Chinese EVs grab biggest mkt share in Europe in nine months
Chinese automakers captured the biggest share of Europe's electric-vehicle market in nine months, regaining ground lost after the European Union imposed tariffs last year.Manufacturers led by by BYD grabbed 8.9% of the region's EV market in April, the most since July, according to researcher Dataforce. Chinese hybrid and combustion models also gained traction.
The latest figures underline the potent and evolving challenge Chinese manufacturers pose to European rivals. While EU duties that took effect in November initially halted
Chinese EV
gains, the past two months show renewed momentum. BYD, MG and others have also ramped up sales of more-conventionally powered models, adding to the pressure.
"The Chinese brands did successfully adapt to the new market surroundings," said Julian Litzinger, a Dataforce analyst. A big upswing in Chinese hybrid sales "boosts their performance in Europe overall."
Chinese brands accounted for 7.6% of hybrid car sales across Europe last month, Dataforce said, up from less than 1% a year earlier.
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Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Time of India
Lucknow students prefer Europe to US for higher studies abroad
Lucknow: For Aashika Singh, a postgraduate student from Lucknow, choosing between University of Pennsylvania in the United States and University of Deusto in Spain was not a tough task. "Studying in the US appeared out of reach because of high fee and strict visa policies. Europe not only fits my budget but also gives me the chance to work after my course, which is a huge advantage," says Aashika. Like Aashika, many students from Lucknow are choosing European countries like Germany, Spain, Sweden, Ireland, and France for higher education, shifting from traditional destinations like the USA, UK, and Canada. This trend was revealed by a quick survey conducted by TOI, involving conversations with various student consultants, candidates, and agencies. According to data collected by Consultifly, a study abroad consultancy, from various agencies, around 7,100 students from Lucknow are expected to go abroad for studies in 2025, up from approximately 6,000 last year, marking an 18% increase overall. While the total number of outbound students has risen, the count of those choosing the US, UK, and Canada has dropped due to stricter visa rules, limited post-study work opportunities and soaring tuition costs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No dark spots, 10 years younger! Just take this from Guardian URUHIME MOMOKO Learn More Undo In 2024, nearly 3,800-4,000 students from Lucknow chose these countries. In 2025, the number fell to around 2,500-2,800, primarily due to rising tuition fees and increasingly stringent visa regulations. In contrast, European destinations like Germany, Spain, Ireland, Sweden, and France are emerging as more appealing alternatives, offering affordable or free education, relaxed visa norms, and strong post-study employment pathways. About 1,000 students from Lucknow chose Europe in 2024, a number that jumped to 1,400-1,500 this year. "We've observed a 40% rise in applications to European universities from Lucknow in the last two years," said Suresh Katti, founder and CEO of Consultifly. "We have seen a 35% rise in applications from students aspiring to study in Sweden, Ireland, and France this year," said Abdul Raza Khan, manager at Visa GlobeMaster. "I chose Germany because I could study for free with my B1-level German certificate and only pay for food and accommodation," said Prithvi Sharma, who plans to pursue computer science in Germany. Spain is gaining attraction as well. Programmes in business, creative arts, event management, and sports management are popular. "Unlike traditional destinations where tuition fees and living expenses are overwhelming, studying in Europe allows me to focus on learning without constant financial stress. The people are warm, campuses are diverse, and everyday life is budget-friendly. The chance to work after my degree adds real value to the entire experience," said Kushagra Singh, an undergraduate student pursuing event management and marketing in Spain. Ireland sees an intake mostly in MBA, data science, and public health. Sweden attracts primarily for AI, sustainability, and tech innovation courses. France is also becoming a preferred destination, with students opting for courses in management, fashion design, and public policy. "Choosing Ireland was a strategic decision. The universities here are globally ranked, and the two-year stay-back option after graduation gives me ample time to find a job in my field. Moreover, the friendly environment and English-speaking culture made it easier to settle in," said Pranav Sharma, MSc in Data Analytics, University College Dublin. "Sweden offers a perfect blend of innovation and sustainability in education. My program emphasises hands-on learning and critical thinking. International students are allowed to stay and look for jobs after graduating which is helpful," said Ritika Mehta, Master's in Sustainable Engineering, Lund University. "France wasn't my first choice initially, but once I explored the affordable tuition, diverse culture, and generous scholarship options, it became the obvious option. Studying in Mont-Saint-Aignan has exposed me to a truly international community and exciting career prospects in Europe," said Prakhar Bansal, who is set to pursue master's course in international business from NEOMA Business School, France.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
