By
B2B Asia News
on
This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 30 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 shares fell on Thursday as oil prices vaulted to four-year highs due to the risk that U.S. may strike Iran again. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slid 1%, but was still set for a 15% gain this month.
- Japan's Nikkei fell 1.4% but was up 16% in April.
- South Korea's KOSPI hit another all-time high before turning 0.8% lower.
- China's blue chips were flat and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 1.2%.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was up 0.1 points or 0.02% to 434.23.
- Total trade volume was up with 243,830 shares changing hands at a total value of 1.2 billion riel or over $299,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, two stocks were up, led by CAMGSM, while one stock, ACLEDA Bank, was down.
- Over on the growth board, DBD Engineering and JS Land were up, while Picasso City Garden was down.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the Khmer riel to USD strengthened slightly to 4,007 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar index hovered around 98.78.
- Turning to global commodities, oil prices jumped to a four-year high of more than $122 US dollars a barrel on Thursday, on concerns that the U.S.-Iran war could worsen and lead to a protracted Middle East oil supply disruption that could hurt global economic growth.
- Brent crude futures rose 3.2% to $121.76 US dollars a barrel, after touching an intraday high of $126.41 US dollars. The prompt contract for June delivery expires on Thursday. The more active July contract was at $111.89 US dollars, up 1.3%.
- WTI crude futures posed smaller gains, rising 1.4% to $108.37 US dollars. (0820 GMT)
- Gold rose on Thursday on dip-buying, but was on track for a second straight monthly fall as elevated oil prices kept fears of inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates alive. Spot gold was up 1% at $4,588.09 US dollars per ounce, after falling to its lowest point since March 31 in the last session. Bullion was down about 1.7% so far this month.
- U.S. gold futures for June delivery rose 0.4% to $4,578.10 US dollars. (0736 GMT)
- Looking at the crypto market, Bitcoin slid 2.1% over the past 24 hours to $75,633 US dollars in Asian hours, down 3% on the week. Bitcoin's resilience through the early stages of the war is being tested. The asset has held a tight band between $74,000 and $78,000 US dollars through April.
- Moving on now to other business-related news:
- The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) has released a preliminary assessment on Cambodia, following an annual consultation visit to the Kingdom from April 20–29, 2026. In a press release issued on April 30, AMRO's assessment determined that Cambodia’s economy proved to be relatively resilient against external shocks in 2025, with economic growth moderated to an estimated 5.3 per cent in 2025, and projected to slow further to 4.3 per cent in 2026, as higher global oil prices weigh on the economy.
- The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) released a statement on April 29, expressing regret over recent clashes between authorities and protestors who identify themselves as Huione Pay customers, while clarifying that addressing the claims raised by these customers falls outside the central bank's authority. The NBC released this statement following a protest that took place near its headquarters on April 27 that escalated into direct confrontations with authorities and two arrests. Approximately 140 protestors, including Cambodian and Chinese nationals, had gathered outside the bank's headquarters seeking intervention from the NBC to help recover their funds, which customers report have been frozen since December 2025. The Governor of the National Bank emphasised that customer protection remains the NBC's top priority and cited similar cases involving Panda Bank and Prince Bank, where the NBC has worked to find solutions that will help customers of those institutions recover their deposits.
- According to the Cambodian Minister of Environment, China has reaffirmed its support for Cambodia's environmental protection, low-carbon development, and climate change mitigation following a meeting in Shanghai on April 29. The discussion aimed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in these key areas. The Cambodian Minister of Environment urged for enhanced collaboration aligned with the 'Circular Strategy on Environment' to improve efficiency in pollution prevention. Additionally, the Minister of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China commended Cambodia’s success in its national cleanliness campaigns. To support these ongoing efforts, the Chinese Minister announced a donation of 2,000 solar streetlights and 3,000 household solar power systems.
Watch the 30 April 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: