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B2B Asia News
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This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 19 February 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 look at regional markets. Asian financial markets was cautious on Thursday, several major hubs returned to full operation following the holiday break, with mainland China remained closed. Sentiment in the region was largely positive, with Japan’s Nikkei down 0.8%, while in Australia, the S&P/ASX200 closed up Thursday, gaining 79.20 points or 0.88%.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was up 0.15 points or 0.04%, to 425.77.
- Total trade volume was up with 62,347 shares changing hands at a total value of 395.2 million riel, or over $98,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, 5 stocks were up, led by Royal Group Phnom Penh SEZ, and two stocks were down, with MJQE as the biggest loser of the day.
- Over on the growth board showed mixed, JS Land was up, while Picasso City Garden was down and DBD Engineering stayed flat.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the KHR stayed flat at 4,022 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar Index was up to 97.74.
- Turning to global commodities , oil prices extended gains amid heightened U.S.–Iran tensions.
- Brent crude was up to $70.58 a barrel, while West Taxes Intermedient crude rose to $65.44.
- Gold prices surged dramatically, reclaiming the psychological $5,000 threshold as geopolitical instability and a technical rebound from earlier weekly losses sparked fresh buying interest.
- Spot gold rose to $5,023.00 per ounce, an increase of over $110 from the previous session's opening, though it later stabilized near the $4,999 mark.
- U.S. gold futures for April delivery tracked the rally, trading up 0.24% at $4,936.60 per ounce.
- Looking at the crypto market, Looking at the crypto market, prices were softer. Bitcoin traded at $66,999, down 1.7%, while Ethereum was at $1,972.61, down 2.3%.
- Moving on now to other business-related news:
- According to MOC, on February 18, 2026, Commerce Secretary of State H.E. TEKRETH Kamrang met with the ADB to discuss policy implementation for Subprogram 3 of the Trade and Competitiveness Program. The discussions primarily centered on accelerating the development of new regulations for implementing three key commercial laws: the Law on Secured Transactions, the Law on Rules of Origin, and the Law on Trade Remedies.
- The latest FAO report indicates that, while world rice prices saw a slight month-over-month bump of 1.8%, they remain significantly lower than this time last year across Southeast Asia. Market saturation from strong harvests and varying levels of international demand are the primary drivers of this trend, and in Cambodia, wholesale rice prices were between 5 and 25 percent lower year-on-year in December, reflecting last year’s above-average main harvest.
- The Skills Development Fund (SDF) of the Ministry of Economy and Finance has received two prestigious international awards: the 'HCM Excellence Award 2025' and the '2026 Brandon Hall Group HR Prediction Champion' in the 'Best Employee Skills Development Program' category from the Brandon Hall Group, United States, a globally renowned independent research and analysis organization.
Watch the 19 February 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: