Connect with us

Business

Strengthening ASEAN Currency Resilience: Towards Financial Independence

Published

on

Managing Risks and Seizing Opportunities: ASEAN's Approach

ASEAN currencies demonstrate resilience through economic fundamentals and integration efforts. Initiatives like local currency frameworks and fintech development reduce reliance on the US dollar, enhancing regional stability and investment opportunities.


ASEAN currencies have shown significant resilience to global economic shocks driven by robust domestic economic fundamentals, effective policy buffers, growth in FDI and investments and global developments, such as geopolitical uncertainties, trade tensions and financial crises.

Key Points

  • Resilience of ASEAN currencies
    • Strong domestic fundamentals, prudent monetary policies, and large foreign reserves have helped withstand global shocks.
    • Growth in exports (US$1.9 trillion in 2024) and FDI (US$234 billion in 2023) supports stability.
  • Geopolitical pressures and USD reliance
    • Sanctions on Russia and global trade tensions highlight vulnerabilities of USD dependence.
    • ASEAN nations are diversifying reserves and promoting intra-regional trade to reduce reliance on the dollar.

Mounting geopolitical uncertainties and trade tensions, exacerbated by sanctions against Russia, have challenged the US dollar’s dominance driving a need for ASEAN countries to deepen integration, diversify currency reserves, and promote intra-regional trade to build resilience against future crises and reduce reliance on external currencies, the US dollar in particular.

At present, the ASEAN nations are developing an independent and more resilient regional financial system through integration and cooperation initiatives such as Regional Payment Connectivity, integrated QR payments, financial safety nets, Digital Economy Framework and Central Bank Digital currencies that aim to strengthen the payment connectivity among these nations while withstanding external shocks and future crises.

The development of fintech and digital banking in ASEAN has brought in stability to the banking system in the region offering broader currency and economic stability. The evolving fintech and digital banking landscape in the region is offering significant investment opportunities for investors in digital payments and lending, neobanking, embedded finance, investment technology and infrastructure.

Advertisement

ASEAN’s Emergence as a Global Powerhouse Supports Financial Resilience

The ASEAN region, with a total population of 682.7 million and a combined GDP of US$3.8 trillion ranks as the fifth-largest economy in the world. The region has evolved into a rapidly growing hub maintaining strong economic resilience driven by robust household consumption, steady increase in foreign direct investment (FDI), economic diversification and access to developed export markets.

Regional integration initiatives

  • Local Currency Settlement frameworks (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand) encourage trade in local currencies.
  • Regional Payment Connectivity (RPC) and interoperable QR payments lower transaction costs and improve cross-border efficiency.
  • Chiang Mai Initiative (US$240 billion swap arrangement) provides financial safety nets.

The manufacturing sector continues to play a crucial role as the key driver of economic growth in the region. Manufactured goods such as electronics, automobiles and parts, textile & garments and agricultural products (such as palm oil, rice and rubber) dominate the exports in the ASEAN region.

In 2024, region’s exports reached US$1.9 trillion (7.7% of global exports) growing from US$1.1 trillion in 2016. Over the past decade, ASEAN’s exports to the US alone have increased roughly from 10% to 17%, highlighting the increased role of ASEAN in international trade.

During the last decade, ASEAN also has demonstrated strong performance in services trade, whereas service exports expanded by 8.0% in 2023 to US$554.2 billion.

During this period, intra-ASEAN trade also experienced significant growth with the removal of tariff on most products across the region (through ATIGA) which has helped build an integrated and stable regional market. In 2023, intra-ASEAN trade exports contributed to 22.1% of total ASEAN exports, growing at an average annual growth rate of 7.3% between 2003-2023.

Advertisement

Intra-ASEAN services trade also has experienced sustained growth over the years accounting for 14% of ASEAN’s total trade in services in 2023 (vs 12.6% in 2022). This strong growth in intra-ASEAN services trade further emphasizes the interdependence among ASEAN nations and strong regional integration.

Having a strong export sector and deep intra-regional integration have helped these nations generate significant foreign exchange earnings that have helped currency resilience through building large foreign exchange reserves.

Exports and foreign investments have been key drivers of economic growth in the region and have helped reduce the need for external borrowings in foreign currency. This has paved the way for the development of strong local currency bond markets which has helped build further resilience by reducing dependence on foreign funding.

Prudent monetary policies (such as interest rate and foreign reserve management) aimed at inflation targeting also has offered currency stability in the region. The inflation across most countries in the region has moderated and remains largely within the target.

Advertisement

Source: Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (US)

Central banks in countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam have set higher local interest rates which has helped attract foreign investments due to higher yields, driving local currency appreciation.

The inward foreign direct investment flows into ASEAN have shown steady growth over the years (from US$119 billion in 2015 to US$234 billion in 2023) despite seeing a temporary decline in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This growth has been driven by a large consumer market, strong economic fundamentals, diversification of supply chains and favorable government policies.

Geopolitical Uncertainties Create a Need for Building Resilience

The US Dollar has been dominating the global trade for decades, and ASEAN has been no exception. The ASEAN nations rely heavily on the US dollar (USD) as the primary currency for trade with the US and other nations including for intra-regional transactions. However, mounting geopolitical uncertainties and trade tension have challenged the USD’s dominance during the past few years, and the economic sanctions levied against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine further exacerbated this situation.

Advertisement

This resulted in a need for the countries in ASEAN to further deepen their integration and cooperation to diversify reserves and promote intra-regional trade. Moreover, this created a desire for ASEAN nations to bolster their resilience to weather future crises by reducing their dependence on external currencies.

ASEAN currencies are now less tied to the USD than before, and during the past decade, the exchange rate/USD (weighted average currency index) has shown less volatility compared to other emerging economies.

De-Dollarization in ASEAN: A Collective Effort 

Local Currency Settlement Frameworks (LCS): The member states in ASEAN are implementing bilateral and multilateral LCS frameworks to promote the use of local currencies for intra-regional trade and investment. The goal is to reduce exposure to external currency volatility while enhancing efficiency for businesses in the region. At present, operational frameworks exist between Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and as a result, transactions in local currencies within ASEAN have seen tremendous growth during the past five years.

Regional Payment Connectivity (RPC): In November 2022, five ASEAN member states (namely Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) signed a MoU on cooperation on RPC which aims to strengthen bilateral and multilateral payment connectivity among the nations. This has supported faster, cheaper, transparent and more inclusive cross-border payments in the region. The initiative has now been extended to other member states including Vietnam (2023), Brunei (2024), Lao PDR (2024) and Cambodia (2025). The development of the RPC has also attracted countries outside the ASEAN.

Advertisement

Investment opportunities

  • Rising demand for fintech, neobanks, embedded finance, and digital infrastructure.
  • Strong manufacturing and services sectors continue to attract investors.

Integration of QR Payments: Having an ASEAN interoperable Quick Response (QR) payment is a key focus area of RPC that aims to encourage integration across participating central banks to standardize national payment systems through a common QR code format, ensuring seamless cross-border transactions. QR code systems of several member states including Cambodia (KHQR), Indonesia (QRIS), Lao PDR (Lao QR), Malaysia (DuitNow), The Philippines (QR Ph), Singapore (PayNow), Thailand (PromptPay), and Vietnam (VietQR) have already been connected. These initiatives are expected to lower transaction costs while mitigating foreign exchange risk. In the meantime, Japan is also reportedly exploring the integration of its QR payment system into RPC, with full implementation expected by end-2025.

Regional Financial Safety Nets: A multilateral currency swap arrangement (The Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM)) with a funding size of US$240 billion has been in place among the ASEAN+3 member countries (ASEAN, China, Japan, and South Korea) to address balance of payment and short-term liquidity crises (by enabling rapid financing facilities) in the region.

The regulators and central banks in the region have launched several policy frameworks to facilitate seamless transaction in the region.

The ASEAN Policy Framework is a regional initiative that provides the guiding principles for the implementation of interoperable, real-time payment systems across the region. These include common standards, data security (ISO:20022) and linkages between national QR systems.

Advertisement

The Local Currency Transaction Framework is an initiative by the central banks of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to promote the use of local currencies for trade and investment thereby reducing reliance on USD. This framework was extended in 2025 to include portfolio investments to further strengthen financial cooperation in the region.

The ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) is a comprehensive roadmap negotiated by the countries to create the world’s first comprehensive digital trade rules through harmonizing standards, digital trade, cybersecurity and digital payments. Negotiations are expected to conclude, with the agreement signed by 2026.

In addition to the above, the countries in the region are in the process of adopting international standards such as ISO:20022 messaging standard to facilitate data exchange for regulatory compliance and greater transparency.

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) to Further Strengthen Regional Integration

ASEAN Countries are actively exploring CBDCs to further enhance financial inclusion and cross-border payments while further strengthening regional efforts to reduce US dollar reliance. While Singapore (a trial is expected in 2026) is at the forefront, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia have already launched pilot projects exploring both wholesale and retail applications as a means of modernizing cross-border payments. The other countries in the region including The Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam have already initiated several measures (such as receiving training, ongoing research, etc.) related to CBDCs to enhance cross-border interoperability.

Advertisement

CBDCs, if made interoperable with systems of other countries, have the potential to reduce transaction costs by cutting down transaction times and facilitating deeper economic ties with other economies in the region. This offers unique advantages to countries in ASEAN by enabling direct settlement in local currencies thereby reducing US dollar dependency and stability against currency volatility.

Fintech and Digital Banking Further Boost Currency Resilience

The development of fintech and digital banking in ASEAN has further enhanced currency resilience by complementing the regional cooperation initiatives. As countries in the region attempts to interlink economies and financial systems, fintech has offered various measures to achieve the above through streamlining cross-border payments.

Digital transformation

  • Fintech and digital banking enhance financial inclusion and stability.
  • Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are being piloted to strengthen cross-border payments and reduce USD dependency.

Digital banks and fintechs in the region offer services such as mobile money, digital wallets and micro-credit to population which were previously unbanked as well as to SMEs in the region promoting financial inclusion. Strong and inclusive economies are inherently more resilient to external pressures which in turn supports currency strength.

In general, fintech applications leverage big data, AI and blockchain that enable financial institutions to accurately assess risk and manage liquidity in real-time. This offers stability to the banking system and resilience to external shocks which in turn provides the foundation for broader currency and economic stability.

Investment Implications for ASEAN

As fintech firms in the region play a crucial role in developing a robust ecosystem for local currency transactions in the region, there has been strong demand for fintech, digital banks and RegTech (regulatory technology) offerings. The acceleration of digital payment platforms and cross-border payment systems such as the RPC initiative have created a fertile ground for fintech investment in ASEAN. Neobanks are rapidly growing in the region targeting its large underbanked population presenting significant opportunities for innovation and growth. At the same time, embedded finance is also transforming ASEAN’s fintech landscape offering significant opportunities in areas including payments, lending, wealth management and insurance infrastructure. In addition to diversified manufacturing and service hubs in ASEAN offering attractive investment opportunities, investors should also look at companies that stand to benefit from this evolving fintech transition (such as infrastructure and technology providers).

Advertisement

Conclusion

The use of local currencies in cross-border transactions in ASEAN is increasing driven by geopolitical uncertainties and trade tensions. Strengthening macroeconomic fundamentals and deepening regional financial integration and payment connectivity have promoted cross-border settlements in ASEAN, accelerating the move away from the USD. The policy makers and central banks in the region have introduced several policy frameworks to develop an independent financial system thus bringing in further resilience to ASEAN currencies.

