10 hours ago
Malaysian ringgit hits highest in four years on growth optimism
It rose 0.3% versus the greenback to 4.0955 on Friday, the highest since May 2021
Business Headlines & Market News
Business Headlines and Stock Market News by Singapore Financial News Publishers
10 hours ago
As SGX enters its new phase of growth, analysts are upbeat
Samantha Chiew - The Singapore Exchange Group (SGX) saw the bellwether Straits Times Index (STI) gaining 2.2% m-o-m, taking ytd calendar gains to 19% and total returns to 25% for November. See more: SGX Group’s bellwether STI gain 2.2% m-o-m in Nov; y-t-d calendar gains at 19% Total traded value for securities ros ...
10 hours ago
Sumitomo to put US$1.3 billion into India renewable power projects
It wants to take advantage of rapid growth in demand from major industrial users
11 hours ago
Gold clings to 7-week high as investors gauge Fed trajectory; silver near record peak
GOLD prices held near a seven-week high on Friday, supported by expectations of more interest rate cuts next year after the US...
12 hours ago
Japan's core inflation likely held at 3.0% in November: Reuters poll
TOKYO, Dec 12 : Japan's core inflation rate likely held well above the central bank's 2 per cent target in November, a Reuters poll showed on Friday, although moderating food price hikes have taken some pressure off consumers ahead of an expected rate hike next week.The nationwide core con ...
12 hours ago
Thai assets face mixed outlook on early election: analysts
THAILAND’S early election is expected to bolster local shares, while the baht may see limited impact after a strong performance this year...
13 hours ago
Seatrium back on track with estimated S$2 billion TenneT order: analysts
Shikhar Gupta - This lifts the value of its new contract wins in FY2025 past S$4 billion
13 hours ago
Asian markets track Wall Street record after Fed cut
ASIAN equities rose on Friday as investors tracked a record day on Wall Street in the wake of the Federal Reserve’s latest...
13 hours ago
Seatrium’s BalWin5 contract brings Christmas cheer to analysts
Lin Daoyi - In their research notes issued on Dec 12, DBS Group Research and CGS International (CGSI) reiterate their “buy” call for Seatrium with TP of $2.96 and $2.67 respectively, after the company announced the previous day that it had bagged a contract with partner GE Vernova to deliver a “major part ...
13 hours ago
Philippine central bank chief tempers hawkish view, sees one more cut
PHILIPPINE central bank Governor Eli Remolona said monetary authorities may cut the benchmark interest rate one more time in the current easing...
14 hours ago
Briefs: Fed cuts rates with three dissents; Intel and AMD accused of allowing chips in Russian missiles
The Edge Singapore - Fed cuts rates with three dissents, projects one cut in 2026Federal Reserve officials delivered a third consecutive interest-rate reduction and maintained their outlook for just one cut in 2026. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted 9-3 on Dec 10 (Wednesday) to lower the benchmark federal f ...
14 hours ago
Singapore plans to revamp its equities post-trade custody model after two years of rapid market growth
Lin Daoyi - Investors in Singapore Exchange (SGX)-listed stocks may soon have greater ability to exercise their rights from broker custody or nominee accounts as part of efforts to promote the use of this account type and modernise the post-trade custody model. The initiative forms part of a broader set of reco ...
14 hours ago
Indonesia’s new FX lock-up rule could tilt the field – supercharge state banks, squeeze private lenders
Elisa Valenta - Starting Jan 1, exporters of coal, palm oil and nickel must keep all export proceeds in state-owned banks for at least a...
14 hours ago
Singapore’s largest fresh noodle-maker taps capital markets to drive expansion and future-proof business
Lin Daoyi and Samantha Chiew - Ever wondered who supplies the noodles for everyday staples and hawker favourites like char kuey teow and bak chor mee? Chances are, these dishes use noodles from Singapore’s largest fresh noodle manufacturer, Leong Guan Holdings. Established in 2003, the company started out as a general food dist ...
14 hours ago
Sasseur REIT: A mall partner that works with every sale, brand and consumer
Julian Wong - When picturing their investments, many who invest in REITs might call to mind office space in the business district, suburban malls in the heartlands, or industrial buildings and data centres clustered away from cities and urban areas. Rent is collected, leases are managed, occupancy is kept stable, ...
14 hours ago
Pakistan central bank likely to hold rate at 11% as IMF flags inflation risks
KARACHI, Dec 12 : Pakistan's central bank is expected to retain interest rates at 11 per cent on Monday, a Reuters poll showed, as analysts push back rate-cut forecasts to late 2026 after the IMF warned inflation risks persist and policy must stay "appropriately tight".All 12 analysts ...
14 hours ago
SoftBank eyes data centre group Switch as Son hunts for AI
Acquiring Switch would allow SoftBank to own a large portfolio of data centres outright
14 hours ago
GSH Corporation’s pivot to Bitcoin mining: bold reinvention or risky detour?
Frankie Ho - GSH Corporation’s recent diversification into digital asset mining marks a key turning point for the Singapore-listed property group. Long focused on residential developments and hotels in Malaysia and China, GSH is now staking part of its future on a sector far removed from its core competencies. ...
