A new analysis of federal earnings data measures how much students who received federal financial aid earned four years after graduating. Our graphics reporter Arfa Momin studied the data to see when a graduate’s major and college mattered most to earnings.

The mainland's blue-chip index fell to a one-year low on Thursday as traders returning from a week-long holiday faced renewed geopolitical tensions, higher global yields, and a looming earnings season that threatens still-lofty valuations of Chinese tech shares. In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index dropped 344 points, or 1.4 percent, to 23,785, touching its lowest level in three months, on turnover of HK$207.26 billion. The tech index dropped 121 points, or 2.9 percent, to 4,073, its lowest level in two years, while the China enterprises index fell 71 points, or 0.9 percent, to 8,010. Up north, stock benchmarks are now near where they were two years ⁠ago, when a stimulus bonanza from Beijing lit up share prices and boosted hopes for a slow bull run, which is now limping in a three-month downtrend. The blue-chip CSI300 Index closed down 1.1 percent. The index has hit its lowest level since August 2025 and is down roughly 15 percent from its June peak. The Shanghai Composite Index closed down 30 points, or 0.79 percent, at 3,811 on turnover of 811.18 billion yuan. The Shenzhen Component Index plunged 266 points, or 2.07 percent, to 12,620 on turnover of 870.9 billion yuan while the ChiNext Index dived 98 points, or 3.15 percent, to 3,036 on turnover of 422.75 billion yuan. The tech-focused Star 50 Index slumped nearly five percent to hit a five-month low. Following a tumble that wiped out more than one third of its value since July 1, the Star 50 Index still trades at roughly 100 times earnings. Shanghai Zhuozhu Investment partner Wang ⁠Zhuo said excessive optimism in the first half towards "hard tech" shares such as chipmakers fuelled irrationally high valuations but that "bubbles would inevitably ⁠burst". Risk appetite was also curbed by renewed Sino-US tensions as optimism from last month's leadership meetings faded. Also signalling tensions, the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday said it would vote on October 29 to bar all Chinese labs from testing electronic devices for use in the United States, widening a previous action targeting Beijing. Traders are also monitoring Sino-EU trade talks this month as China has reportedly rejected a European Union request for voluntary curbs on hybrid car exports. In another ⁠damper on sentiment, brokerage China Securities said that despite a smaller chance of a follow-up US rate hike this month, "rapidly rising 30-year US Treasury yields will continue to curb China stocks," as the widening yield gap induces capital outflows. Tech shares led the decline in China on Thursday, with indices of chip-making, biotech and robotics all shedding four percent or more. But energy, real estate and banking shares gained, signs that money is rotating out of growth stocks ⁠into cyclical sectors. In Tokyo, the Nikkei fell 993 points, or 1.42 percent, to close at 69,042, down for a second consecutive session, as investors paused after recent rallies, wary of the US rate outlook, higher yields ⁠and geopolitical tensions. The broader Topix slid 52 points, or 1.51 percent, to 4,091. In Seoul, the Kospi South Korean shares closed down 177 points, or 2.62 percent, at 6,625 for the day and 5.79 percent for the week as shares of Samsung Electronics fell 2.42 percent despite the chipmaker projecting a record profit for the latest quarter. (Reuters/Xinhua) Edited by Tony Sabine

The European Commission’s top trade envoy, Maroš Šefčovič, is in China holding a two-day meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao amid trade tensions between Beijing and the European Union. The EU is looking to narrow its 360-billion-euro trade deficit with China. "Day one in China, with one goal: begin rebalancing our... unsustainable trade deficit. I started by hearing directly from EU businesses here. The message around the table was clear: the need to improve access to the Chinese market, while boosting our economic security," Šefčovič said on X. On the eve of the talks in Beijing, the European Parliament voted 454-86 on a resolution to toughen up on China that centred on a call for “economic reciprocity and a proportionate EU response if China does not open its markets.” Earlier, a letter by France and Germany called for a sweeping rethink of the EU’s China policy. It proposed, among other actions, making it easier for the European Commission to use the bloc’s so-called “trade bazooka” – the anti-coercion instrument – to block or restrict trade and investment from countries found to be putting undue pressure on EU member nations or corporations. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the two sides should come together and promote the stable and healthy development of bilateral trade ties. Earlier this week, the Commerce Ministry said China hopes that France and Germany will uphold open cooperation and free trade, observe World Trade Organisation rules and refrain from encouraging the EU to resort to protectionist measures. A ministry spokesperson said protectionism cannot enhance competitiveness, and decoupling and cutting off supply chains will only harm others without benefiting oneself. (Xinhua and agencies) _____________________________ Last updated: 2026-10-08 HKT 18:08 Edited by Tony Sabine

Chinese tech company Huawei wants to rebuild its consumer business after U.S. sanctions halved segment revenue.

Samsung Electronics on Thursday projected its quarterly profit would top 100 trillion won, a world first for a technology company, estimating a nearly nine-fold jump in third-quarter earnings as booming demand for AI chips drove strong memory sales. The world's largest memory chipmaker estimated an operating profit of 107.4 trillion won, or US$80.17 billion, slightly ahead of an LSEG SmartEstimate of 106.1 trillion won. The forecast marks Samsung's fourth straight quarter of record operating profit, underscoring a deepening global memory chip shortage as AI infrastructure investment outpaces supply growth, which has driven chip prices up sharply. Samsung and Micron expect the imbalance to persist into 2028, although Chinese competition and a potential slowdown in AI spending pose risks to the longer-term earnings outlook. Samsung's shares moved sideways despite flagging another record profit, slipping 0.2 percent in early trade versus a 0.5 percent fall in the benchmark Kospi. Its share price has slumped more than 25 percent from a record high in June amid concerns about the durability of the AI boom. Analysts have also recently trimmed their forecasts due to the sharp appreciation of the won, which reduces the value of dollar-denominated overseas sales when converted into local currency. "The market's focus has shifted to whether the sharp earnings growth that started a year ago would be sustainable," market analyst Kim Seok-hwan at Mirae Asset Securities said. Analysts expect profit in the fourth quarter to grow 8.2 percent from the previous quarter, slowing from 20 percent sequential quarterly growth in the third quarter, with chip price growth abating. Market research firm TrendForce expects conventional Dram contract prices to rise 10 percent to 15 percent in the fourth quarter from the preceding quarter, much slower than a second-quarter surge of roughly 60 percent. The moderation in memory prices is being closely watched by investors after a more than year-long rally that propelled profit margins to record highs for the world's largest memory producers Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron. Third-quarter revenue would likely rise 127 percent to 195 trillion won from a year earlier, Samsung said. The company will release detailed results, including a breakdown of earnings by business division, on October 29. TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, reported on Thursday record third-quarter revenue of US$46.71 billion, beating the market forecast and rising 50 percent from the year-earlier period due to surging demand for AI applications. (Reuters) Edited by Tony Sabine