An evolving fintech and digital banking landscape in the region have further supported this move by improving the efficiency of cross-border transactions. The investors in ASEAN are increasingly hedging their USD exposures with slowdown in the US economy driving further demand for ASEAN currencies. An attractive bond market in the region (including higher yields compared to other developed markets) also offers investors an opportunity for portfolio diversification.

Despite the cooperation among ASEAN countries and the significant progress made towards building an independent financial system in the region, diverse regulatory landscapes among countries, varied stages of digital infrastructure development and the need to harmonize data protection protocols need to be addressed to achieve an independent financial system. While US dollar’s dominance is expected to continue, ongoing collaboration among ASEAN nations have paved the way for gradual development of an independent financial ecosystem.

This article was written by Smartkarma, in collaboration with ASEAN Exchanges. 

Advertisement

Source : Currency Resilience in ASEAN: Moving Towards an Independent Financial System

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Business

PureField Ingredients: Protein-Focused from America’s Heartland

Published

on

PureField Ingredients: Protein-Focused from America’s Heartland

U.S.-grown wheat protein delivering performance, transparency, and industry-leading low-carbon operations.

Continue Reading

Business

Qualys Q4 2025 presentation: Enterprise TruRisk Platform drives 10% revenue growth

Published

on

Qualys Q4 2025 presentation: Enterprise TruRisk Platform drives 10% revenue growth


Qualys Q4 2025 presentation: Enterprise TruRisk Platform drives 10% revenue growth

Continue Reading

Business

TAT Technologies: Strong Buy As Tiny Company Powers Huge APU, Gear Expansion (NASDAQ:TATT)

Published

on

TAT Technologies: Strong Buy As Tiny Company Powers Huge APU, Gear Expansion (NASDAQ:TATT)

This article was written by

Dhierin-Perkash Bechai is an aerospace, defense and airline analyst.
Dhierin runs the investing group The Aerospace Forum, whose goal is to discover investment opportunities in the aerospace, defense and airline industry. With a background in aerospace engineering, he provides analysis of a complex industry with significant growth prospects, and offers context to developments as they occur, describing how they might affect investment theses. His investing ideas are driven by data informed analysis. The investing group also provides direct access to data analytics monitors.
Learn more.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Business

ADM earnings decline amid lower crush margins

Published

on

ADM earnings decline amid lower crush margins

Company awaits clarity from US biofuels policy.

Continue Reading

Business

MF Tracker: Can this 3 and 5 year top performer PSU fund extend its winning streak?

Published

on

MF Tracker: Can this 3 and 5 year top performer PSU fund extend its winning streak?
SBI PSU Fund managed by SBI Mutual Fund offered the highest CAGR in the last three years and five years respectively among all the equity mutual funds, an analysis by ETMutualFunds showed. In the last three years, the fund gave a CAGR of 32.14% and around 28.74% in the last five years (Source: ACE MF).

Launched in July 2010, the fund is not given any rating by Morningstar and Value Research. For this fund, according to Value Research, each category must have a minimum of 10 funds for it to be rated, which is not the case for the PSU category as there are five funds. As per Morningstar, this category is a non rateable category fund.

Also Read | Will secondary market SGB maturity returns now be taxed? Budget 2026 has changed the rules

Based on the trailing returns, the fund has outperformed its category average in the last three and five years whereas in the last 10 years, it failed to outperform its benchmark. As in the last three years and five years, the fund gave 32.14% and 28.74% respectively, the category average was 30.60% and 27.94% respectively. Since its inception, the fund has delivered a CAGR of 8.35%. Note, the data for the benchmark BSE PSU TRI was not available to compare the performance of the fund.

On the basis of daily rolling returns, the fund has delivered a CAGR of 15.23% in the last five years, 8.27% in the last seven years, and 7.79% in the last 10 years.

