Posts by Mark Darwin
Boeing’s endless doom loop gives no respite to new CEO Ortberg
AS BOEING lurches from one crisis to the next, there’s been one constant for the embattled planemaker: Its predicament appears to be only getting worse. From a freak accident that blew a door-size hole into the fuselage of an airborne 737 Max to revelations of sloppy workmanship and now a crippling strike entering its second…
Read MoreTSMC plans more chip plants in Europe, Taiwan official says
TAIWAN Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is planning more plants in Europe with a focus on the market for artificial intelligence (AI) chips, according to a senior Taiwanese official, as the chipmaker expands its global footprint. “They have started construction of the first fab in Dresden, they are already planning the next few fabs in the…
Read MoreBaht rally halts as Thai government campaigns for lower rates
A DECLINE in Thailand’s baht this month has spurred speculation that the currency’s rally may be ending as tensions grow between the nation’s government and its central bank. The baht has weakened 2.7 per cent against the US dollar in October following its best quarter since the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis. Mizuho Bank…
Read MoreSweet spot for deals: M&As in South-east Asia poised for a rebound
AFTER a soft few years, South-east Asian mergers and acquisitions (M&As) look set for a revival. One major factor is the ongoing interest rate cuts, which will boost dealmaking. The region’s continued economic potential is another major factor why corporates and financial sponsors continue to be on the lookout for targets. Regional M&As endured a…
Read MoreCanadian dollar losing streak hits 8 days on jumbo-rate-cut noise
THE Canadian dollar fell to a two-month low against its US counterpart on Friday (Oct 11) as investors continued to weigh chances of the Bank of Canada (BOC) supersizing its rate cuts after a downbeat business survey offset stronger-than-expected jobs data. The loonie was trading 0.2 per cent lower at 1.3760 per US dollar, or…
Read MoreSubstantial shareholder Thomas Clive Khoo takes his Zixin stake to above 9%
INSTITUTIONS were net buyers of Singapore stocks over the five trading sessions spanning Oct 4 to Oct 10, with S$211 million of net institutional inflow, adding to the preceding five sessions of S$50 million net inflow. This has brought net institutional flow in the year to Oct 10 back to inflow, at S$123 million. Leading…
Read MoreWhat you need to know about investing in China’s volatile stock market
CHINA’S stock market rally has attracted investors around the world, but recent turbulence has raised questions over whether now is the right time to invest. After policymakers in Beijing unveiled an array of economic and financial support last month, Chinese equities skyrocketed to outperform all other global indices, triggering a wave of cash from those…
Read MoreWhy self-driving cars get so much hype – and remain so difficult to achieve
TWO decades ago, the US military kicked off the race to build a self-driving car by sending a fleet of fledgling robot vehicles across the Mojave Desert in its seminal Darpa challenge. Ten years later, the auto industry was buzzing with predictions that self-driving cars would be all over the roads by now. That has…
Read MoreTemasek CIO gets behind asset-shuffling funds snubbed by others
TEMASEK Holdings is getting behind a controversial type of fund that private equity firms are using to ride out the slump in deal-making. The chief investment officer (CIO) of the Singaporean state-owned investor voiced unusual enthusiasm for continuation funds, in which private equity managers shift hard-to-sell assets from an older vehicle into a brand-new…
Read MoreEurope: Stocks gain with rates outlook, earnings in focus
EUROPEAN stocks gained on Friday (Oct 11) as investors assessed the impact of hotter-than-expected US inflation data and the third-quarter earnings season kicked off. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.6 per cent to 521.98 at the close in London, with real estate and financial services shares gaining the most and telecom stocks the biggest…
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