14 hours ago
‘Code red’ at OpenAI as the Google empire strikes back
Assif Shameen - Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT officially turned three late last month. There was no uncorking of champagne bottles at its creator OpenAI’s headquarters in Mission Bay, San Francisco. Indeed, the mood was also sombre 72km away in Santa Clara, the home of the world’s largest firm, c ...
14 hours ago
Why traditional identity checks are falling short in Asia Pacific’s digital economy
Nurdianah Md Nur - The one-time identity check that has anchored digital commerce for decades is cracking under the pressure of fraud driven by AI. Entrust’s 2026 Identity Fraud Report reveals that 82% of payment fraud attempts now occur after onboarding. Rather than breaching defences with forged documents, crimina ...
14 hours ago
The AI rational bubble: Speculative speculation but existential necessity
Tong Kooi Ong & Asia Analytica - Is artificial intelligence (AI) in a bubble right now? It’s the question of the moment. Bubble theorists point towards a mix of alarming signs: dramatic market gains (Nvidia briefly breaching a US$5 trillion market cap in October); elevated valuations (see Chart 1); trillions of dollars, past and ...
14 hours ago
Oil prices up on US-Venezuela tensions, but set for weekly decline
TOKYO, Dec 12 : Oil prices rose on Friday as the prospect of the U.S. intercepting more Venezuelan oil tankers deepened supply concerns, but remained on track for a weekly decline amid optimism over a possible Russia-Ukraine peace agreement.Brent crude futures rose 29 cents, or 0.5 per cent, to $61. ...
14 hours ago
Oil gains on Venezuelan supply concerns but remains on track for weekly loss
LONDON, Dec 12 : Oil prices rose on Friday, supported by concerns over Venezuelan supply disruptions, though they remained on track for a weekly decline as a supply glut and potential Russia-Ukraine peace deal remain in focus. Brent crude futures rose 33 cents, or 0.54 per cent, to $61.61 a barrel ...
14 hours ago
Oil inches lower on oversupply concerns, on track for weekly loss
LONDON, Dec 12 : Oil prices inched lower on Friday and were on track for a weekly decline as investors focussed on a supply glut and potential Russia-Ukraine peace deal, amid concerns over Venezuelan oil supply disruptions.Brent crude futures were down 19 cents, or 0.31 per cent, to $61.09 a barrel ...
14 hours ago
Hongkong Land shares close 3.5% down following news of S$8 billion real estate fund
Shikhar Gupta - The new fund will be the biggest private real estate fund in Singapore
14 hours ago
Hongkong Land shares jump 5.5% on news of S$8 billion real estate fund
Shikhar Gupta - The new fund will be the biggest private real estate fund in Singapore
15 hours ago
Federated Hermes adopts contrarian approach to find opportunities in Asia ex-Japan
Samantha Chiew and Lin Daoyi - Jonathan Pines, lead portfolio manager for the Federated Hermes Asia ex-Japan Equity Fund, believes the region is poised to outperform developed markets as low valuations converge with improving fundamentals, particularly in China and South Korea. Despite market volatility and style rotations, his f ...
15 hours ago
Franklin Templeton sees strong longevity in AI play but no bubble
Samantha Chiew - As Franklin Technology Fund marks its 25th anniversary, portfolio manager Matt Cioppa sees AI not as a passing theme but as the next foundational technology wave for markets. “We remain optimistic about tech over the next five years or so,” says Cioppa, as he elaborated that “foundational tech ...
15 hours ago
Multi-year construction boom fires up investor interest
Teo Zheng Long - With the recent infrastructure upcycle and pandemic-induced cost pressures easing, construction companies have been attracting greater investor interest. Last year, total construction demand was $44.2 billion, double that at the pandemic trough of just over $20 billion. This year, the official proje ...
15 hours ago
Top STI gainer DFI Retail lays down higher earnings targets, dividend payout
Teo Zheng Long - DFI Retail Group’s share price is a long way from its peak of more than US$13 back in 2013. Still, with a series of divestments of underperforming businesses and a recent commitment to meet higher financial targets, it is among the best-performing component stocks of the Straits Times Index year t ...
15 hours ago
DBS raises Singtel target price to $5.71 on ‘sharp’ upside from data centre and stabilising mobile ARPU
Teo Zheng Long - DBS Group Research analyst Sachin Mittal has maintained his “buy” call on Singtel and lifted his target price from $5.04 to $5.71. In his Dec 11 report, Mittal explains that Singtel’s Singapore operation is expected to benefit from sector consolidation soon while Australia, India, Indonesia an ...
15 hours ago
Broker's Digest: Sheng Siong, Nanofilm, Lincotrade & Associates, Singtel, Lum Chang Creations
The Edge Singapore - Sheng Siong Group Price target: DBS Group Research ‘hold’ $2.60 SG60 voucher tailwind priced in Chee Zheng Feng from DBS Group Research has downgraded Sheng Siong to “hold” with an unchanged target price of $2.60, as the analyst believes that the SG60 voucher tailwind has been priced in foll ...
15 hours ago
Global EV sales growth slowest since Feb 2024 on China plateau, US policy changes
GLOBAL EV sales grew in November at the slowest rate since February 2024 as China plateaued, while the end of an EV...
16 hours ago
Trump signs order aimed at curbing state AI laws
[WASHINGTON] US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order on artificial intelligence that will attempt to preempt a growing number...