Advertisement


A monthly SIP made in the fund since its inception would have been Rs 59.25 lakh with an XIRR of 13.67%. A lump sum investment of Rs 1 lakh made in the fund since its inception would have been Rs 3.48 lakh with a CAGR of 8.34%.

How does the fund house decode the performance?

PSU stocks have been strong performers, both on an absolute basis and relative to the broader market post 2020, due to an earnings revival and valuation re rating and this tailwind clearly aided our fund’s performance, Rohit Shimpi, Fund Manager, SBI PSU Fund shared with ETMutualFunds.Top contributors for the fund over the last five years have been our holdings in PSU banks and financial institutions, industrials including defence, utilities including electric utilities, energy and metals. These stocks were aided by improvement in asset quality of PSU banks, growth in defence and power, and a positive commodity cycle impacting metals.

Our fund’s strategy has not changed significantly over time, however in mid 2024, we did feel that certain pockets within PSUs were seeing exuberance, and we realigned the portfolio towards large cap stocks within the PSU space. Overall, while being highly stock specific, we remain more positive on large cap stocks within the PSU space at this point in time, Shimpi further said.

What experts say on SBI PSU Fund

According to an expert, with the fund comfortably outperforming its category average, this strong performance marks a sharp improvement over its long term historical returns and reflects the powerful rally seen in public sector stocks in recent years.

Abhishek Bhilwaria, BhilwariaMF (AMFI registered MFD), shared with ETMutualFunds that the primary drivers of this performance have been favourable macroeconomic conditions for PSUs and focused portfolio positioning. The government led reforms, balance sheet clean ups in public sector banks, higher capital expenditure and policy support for infrastructure, defence and energy companies have significantly improved earnings visibility across the sector.

Advertisement

“In addition, the fund has maintained high exposure to core PSU segments such as financial services, energy and power, which have been among the biggest beneficiaries of the economic cycle.”

He further said that the fund has also benefited from a concentrated portfolio approach, with its top holdings accounting for over half of its assets and stocks such as State Bank of India, Bharat Electronics and NTPC have delivered strong returns and played a major role in boosting overall fund performance, and a measured allocation to mid cap PSUs further enhanced returns during periods of market momentum.

Also Read | Silver & gold ETFs rally up to 9% as bullion boom continues. Should you invest now?

As per the last available portfolio data, the top 10 stock holding of the fund is SBI with an allocation of 17.80%, followed by NTPC of around 7.70%, and Bank of Maharashtra with an allocation of 3.65%.

Advertisement

Based on the sectoral allocation, the fund holds 30.05% in banks, 13.49% in power, and 13.33% in crude oil. Around 12.32% is allocated to capital goods, 8.53% to gas transmission, and 6.30% to mining.

So has the fund benefited more from stock selection or sector trends? Bhilwaria said that the SBI PSU Fund has benefited more from broad sector trends, with stock selection acting as a differentiating factor rather than the primary driver and the re rating of the PSU sector as a whole has been the foundation of the fund’s strong returns.

“Improved asset quality in PSU banks, sustained government spending on infrastructure and defence, and renewed investor confidence in public sector enterprises lifted the entire category. This is evident from the fact that average PSU funds have also delivered strong multi year returns, indicating that the rally was sector wide.”

However, SBI PSU Fund’s ability to consistently rank at the top of the category stems from its concentrated exposure to high conviction names and its willingness to take calculated bets across market capitalisations. By overweighting leaders such as SBI and Bharat Electronics and maintaining exposure to select mid cap PSUs, the fund was able to capture incremental gains over peers.

Advertisement

The fund holds 97.12% in equity, 0.08% in debt, and 2.80% in others. Based on market capitalisation, the fund holds 68.95% in large caps, 21.21% in mid caps, 2.89% in others, and 6.96% in small caps.

Should one focus on this sector now post Budget 2026?

