The Asia Eight

Daily must-reads from the world’s most dynamic region

February 01, 2021

1 TOP STORY: ATF Indexes chart supply chain revolution

2 ATF TV: Indexes are becoming the new hedge funds

3 ASIA MARKETS: HSI, CSI300, Nikkei 225 advance

4 NEWS: Creditors put the squeeze on indebted HNA

5 NEWS: Citadel benefits as Redditors turn to silver

6 NEWS: Chinese firms to pay back $400bn in March

7 NEWS: Concern as China factory output growth slows

8 ATF BIG PICTURE: Farmers dominate India budget

01 Top Story ATFI opens windows on a new world

ATFI Global Green Energy Transport and Technology Leaders Index helps investors better understand moves to regionalisation and localisation amid geopolitical shift

02 ATF TV Index all-change

Indexes are fast becoming the hottest trade in finance, ATFI’s Peter Knez explains with ALLINDEX’s Christian Kronseder and technology venture capitalist Alfred Chu

03 Asia Markets

HSI climbs 2.2% to 28,892.86, CSI300 adds 0.6% to 3,505.28 and the Nikkei 225 advances 1.6% to 28,091.05

04 HNA in $10bn fraud probe

Creditors have applied for the conglomerate to be placed in bankruptcy, while as many as 500 related companies could reportedly face collapse or restructuring

05 Redditors boost Citadel

Citadel Securities is struggling to cope with its role in the GameStop spotlight; an early rise in silver prices in Asia signals further Reddit-driven volatility is approaching

06 $400bn debt due in March

Corporate debt is maturing at a time when monetary supply has tightened and the central bank has warned it will slow stimulus linked to the pandemic

07 Factory growth slows

Slowdown underscores the fragility of economic recovery as public health authorities seek to control a resurgence of coronavirus infections in the north of the country

08 ATF Big Picture India's pandemic budget

Budget for 2021-22 rests on six pillars: Health and well-being, physical and financial capital and infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India reinvigorating human capital, innovation and R&D, minimum government and maximum governance