Hong Kong raises economic forecast after best half-yearly performance in 5 years

Hong Kong has raised its full-year economic growth forecast for 2026 to a range of 3.5 to 4.5 per cent after expansion of 4.3 per cent in the second quarter, supported by buoyant external trade and resilient domestic demand. Releasing its half-yearly economic report on Friday, the government revised its 2026 growth forecast from the previous range of 2.5 to 3.5 per cent, citing a stronger-than-expected performance in the first half of the year and taking into account the near-term outlook. It said the economy should experience “solid growth” in the second half, with global demand for artificial intelligence-related electronic…