China’s consumer-price growth accelerated to the quickest in over three years and factory deflation moderated again, after a rally in energy markets and as household spending boomed during a later-than-usual Lunar New Year holiday. The consumer-price index climbed faster than all forecasts to 1.3% in February from a year earlier, after a 0.2% rise in January, according to data released by the Nati...
China’s consumer-price growth accelerated to the quickest in over three years and factory deflation moderated again, after a rally in energy markets and as household spending boomed during a later-than-usual Lunar New Year holiday. The consumer-price index climbed faster than all forecasts to 1.3% in February from a year earlier, after a 0.2% rise in January, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. The median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg was 0.9%. Producer prices narrowed their drop to the least since July 2024 even while declining for a 41st straight month. They fell 0.9% from a year earlier, less than the forecast for a 1.1% decrease. China is set for a gradual reflation this year after suffering its longest streak of declines in economy-wide prices in decades. The record spending surge during the long public holiday likely jolted some consumer costs upward, with signs already pointing to an easing of deflationary pressures in manufacturing and services . President Donald Trump ’s war with Iran is also pushing up the cost of oil globally and endangering an important source of discounted crude imports for China. Global benchmark Brent spiked as much as 20% on Monday to above $111 a barrel, the highest level since July 2022. “The transmission impact of global geopolitical conflicts on energy prices is starting to manifest itself,” NBS statistician Dong Lijuan said in a statement accompanying the data release. China’s domestic fuel prices rose 3.1% in February from the previous month, according to Dong, though they still declined sharply from a year earlier. The extent of the uplift in last month’s consumer inflation will probably prove temporary, caused in large part by the timing of the Lunar New Year. The festival is a moving holiday that ran from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4 in 2025 but fell entirely in February of this year. China’s top leaders last week issued their strongest pledge yet to end deflation , with a vow to “s...
(RTTNews) - The Indonesia stock market headed south again on Friday, one day after ending the three-day slide in which it had given up more than 650 points or 7.2 percent. The Jakarta Composite Index now sits just above the 7,585-point plateau and it's expected to open in the red again on Monday. The global forecast for the Asian markets is negative on surging oil prices and the ongoing war in the...
(RTTNews) - The Indonesia stock market headed south again on Friday, one day after ending the three-day slide in which it had given up more than 650 points or 7.2 percent. The Jakarta Composite Index now sits just above the 7,585-point plateau and it's expected to open in the red again on Monday. The global forecast for the Asian markets is negative on surging oil prices and the ongoing war in the Middle East. The European and U.S. markets were down and the Asian bourses are expected to open in similar fashion. The JCI finished sharply lower on Friday following losses from the financial shares, cement stocks and resource companies. For the day, the index tumbled 124.85 points or 1.62 percent to finish at 7,585.69 after trading between 7,500.08 and 7,700.32. Among the actives, Bank Mandiri tanked 2.83 percent, while Bank Danamon Indonesia retreated 1.50 percent, Bank Negara Indonesia dipped 0.23 percent, Bank Central Asia contracted 1.41 percent, Bank Rakyat Indonesia stumbled 2.13 percent, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison plunged 3.57 percent, Indocement sank 0.85 percent, Semen Indonesia fell 0.37 percent, Indofood Sukses Makmur improved 0.80 percent, United Tractors rose 0.25 percent, Astra International crashed 3.16 percent, Energi Mega Persada plummeted 13.10 percent, Astra Agro Lestari added 0.34 percent, Aneka Tambang tumbled 2.18 percent, Vale Indonesia surrendered 1.98 percent, Timah cratered 3.34 percent, Bumi Resources lost 4.17 percent and Bank CIMB Niaga was unchanged. The lead from Wall Street is weak as the major averages opened lower on Friday and remained under water throughout the trading day, ending near session lows. The Dow dropped 453.19 points or 0.95 percent to finish at 47,501.55, while the NASDAQ tumbled 361.31 points or 1.59 percent to close at 22,387.68 and the S&P 500 sank 90.69 points or 1.33 percent to end at 6,740.02. The sell-off on Wall Street came amid an extended surge by the price of crude oil. Crude oil has skyrocketed over the past wee...