Bhilwaria said that following the Union Budget 2026, the outlook for PSU funds has turned more cautious in the near term. PSU bank stocks corrected sharply after the budget due to the absence of fresh capital infusion announcements and profit booking after a strong pre budget rally and this highlights the sensitivity of PSU stocks to policy signals and market expectations.

“That said, the longer term structural story remains intact. The government’s continued emphasis on capital expenditure, particularly in power, defence, railways and infrastructure, supports earnings growth for several PSU companies. As a result, PSU funds may still offer opportunities, but a selective and disciplined approach is essential rather than aggressive lump sum allocations.”

And lastly, given their very high risk profile, sectoral and thematic funds such as PSU funds should form only a small part of an investor’s portfolio. Most experts recommend limiting exposure to a single sector fund to around 10% of the overall portfolio.

Advertisement

He further said that these funds should be treated as satellite investments, while the core portfolio remains anchored in diversified equity funds and investors whose PSU allocation has increased significantly due to past rallies may also consider rebalancing to manage risk.

Also Read | NFO Insight: Does Kotak Services Fund offer access to India’s core growth engine?

Key risk ratios and investment style

The PE and PBV ratio of this fund were recorded at 19.66 times and 3.12 times respectively whereas the dividend yield ratio was recorded at 2.39% as of December 2025.

ETMutualFunds analysed the other key ratios of the fund over a three year period. Based on the last three years, the scheme has offered a Treynor ratio of 2.15 and an alpha of 0.18. The Sortino ratio of the scheme was recorded at 0.82. The return due to net selectivity was recorded at 0.12 and return due to improper diversification was recorded at 0.05 in the last three years.

Advertisement

The investment style of the fund is to invest in growth oriented stocks across large cap market capitalisations.

Others in PSU basket

Apart from SBI PSU Fund, there are three other actively managed funds in the category which have completed three years of existence in the industry. Invesco India PSU Equity Fund gave 31.74%, Aditya Birla SL PSU Equity Fund gave 29.49%, and ICICI Prudential PSU Equity Fund gave 29.03% in the last three years.

Post seeing strong performance by these funds, what is the outlook of these funds? The expert said that the outlook for the PSU sector in early 2026 is one of selective long term opportunity combined with near term volatility. Fundamentally, many PSUs are in a stronger position than in previous cycles, with healthier balance sheets, improved governance and steady cash flows and several companies continue to offer attractive dividend yields and benefit from government backed order visibility.

“However, market sentiment has become more discerning. Much of the valuation re rating seen over the past few years is already priced in, particularly in PSU banks. Budget related uncertainty, evolving governance reforms and ambitious disinvestment targets have added to short term fluctuations. As a result, broad based sector rallies may be limited going forward.”

Advertisement

He further said that for PSU funds, this suggests a phase of consolidation rather than runaway gains. Performance is likely to be driven by stock specific fundamentals rather than pure sector momentum. Investors should approach PSU funds with a medium to long term horizon, an ability to tolerate volatility and a clear understanding that returns may be uneven, and a selective and measured exposure remains the most prudent strategy in the current environment.

One should always consider risk appetite, investment horizon, and goals before making any investment decisions.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

If you have any mutual fund queries, message ET Mutual Funds on Facebook or Twitter. We will get it answered by our panel of experts. Do share your questions at ETMFqueries@timesinternet.in along with your age, risk profile, and Twitter handle.

Advertisement
Add ET Logo as a Reliable and Trusted News Source

Continue Reading

Business

Minute Maid to discontinue frozen juice concentrate products

Published

on

Minute Maid to discontinue frozen juice concentrate products

Minute Maid, owned by The Coca-Cola Company, is preparing to discontinue its frozen juice concentrate products, a move that has sparked a wave of nostalgia among longtime fans online.

The change is expected to take effect in the first quarter of 2026 as the company responds to shifting consumer demand. Remaining cans will stay on shelves until supplies are exhausted, a Coca-Cola spokesperson confirmed to FOX Business on Thursday.

