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B2B Asia News
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This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 24 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. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 gained 1%, led by heavy buying of technology stocks. On Thursday, it hit a record intraday high above 60,000. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng reversed earlier losses to add 0.2%, while the Shanghai Composite index edged 0.1% lower.South Korea’s Kospi closed nearly unchanged.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was up 0.31 points or 0.07% to 435.05.
- Total trade volume was up with 413,865 shares changing hands at a total value of 2.66 billion riel or over $663,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, three stocks were up, led by Pestech Cambodia, while two stocks were down, with Royal Group Phnom Penh SEZ as the biggest loser of the day.
- Over on the growth board, DBD Engineering was up, and JS Land stayed flat, and Picasso City Garden was down.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the Khmer riel to USD weakened slightly to 4,001 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar index hovered around 98.74.
- Turning to global commodities, oil rose on Friday on concerns of a renewed military escalation in the Middle East after Iran released footage of commandos boarding a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, and a lack of progress in re-opening the key waterway. Brent crude futures were up 1.8% to $107 US dollars a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were up 0.8% at $96.61 US dollars. (0805 GMT)
- Gold prices edged lower, on track for a weekly drop, as elevated crude oil prices accentuated fears about inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates as U.S.-Iran peace talks remained stalled. Spot gold was down 0.2% at $4,685.23 US dollars per ounce.
- The metal has fallen 3% so far this week after a four-week winning run. U.S. gold futures for June delivery fell 0.5% to $4,700.50 US dollars. (0744 GMT)
- Looking at the crypto market, Bitcoin hovered near $77,800 US dollars, having struggled to break above the Thursday high of $78,700 US dollars. The broader uptrend, which began in late March near the $65,000 US dollar mark, appears to have stalled since Wednesday.
- Moving on now to other business-related news:
- The Trade Policy Advisory Board launched a new report titled, “Regulatory Gap Analysis of Selected Trade Agreement Chapters to Support Cambodia’s LDC Graduation and Trade Transition”, at the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh on April 24. The report launch ceremony featured experts from Cambodia and the UK Trade Policy Observatory, with the focus placed on presenting key findings to foster dialogue on Cambodia’s LDC graduation, trade integration, regulatory alignment and international cooperation. H.E. Dominic Williams, British Ambassador to Cambodia, noted that the report helps identify practical measures that can be taken by members of governments and business leaders, to think about the things that need to be changed to ensure Cambodia can continue to compete against more sophisticated economies in the world.
- A new progress report on intervention measures for former migrant workers returning from Thailand adopted at a plenary cabinet meeting held at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh on April 23, revealed that from May 2025 to April 10, 2026, around 770,000 former workers and Cambodian citizens have continued living and working in Cambodia after returning. Of that total, approximately 650,000 people have secured employment. Around 340,000 obtained formal jobs through mechanisms coordinated by the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, while an estimated 310,000 others have reintegrated into family-based agriculture, farm work, construction sites, handicrafts, restaurants, small trade, and other informal economic activities.
- Cambodia has formally commenced the process to update its National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) for 2026-2030, signalling a renewed national effort to deepen inclusive finance while improving the quality and resilience of financial services. The kick-off event, co-organised by the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) and supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), was held on April 23 at the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, marking what officials described as a key milestone in Cambodia’s financial sector development. The new NFIS will align with national priorities and be built around five pillars, including women’s financial inclusion, digital finance, financial literacy and consumer protection, sustainable finance, and inclusion for persons with disabilities....
Watch the 24 April 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: