Real-time News

On January 21, the Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Statistics released economic data for Yunnan Province in 2025. According to the unified accounting results for regional GDP, Yunnan Province achieved a GDP of 3,276.578 billion yuan in 2025, a 4.1% increase over the previous year at constant prices. By industry, the primary industry achieved an added value of 432.077 billion yuan, a 3.1% increase; the secondary industry achieved an added value of 1,050.061 billion yuan, a 2.9% increase; and the tertiary industry achieved an added value of 1,794.44 billion yuan, a 5.1% increase.

Debris from a drone caused a fire at the AFIPSKY oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region.

The yield on Japan's 20-year government bonds fell 8.5 basis points to 3.260%.

U.S. natural gas futures rose more than 3.00% on the day, currently trading at $4.025 per million British thermal units.

On January 21st, the Haikou Maritime Safety Administration released data showing that in the first month of the Hainan Free Trade Port's closure, maritime authorities safely handled 1.608 million passengers and 475,000 vehicles crossing the sea, representing month-on-month increases of 9.9% and 7.0%, respectively. Statistics show that a total of 12,146 ships entered and left the port, handling 11.7323 million tons of cargo, including 109,500 TEUs of containers. The on-time performance rate of passenger and vehicle roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessels remained at a high level of 99.2%.

January 21st, Futures.com analysts' latest view: WTI crude oil futures prices have recently received some support, mainly benefiting from escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the impact of declining US crude oil inventories. Market participants are closely watching the potential impact of Red Sea shipping disruptions on the global energy supply chain, which has boosted oil prices to some extent. Furthermore, the latest data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that crude oil inventories fell more than expected, further strengthening bullish sentiment in WTI crude oil futures. Analysts point out that if geopolitical risks continue to escalate, oil prices are expected to continue to gain upward momentum. However, uncertainty surrounding the global economic growth outlook and slowing demand in major consuming countries may still exert some downward pressure on oil prices.

January 21st, Futures.com analysts' latest view: Brent crude oil futures prices rose slightly after overbought conditions on the Relative Strength Index (RSI) were released, especially after negative signals appeared. Currently, prices have gained some bullish momentum, which should help them recover and move higher again, particularly with support at the 50-day EMA, further strengthening the bullish scenario. In the short term, the main bullish trend remains dominant.

On January 21st, it was reported that on January 20th, the Jing'an District of Shanghai held a conference to promote the optimization of the business environment in 2026. Aligning with Shanghai's 9.0 version of the business environment optimization plan, the 2026 Jing'an District Action Plan for Optimizing the Business Environment proposes 33 practical measures focusing on government services, market competition, industrial ecosystem, social co-governance, and institutional innovation. Zhong Xiaoyong, Secretary of the Jing'an District Committee, pointed out that in the future, the district will focus on institutional opening-up, leveraging the Free Trade Zone and the Innovation Zone to ensure the effective implementation of reform measures and the formation of successful cases. Emphasis will be placed on the consumer sector, promoting models such as "first launch + bonded" to amplify the service brand effect of "breaking conventions without breaking regulations." Regarding the integration and innovation of commerce, culture, creativity, and technology, the district will explore the establishment of an inclusive and prudent regulatory system to create a service environment that encourages innovation.

Pivotal Research: Lowered its price target for Netflix (NFLX.O) from $105 to $95.

L'Oréal: Will establish a technology center in Hyderabad, India, with an initial investment of over 35 billion rupees.

Huichang Technology stated on its interactive platform that its Ollobot brand AI interactive terminal products are still in the development and verification stage, and the specific product forms and series plans will be dynamically evaluated and promoted in combination with user and market feedback.

On January 21st, UOB Kay Hian Research reported that China Molybdenum's (03993.HK) preliminary 2025 results were in line with expectations, mainly driven by copper production exceeding guidance. Management further indicated that copper production in 2026 will increase by 2.6% to 10.7% year-on-year. The report noted that the Congo's cobalt export quota reflects a structural tightening in global supply and has already driven a significant price reaction, benefiting large producers like China Molybdenum. Furthermore, the company enhanced its financial flexibility through the issuance of US$1.2 billion in zero-coupon convertible bonds with limited dilution risk. The report maintained a "Buy" rating and raised its target price to HK$24 (from HK$20.3).

