Articles by Julie Zhu and Xie Yu

PwC’s China Unit Suspended for 6 Months, Hit With Record Fine for Evergrande Audit

Chinese regulators on Friday hit PwC’s auditing unit in mainland China with a six-month business suspension and a record fine of 441 million yuan ($62 million) over the firm’s audit of troubled property developer China Evergrande Group. Delivering a strong …

EY, KPMG Benefit Most From PwC China’s Regulatory Woes

Ernst & Young (EY) and KPMG have snapped up over half of PwC’s corporate clients in China that have fled the market’s leading accounting firm as it faces a regulatory probe, filings show. Chinese authorities have been investigating PwC’s role …

PwC Weighs Halving of China Financial Services Audit Staff, Sources Say

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is considering slashing up to half its financial services auditing staff in China, two people with knowledge of the matter said, as a regulatory investigation and an exodus of clients darken business prospects. The move follows Chinese regulators’ …

Update: China Ends Ant Group’s Regulatory Revamp With Fine of $984M

Chinese authorities announced on Friday a 7.12 billion yuan ($984 million) fine for Ant Group, ending a years-long regulatory overhaul of the fintech company and marking a key step to concluding a crackdown on the country’s internet sector. China’s central …

China Expected to Cut Fine on Ant Group to About $700M: Sources

Chinese regulators are expected to fine Ant Group about a quarter less than the more than $1 billion initially planned and downgrade their charges against it, sources said, as they seek to end a years-long crackdown on marquee technology firms. …

China Signals Ant’s Reemergence in Accepting Financial Holding Company Plan: Reuters

HONG KONG, June 17 (Reuters) – China’s central bank has accepted Ant Group’s application to set up a financial holding company, three people with knowledge of the matter said, a key step in finishing a year-long revamp of Jack Ma’s …

Beijing Gives Initial Green Light to Revive Ant Group’s IPO as Crackdown Eases: Sources

China’s central leadership has given billionaire Jack Ma’s Ant Group a tentative green light to revive its initial public offering (IPO), two sources with knowledge of the matter said, in the clearest sign yet Beijing is easing its crackdown on …

Investor Warburg Cuts Valuation of Ant Group by 15% to Below $200B: Source

HONG KONG – Warburg Pincus, a major global investor in Ant Group, has cut its valuation of the Chinese fintech company by 15% to below $200 billion due to risks from a restructuring at the Hangzhou-based firm, a source with …

Chinese Insurer Ping An Plans to Sell $2.1B Stake in Autohome: Sources

HONG KONG – Financial conglomerate Ping An Insurance Group of China is seeking to offload its 44% stake in auto services portal Autohome, three people familiar with the situation told Reuters. Ping An, which is currently the biggest shareholder of …

Asian Insurer FWD Group Weighs Shifting U.S. IPO to Hong Kong: Reuters

HONG KONG – Asian insurer FWD Group, controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li, is contemplating shifting its $2-$3 billion share sale from the United States to Hong Kong, said two sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The Hong …