Posts by Mark Darwin
US dollar recovers after Fed signals caution on future easing
[NEW YORK] The US dollar rebounded against major currencies such as the euro and yen on Friday (Apr 4) after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell acknowledged the repercussions of larger-than-expected US tariffs and signalled a cautious tone on future easing. Powell said that tariffs increased the risk of higher inflation and slower growth, highlighting the…
Read MoreS-Reits record net institutional inflows in March as sector snaps 5-month losing streak
[SINGAPORE] Global markets experienced a sell-off after US President Donald Trump imposed a 10 per cent baseline tariff on imported goods from all countries starting Apr 5. US markets reacted sharply, with the S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq indices dropping 4.8 per cent, 4 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively in the Apr 3…
Read MoreFamily Money Protection: Trust Fund vs. Regular Savings
When it comes to securing your family’s financial future, understanding the differences between family trusts and regular savings accounts is key. Both options have their own advantages and can serve different purposes in financial planning. This article will break down what family trusts are, how they work, and how they compare to traditional savings accounts,…
Read MoreChina says ‘market has spoken’ after US tariffs spark sell-off
Trump has introduced additional 34 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods as part of steep levies imposed on most US trade partners [BEIJING] China said on Saturday (Apr 5) “the market has spoken” in rejecting US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, and called on Washington for “equal-footed consultation” after global markets’ dramatic reaction to the trade…
Read MoreOpec+ stuns oil market with policy shift to drive down price
[NEW YORK] For most of this decade, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (Opec+) has been the world’s most stalwart defender of high oil prices. In just a few moments this week, that role reversed dramatically. In a video conference on Thursday (Apr 3), the coalition of crude producers led by…
Read MoreChina retaliation on US farm goods hits soybeans, bolstering Brazil
[BEIJING/SINGAPORE] China’s retaliation on Friday (Apr 4) against new US tariffs is poised to accelerate Beijing’s move towards alternative suppliers for agricultural goods, including Brazil, a shift that began during the trade war of US President Donald Trump’s first term. Beijing unveiled a slew of countermeasures, including additional duties of 34 per cent on all…
Read MoreMeta plans nearly US$1 billion data centre project in Wisconsin
[NEW YORK] Meta Platforms plans to spend nearly US$1 billion on the development of a data centre project in central Wisconsin, underscoring a larger effort from the social media giant to ramp up investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud infrastructure. In February, the state of Wisconsin struck an incentive deal with an unnamed company…
Read MoreM&A and IPOs worth billions stalled in 24 hours by trade war
[NEW YORK] Billions of US dollars worth of acquisitions and initial public offerings (IPOs) are on hold as Donald Trump’s trade war upends the global economy, twisting the knife into a dealmaking market that had already struggled to get going this year. Ticket platform StubHub Holdings, fintech giant Klarna Bank and trading platform eToro Group…
Read MoreWalmart denies ABC News report it could join investor group to buy TikTok
[NEW YORK] Walmart on Friday (Apr 4) denied a report from ABC News that it was considering joining a group of investors to buy short video app TikTok. Earlier on Friday, ABC News reporter Selina Wang said in a post on X that the world’s largest retailer was “actively considering” joining a group of investors…
Read MoreFed’s Powell says larger-than-expected tariffs mean higher inflation, slower growth
[WASHINGTON] US President Donald Trump’s new tariffs are “larger than expected” and the economic fallout including higher inflation and slower growth likely will be as well, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said on Friday (Apr 4) in remarks that pointed to the potentially difficult set of decisions ahead for the central bank. “We face a…
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