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B2B Asia News
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This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 3 August 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 stocks traded mixed on Monday as Friday’s record-setting rally lost steam, driven by renewed selling pressure in major semiconductor names and currency market volatility.
- Japan's Nikkei share average fell on Monday from a one-week high in the previous session, sinking 2.2%.
- The benchmark KOSPI index declined as much as 5.5%.
- Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index closed 0.48% higher while the Shanghai Composite Index closed 0.59% lower.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was up 1.45 points or 0.32% to 459.71. Total trade volume was down with 171,654 shares changing hands at a total value of nearly 706.7 million riel or over $175,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, four stocks were up, led by Royal Group Phnom Penh SEZ, while two stocks were down, with MJQ Education as the biggest loser of the day.
- Over on the growth board, DBD Engineering was up, Picasso City Garden was down, and JS Land stayed flat.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the Khmer riel to USD weakened slightly to 4,047 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar index hovered around 99.81.
- Looking at global commodities, oil prices fell more than $4 dollars a barrel on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump held off a fresh attack on Iran as he sought a quick deal that would halt Tehran's nuclear ambitions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
- Brent crude futures fell 5.29% to $83.28 US dollars while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $79.47 a barrel, down 6.14%. (0702 GMT)
- Gold prices gained on Monday as the dollar weakened and optimism over a possible U.S.-Iran agreement sent oil prices sharply lower, tempering inflation fears and expectations of prolonged high interest rates.
- Spot gold was up 0.4% at $4,055.36 US dollars per ounce. U.S. gold futures edged 0.2% higher to $4,054.20 US dollars. The precious metal posted its first monthly rise in five in July, rising about 1%. (0830 GMT)
Looking at the crypto market, Bitcoin dropped from a Sunday high of $63,600 dollars to $62,800 US dollars on Monday — down 1% on the day and 4% over the past week. Ether fell over 1% to $1,858 US dollars and has not managed $1,900 dollars since last week, down 5% on the seven-day view.
- Moving on now to other business-related news,
- The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) has announced that three banks – CCU Commercial Bank, Heng Feng Bank and HH Bank – had their licences revoked and were placed into liquidation on August 1, with two firms appointed to oversee the liquidation process. These three banks were previously placed on the U.S. government's sanctions list for alleged involvement in transnational criminal networks. In a notification dated August 1, 2026, the NBC announced the liquidation of CCU Commercial Bank Plc., Heng Feng (Cambodia) Bank Plc., and HH Bank (Cambodia) Plc., with REACHS & Partners appointed as the liquidator for CCU Commercial Bank, and Baker Tilly Cambodia appointed as the liquidator for Heng Feng Bank and HH Bank. NBC officials stated that the license revocations align with the central bank’s long-standing policy to remove non-compliant financial institutions, ensuring transparency, stability, and the overall reputation of Cambodia's banking sector.
- Senior officials from ASEAN member states convened in Siem Reap on August 3 for the 23rd ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) to exchange experiences and promote innovation in public administration across the region. Participants reviewed key policy documents, assessed progress on ongoing initiatives and discussed agenda items to ensure productive outcomes for the ministerial meetings scheduled in the coming days. The regional gathering aims to strengthen cooperation, facilitate the exchange of best practices and foster innovation in public service among ASEAN member states and dialogue partners, with the goal of improving public service delivery.
- Cambodia is intensifying efforts to capitalise on its demographic dividend as a key driver of long-term economic growth, with policymakers highlighting the country’s limited window of opportunity to achieve high-income status by 2050 and avoid the middle-income trap. The message was underscored during a high-level seminar on “Cambodia Economic Update and the Road to Vision 2050,” organised by the Senate on August 3 at the Senate’s Solidarity Palace. The event brought together more than 270 participants from the legislative and executive branches, the World Bank, the private sector, research institutions, and development partners.
Watch the 3 August 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: