The week of April 13th to April 19th features a lineup of significant financial events, all times listed are in Beijing Time.
Major Themes for the Upcoming Week: On the economic data front, a State Council Information Office press conference on April 16th will reveal China's first-quarter GDP, along with March trade and real estate data. Huachuang Securities anticipates GDP growth to be around 5.0%.
Regarding geopolitics and energy markets, US Vice President Vance stated that negotiations with Iran held in Islamabad, Pakistan, failed to yield an agreement, with significant differences remaining between the parties. Attention is also on adjustments to supply and demand prospects in the monthly oil market reports from OPEC and the IEA. Additionally, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez is visiting China from April 11th to 15th.
In industry, technology, and corporate earnings, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) will hold an earnings call on April 16th, while Contemporary Amperex Technology Co.,Ltd. (CATL) and Kweichow Moutai Co.,Ltd. are set to disclose their financial results. Wall Street giants like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase will report, offering insights into financial and AI demand. Concurrently, rumors suggest GPT-6 may be released on April 14th. On the industrial side, the Canton Fair and the China International Consumer Products Expo open simultaneously, a data center liquid cooling technology conference will be held, and a wave of semiconductor price hikes continues to spread. In aerospace, the Long March 10B is expected to make its maiden flight from Wenchang on April 19th, testing a globally pioneering sea-based net recovery technology. Furthermore, Qunkor Technology, the first listed company among the "Hangzhou Six Little Dragons," is scheduled to commence trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on April 17th.
Economic Indicators A series of key Chinese economic data, including Q1 GDP, March import/export figures, industrial output, retail sales, and real estate data, will be released intensively next week. The press conference on national economic performance is set for April 16th. Huachuang Securities forecasts GDP growth around 5.0%. It expects USD-denominated exports in March to increase by approximately 4.5% year-on-year, with imports up around 5%. Retail sales growth for March is projected to be about 3.3%.
Financial Events Close monitoring of the Iran situation will continue. According to reports, US Vice President Vance indicated that US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad did not result in an agreement, with clear differences persisting. The US delegation will return home. Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez will pay an official visit to China from April 11th to 15th. Amid the Iran situation, OPEC will release its Monthly Oil Market Report on April 13th (specific time TBD, usually around 18:00-21:00 Beijing Time). The IEA will publish its own Monthly Oil Market Report on April 14th. Reports suggest GPT-6 may be released. Internal OpenAI leaks indicate GPT-6, codenamed "Potato," could launch on April 14th, boasting a 40% performance surge and a 2 million token context window, internally defined as the "final 20%" push towards AGI. Simultaneously, GPT-Image 2 has made a stunning debut, generating highly realistic images. CEO Sam Altman's strategic shift away from Sora towards prioritizing compute power represents a high-stakes gamble with no turning back. A dense schedule of aerospace events: The Long March 10B is expected to make its maiden flight from Wenchang on April 19th, testing the pioneering sea-based net recovery technology. In late April, the Zhuque-3 and Xingyun-1 rockets will conduct reusability tests and maiden flights, respectively. Overseas, SpaceX's Starship V3 and New Glenn NG-3 are scheduled for simultaneous launches. According to China Securities, global space launches could exceed 300 by 2026.
Major Industry Conferences: Canton Fair, Consumer Products Expo, World Copper Conference, IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings, etc. A series of major industry and international conferences are scheduled. Domestically, the Canton Fair opens on April 15th; the Data Center Liquid Cooling Technology Conference, co-organized by Tencent, is on April 16th; and the 6th China International Consumer Products Expo runs from April 13th to 18th in Hainan. The IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings will be held in Washington D.C. from April 13th to 18th, alongside the World Copper Conference in Chile, providing cutting-edge analysis on refined copper and concentrate supply and demand. Domestic: The 139th Canton Fair opens on April 15th, featuring an exhibition area of 1.55 million square meters, 75,500 booths, and attracting over 30,000 participating enterprises. The 6th China International Consumer Products Expo will be held in Hainan from April 13th to 18th. The 2026 Humanoid Robot Ecosystem Conference takes place from April 17th to 19th. Data Center Liquid Cooling Technology Conference: The 4th edition, hosted by CDCC and strategically co-organized by Tencent Data Center, is on April 16th. The 2026 World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit will be held in Hong Kong from April 13th to 14th.