China is waking up from its property nightmare
CHINA'S ECONOMY has been through a stress test in the past six months with the trade war shredding nerves. The tensions over tariffs are not over yet. On May 29th Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, said that ongoing talks had 'stalled' and President Donald Trump complained that China 'had totally violated' the preliminary agreement to reduce duties reached between the two sides in Geneva on May 12th. Yet even as the trade war staggers on, two things are proving reassuring for China. One is that so far the economy has been resilient. Private-sector growth estimates for 2025 remain in the 4-5% range. The other is that one of China's biggest economic nightmares seems to be ending: the savage property crunch. To get a glimpse of that, consider a gated home in Shanghai's Changning district. It has an air of traditional German architecture and a large front garden, a feature of the city's most ritzy neighbourhoods. But what really stands out is the price. On May 27th the property sold for a stonking 270m yuan ($38m), creating a sensation in the Chinese press. At 500,000 yuan per square metre, it is one of the priciest home auctions in recent memory. That the wealthy are prepared to pony up such an exorbitant price is being interpreted as a sign that China's huge and interminable property crisis might finally be ending. Speculation about a turnaround has been building over dinner tables, in boardrooms and at state-planning symposia. The excitement is hardly surprising. Property, broadly defined, contributed about 25% of GDP on the eve of its crash in 2020. It now represents 15% or less, showing how the slump has been a huge drag on GDP growth. The depressive impact of falling prices on ordinary folk is hard to overstate. In 2021 80% of household wealth was tied up in real estate; that figure has fallen to 70%. Hundreds of developers have gone bust, leaving a tangle of unpaid bills. The dampening of confidence helps explain sluggish consumer demand. But while the market is still falling, for the first time since the start of the crisis, you can make a decent case that the end is in sight. In the first four months of 2025 sales of new homes by value fell by less than 3% compared with the year before. In 2024 the decline was 17%. Transactions will continue to drop only modestly for the rest of the year, reckon analysts at S&P Global, a rating agency. One of the biggest problems was that millions of flats were built but never sold. Last year as many as 80m stood dormant. Now in the 'tier-one' cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, that problem is easing. At the end of January the inventory held by developers in those cities would have taken around 12 and a half months to shift at current sales rates, according to CRIC, a property data service. That is down from nearly 20 months in July 2024, and not far from the average of ten months in 2016-19 across the country's 100 largest cities. In other words, the overhang is starting to look less terrifying. Shanghai's renaissance illustrates the trend. Transactions rose slightly each month from February to April compared with the year before, making it one of the few cities where prices have risen year on year for months in a row. It still has controls over who can buy properties and how many. But luxury homes are starting to be snapped up quickly, says Ms Fang, an estate agent. The prices of standard properties will probably continue to grow this year, she says, but the most expensive homes are increasing in value even faster. What explains the bottoming out of the market? Partly, just the passage of time. The average housing crash takes four years to play out, according to a study by the IMF of house-price crashes around the world between 1970 and 2003. Officials in Beijing started deflating the bubble by tightening developers' access to credit in mid-2020 and investors started to panic about the solvency of the monster developers at the end of that year. But as well as time, the government is more determined than ever to put an end to the downturn. Local governments have been encouraged to buy unused land and excess housing with proceeds from special bonds. Some are handing out subsidies for buying homes. A plan to renovate shantytowns could create demand for 1m homes. The central bank cut interest rates in May, reducing mortgage rates for new home purchases. This has boosted property sales activity, says Guo Shan of Hutong Research, a Beijing-based consulting firm. There are still dangers. The trade war is a drag on confidence. Home prices across 70 cities surveyed by the National