Invest Positively

Chinese securities regulators are preparing some of the world’s strictest regulations on a trading practice at the heart of the global debate over high-speed computerised markets.

When stock exchanges introduce a second board, it is often targeted at attracting companies with nil or limited profit records but with growth potential. The acronyms used reflect the exchanges’ optimism or aspirations about these companies, such as Catalist in Singapore, AIM (Alternative Investment Market) in the United Kingdom, and GEM (Growth Enterprise Market) in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, companies aiming to be catalysed into gems through access to public capital may not fulfil their promise.

Beijing is trying to rid mainland stock markets of collusion between power and money by stepping up investigations of securities companies, analysts said, while warning of shocks to markets that had just stabilised.

Borrowers in Singapore, so far spared from a wave of defaults in the oil services industry, are starting to ask creditors to cut them some slack.

The Singapore Exchange is closely monitoring disclosures of companies, including those which show large swings in financial positions and performance, and the regulator warns it will not hesitate to report audit infractions to relevant authorities.

The Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock connect will be launched this year despite widespread market expectations it would be delayed to 2016, the governor of the People’s Bank of China said on Wednesday.

CNQC (South Pacific), known for developing mass-market condominiums and executive condominiums in Singapore under the “Qingjian Realty” brand, underwent a backdoor listing in Hong Kong without any apparent glitch this month.