Real-time News

On May 15th, the wheat market saw largely stable prices with minor fluctuations in some areas. The sporadic arrival of new wheat on the market has strengthened market expectations for a bumper harvest, further fueling bearish sentiment and putting downward pressure on prices due to ample supply. Although the volume of wheat released for rotation has decreased significantly, traders are clearing warehouses to sell, resulting in ample grain supply in the market. On the demand side, flour demand remains weak, with milling plants operating at low capacity, primarily focusing on depleting existing inventory and replenishing stocks only as needed. Feed companies are also showing little interest in purchasing wheat due to lower prices for substitute raw materials such as corn and soybean meal. In the short term, the wheat market will maintain a pattern of ample supply and weak demand, with prices trending towards a slightly weaker fluctuation.

Samsung Electronics: Samsung executives apologized for causing public and government concern.

Shares of Indian oil sales company fell, with declines ranging from 1.7% to 2.6%.

A Reuters poll showed that 74% of economists surveyed believed that Japan's monetary intervention was unlikely to sustainably curb the yen's depreciation.

A Reuters poll showed that 65% of economists surveyed expect the Bank of Japan to raise its key interest rate to 1.00% in June.

A Reuters poll shows that the Bank of Japan is expected to raise interest rates to 1.25% in the fourth quarter and to 1.50% in the third quarter of 2027 (unchanged from the April poll results).

The Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia stated that the country will inevitably be directly and indirectly affected by the Middle East conflict. The Malaysian economy is expected to remain resilient in 2026, with growth projected at 4%-5%. Despite external headwinds, technological expansion will support export growth. Strong domestic demand will provide strong support against external headwinds.

Central Bank of Malaysia: Indicators show that overall price conditions remained relatively under control as of early May. Overall inflation is expected to rise slightly in 2026. The ringgit remains resilient despite ongoing Middle East conflicts.

On May 15th, the Bank of Japan stated that Japan may face another round of across-the-board price increases around the summer as businesses ranging from food manufacturers to hot spring resorts consider passing on soaring energy costs caused by the Middle East conflict to consumers. In a report based on a survey of regional businesses conducted from January to April, the Bank of Japan noted that many service sector companies are gradually passing on rising raw material and labor costs to consumers, abandoning their long-standing practice of maintaining low prices. The report stated that rising energy costs due to the Middle East conflict have also prompted companies to accelerate price increases in their fiscal year business plans starting in April. Some companies, including those in the food, restaurant, and hot spring resort industries, have decided to raise prices at a faster pace. The report stated, "Other companies indicated they will soon decide whether to raise prices. As for the specific timing, some companies indicated they will decide around the summer or later." This report highlights the Bank of Japan's growing concern about accumulating inflationary pressures in the economy, which could provide further justification for a near-term interest rate hike.

World Bank: Vietnam's economic growth is projected to slow to 6.8% by 2026.

According to the official measurement of the China Earthquake Networks Center, a 3.2-magnitude earthquake occurred at 11:51 on May 15 in Kuqa City, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang (41.37 degrees north latitude, 83.91 degrees east longitude), with a focal depth of 16 kilometers.

Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA): Average oil and gas production in the first quarter was 94,600 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Revenue from the oil and gas business declined in the first quarter.

On May 15th, according to the official WeChat account of China Optics Valley, fiber optic communication networks are like highways. To allow more data to travel on them, a "super-large truck" with a large carrying capacity—an ultra-wideband photonic chip—is needed. Recently, the ultra-wideband photonic chip independently developed by the National Information Optoelectronics Innovation Center has broken the record for the "truck's" carrying capacity with a bandwidth of 250 gigahertz. Zhang Hongguang, manager of the center's Future Technology Department, introduced that based on this chip technology, the center has developed the world's first 170 gigahertz intensity modulator and applied it to domestically produced optoelectronic measurement equipment. In the future, this chip will provide underlying support for 6G "space-air-ground integrated" communication and is expected to be extended to spaceborne communication, contributing to the development of domestically produced satellite communication equipment.

May 15th - According to Japanese sources, a fire broke out at a ship dismantling plant in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture on May 14th, with multiple ships ablaze and explosions heard. No casualties have been reported so far. Local authorities have issued evacuation orders to approximately 650 residents living near the site. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

May 15th - The State Council Information Office will hold a press conference at 3:00 PM on Monday, May 18th, 2026. Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping, along with relevant officials from the State Taxation Administration, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, will introduce measures to strengthen and optimize departure tax refunds to expand inbound consumption and answer questions from reporters.

The South Korean Presidential Office announced that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will meet with President Lee Jae-myung in Andong, South Korea, from May 19 to 20.

On May 15th, CMB International issued a report rolling over Alibaba's (BABA.N) valuation window to fiscal year 2027, raising its SOTP-based target price from $206.1 to $220.1, and maintaining a "Buy" rating. The report stated that supported by strong demand, it is optimistic about further acceleration of cloud revenue growth, especially the further scaling up of MaaS (Model as a Service) related services. It also anticipates profit margin expansion, believing this should help drive a revaluation of Alibaba.

According to Hong Kong Stock Exchange documents, Shenzhen Aidetai Technology Co., Ltd. has submitted a listing application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.