Bureau of Statistics declined by about 2% in April from a month earlier. Sales of new homes and the starting and completion of housing projects all fell month on month. Fewer cities in April notched month-on-month price increases compared with the month before. Things are not getting much worse but they will probably not get better without more government support, says Larry Hu of Macquarie, an investment bank. In Wenzhou, a manufacturing city on China's southeastern coast, price declines are still sharp. Locals say the trade war with America is shaking confidence. Mr Zhou, a restaurant owner, says the official data do not capture huge discounts of more than 50% on some new homes in overbuilt areas. He blames a manufacturing downturn, and Mr Trump's trade war. In all probability the crisis is over in big rich cities, such as Shanghai, but may last longer in smaller cities, such as Wenzhou. New-home prices in first-tier cities will be flat this year and increase by 1% next year, according to S&P. But in third-tier cities and below they will fall by 4% this year and 2% next. Small cities are full of unwanted homes. China is escaping its property nightmare. Even so, the Communist Party must ensure it is not only big-ticket mansions in Shanghai that look appealing. Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Foreign inflows into equity, debt markets rise to Rs 30,950 crore in May
After heavy outflows in the last eight months, inflows by FPIs into equity markets in May have hit the highest levels since September last year on the back of de-escalation in Indo-Pak tensions, possibility of a trade deal with the US, a weakening US dollar and better than expected corporate earnings quarter for most companies. In May, FPIs bought equity for Rs 19,860 crore through the exchanges, according to NSDL data. The change in FPI strategy in India which began in April continued in May, leading to a marginal 12 bps rise in their ownership in listed companies to 17.5 per cent on a sequential basis. FPIs remained sellers in India in the first three months of 2025. The big selling in stocks began in January (Rs 78,027 crore) when the dollar index peaked at 111 in mid-January. The intensity of selling declined and FPIs turned buyers in April with a buy figure of Rs 4,223 crore. Foreign players pulled out Rs 2.16 lakh crore from Indian equity market between October 2024 and March 2025. Total FPI inflows into equity and debt amounted to Rs 30,950 crore in May with debt inflows at Rs 12,155 crore. There was heavy FPI inflow of Rs 29,044 crore into the debt market in March this year. Despite the inflows in May, FPI outflows from equity in 2025 so far were at Rs 92,491 crore. 'Global macros like declining dollar, slowing US and Chinese economies and domestic macros like high GDP growth and declining inflation and interest rates are the factors driving FPI inflows into India,' said a leading research firm in its report. India's better-than- expected GDP growth in Q4 of FY25 at 7.4 per cent is an indicator that growth is rebounding and this can lead to revival of corporate earnings in FY26. While FPIs are likely to continue their investment in India, at higher levels they might sell since valuations are getting stretched. In May itself, India witnessed bouts of sharp selloff from FPIs on account of Indo-Pak tensions and the latest being rising US Treasury yields. On May 21, FPIs sold Indian equities worth Rs 10,000 crore in a single day. 'In the near term, there can be some headwinds on account of global geopolitical uncertainties but long-term outlook for Indian continues to remain intact with the markets continuing to factor in strong growth for Indian economy,' says Vaqarjaved Khan, senior fundamental analyst, Angel One Ltd. According to the NSE, FPI ownership in NSE-listed companies had been declining since March 2023 — barring a brief uptick in September 2024 — amid continued volatility in foreign flows. This reversed slightly in March 2025, with FPI share rising 12 bps quarter-on-quarter to 17.5 per cent, driven by gains in private banks where FPIs have high exposure. Excluding financials, FPI share fell 26 bps to a 13-year low of 15 per cent. FPIs also increased exposure to microcaps, with their share in companies outside the Nifty 500 hitting a 10-quarter high. Their holding in the Nifty 50 stayed flat at 24.3 per cent, while it fell 28 bps in the Nifty 500 to 18.5 per cent. Despite the recent resurgence in FPI inflows, near-term uncertainties such as geopolitical risks, rising US Treasury yields, any slowdown in earnings in India can hurt FPI inflows, Khan said. India's long term growth story backed by consumption and inhouse manufacturing continues to remain intact. Meanwhile, India's corporate earnings over the next 3-5 years is expected to compound at a growth rate of 14-17 per cent. Hence, whenever valuations become attractive, FPI inflows during such periods will see a huge boost like the recent one in April and May, Khan said. FPI flows in May till date were positive for all key emerging markets except Thailand. India, Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam witnessed inflows.