Advertisement

“We are discontinuing our frozen products and exiting the frozen can category in response to shifting consumer preferences,” the spokesperson said. “With the juice category growing strongly, we’re focusing on products that better match what our consumers want.”

COCA-COLA OFFICIALLY ROLLS OUT CANE SUGAR SODA ACROSS US MARKETS FOLLOWING TRUMP’S URGING: REPORT

Minute Maid frozen orange juice cans

Minute Maid frozen orange juice is displayed in a freezer at a grocery store on August 30, 2016, in San Rafael, California.  (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Minute Maid’s current frozen concentrate lineup includes orange juice, lemonade, pink lemonade, raspberry lemonade and limeade, according to The Coca-Cola Company’s website.

Following the announcement, users took to social media to share their nostalgia after food blogger Markie Devo posted about the change, People Magazine first reported.

Advertisement

Many expressed sadness over the loss of the product.

COCA-COLA INTRODUCES CONTENDER IN PREBIOTIC DRINK TREND AS ‘GUT-HEALTHY’ SODAS GAIN POPULARITY

Minute maid frozen lemonade cans

Cans of Minute Maid frozen lemonade are displayed on a store shelf on Feb. 5, 2026, in San Anselmo, California.  (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“NOOOOOO! This is my literal childhood,” one user wrote.

“An end of an era is right! My favorites growing up. Sad to hear this,” another commented.

Advertisement

“My Mom made pies using the lemonade,” another wrote, adding a crying emoji. “They are getting rid of so many childhood memories! Thank you for posting.”

“I hated these but I am somehow still sad to see them go,” another user added.

Minute Maid’s frozen concentrate products have long held a place in U.S. food history, with the brand’s frozen orange juice dating back 80 years, according to The Coca-Cola Company’s website.

COCA-COLA RECALLS TOPO CHICO MINERAL WATER OVER BACTERIA CONCERNS

Advertisement
Coca-Cola logo displayed on building

Signage outside the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Albany, New York, on Jan. 30, 2024.  (Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The move comes as Coca-Cola shifts its broader strategy, placing greater emphasis on zero-sugar beverages and brands such as Fairlife milk amid evolving consumer preferences, Reuters reported.

Coca-Cola also recently began rolling out soda made with U.S. cane sugar across the country. 

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

A 12-ounce, single-serve glass bottle of the cane sugar version of its signature soda launched in select markets nationwide last fall, a company spokesperson previously told The New York Post.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Business

The Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Q4 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation (NASDAQ:TBBK) 2026-02-05

Published

on

OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Q4: 2026-01-29 Earnings Summary

EPS of $1.28 misses by $0.18

 | Revenue of $92.08M (-2.35% Y/Y) misses by $51.07M

This article was written by

Seeking Alpha’s transcripts team is responsible for the development of all of our transcript-related projects. We currently publish thousands of quarterly earnings calls per quarter on our site and are continuing to grow and expand our coverage. The purpose of this profile is to allow us to share with our readers new transcript-related developments. Thanks, SA Transcripts Team

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Business

Kinross Gold: Defensive For A Miner, But Gold Risk Still Rules (NYSE:KGC)

Published

on

Kinross Gold: Defensive For A Miner, But Gold Risk Still Rules (NYSE:KGC)

This article was written by

I am a stock analyst with over 20 years of experience in quantitative research, financial modeling, and risk management. My focus is on equity valuation, market trends, and portfolio optimization to uncover high-growth investment opportunities. As a former Vice President at Barclays, I led teams in model validation, stress testing, and regulatory finance, developing a deep expertise in both fundamental and technical analysis. Alongside my research partner (also my wife), I co-author investment research, combining our complementary strengths to deliver high-quality, data-driven insights. Our approach blends rigorous risk management with a long-term perspective on value creation. We have a particular interest in macroeconomic trends, corporate earnings, and financial statement analysis, aiming to provide actionable ideas for investors seeking to outperform the market.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Business

Where billionaires’ investment firms placed their bets in January

Published

on

Where billionaires' investment firms placed their bets in January

Key Points

  • Investment firms of the ultra-rich started the new year with buzzy investments, including in a motorcycle racing team.
  • But 2026 is hardly off to a roaring start, with family offices making 32% fewer direct investments in January on an annual basis, according to Fintrx.
  • While family offices are making fewer bets, their appetite for mega-rounds, which have come to dominate the VC landscape, hasn’t waned.

