Posts by Mark Darwin
Lights, camera, adios: Struggling Cathay Cineplexes to shutter West Mall outlet
ROLL the end credits – beleaguered cinema chain Cathay Cineplexes is closing its West Mall outlet on Thursday (Feb 20), the same day its lease at the Bukit Batok shopping complex expires. The closure aligns with its strategy to “optimise its operational footprint”, said mainboard-listed media company mm2 Asia, which operates the cinema chain, in…
Read MoreAussie “Big Four” banks cut rates, mirroring central bank
AUSTRALIAN “Big Four” lenders cut their interest rates by 25 basis points on Tuesday (Feb 18), in tandem with the central bank cutting its rates for the first time since November 2020. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut its cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1 per cent, saying progress had been made…
Read MoreHSBC axes 40 dealmakers in Hong Kong as part of revamp to cut costs: source
HSBC has laid off around 40 investment bankers in Hong Kong, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter, as part of a global restructuring exercise at the Asia-focused lender to cut costs. The job cuts in its regional hub Hong Kong started on Monday (Feb 17), said the source and another source…
Read MoreAustralia backs Virgin-Qatar Airways tie-up citing improved air services
AUSTRALIA’S competition watchdog on Tuesday (Feb 18) backed a planned alliance between Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways, saying it would provide air travellers with improved services and products. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) draft determination comes after it gave its interim approval to Virgin Australia in November to market and sell 28 weekly…
Read MoreHonda ready to revive takeover talks if Nissan CEO Uchida leaves: report
Nissan’s board of directors has also started informal discussions regarding the timing of Uchida’s departure HONDA Motor will resume talks with Nissan Motor to form the world’s fourth-biggest automaker provided Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida steps down, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Tuesday (Feb 18) citing a source familiar with discussions. Japan’s second and third-largest…
Read MoreGold inches higher on concerns over Trump tariff threats
GOLD prices edged higher on Tuesday (Feb 18) as uncertainty over US President Donald Trump’s tariffs continued to dominate sentiment, reinforcing bullion’s appeal as a safe-haven asset amid fears of a potential global trade war. Spot gold was up 0.1 per cent at US$2,898.99, as at 0030 GMT. US gold futures gained 0.4 per cent…
Read MoreStocks to watch: Sri Trang Agro-Industry, Sri Trang Gloves, Oiltek International, Aoxin Q&M
THE following companies saw new developments that may affect trading of their securities on Tuesday (Feb 18). Sri Trang Agro-Industry: The rubber group swung to a net profit of 854.3 million baht (S$34 million) for its fourth quarter ended December, from a net loss of 422 million baht in the previous corresponding period. The group…
Read MoreJapan’s historic rate shift is turbo-charging the credit market
JAPAN’S corporate bond market is booming, as an economic rebound and plans to get ahead of higher interest rates encourage a flurry of issuance. Japanese companies have sold 14.7 trillion yen (S$130 billion) of local-currency bonds in the current fiscal year, a record for the period, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. A key motivation:…
Read MoreHow Much Does a College Student Spend on Groceries?
Grocery shopping takes up a significant portion of an average college student’s budget. With tuition, rent, textbooks, and other expenses, food costs must be closely monitored to ensure college students can eat healthily without overspending. The amount college students tend to spend on groceries varies greatly depending on factors such as location, habits, frequency of…
Read MoreRenault, Geely deepen partnership with Brazil car sales plan
The latest agreement gives Geely better access to South America’s biggest economy RENAULT and China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group plan to jointly produce and sell electric and low-emissions vehicles in Brazil as the automakers deepen their partnership. Geely will invest in Renault’s Brazilian unit and in return get access to its production, sales and services…
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