By the numbers: How the Netflix and Paramount bids for Warner Bros stack up
Dec 17 : Warner Bros Discovery's board rejected Paramount Skydance's $108.4 billion hostile bid, saying it failed to provide adequate financing assurances, in a blow to the David Ellison-run company's ambitions to grow its media empire. Warner Bros' board, in a letter to sharehol ...
Chinese chip firms line up for Hong Kong listings in coming weeks
The enthusiasm for new stocks, however, contrasts with a weaker secondary market
Warner Bros Discovery board rejects rival bid from Paramount
LOS ANGELES: Warner Bros Discovery's board rejected Paramount Skydance's US$108.4 billion hostile bid on Wednesday (Dec 17), saying it failed to provide adequate financing assurances. In a letter to shareholders, disclosed in a regulatory filing, the board wrote that Paramount had " ...
HG Metal subsidiary to buy industrial property in Tuas for S$20.8 million
Sharon See - The move will more than double the group’s land area
Analysis:Qatar bets on cheap power to catch up in Gulf AI race
DUBAI, Dec 17 : Qatar is banking on its abundant, low-cost energy to make up for lost time in the Gulf's artificial intelligence race, hoping that cheap power and deep pockets will help it catch up with regional rivals that have already secured a head start.The launch of Qai, backed by the coun ...
Analysis:Crypto investors show caution, shift to new strategies after crash
Dec 17 : The recent crypto market bust has left some investors more cautious, after hitting some of the hottest and most-hyped corners of the industry the hardest. It may also provide a boon to emerging strategies that seek to more actively manage risks.The universe of crypto investment alternatives ...
Daily Debrief: What Happened Today (Dec 17)
Stories you might have missed
Volkswagen budget cuts force battery unit to seek external funds
PowerCo is considering bank loans, external investors and a potential public offering
Sterling falls as UK inflation data signals BoE rate cut, dollar rises
NEW YORK/LONDON, Dec 17 : Sterling weakened on Wednesday after an unexpected drop in UK inflation all but guaranteed that the Bank of England would cut interest rates, while the dollar rose as traders awaited other central bank decisions and weighed commentary from Federal Reserve officials.Sterling ...
Sterling weakens after UK inflation data, dollar gains ahead of central bank decisions
NEW YORK/LONDON, Dec 17 : Sterling fell on Wednesday after an unexpected drop in UK inflation all but guaranteed the Bank of England would cut interest rates, while the dollar rose as markets awaited central bank decisions and weighed commentary from Federal Reserve officials.Sterling was set for th ...
Sterling slides as inflation cements BoE cut expectations, dollar up before US inflation
LONDON, Dec 17 : Sterling slid on Wednesday after British inflation unexpectedly fell sharply, a day before the Bank of England is widely expected to cut interest rates. The dollar rose as traders waited for U.S. inflation data for clues on the Federal Reserve's next move.Sterling was set for i ...
Sterling drops as inflation cements BoE cut expectations, dollar up before US inflation
LONDON, Dec 17 : Sterling fell on Wednesday after British inflation unexpectedly fell sharply, a day before the Bank of England is widely expected to cut interest rates. The dollar rose as traders waited for U.S. inflation data for clues on the Federal Reserve's next move.Sterling was set for i ...
Mooreast Holdings appoints Yangzijiang Financial’s MD Alvin Chew to board
Nicole Lim - Mooreast Holdings has appointed Alvin Chew as a non-executive non-independent director from Jan 1, 2026. The group says that this is in line with its acceleration of plans to serve the floating renewable market. Chew is currently the managing director and head of investments at Yangzijiang Financial ...
Mewah International acquiring Indonesian palm oil business for $9.5 mil
Nicole Lim - Mewah International is acquiring all the equity interest in Paluta Inti Sawit (PTPIS), a palm oil operation business in Indonesia for a consideration of IDR123 billion ($9.5 million). The acquisition will be funded by internal accruals, says Mewah. The net asset value of the shares being acquired is ...
Ford cancels EV battery deal worth 9.6 trillion won with South Korea’s LG Energy Solution
[SEOUL] South Korea’s LG Energy Solution said on Wednesday (Dec 17) that Ford Motor has terminated an electric vehicle (EV) battery-supply deal...
Singapore stocks slip despite improved 2026 growth outlook; STI down 0.1%
Renald Yeo - The iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index declines 0.2% to 1,431.80
Apac bets on AI but businesses struggle to move beyond the basics: reports
Nurdianah Md Nur - Asia Pacific (Apac) governments are positioning the region to benefit from the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom, rolling out infrastructure investment, targeted fiscal support and industrial policies aimed at lifting productivity. However, a widening gap is emerging between policy ambition a ...
Government funds spent on luxury bags, cars: the US$2 billion scandal that paralysed the Philippines
Authorities have frozen about US$220 million in assets belonging to government officials and contractors so far
With freebies, OpenAI, Google vie for Indian users and training data
BENGALURU, Dec 17 : OpenAI, Google and Perplexity have begun an unprecedented fight for artificial intelligence users in India, rolling out freebies in a strategy seen as a way to harvest troves of multilingual training data in the world's most populous nation.India is the second-biggest smartp ...
SMFG to boost 10-year JGB holdings if yields rise and stabilise, CEO says
TOKYO, Dec 17 : Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Japan's second-largest banking group, will begin raising its allocation to long-duration Japanese government bonds if yields rise and settle higher, its CEO said."If the 10-year yield rises a bit further and becomes embedded around that leve ...
Ford cancels EV battery deal worth $6.5 billion with South Korea's LG Energy Solution
SEOUL, Dec 17 : South Korea's LG Energy Solution said on Wednesday that Ford Motor has terminated an electric vehicle (EV) battery-supply deal worth about 9.6 trillion won ($6.50 billion). The South Korean battery maker said in a regulatory filing that the termination followed a notice from For ...
South Korea's LG Energy Solution ends $6.5 billion EV battery-supply deal with Ford
SEOUL, Dec 17 : South Korea's LG Energy Solution said on Wednesday that it has terminated an electric vehicle (EV) battery-supply deal with Ford Motor worth about 9.6 trillion won ($6.50 billion). The South Korean battery maker said in a regulatory filing that the termination followed a notice ...
South Korea central bank sees upside inflation risk with a weaker won
The country’s headline inflation in November is up 2.4% from the year before
Diageo sells East African Breweries stake to Asahi for $2.3 billion
Dec 17 : Johnnie Walker and Guinness maker Diageo has agreed to sell its 65 per cent stake in East African Breweries to Japan's Asahi Holdings for $2.3 billion.The deal values EABL, the largest beer business in East Africa and maker of popular local brands like Tusker, at around $4.8 billion, t ...
Diageo to sell East African Breweries stake for $2.3 billion
Dec 17 : Diageo, the world's largest spirits maker, plans to sell its 65 per cent stake in East African Breweries to Japan's Asahi Holdings for about $2.3 billion, the maker of Johnnie Walker whisky and Guinness beer said on Wednesday. The London-listed company has been grappling with tar ...
Mainstream car COE premium climbs 3.9%, but large car category slides 7.1%
Derryn Wong - The focus on Category A comes as brands strive for sales in the last bidding round of 2025
Mainstream car COE premium up nearly 4% as large car category slides 7.1%
Derryn Wong - Most categories were down except for mainstream cars and commercial vehicles
Warburg Pincus invests in corporate services firm Acclime, valuing it at US$1 billion
Shikhar Gupta - The private equity firm beat rival firms Carlyle Group, Blackstone, KKR and TPG in a bidding race
Warburg Pincus to invest up to US$1 billion in corporate services firm Acclime
Shikhar Gupta - The private equity firm beat rival firms Carlyle Group, Blackstone, KKR and TPG in a bidding race
Warburg Pincus is said to near acquisition of Asian firm Acclime
The transaction may value the corporate services firm at US$950 million to US$1 billion
Hong Kong’s financial resurgence fuelled by surge of offshore wealth
Strong net fund inflows of HK$7 trillion brought the city’s managed assets back up to HK$35.1 trillion at the end of 2024
Bank Indonesia keeps rates steady, focuses on rupiah stability
JAKARTA, Dec 17 : Indonesia's central bank held its policy rates unchanged for a third straight meeting on Wednesday, maintaining its focus on supporting the rupiah currency while it assesses the impact of its earlier easings.Bank Indonesia kept the benchmark 7-day reverse repurchase rate at 4. ...
US software firm Freshworks eyes acquisitions with $800 million cash pile, AI in focus
CHENNAI, Dec 17 : U.S. software company Freshworks is exploring acquisitions, including AI firms, backed by more than $800 million in cash, as it aims to boost revenue in the coming years, CEO Dennis Woodside told Reuters on Tuesday.The acquisition push comes as artificial intelligence adoption fuel ...
Thai central bank cuts policy rate by 25 bps, as expected
The reduction is the fifth since October 2024, with rates down by a total of 125 basis points