NVIDIA Corporation has been in a league of its own when it comes to AI chips and data center growth. The company could be looking to be among the early leaders for data centers in space, based on a viral job posting. Nvidia Hiring Orbital Datacenter System Architect Billionaire Elon Musk and companies such as Google are among those talking about looking to space for data centers to help with the g...
NVIDIA Corporation has been in a league of its own when it comes to AI chips and data center growth. The company could be looking to be among the early leaders for data centers in space, based on a viral job posting. Nvidia Hiring Orbital Datacenter System Architect Billionaire Elon Musk and companies such as Google are among those talking about looking to space for data centers to help with the growing demand for AI. While data centers in space could be an early concept today, Nvidia is looking to test it out and be an early leader. "Nvidia is looking for an Orbital Datacenter System Architect to help define and build products for AI in orbit," a tweet from space industry researcher Jack Kuhr said. Don't Miss: That tweet has nearly one million views on the social media platform X. The official job description from Nvidia highlights the goals and role of the potential candidate. "Nvidia is looking for an Orbital Datacenter Architect to help define and build products for AI in orbit. This is an opportunity to join the leader in AI systems at the inception of a completely new industry," Nvidia's job posting says. Among the items the candidate will be responsible for include: Drive architecture for orbital datacenter systems, including connectivity between satellites Work on a roadmap for future Nvidia products for space Analyze performance, power and cost of different solutions Collaborate with Nvidia's key customers and system development partners on strategies Nvidia is looking for someone with a bachelor's degree in fields like Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or another related field. The candidate is expected to have 12 years or more experience in system architecture and hands-on experience with space systems. Trending: Before the IPO: How One Company Quietly Locked Up 500+ Iconic Character Rights Salary will depend on location, experience and other factors, with the company saying the position's annual pay would be in a range of $2...
Developers in Hong Kong are testing the housing market’s recovery by nudging prices up or paring discounts as improving sentiment and a rebound in transactions boost confidence in the city’s property sector. But analysts said the moves remained uneven, with many newly launched projects still offering sizeable concessions as developers continued to prioritise clearing unsold inventory accumulated d...
Developers in Hong Kong are testing the housing market’s recovery by nudging prices up or paring discounts as improving sentiment and a rebound in transactions boost confidence in the city’s property sector. But analysts said the moves remained uneven, with many newly launched projects still offering sizeable concessions as developers continued to prioritise clearing unsold inventory accumulated during the market downturn. New World Development plans to cut the discount offered under the 120-day immediate payment plan at its Deep Water Pavilia project in Wong Chuk Hang from 8 per cent to 5.5 per cent starting on Monday, effectively raising prices by about 2.5 per cent. Advertisement Most of the project had already been sold, with only a handful of smaller flats and several larger units still available, according to sales information released by the developer. Other developers have taken a more direct approach. At the Grand Mayfair project near Kam Sheung Road station in Yuen Long, led by Sino Land, the developer recently raised prices on more than a dozen units by between 1.4 per cent and 7.1 per cent. Advertisement Some developers are lifting effective prices by scaling back incentives rather than adjusting headline prices, analysts said.
The annual “ two sessions ” in Beijing are under way, and this year the annual ritual of reading tea leaves in this city has been made easier for politics watchers. That is because Beijing has been blunt about the problems it thinks our city faces. There is the usual praise for the Hong Kong government and Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s leadership. One striking difference is that Premier Li Qi...
The annual “ two sessions ” in Beijing are under way, and this year the annual ritual of reading tea leaves in this city has been made easier for politics watchers. That is because Beijing has been blunt about the problems it thinks our city faces. There is the usual praise for the Hong Kong government and Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s leadership. One striking difference is that Premier Li Qiang included in his annual work report, delivered at the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), a call on Hong Kong to improve its governance and align itself with the national plan. Li has made the central government’s position clear: improve the city’s governance and get with the programme already. Xia Baolong, Beijing’s point man in charge of Hong Kong affairs, warned the city in January to improve its executive-led governance. Beijing’s impatience over the lack of progress – especially when it comes to the development of the Northern Metropolis , considered vital in the city’s alignment with national plans – has been clear for some time. Xia has conducted site visits to inspect and oversee progress. Advertisement Following the NPC opening session, a government press release recapped what has been reported and Lee, our “results-oriented” chief executive, repeated his commitment to align Hong Kong with the national plan. It’s worth noting that Lee had tried to do that with the 14th five-year plan . He established a steering group on integration into China’s national development in late 2022. However, the public might struggle to see much progress in those efforts. Advertisement Now the 14th five-year plan has come and gone and the 15th five-year plan is being rolled out, after a draft was introduced last October.