On January 21, JPMorgan Chase raised its earnings per share forecasts for Gu Ming (01364.HK) by approximately 1% for 2025 to 2027, slightly increasing its target price from HK$35 to HK$36, maintaining an "Overweight" rating and continuing to list it as its top pick in the sector. The bank estimates that Gu Ming's core net profit will reach RMB 2.3 billion in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 51%. With the net opening of 3,500 stores in 2026 and a slight decrease in average selling price, revenue is expected to grow by 21% year-on-year. As operating leverage is expected to offset slight pressure on gross margin, the bank anticipates that net profit margin will remain largely stable, with core profit reaching RMB 2.8 billion in 2026.

On January 21, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, speaking at an event related to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, stated that Hong Kong, as an international financial center, adopts a proactive yet prudent approach to developing digital assets. Since 2023, Hong Kong has issued licenses to 11 virtual asset trading platforms and expects to issue stablecoin licenses later this year. Furthermore, the Hong Kong SAR government is leading by example in promoting tokenization, including issuing three tranches of tokenized green bonds totaling approximately US$2.1 billion, and launching a regulatory sandbox to encourage application innovation.

On January 21, the Indonesian Attorney General's Office announced on Wednesday that it will auction off an Iranian-flagged supertanker later this month. The tanker was seized in 2023 on suspicion of involvement in illegal crude oil transshipment. Indonesian authorities stated that the tanker, named "MT Arman 114," is over 300 meters long and was seized in the North Natuna Sea in 2023 on suspicion of transferring oil to another vessel without permission. The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) will be auctioned on January 30, with a starting price of 1.17 trillion Indonesian rupiah (approximately US$69.01 million). Its cargo, including nearly 170,000 tons of light crude oil, will also be auctioned. Iran denied ownership of the tanker in 2023.

On January 21, the daily gas supply of the national main natural gas pipeline network managed by the State Pipeline Group reached 1.1 billion cubic meters, setting a new single-day peak supply record. Recently, northern, central-eastern, and southern my country have experienced a sharp drop in temperature, leading to a surge in natural gas demand. As the main operator of the national energy pipeline network, the State Pipeline Group proactively increased its pipeline storage to over 3.6 billion cubic meters, ensuring the high-level operation of its eight self-owned liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminals and laying a solid resource foundation for supply during the cold wave.

On January 21st, Daiwa Securities issued a research report re-evaluating its forecast for Tencent's (00700.HK) performance last quarter. The report anticipates a slowdown in the group's domestic gaming business due to seasonal factors and a high base effect, while the international gaming business is expected to stabilize after an exceptionally strong third quarter. Furthermore, the report states that recruitment costs for AI talent and GPU leasing will put upward pressure on operating expenses. The report lowered its forecast for the group's gaming revenue for the period due to Tencent's overall weak revenue performance last quarter, expecting domestic gaming revenue to reach RMB 37.3 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 12% but a quarter-on-quarter decrease of 13%. Daiwa lowered its 2026-2027 earnings per share forecast for Tencent by 1-2%, reiterated its "Buy" rating, but lowered its target price from HKD 750 to HKD 725.

January 21 - According to data from the State Taxation Administration, VAT invoices show that in 2025, sales revenue of the digital product manufacturing industry increased by 9.4% year-on-year; the amount of digital technology purchased by manufacturing enterprises increased by 10.4% year-on-year, with the growth rate accelerating by 3.5 percentage points compared to the previous year. Among them, the amount of digital technology purchased by the automobile manufacturing industry and the computer and communication equipment manufacturing industry increased by 24.5% and 11.8% year-on-year, respectively, indicating that the integration of the digital economy and the real economy is deepening.

January 21st - According to the State Taxation Administration, a recent analysis of the manufacturing sector using tax big data shows that in 2025, the sales revenue of my country's manufacturing industry grew 1.7 percentage points faster than the overall national sales growth rate. The manufacturing sector accounted for 29.7% of total national sales, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the previous year. The pace of intelligentization, greening, and integration in the manufacturing industry accelerated, further highlighting its role as a "ballast stone" for the economy. In 2025, the amount spent by manufacturing enterprises nationwide on automated and digital equipment increased by 11.3% and 10% year-on-year, respectively, accelerating the intelligent transformation and digital upgrading of the manufacturing industry. The intelligent upgrading of the manufacturing industry has driven the development of related industries. In 2025, the sales revenue of the intelligent equipment manufacturing industry increased by 28.1% year-on-year, with the manufacturing of industrial robots and special-operation robots increasing by 17.4% and 42.1% year-on-year, respectively.