World Cup broadcasts injected an extra HK$500 million into Hong Kong’s hospitality sector, despite games being held in the middle of the night due to the time difference, according to Simon Wong, President of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades. About 150 restaurants and 10 major malls installed screens to cater to football fans, said Wong on an RTHK radio show.
59%
The percentage of sustainability assurance engagements globally that were performed by audit firms in 2024, up four percentage points from the year earlier, according to an updated report by IFAC and AICPA & CIMA. The report, The State of Play: Sustainability Disclosure and Assurance (Six-Year Trends and Analysis, 2019-2024), is the sixth annual benchmark of sustainability reporting and assurance practices of companies around the world. It found that a third of companies cite the use or future use of ISSB Standards, compared to 16 percent the year earlier, signaling a shift from fragmented reporting toward standardization.
193%
The surge in net fund inflows into Hong Kong’s asset management industry in 2025, as total assets under management hit a record high, KPMG reports. The firm credits reformed fund tax rules, including a retrospective 0% rate on carried interest, with drawing global managers to the city. Hong Kong also expects roughly HK$350 billion in IPO fundraising this year.
73%
The percentage of chief financial officers (CFOs) in the United Kingdom who are optimistic that artificial intelligence (AI) will materially boost business performance, up from 59 percent in Q4 2025 and 39 percent in Q3 2024, Deloitte’s Q2 2026 CFO survey finds. Nearly all (93 percent) expect digital investment to rise over the next year. Cost control is cited as the main reason for reduced graduate hiring in the past year, with the use of AI being the second.
4.5 kg
The maximum cargo weight that drones under Lalamove and EY’s strategic partnership can carry. The firm and the Hong Kong delivery company have teamed up to advance innovations in the low-altitude economy and enterprise logistics, with a focus on large companies in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. The collaboration is one of 38 pilot projects approved in the Hong Kong government’s regulatory sandbox project for low-altitude test flights.
8
The number of standardized board lot unit options Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) will roll out under its new streamlined framework, alongside a board lot value range of HK$1,000 to HK$50,000. The changes take effect in phases from 2 July, with full compliance tied to the exchange’s Uncertificated Securities Market transition launching 16 November. HKEX says the move will boost trading efficiency and market accessibility.
20 years
The maximum period over which Japanese companies must amortize acquisition goodwill, a rule the Accounting Standards Board of Japan is set to maintain despite pressure to align with International Financial Reporting Standards and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, which do not require amortization. Nikkei Asia reported that the divergence complicates comparisons between Japanese companies and foreign companies, leaving Japan an outlier among major economies on the issue.
16 days
How long a hacker had access to a third-party service management platform that EY in the United States uses to support tax-related work it performs for its clients, between 28 March and 12 April. The breach, disclosed to clients on 13 July, exposed Social Security numbers, credit card details, and tax-filing information. EY says no data has surfaced online and no group has claimed responsibility.
