Most Asian equities drop as Mideast crisis rages, though oil dips
HONG KONG: Asian markets were mostly down on Friday (Mar 6) as the war in the Middle East showed no sign of ending, though there was some reprieve from the surge in oil prices after the United States looked
Johor leads as Malaysia’s approved investments hit record RM426.7 billion in 2025
Tan Ai Leng - Singapore and China are the top foreign investors, combining to reach RM116.3 billion in approved investments
Singapore’s new AI-upskilling push seen as shield against job displacement amid global layoffs
Young Zhan Heng - The National AI Impact Programme seeks to train 100,000 workers to be ‘fluent’ in applying artificial intelligence skills in their jobs
Some wealthy Asians look to move Dubai assets closer to home on Iran war fears
Singapore wealth sector sees increased client interest in asset transfers
Ceconomy to propose CFO Remko Rijnders to replace outgoing CEO
BERLIN, March 6 : Ceconomy said on Friday that it would propose Chief Financial Officer Remko Rijnders to replace Kai-Ulrich Deissner as the company's chief executive.The German electronics retailer said earlier on Friday that Deissner, who only took over as CEO last year, was stepping down for ...
Ceconomy supervisory board to meet March 12 to discuss next steps, departing CEO says
BERLIN, March 6 : The departing chief executive of Ceconomy told Reuters on Friday that the German electronics retailer's supervisory board is set to meet on Thursday to discuss the next steps.The company, which is about to be taken over by Chinese tech group JD.com, had said earlier in the day ...
Maersk suspends two shipping services due to Middle East crisis
It would halt its FM1 service connecting the Far East to the Middle East and its ME11 service linking the Middle East...
Sats says no ‘material interruption’ to Middle East cargo operations amid Iran conflict
Therese Soh - The company provides air cargo handling services and operates facilities in Saudi Arabia and Oman
Sats says no ‘material interruption’ to Middle East cargo operations amid Iran war
Therese Soh - The company provides air cargo handling services and operates facilities in Saudi Arabia and Oman
Aster declares force majeure on disruption in supply of raw materials
[SINGAPORE] Singapore refiner and petrochemical major Aster Chemicals and Energy has declared force majeure regarding supplies, citing a disruption in raw materials...
Singapore's Aster declares force majeure on disruption in supply of raw materials
[SINGAPORE] Singapore refiner and petrochemical major Aster Chemicals and Energy has declared force majeure regarding supplies, citing a disruption in raw materials...
Pfizer secures China nod for obesity drug as generics loom
Pfizer now enters a field dominated by multinational rivals
Foreign outflows from Indian IT stocks at 7-month high in February on AI shockwaves
March 6 : Foreign outflows from India's information technology stocks hit a seven-month high in February, on worries that artificial intelligence-led disruption could squeeze earnings.Foreign portfolio investors sold IT stocks worth 169.49 billion rupees ($1.85 billion) for the month. That trig ...
Atos hits yearly revenue target after restructuring slashed 19% of workforce
Women are gold’s secret powerhouse: Julius Baer
Samantha Chiew - According to Julius Baer, the latest gold rally is creating an unusual set of winners: women, led by Indian households where gold ownership is deeply cultural and often sits with female family members. Gold rose 44% last year, a move that has rewarded traditional buyers just as much as institutional ...
India's tech state Karnataka bans social media for children under 16
NEW DELHI, March 6 : The southern Indian state of Karnataka, home to the tech hub of Bengaluru, has banned the use of social media by those under the age of 16, state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday, becoming the first in India to do so."With the objective of preventing adverse effec ...
BOJ will be vigilant to yen moves, impact on inflation, deputy governor says
TOKYO, March 6 : Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino said on Friday the central bank will be vigilant to yen moves as they could affect underlying inflation and public perceptions of future price moves."We need to be mindful that exchange-rate fluctuation has a bigger impact on price mov ...
Sats yet to see 'material disruption' from Middle East situation
The Edge Singapore - Sats, which has operations in Saudi Arabia and Oman, has not experienced any "material disruption" to its operations in the region. Sats says it is "deeply concerned" with the unprecedented airspace closures in some Gulf States that are affecting the global air cargo supply chain ...