Continue Reading

Business

Homebuyers gain leverage in these 3 metros as housing market slows

Published

on

Homebuyers gain leverage in these 3 metros as housing market slows

Three of the nation’s largest housing markets are seeing a sharp rise in the number of homes for sale, giving buyers more choices even as the overall U.S. housing market shows signs of cooling.

In January, 46 of the country’s biggest metro areas had more homes on the market than they did a year earlier. Seattle saw the biggest increase, with inventory jumping 32.4%.

Advertisement

Charlotte, North Carolina, followed at 28.6%, while Washington, D.C., ranked third with a 26.8% rise, according to Realtor.com’s January 2026 Monthly Housing Market Trends Report.

In Seattle and Charlotte, much of the inventory growth is being driven by homes lingering on the market longer rather than a surge of new sellers, Realtor.com Senior Economist Jake Krimmel told FOX Business.

HOMEBUILDERS REPORTEDLY DEVELOPING “TRUMP HOMES” PROGRAM TO IMPROVE AFFORDABILITY

The Seattle skyline as seen at dusk.

People gather at Kerry Park to see the Space Needle at dusk in Seattle June 21, 2025. (Juan Mabromata/AFP via Getty Images)

Homes in Seattle took about 15 days longer to sell than they did a year ago, while Charlotte homes remained on the market roughly 12 days longer. 

Advertisement

“[Washington], D.C., is a little different, where stronger new listing growth seems tied to uncertainty over the local job outlook,” Krimmel told FOX Business.

Seattle’s expanding supply is also being influenced by layoffs in the tech sector, according to Michael Orbino, a managing broker at Compass.

“Several companies, including T-Mobile, Microsoft and Amazon, are repositioning their workforces,” Orbino said in a statement. “This is not a large part of the inventory but often puts buyers in pause mode, which has the effect of slowing down absorption, which increases inventory.”

JUST 17% OF VOTERS THINK NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO BUY A HOME AS AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS WEIGH: POLL

Advertisement
Skyline of Charlotte, North Carolina.

An aerial view of Charlotte, N.C. (iStock)

Several other metro areas also saw significant increases in homes for sale.

Louisville, Kentucky, was up 25.6%, while Las Vegas and Indianapolis each rose 25.4%. Baltimore saw inventory climb 24.1%, San Jose increased 23.3% and Cincinnati rose 21%, Realtor.com reported.

Regionally, the West posted the largest year-over-year inventory gain in January, up 12.2%. The Midwest followed at 10.3%, with the South close behind at 10.1%. The Northeast continued to lag, with inventory rising just 6.6%, according to the report.

COALITION WARNS TRUMP MORTGAGE CREDIT SHIFTS COULD SPARK ANOTHER 2008-STYLE CRASH

Advertisement
The U.S. Capitol building in snow.

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 26, 2026. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Nationally, housing inventory is up 10% from a year ago, but the pace of recovery is slowing. Year-over-year inventory growth has declined for nine consecutive months, and new listings rose just 0.7% compared with last year, Krimmel said.

January inventory remained more than 17% below 2017 to 2019 levels, according to Realtor.com.

CLICK HERE TO GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO

“Even though January is the slow season for housing, it’s an important moment to take stock,” Krimmel added. “The data and trends coming in right now will set the stage for how the market might behave once things pick up in the spring.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025