Posts by Mark Darwin
SIA Group passenger capacity up 10.8% in August, outpacing passenger traffic
SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) Group reported a 10.8 per cent increase in passenger capacity in August, outpacing the 7.7 per cent growth in passenger traffic recorded that month. The national carrier and its low-cost arm Scoot flew a total of 3.3 million passengers in August, up 9.4 per cent from the year before, according to the…
Read MoreSingapore stocks rise ahead of expected interest rate cuts; STI hits new 52-week high
On the broader market, gainers beat losers 301 to 225 after 987 million securities worth S$1 billion change hands SINGAPORE stocks rose on Monday (Sep 16) ahead of a widely anticipated interest rate cut to be announced by the US Federal Reserve on Sep 18. The local benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) gained 0.2 per…
Read MoreChina claims chipmaking gear advance despite tightening us curbs
CHINA has claimed a breakthrough in the development of homegrown chipmaking equipment, an important step in overcoming US sanctions designed to thwart Beijing’s semiconductor goals. State-linked organisations are advised to use a new laser-based immersion lithography machine with a resolution of 65 nanometres or better, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said in…
Read MoreTencent’s Pony Ma reclaims title of China’s richest person
TENCENT co-founder Pony Ma Huateng returned to the top of the wealth rankings in China, making him the latest tech billionaire to achieve the status. Weak economic data from the world’s second-biggest economy sent some Hong Kong-listed shares lower on Monday (Sep 16), allowing Ma to surpass bottled water tycoon Zhong Shanshan with a fortune…
Read MoreCalculated risks, bold changes to be taken to revitalise equities market: Chee Hong Tat
TO REVIVE Singapore’s equities market, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is ready to make bold yet necessary changes after carefully reviewing their trade-offs, said Transport Minister and Second Finance Minister Chee Hong Tat on Monday (Sep 16). MAS ’ review group, chaired by Chee, has come up with ideas and is ready to implement…
Read MoreWin-win investment property deals exist, but lower interest rates raise risk of bad deals
While the CLI-CICT Ion Orchard deal arguably benefits both parties, investors should be wary of Reit managers bingeing on acquisitions Sometimes, win-win deals do not exist. In trading a pair of currencies, one party benefits from a particular currency strengthening while the counterparty suffers a loss. In mega corporate and property deals, one often sees…
Read MoreHSBC’s new CEO is looking to shake up Europe’s largest lender
WITH just two weeks under his belt as the new chief executive officer of HSBC Holdings, Georges Elhedery has made it clear he’s looking to make his mark on the bank. Since he took over, Elhedery has weighed kicking off what could amount to HSBC’s most significant restructuring in more than a decade. He’s also…
Read MoreBitcoin slips at start of key week for markets awaiting Fed rate cut
BITCOIN retreated ahead of a widely expected interest-rate reduction by the Federal Reserve, a looming policy change due later this week that has global markets on edge. The largest digital asset slid as much as 2.6 per cent on Monday (Sep 16), changing hands at US$58,470 as at 10.41 am in Singapore. Smaller tokens ranging…
Read MoreCitigroup is looking to hire talent in Hong Kong in wealth push
CITIGROUP plans to add talent in Hong Kong as it’s bullish on the city and its links with the surrounding Greater Bay Area in mainland China, according to its wealth chief. “What you are going to see is us looking to add talent on a selective basis,” Andy Sieg said in a Bloomberg Television interview…
Read MoreGold prices edge higher on prospect of steeper US rate cuts
GOLD prices inch higher on Monday (Sep 16), supported by a weaker US dollar and on the prospect of a more aggressive rate reduction by the US Federal Reserve at its upcoming policy meeting. Spot gold was up 0.2 per cent at US$2,580.81 per ounce, as at 0020 GMT. Bullion rose to a record high…
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