Conscientious Objector Group: Phone 'Ringing Off Hook' As Huge Mobilization Underway An 80-year-old nonprofit that advises conscientious objectors says its phone is "ringing off the hook" as American service members who object to the US-and-Israel-initiated war on Iran are seeking guidance on how to avoid being a part of it. Ominously, the group's executive director says the breadth of force mobil...
Conscientious Objector Group: Phone 'Ringing Off Hook' As Huge Mobilization Underway An 80-year-old nonprofit that advises conscientious objectors says its phone is "ringing off the hook" as American service members who object to the US-and-Israel-initiated war on Iran are seeking guidance on how to avoid being a part of it. Ominously, the group's executive director says the breadth of force mobilization is much like the run-up to the ground invasion of Iraq . "Phone has been ringing off the hook," wrote Center on Conscience & War executive director Mike Prysner on X. "A LOT more units have just been activated for deployment than the public knows about." Founded in 1940, the Center on Conscience and War provides guidance to military service members pursuing a conscientious objector (CO) status or a discharge. The group also opposes military conscription. Service members: If you agree Trump’s war on Iran is wrong, you don’t have to participate. We can help you explore your options. Call 1-800-379-2679 pic.twitter.com/LOAA7k9ElX — Center on Conscience & War (@CCW4COs) February 28, 2026 In a post on the group's account, the Center said it received a call from someone who is on deployment orders and who "reports widespread opposition to Iran War within their unit ...In particular, they conveyed disgust at the US massacre of the girls’ school as well as the attack on the Iranian frigate in international waters." The US military is reportedly responsible for killing some 150 schoolgirls in Minab, Iran during the opening of the war. In another incident, a US Navy submarine torpedoed an Iranian ship that was departing a largely ceremonial naval event in India that involved 18 countries. Compounding the controversy over sinking a lightly-armed vessel 2,000 miles from the war theater, the Americans apparently left surviving sailors to drown in a violation of the Geneva Convention -- that is, a war crime. At least 87 died. Under US military policy, CO status is defined as “a f...
US stocks are facing a growing risk of a sharp selloff this year as the escalating war in Iran hurts global markets, according to veteran strategist Ed Yardeni , updating his outlook for what he describes as “fast-moving times.” Yardeni has raised the probability of a market meltdown to 35% for the rest of the year, up from 20% previously. At the same time, he slashed the odds of a meltup — a rall...
US stocks are facing a growing risk of a sharp selloff this year as the escalating war in Iran hurts global markets, according to veteran strategist Ed Yardeni , updating his outlook for what he describes as “fast-moving times.” Yardeni has raised the probability of a market meltdown to 35% for the rest of the year, up from 20% previously. At the same time, he slashed the odds of a meltup — a rally driven more by investor enthusiasm than underlying fundamentals — to just 5% from 20%. The shift in those weightings reflects mounting concern that a prolonged conflict in the Middle East, along with the inflation shock, would squeeze households, erode corporate profit margins and complicate the Federal Reserve’s policy path. Crude oil spiked above $100 a barrel on Monday for the first time since 2022, sending stocks and Treasuries lower. “The US economy and stock market are stuck between Iran and a hard place currently. So is the Fed,” Yardeni wrote in a note. “If the oil shock persists, the Fed’s dual mandate would be stuck between the increasing risk of higher inflation and rising unemployment.” Read more: Goldman Says Hedge Funds Add Short Bets on US Stocks Amid Rout One clear winner has been the dollar, which has risen against virtually every major currency in the past week while other perceived havens like Treasuries, the yen, the Swiss franc and gold slid. S&P 500 futures fell 1.6% in early Asia trading Monday, signaling fresh pressure on equities even as hedge funds added to short US stock bets. Yardeni has gotten market calls right in the past. In December, the strategist recommended effectively going underweight the so-called Magnificent Seven technology stocks versus the rest of the S&P 500. His base case remains intact. The so-called “Roaring 2020s” scenario, which envisages a decade of robust and sustainable US growth fueled by rapid productivity gains, still carries a 60% probability through the end of the year. The outlook is better over the coming decade. ...