Posts by Mark Darwin
Microsoft to make 4.3 billion euros AI, cloud investment in Italy
MICROSOFT plans to invest 4.3 billion euros (S$6.1 billion) over the next two years to strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud infrastructure in northern Italy, it said on Wednesday (Oct 2). Microsoft said in a statement the investment would be the US company’s largest in Italy to date. It will make the cloud region…
Read MoreUS: Wall Street opens lower as Middle East tensions make investors nervous
WALL Street’s main indices opened lower on Wednesday (Oct 2) as investors priced in a possible escalation in geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, while a survey allayed concerns about a rapid cooldown in the labour market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 31.8 points, or 0.08 per cent, at the open to 42,125.14. The…
Read MoreUS dollar holds gains as war widens in Middle East, rallies against yen
THE US dollar held on to its biggest gains in a week on Wednesday (Oct 2) after an Iranian missile attack on Israel drove the buying of safe haven assets as investors fretted about the widening of conflict in the Middle East. It also jumped against the yen as Japanese officials, including new Prime Minister…
Read MoreBlackRock chases private credit deals in record India market
BLACKROCK, the world’s largest asset manager, is hunting for Indian direct lending opportunities in a broadening array of sectors from agriculture to hospitality as the nation’s booming private credit market lures more borrowers. There are openings to lend to large enterprises with multiple subsidiaries as well as young entrepreneurs funding start-ups, said Celia Yan, BlackRock’s…
Read MoreComcast unit sues Warner Bros for breach on TV show deals
COMCAST’S European Sky pay-television unit sued Warner Bros, alleging the film and TV company breached an agreement to share co-production opportunities on projects like a Harry Potter TV series. The suit filed in US District Court in New York says the companies entered into an agreement in September 2019 under which Warner Bros would annually…
Read MoreRate cuts set gold on track for best quarter in eight years
GOLD prices were heading for their best quarter in more than eight years on Friday (Sep 27), having hit a series of record highs in recent sessions as the start of US monetary easing boosted the appeal of non-yielding bullion. Spot gold was down 1 per cent at US$2,643.88 per ounce by 1742 GMT after…
Read MoreGold heads for third weekly advance following record run
GOLD headed for a third weekly gain after notching a string of records on expectations of further interest-rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve. The precious metal traded near its all-time high after the latest US data on inflation and consumer spending reinforced expectations that the US central bank will be on track for more…
Read MoreUS: Wall Street opens marginally higher after soft inflation report
Wall Street’s main stock indexes opened higher on Friday (Sep 27), with the S&P 500 near record highs, after soft inflation data raised expectations that the Federal Reserve could now focus on shoring up the labour market and continue easing interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 52.8 points, or 0.13 per cent, at…
Read MoreYen bounces back as veteran lawmaker Ishiba wins PM contest
THE yen regained strength on Friday (Sep 27), bouncing back from earlier losses, after Japan’s former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba won the leadership contest of the country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and was set to become its next prime minister. Ishiba is a critic of past monetary stimulus and told Reuters the central bank was…
Read MoreConstruction companies must dig deeper to improve productivity amid rising temperatures
Besides focusing on worker safety, they can also look at quantifying impact of heat on productivity AS RISING temperatures impede the progress of construction projects in Singapore, companies here can do more to raise worker productivity and must plan better across different silos to ensure that projects are completed in good time, experts say. TBH…
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