〈The Standard, July 8, 2023〉More new projects are coming to the market soon, and these include single-block homes in urban areas. One such is Aruna in Ap Lei Chau, which is releasing its first price list on July 13.

It is believed that Aruna will become a new price benchmark in the district in the aftermath of the health and economic havoc wreaked by Covid-19 pandemic.

Aruna was scheduled to sell 25 units in the first round on June 24. However, the developer announced a day before that sales were being postponed.

Chuang's China Investments, the developer, had planned to offer the 25 units, which range in size from 205 to 317 square feet, at prices between HK$5.31 million and HK$8.58 million after discounts.

〈Hong Kong Business, July 7, 2023〉Equity capital markets (ECM) in Hong Kong recorded its highest first-half period by proceeds since 2021 in 1H23, data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) showed.

According to LSEG’s report, proceeds reached US$11.1b in 1H23, representing a 46.2% increase from 1H22. ECM issuances likewise rose, increasing 6.1% YoY.

Looking at industries, real estate had the biggest market share in ECM proceeds, accounting for 26.0% or US$29.9b. Compared to 1H22, real estate’s ECM proceed

〈Hong Kong Business, July 6, 2023〉Sun Hung Kai Properties has revealed the rental rates for its flagship residential leasing brand for young professionals, TOWNPLACE WEST KOWLOON.

The building, which will be launched in the second half of 2023, will offer 843 units in phases.

In the first phase, the real estate company will offer 105 units starting from $13,800. The size of the units ranges from 243 sq ft to 860 sq feet.

For studios and one-bedroom monthly rent starts at $13,800 and $18,800, respectively. For two-
bedrooms and three-bedroom units, rent starts at $30,800 and$52,800 per month, respectively.

〈CNBC, July 5, 2023〉U.S. Treasury officials quietly visited Hong Kong last month to urge the central bank, financial institutions, law firms, consultancies and industry groups to do more to curb the flow of advanced American-made technology from the city into Russia.

The meetings in mid-June came just days before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing, where he said Washington has "ongoing concerns" that Chinese companies are providing technology that Russia could use in its war against Ukraine.

Three officials from the Treasury Department's terrorist financing and financial crimes department held meetings on June 15 and 16 in Hong Kong asking banks and regulators to help identify U.S. high-tech items from being shipped to Russia via Hong Kong, several sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Nikkei Asia.

〈CNN, July 4, 2023〉An interest rate hike later this month was already in the cards for the Federal Reserve. But after the June jobs report, the timing of a second hike remains unclear.

Job gains remain robust wage growth is still going strong, and unemployment continues to hover near historic lows. That means the job market is still fueling demand in the economy, which the Fed has been trying to slow through rate hikes. And Fed officials have made it clear they think the central bank still has more work to do to bring down inflation, which is still running well above the 2% goal.