Thanks for joining me. Higher energy costs will force four in five businesses to put up their prices over the next two years, a survey showed.
While 81pc of businesses expect to hike prices, some 70pc fear they will be less competitive over the next two years, according to research by PwC.
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What happened overnight
China stocks slumped for a sixth straight session, with small-cap companies leading the plunge, as investor pessimism worsened on the lack of a clear signal for policy support.
The blue-chip CSI300 Index tumbled as much as 2.1pc to refresh a five-year low, while the Shanghai Composite Index slumped as much as 3.5pc, after tumbling 6.2pc last week.
The Hong Kong market remained relatively stable, with the Hang Seng benchmark down only 0.2pc.
Tokyo stocks closed higher as Japanese exporters benefited from a weaker yen.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.5pc, or 196.14 points, to 36,354.16, while the broader Topix index added 0.7pc, or 17.03 points, to 2,556.71.
There were also losses in Sydney, Seoul, Singapore and Wellington.
But Tokyo rose as the dollar rallied against the yen to boost exporters.
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