Overseas: World Copper Conference – A premier annual event focusing on industrial metals, held in Santiago, Chile, from April 13th to 15th. It offers the latest information on supply, demand, and prices for refined copper, concentrates, and the recycling market. IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings run from April 13th to 18th. Speakers include Riksbank Governor Thedeen and Deputy Governor Sæm, the Governor of the Bank of England, and others. During the meetings, the IMF will release its World Economic Outlook and Global Financial Stability Report on April 14th. The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting is scheduled for April 16th.
Baidu announced price increases for its AI computing-related products, effective April 18th, with hikes around 5%-30%. Parallel file storage prices will increase by approximately 30%.
The semiconductor price hike wave continues to spread, with domestic firm Puyuan Technology announcing increases. Since April, a global semiconductor industry price surge is accelerating from the cost side across the entire chain. From international IDMs like Infineon and Texas Instruments to domestic leaders like Jinghe Integrated and Puyuan Technology, numerous price adjustment notices have been issued. In chip design, Puyuan Technology announced price increases for general-purpose MCU-related products effective April 15th; increases from companies like Fremont Micro Devices, Jiejie Microelectronics, and Novosense are generally in the 10% to 20% range.
Product Launches: Apple Business, Zhiji LS8, DJI Pocket 4 Apple launched Apple Business, integrating device management, email, and calendar. Apple Business goes live on April 14th. Zhiji Auto's new mid-to-large-size extended-range SUV, the Zhiji LS8, has started pre-sales with four variants and pre-sale prices ranging from 259,800 to 309,800 yuan. The official launch is set for April 16th, with immediate delivery following. The DJI Pocket 4 will be released on April 16th.
Bank of Japan Governor Ueda will deliver a public speech on April 13th as one of several keynote speakers at a conference, where his remarks are typically brief. This is his only scheduled speech before the BOJ's April 28th policy decision, making the central bank's communication of its intent ahead of the meeting crucial. Traders currently price in about a 70% chance of a rate hike. Additionally, US Vice President Vance and several Federal Reserve officials are scheduled to speak, including Governor Bowman at an IIF forum, New York Fed President Williams, and Chicago Fed President Goolsbee participating in a panel before a world economic conference. Furthermore, White House Budget Director Russell Vought will testify before the Senate Budget Committee on April 16th.
Earnings Reports Financial results are due from domestic industry leaders like Kweichow Moutai Co.,Ltd., Contemporary Amperex Technology Co.,Ltd. (CATL), and China Unicom. Overseas, lithography giant ASML will report. Concurrently, a slew of top Wall Street investment banks, led by Goldman Sachs, will release earnings, followed by Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, BlackRock, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) will hold its Q1 2026 earnings conference call at 2:00 PM Beijing Time / 2:00 AM ET on Thursday, April 16th, 2026. The quiet period runs from April 6th to April 15th, 2026, during which TSM will not engage with the investment community.
Qunkor Technology, the first listed company among the "Hangzhou Six Little Dragons," is set to start trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on April 17th. The company, which operates the spatial design platform Kujiale, reported revenue of 820 million yuan and an adjusted net profit of 57.1 million yuan in 2025, achieving profitability for the first time.
Changguang Chenxin (Changchun Changguang Chenxin Microelectronics Co., Ltd.) applied for a Hong Kong IPO, seeking to issue approximately 65.3 million shares at an offer price of HK$39.88 per share. Trading is expected to begin on April 17th.
Sige New Energy applied for a Hong Kong IPO, seeking to issue 13.6 million shares at an offer price of HK$324.20 per share. Trading is expected to commence on April 16th.
Schedules for upcoming Hong Kong stock earnings disclosures, partial A-share Q1 report disclosures, and partial A-share 2025 annual report disclosures were also listed.
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