews) - West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (WST) announced that Eric Green plans to retire from his positions as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of the Company once his successor has been hired in order to ensure a smooth transition. The company noted that it has engaged a leading executive recruiting firm to assist with the search for a successor and expects this tra...
(RTTNews) - West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (WST) announced that Eric Green plans to retire from his positions as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of the Company once his successor has been hired in order to ensure a smooth transition. The company noted that it has engaged a leading executive recruiting firm to assist with the search for a successor and expects this transition to occur in the second half of 2026. Green has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of West since April 2015, and he became Chair of the Board in May 2022. In addition, the company reaffirmed its guidance for first quarter and full-year 2026 . The company still expects first-quarter adjusted earnings per share to be in the range of $1.65 to $1.70, up 13.0% to 16.4%. Net sales are expected to be in the range of $770 million to $790 million, representing reported growth of 10.3% to 13.2% and organic growth of 4.6% to 7.4%. Full-year 2026 adjusted earnings per share is still expected to be in a range of $7.85 to $8.20, representing growth of 7.7% to 12.5%. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Key Points 3D Systems is seeing strong gains in its medical technology and defense businesses. Management is prioritizing spending cuts to improve the company's profit margins. 10 stocks we like better than 3D Systems › Shares of 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD) rallied on Monday after the additive manufacturing leader showed significant progress toward achieving profitability. By the close of trading, 3D S...
Key Points 3D Systems is seeing strong gains in its medical technology and defense businesses. Management is prioritizing spending cuts to improve the company's profit margins. 10 stocks we like better than 3D Systems › Shares of 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD) rallied on Monday after the additive manufacturing leader showed significant progress toward achieving profitability. By the close of trading, 3D Systems' stock price was up over 27%. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Solid top-line growth and cost cuts 3D Systems' fourth-quarter revenue rose 16% sequentially to $106.3 million. The gains were fueled by sales of new printers and rising materials usage by existing systems. "Three markets were particularly noteworthy: med tech, dental, and aerospace and defense, which are rapidly adopting 3D printing as a core manufacturing method," CEO Jeffrey Graves said. "These three markets have been a particular focus for our new product development over the last several years, and we believe they offer sustained growth opportunities over the next decade." 3D Systems' expense-reduction initiatives created roughly $55 million in annualized cost savings in 2025. That helped the 3D printing company's fourth-quarter adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) improve by $13.8 million year over year, to a loss of $5.3 million. An upbeat forecast Looking ahead, management expects revenue of $91 million to $94 million and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $3 million to $5 million in the first quarter. "We remain intensely focused on reducing overall spending, while prioritizing strategic investments that drive growth in our priority markets," interim chief financial officer Phyllis Nordstrom said. Should you buy stock in 3D Systems right now? Before you buy stock in 3D Systems...