By
B2B Asia News
on
This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 17 April 2026, reviewing regional and global markets, and covering the daily business news you shouldn’t miss.
Watch the video in English above.
- We start with a quick look at regional markets. Asian stock markets fell on Friday as investors awaited news of an extension to the Iran-US ceasefire, while crude prices edged back down following the previous day's rally.
- Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.8% after reaching an all-time high on Thursday.
- South Korea’s Kospi was 0.6% lower.
- Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1%.
- The Shanghai Composite index edged down 0.1%.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was up 1.32 points or 0.3% to 435.43.
- Total trade volume was down with 97,527 shares changing hands at a total value of 532 million riel, or nearly $133,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, four stocks were up, led by ACLEDA Bank, while four stocks were down, with Royal Group Phnom Penh SEZ and MJQ Education as the biggest losers of the day.
- Over on the growth board, JS Land and Picasso City Garden were up, while DBD Engineering was down.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the Khmer riel to USD stayed flat at 4,000 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar index hovered around 98.11.
- Turning to global commodities, oil prices edged lower in early trading on Friday amid cautious optimism that the United States and Iran may be nearing an agreement, a development that could help ease regional tensions. Brent crude futures fell 1.35% to $98.05 US dollars a barrel.
- US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures also declined 1.74%, to $93.40 US dollars a barrel, trimming gains from the previous session. (0457 GMT)
- Gold held largely steady on Friday and was on track for a fourth straight weekly gain, as hopes for a U.S.-Iran peace deal eased fears of higher inflation and elevated interest rates. Spot gold eased 0.1% to $4,783.91 US dollars per ounce, but was up about 0.9% so far this week.
- U.S. gold futures for June fell 0.1% to $4,805.20 US dollars. (0815 GMT)
- Looking at the crypto market, Bitcoin is trading around $75,000 dollars, experiencing a slight surge followed by consolidation. The price hit a high near $76,000 dollars, triggering significant losses for high-leverage short positions. The market is in a tight range, with some analysts noting low new capital inflows and suggesting a "wait and see" approach.
- Moving on now to other business-related news:
- According to a Spokesperson from the Phnom Penh Capital Administration, Phnom Penh welcomed 4.3 million tourists during the three-day Khmer New Year (from April 14–16). Attendance peaked on the final day with 1.8 million visitors drawn to "Nokor Sankranta" festivities, while international arrivals surged to nearly 18,000. Meanwhile, Siem Reap drew over 1.84 million visitors, solidifying its status as a top destination. According to the Siem Reap Provincial Tourism Department, the crowd consisted of roughly 1.83 million domestic tourists and 5,438 international arrivals. In Kampong Cham province, the Provincial Department of Tourism reported that more than 4.17 million people flooded the area, including 300 international travelers.
- On April 14, Her Excellency Cham Nimul, Minister of Commerce, visited the “Moni Hathey Garden and Angkor Sankranta Exhibition” held as part of the Angkor Sankranta festivities. During the event, the Ministry of Commerce organised a national product campaign booth featuring #MadeInCambodia and #MadeByHer initiatives to showcase local goods and products made by women. This campaign is designed to enhance competitiveness, strengthen brand recognition, and increase value for national products, ultimately aiming to boost market penetration, encourage local consumption, and expand export opportunities into regional and global markets.
- Cambodia has seen a surge in the investment landscape, attracting 146 fixed-asset investments with a total investment capital of $2.5 billion US dollars in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, creating over 82,000 jobs, according to a report from the Council for the Development (CDC) issued on April 13. Outstanding projects included investment projects on SEZ establishment, wind energy projects, vehicle and motorbike assembly factories, and tire factories among others.
Watch the 17 April 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: