Posts by Mark Darwin
US: S&P 500, Nasdaq open lower as investors eye trade developments, earnings
Published Tue, Apr 29, 2025 · 09:43 PM [NEW YORK] The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq fell at the open on Tuesday (Apr 29), while the Dow was flat as investors assessed a mixed bag of corporate earnings and the latest developments in the US-China trade war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 6.4 points,…
Read MoreIReit Global reports higher committed occupancy and stable leverage for Q1 2025
Committed occupancy is marginally higher due to new leases committed within the Spanish portfolio [Singapore] IReit Global reported 88.7 per cent occupancy rate at the end of Q1 2025, up from 88.5 per cent at the end of Q4 2024, in a business update on Tuesday (Apr 29). The committed occupancy was marginally higher due…
Read MoreBusiness Owner Salary: How Much is Too Much?
As a business owner, figuring out how much to pay yourself can be one of the trickiest decisions you face. It’s a balancing act between ensuring you get compensated for your hard work and keeping your business financially healthy. This article will break down various aspects of business owner pay calculation to help you navigate…
Read MoreChina’s Big Five banks post slimmer margins as economic challenges persist
[SHANGHAI/HONGKONG] China’s Big Five lenders reported narrower margins at the end of the first quarter on Tuesday (Apr 29), as profits fell for some on the slowing economy under the shadow of rising tariffs. As the property sector continues to struggle, developer defaults are also weighing. “In the first quarter of 2025, the global economy…
Read MoreWill ComfortDelGro win the point-to-point 2.0 race against Grab?
[SINGAPORE] Grab’s entry into Singapore’s taxi market is likely to give the leading incumbent ComfortDelGro a run for its money. Studies have shown that people who choose to drive taxis are those who want to devote more time to driving for a living. Private-hire car drivers, on the other hand, are a mix of full-time…
Read MoreIHH Healthcare signs S$300 million sustainability-linked loan with UOB
[SINGAPORE] Integrated healthcare operator IHH Healthcare has signed its first S$300 million sustainability-linked loan with UOB, strengthening its ongoing commitment to add and uphold sustainable practices across its operations. “As a multinational healthcare player touching millions of lives each year, we are proud to advance sustainable financing through this loan,” said Dilip Kadambi, IHH’s group…
Read MoreGoogle parent Alphabet kicks off sale of debut euro bonds
Published Tue, Apr 29, 2025 · 04:33 PM [CALIFORNIA] Google parent Alphabet is looking to raise at least 2.5 billion euros (S$3.72 billion) from a debut euro bond sale on Tuesday (Apr 29), just after selling US$5 billion of debt in the US. The tech company is offering an unusual five-part deal with benchmark sizes…
Read MoreBP reports lower-than-expected profit of US$1.4b
It fell below the US$1.53 billion expected by analysts in a company-provided poll Published Tue, Apr 29, 2025 · 02:43 PM [LONDON] BP missed forecasts on Tuesday (Apr 29) with an underlying replacement cost profit of US$1.38 billion for the first quarter, below the US$1.53 billion expected by analysts in a company-provided poll. BP bought…
Read MoreHSBC launches US$3 billion buyback after Q1 profit drops 25%, raises tariff alarm
[HONG KONG] HSBC launched a US$3 billion share buyback after reporting a 25 per cent fall in first-quarter profit on Tuesday (Apr 29), and warned of a possible hit to loan demand and credit quality in the face of US President Donald Trump’s global trade war. The London-based bank reported first quarter profit before tax…
Read MoreSome Chinese exporters hasten US dollar conversion amid trade war
[NEW YORK] Some Chinese exporters are speeding up the conversion of their US dollar income into yuan on bets the worst of the tariff-led loss in the local currency may be over. In a Bloomberg survey of 18 Chinese exporters this month, all of them said they’d already converted, or will immediately switch, their greenback…
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