Bitcoin rally and Alibaba share purchases: the numbers moving markets

Alibaba shares, bitcoin, Hong Kong second-hand home prices and Shein’s IPO plans in spotlight this week

Bitcoin and gold rallied this week as the size of America’s sovereign debt continued to haunt global financial markets. Meanwhile, Alibaba Group Holding’s top executives and founder Jack Ma bought back shares, and Shein announced plans for a smaller Hong Kong initial public offering than previously expected.

Here are some of the figures that have drawn the most market attention this week.

Alibaba founder Ma, chairman Joe Tsai and CEO Eddie Wu Yongming collectively bought more than HK$800 million (US$102 million) worth of the company’s Hong Kong-listed shares within days.