Our 2026 picks: Altria Group — Be hooked on investing in Altria Group in good or bad times
Thiveyen Kathirrasan - In times of market uncertainty, fear and stress prevail. The former can be overcome through disciplined and diligent research, while the latter can be reduced in many ways. One such way is by the consumption of alcohol and tobacco products, such as cigarettes. Though it may not be the healthiest opt ...
Our 2026 picks: Consistent CNOOC to diversify into commodities
Thiveyen Kathirrasan - Certain asset classes have negative correlations with one another, which investors can leverage for diversification when held together and appropriately allocated. One such correlation is between equities and commodities. Historically, we are experiencing higher-than-usual market volatility and unce ...
Our 2026 picks: Mercedes-Benz for dividend-driven investors
Thiveyen Kathirrasan - Certain industries in the stock market are considered safer investments simply because of the nature of their business. Across industries, mature companies are generally safer investments, as they are likely to have a stable track record and business. This comes at the cost of slower growth and pote ...
Our 2026 picks: Verizon Communications - Verizon gets an attractive call, especially with dividends
Thiveyen Kathirrasan - When fear and uncertainty hit the stock market, capital usually flows towards safe-haven assets or safe stocks within the equity asset class. What is a safe or safe-haven stock in this context? It is generally businesses that are likely to maintain or retain their value despite prevailing economic a ...
OCBC upgrades SIAEC to ‘buy’ as other analysts weigh expansion costs impact
Shikhar Gupta - Target prices hover around S$4 as analysts balance robust joint-venture profits against heavy startup costs for new hangars
OCBC upgrades SIA Engineering to ‘buy’ on positive aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul outlook
Shikhar Gupta - It revises its fair value estimate for the company to S$4.05
Netflix co-CEO says Warner deal to put more films in cinemas
The streaming company has historically put only a limited number of pictures in select theatres for short runs
Our 2026 picks: Zhejiang Expressway - Ride the Zhejiang Expressway for dividends and yields
Thiveyen Kathirrasan - To pay dividends regularly, companies need to generate consistent cash flow. Specific industries and businesses can do this effectively by nature. One such business is a toll concessionaire, as regular cash flows can be expected after a large initial capital outlay to construct the toll road. Anothe ...
Tighter data control: Vietnam’s race to redesign digital services
Jamille Tran - New rules can benefit businesses that view user consent not only as a compliance issue, but also as a way to provide...
Oil prices rise as Trump puts time limit on Iran stand-off
Feb 20 - Oil prices were higher on Friday as concern of conflict between the U.S. and Iran ratcheted up, with Washington saying Tehran will suffer if it does not agree a deal about its nuclear activity within a matter of days.Brent crude futures rose 21 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $71.87, while U.S. ...
Oil heads for first weekly gain in three as US-Iran tensions rise
LONDON - Feb 20 : Oil prices hovered near six-month highs on Friday, headed for their first weekly gain in three on growing concerns a conflict may erupt after Washington said Tehran will suffer if it does not agree a deal on its nuclear activity in a matter of days.Brent crude futures edged down 19 ...
Oil heads for first weekly gain this month as US-Iran tensions rise
LONDON, Feb 20 : Oil prices traded near six-month highs on Friday, heading for their first weekly gain in three weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump told Iran "bad things" will happen if it does not agree to a nuclear deal in the coming days.Brent crude futures edged down 8 cents, stead ...
Oil down on slow US move on Iran; Ignores court decision
HOUSTON, Feb 20 : Oil prices traded near six-month highs on Friday, heading for their first weekly gain in three weeks as markets expected U.S. military action against Iran would not happen until next week.Brent crude futures slipped 19 cents, or 0.27 per cent, at $71.47 a barrel 11:36 a.m. CST (173 ...
Brent rises late, settles higher and with weekly gain on Iran-US jitters
HOUSTON, Feb 20 : Brent crude prices rose in late-day short-covering on Friday as investors worried about U.S. military action, as President Donald Trump presses the Islamic Republic to halt nuclear weapon development.Brent crude futures settled at $71.76 a barrel, up 10 cents, 0.14 per cent. U.S. W ...
Oil heads for first weekly gain in three as US-Iran tensions brew
Feb 20 - Oil prices rose on Friday, headed for their first weekly gain in three, on growing concerns a conflict may erupt between the U.S. and Iran, after Washington said Tehran will suffer if it does not agree a deal on its nuclear activity in a matter of days.Brent crude futures rose 25 cents, or ...
The buyback mirage? New SGX data shows why patience pays
Hamza El Khalloufi - Across Singapore’s corporate boardrooms, share buybacks have long been seen as a standard lever of capital allocation. It is a strategy used by everyone from blue-chip banks to mid-cap industrials. But does it actually work for market participants? A comprehensive new study by the research team at ...
Nippon Steel executive sees China-driven supply glut nearing end
Steel mills in the Asian nation have ramped up exports as a way to offset falling domestic consumption
Beyond the index: some way to go for most to meet institutional standards
Lee Ooi Keong - Singapore’s equity market delivered its best performance in more than a decade in 2025. The Straits Times Index (STI) returned 22.7%, liquidity improved, and new listings finally exceeded the drought of recent years. My earlier article examined this rebound from a top-down perspective and highligh ...
UOB’s AI-driven strategy lifts corporate banking revenue by 5%
Felicia Tan - United Overseas Bank (UOB) has recorded tangible gains from its AI deployment, with corporate banking revenue in Singapore rising more than 5% y-o-y in 2024. The bank attributes this growth to its AI-powered portfolio optimisation solution. The solution, which transforms multi-year historical data i ...
Gen Z is rewriting the rules of wealth
Felicia Tan - The generational gap is real. Every generation is routinely criticised by the one before it as less disciplined, more entitled and too keen to break with tradition. George Orwell, author of Animal Farm and 1984, summed it up best: “Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the o ...
China’s AI trinity: Efficiency, agents and edge
Stella Zhang - In the US-China AI race, the latter has the political will, entrepreneurial foresight and stamina, engineering skills, and a humongous domestic market to take the lead The year 2025 will be remembered for the ascendance of young Chinese innovators to the forefront of the AI world. It began with Deep ...
Citi expects Asia investment banking momentum to carry into 2026
Samantha Chiew - Citi expects Asia-Pacific investment banking to remain busy in 2026, driven by a stronger deal pipeline, easing rate pressures and sustained funding demand for digital infrastructure and AI. Citi’s investment banking client revenues in Asia-Pacific in 2025 were the strongest the bank has seen in m ...
Intense and fast-paced Year of the Horse
Daryl Guppy - The Chinese term for “immediate speed”, 马上 (ma shang), literally means “get up on the horse”. Americans like to think they are unique in their tradition of the cowboy on horseback in the Wild West. They fail to appreciate the decisive role the horse has played in Chinese history. They ne ...
Australia banks’ record surge offers global haven from AI swings
The spike in banking stocks marks a shift in fortunes from early 2025
Stocks to watch: SIAEC, Sri Trang Gloves, United Hampshire US Reit
Shikhar Gupta - [SINGAPORE] The following companies saw new developments that may affect trading of their securities on Friday (Feb 20):
Sri Trang sinks into red with Q4 loss of 503.8 million baht on production drop due to floods, impairment losses
Shikhar Gupta - The company proposes a dividend payment of 0.50 baht per share
Nvidia, OpenAI near $30 billion investment in place of unfinished $100 billion deal, FT reports
Feb 19 : Nvidia is close to finalizing a $30 billion investment into OpenAI that will replace the long-term $100 billion commitment agreed upon by the companies last year, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing sources.The deal, which would be part of a new funding round for the artifici ...
Nvidia close to investing $30 billion in OpenAI's mega funding round, source says
Feb 19 : Nvidia is close to finalizing a $30 billion investment in OpenAI, as the chipmaker moves to take a stake in one of its largest customers, a person familiar with the matter said.The investment is part of a fundraising round in which OpenAI is seeking more than $100 billion, the person said. ...
China’s drone exports to Russia use a new route through Thailand
Chinese-made technology is routinely found on the battlefield in Ukraine
Want to load up on US stocks with a weaker greenback? Here’s what investors need to consider
Chloe Lim - Other considerations may be at play, experts say
Should you buy US stocks on a weaker greenback? How to invest if converting from Singdollar
Chloe Lim - Other considerations may be at play, experts say
United Hampshire US Reit declares 12.1% higher H2 DPU of US$0.023
Deon Loke - Revenue was down 0.3% at US$36.2 million for the half year
HSBC cuts 10% of US debt capital markets team amid overhaul
The bank is set to report earnings on Wednesday
Uni-Asia focuses on disciplined execution and seizing opportunities in Japan real estate
Lin Daoyi - Despite Japan’s overall population decline, continued urbanisation is driving demand for real estate growth in Japanese metropolises, according to a report by LaSalle Investment Management, an independent subsidiary of JLL. In its Insights Strategy Analysis (ISA) Outlook 2026, the real estate ...
