Posts by Mark Darwin
Singapore banks face nickel questions
[SINGAPORE] Singapore’s three banks have come under an uncomfortable spotlight for their financing of Indonesia’s Harita Nickel, a mining company whose smelters and refineries are primarily coal-powered. The attention is timely. As transition finance develops into a more mature business segment for DBS, OCBC and UOB, it’s important for the banks to be more accountable…
Read MoreHon Hai makes case to build EVs for Japan’s automobile industry
[TOKYO] Hon Hai Precision Industry wants Japan’s carmakers to know it’s willing to assemble electric vehicles (EVs) for them, similar to how it makes PlayStations for Sony Group and iPhones for Apple, and expects to announce partners in the near future. While Foxconn, as the Taiwanese company is also called, is well known as the…
Read MoreMalaysia central bank to look beyond interest rates amid tariffs
[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia’s central bank is looking beyond monetary policy to weather the fallout from US President Donald Trump’s duties, arguing that the country is entering the tariff disputes from a position of strength. Strong investment activity, resilient domestic demand and diversified trade partners will help provide some support to the economy, Bank Negara Malaysia…
Read MoreSingapore’s STI tumbles over 2% ahead of Trump’s planned tariff hit of 104% on China
[SINGAPORE] Singapore stocks slid further on Wednesday following this week’s rout, as US President Donald Trump planned a 104% tariff hit on many China goods. These tariffs were set to take effect at 12:01am US time on Wednesday. Shortly after market open, the Straits Times Index was down 2.28 per cent to 3,390.30. Across the…
Read MoreStocks to watch: UOB, SGX, Sembcorp
[SINGAPORE] The following companies saw new developments that may affect trading of their securities on Wednesday (Apr 9). UOB: The bank said on Tuesday that it will inject additional fresh capital of two trillion dong (S$104 million) into its Vietnam subsidiary, bringing its total charter capital of the unit to 10 trillion dong. To “reaffirm…
Read MoreInjury Cases: When to Lawyer Up (and When to Wait)
Knowing when to hire a lawyer can be tricky when dealing with a personal injury. It’s not always clear if you should jump straight into legal action or if you can afford to take your time. Understanding the ins and outs of personal injury claims can help you make the right call. This article breaks…
Read MoreJPMorgan model shows recession fear in markets spiking up to 79%
[NEW YORK] JPMorgan Chase says recession fears in stocks acutely tied to America’s economy have spiked to nearly 80 per cent, while credit investors remain sanguine even as funding stress threatens to build. The small-cap focused Russell 2000, which has been battered in the recent sell-off, is now pricing in a 79 per cent chance…
Read MoreOil settles down US$1 at four-year low as US-China trade war escalates
[HOUSTON] Oil prices settled down more than US$1 a barrel on Tuesday at a four-year low as investors priced in an increasing likelihood of a recession due to the escalating trade war between the US and China, the world’s two biggest economies. Brent futures settled down US$1.39, or 2.16 per cent, at US$62.82 a barrel. US West…
Read MoreUS: Wall Street opens sharply higher on hopes of tariff talks
[NEW YORK] Wall Street’s main indexes opened sharply higher on Tuesday (Apr 8) after a bruising selloff that has wiped out trillions of dollars since last week, as investors await any sign of the US opening up for negotiations over some of the aggressive tariffs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 861.5 points, or 2.27…
Read MoreDollar falls as prospect of tariff talks calms global markets
[LONDON] The US dollar fell on Tuesday (Apr 8) while the euro perked up as stocks bounced in Asia and Europe on hopes that US President Donald Trump will enter negotiations over his sweeping tariffs that have roiled markets for three days. Rises in both the Japanese yen and Swiss franc showed consistent appetite for…
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