Speed and savings: What’s driving Singaporeans to keep luxury cars in Malaysia
Derryn Wong - Businesses to aid this are emerging, with buyers drawn by lower costs, rare models and the simple joy of being behind the...
When does cash stop being king?
Felicia Tan - When assessing a company’s fundamentals, a balance sheet flushed with cash is usually a good thing, particularly when it comes to meeting short-term or unforeseen obligations or liabilities. Naturally, a company that is net cash is preferred over a company with net debt. But how much cash is too m ...
Quick Takes: UI Boustead REIT, Gold hub, Higher power bill, China growth target, Crisis in the Middle East
The Edge Singapore - Singapore UI Boustead REIT has lodged its IPO prospectus for its $1.9 billion commercial property portfolio. The portfolio consists of 23 properties, of which 21 are located in Singapore, while the remaining two are freehold properties in Japan. The properties have a total gross floor area of approx ...
SoftBank seeks record loan of up to US$40 billion for OpenAI stake
The size of SoftBank’s bet has spooked market observers
Mermaid Maritime taps new growth opportunities in offshore oil and gas
Lin Daoyi - Operating in the offshore oil and gas sector for more than 40 years, Mermaid Maritime has experienced its fair share of the industry’s ups and downs, from the boom years of the late 2000s to mid-2010s, when oil prices exceeded US$100 per barrel, to the downcycles of 2016 to early 2020s. Bangkok-ba ...
Thailand’s energy shock may force long-delayed reforms
Anita Gabriel - A prolonged Middle East conflict could weigh on country’s growth by driving up energy costs in an economy heavily reliant on imported...
StarHub focuses on structural reset
Emelia Tan - StarHub is a homegrown Singapore company that offers quality mobile and fixed services, a broad suite of premium content, and a diverse range of communication solutions. The company develops and delivers solutions incorporating artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analytics, Internet of Thin ...
Governments must focus on spending better, not more
Seung Hyun (Luke) Hong - Finance ministries across Asean+3 face mounting pressures from ageing populations, climate adaptation, rapid technological change, infrastructure upgrades and in some cases national security — while grappling with rising debt service burden. With large tax hikes politically unpalatable and broad s ...
SoftBank eyes up to $40 billion loan to fund OpenAI investment, Bloomberg News reports
March 6 : Japanese conglomerate SoftBank is seeking a loan of up to $40 billion, primarily to finance its investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The bridge loan would hold a roughly 12-month tenor, Bloomberg reported, with four ...
SoftBank seeks up to $40 billion loan to finance OpenAI investment, Bloomberg News reports
March 6 : SoftBank is seeking a loan of up to $40 billion, primarily to finance its investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, a Bloomberg News reporter said in an X post on Friday.
Pessimism and optimism clash in Asean’s consumer landscape
Aditi Bathia and Jasmine Yeo - Against the backdrop of the historic Liberation Day tariff shocks and a global trading system splintering under rising protectionism and multipolar tensions, Asean consumers viewed 2025 with measured optimism. Notably, consumer sentiment rose slightly upwards from 2024, although a clear sense of fin ...
Private credit’s canary in the coal mine moment
Assif Shameen - In the movie The Big Short, based on Michael Lewis’ eponymous book about the bursting of the US housing bubble that triggered the 2008 global financial crisis, the eureka moment comes when hedge fund manager Steve Eisman’s character learns that the market for insuring mortgage bonds, including s ...
Tightening digital certificate rules pose business continuity test for Apac firms
Nurdianah Md Nur - Imagine your company changes the locks on every door in every office, data centre, and server room it operates. Now imagine doing that every seven weeks across thousands of locations simultaneously, some of which you did not even know existed. That is the reality facing large enterprises across Asia ...
‘The best risk-return wins’: Partners Group eyes Asia private wealth growth amid private credit jitters
Benjamin Cher - The firm, which has ramped up its Asia team, will engage more distribution partners and launch new products to woo investors
China’s quality isn’t cheap
Daryl Guppy - I referred a colleague to a tailor in Hong Kong because he admired my suit and wanted one of similar quality. My colleague was very disappointed with the result, and I must admit, I could see why. It seemed very strange, so I delved a little further into the events. It turned out my colleague was a ...
Gulf carriers resume limited flights, but missile fire fuels uncertainty
Passengers are spending huge amounts of money to get out of the Middle East
