On Sept 4 Xiaomi Group partner and president Lu Weibing said at IFA in Berlin Xiaomi Auto signed agreements with eight leading German dealers. The export-bound model will undergo high-speed validation and functional testing at seven venues across Sweden, Germany, Spain and Italy, including the Arjeplog winter test centre and Nürburgring.

Hong Kong close Sept 4 (Fri): HSI up 437.56 pts (+1.74%) at 25,650.87; Hang Seng Tech up 101.32 pts (+2.27%) at 4,569.80; HSCEI up 169.79 pts (+2.02%) at 8,555.03; Red Chip Index up 36.00 pts (+0.86%) at 4,213.46.

Euro area retail sales fell 0.6% MoM in July; overall retail turnover slipped 0.4% MoM after a 0.2% rise in June. On a YoY basis retail volumes were up 0.6% in the euro area and 1.0% in the EU. The monthly decline was driven by weak non‑food sales, with Germany notably soft; motor fuel sales dropped 0.8% while food, beverages and tobacco rose 0.4%, providing partial support. Data indicate consumption is cooling but remains slightly above year‑ago levels and are unlikely to change the ECB outlook; markets still price a 25bp hike to 2.50% at the next meeting.