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B2B Asia News
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This is a B2B Asia News Daily Update for 31 July 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 surged on Friday, driven by strong U.S. tech earnings and month-end bargain buying that reversed earlier weekly losses. KOSPI was emblematic of this trend.
- The index surged over 18% on Friday but was still nursing an over 20% loss this month.
- Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 4%, also aided by a surge in local tech and chipmaking names.
- Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index ended 0.1% higher, and the Shanghai Composite Index closed 0.72% higher.
- Zooming in on Cambodia’s market—the Cambodia Securities Exchange Index was up 0.84 points or 0.18% to 457.42. Total trade volume was up with 320,664 shares changing hands at a total value of nearly 1.5 million riel or over $374,000 US dollars.
- On the main board, four stocks were up, led by Pestech Cambodia, while three stocks were down, with Royal Group Phnom Penh SEZ as the biggest loser of the day.
- Over on the growth board, DBD Engineering was down, while Picasso City Garden and JS Land stayed flat.
- Shifting to the exchange rate, the Khmer riel to USD remained stable at 4,043 riel per US Dollar, while the US Dollar index hovered around 101.12.
- Looking at global commodities, oil prices fell more than 1% on Friday as more supplies flowed through crucial maritime chokepoints, despite a lack of major breakthroughs in talks between the United States and Iran. Oil prices, however, remained on track for a monthly rise.
- Brent futures were down 1.44% at $87.75 US dollars a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slipped 1.77% to $82.11 US dollars a barrel. (0807 GMT)
- Gold fell but was on course for its first monthly gain in five months, supported by bargain buying around the $4,000 dollar level, while investors weighed developments in the Middle East and their impact on U.S. rate outlook. Spot gold fell 0.7% to $4,075.35 US dollars per ounce, but was headed for a weekly rise of 0.5%. Prices were up about 1.7% this month.
- U.S. gold futures for August delivery lost 0.6% to $4,074 US dollars. (0703 GMT)
Looking at the crypto market, Bitcoin was down 1.01%, with a 7-day drop of 0.08%.
- Moving on now to other business-related news,
- Cambodia Tech Sprint Day, the first event under B2B Asia News’ national ‘Powered by Cambodia’ campaign, was held at the Factory Phnom Penh on July 31, gathering local entrepreneurs, startup founders, SME owners, innovators, students and technology professionals for a day of building practical tech skills and driving collective momentum for the Kingdom’s digital future. The event featured an insightful morning session of specialised workshops focused on improving digital literacy and building digital skills led by key industry experts from BKD Academy, 2080 Ventures and PharmKulen. Participants gained actionable insights into venture scaling, modern technology integration, and digital strategies tailored specifically for Cambodian enterprises. In the afternoon, the Tech Marketplace exhibition gave attendees the chance to connect directly with digital startups, SMEs, entrepreneurs and tech companies. Stay tuned for more events under the Powered by Cambodia campaign!
- Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Prak Sokhonn, is set to pay an official two-day visit to Malaysia from August 3 to 4 at the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart. According to an official press release from Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the high-level visit will feature a courtesy call to the Malaysian Prime Minister, alongside the co-chairing of the 3rd Meeting of the Cambodia-Malaysia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC). During the summit, senior officials will comprehensively review progress on previous agreements while outlining concrete frameworks to broaden cross-sectoral ties, injecting fresh momentum into bilateral trade, economic alignment, and strategic cooperation to advance regional peace and sustainable growth.
- Cambodia Expo Series 2026, the Kingdom’s largest multi-sector expo, will take place from August 26 to 28, at the Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre in Phnom Penh. The announcement was made during the Cambodia Expo Series 2026 Kick-Off event, held in Phnom Penh on July 29 under the presidency of H.E. Samheng Bora, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce. Organised by Minh Vi Exhibition and Advertisement Services Co., Ltd., the Cambodia Expo Series 2026 Kick-Off brought together key representatives from ministries, embassies, industry associations, development partners, and private enterprises.
Watch the 31 July 2026 Daily Update in Khmer below: