Posts by Mark Darwin
AI, liquidity to drive Asia markets in 2026 amid US fiscal risks: Schroders
The technology sector remains the cornerstone of Schroders’ bullish thesis for the region [SINGAPORE] In 2025, US fiscal and geopolitical headwinds prompted investors to redeploy capital towards the East. Petr Kocourek, fund manager for Asia Multi-Asset at Schroders, noted that the initial shift into Asia during 2025 was partly a reaction to risks associated with…
Read MoreSeatrium, Maersk resolve contract dispute with giant line to pay US$360 million upon vessel delivery
[SINGAPORE] Offshore, marine and energy specialist Seatrium has reached an agreement with buyer Maersk Offshore Wind’s affiliate Phoenix II, for the latter to pay the balance of the contract price – valued at US$360 million – upon delivery of a vessel. This deal comes after the group started its own arbitration proceedings against the buyer…
Read MoreRecord US$350 billion deals boom fuels upbeat M&A outlook in Japan
Corporate governance reforms aimed at improving shareholder returns are helping to transform the country into a hive of activity IT HAS been a record year for deals involving Japanese companies, with transaction volume approaching US$350 billion as December draws to a close. And next year is poised to be even busier. Corporate governance reforms…
Read MoreMorgan Stanley seen as front-runner for SpaceX IPO: sources
[NEW YORK] Morgan Stanley is emerging as a leading contender for a key role in SpaceX’s blockbuster initial public offering (IPO), as the bank’s close ties to CEO Elon Musk give it an edge in his decision, according to three people familiar with the matter. A selection process, or “bake-off”, for the IPO is still…
Read MoreElon Musk becomes first person worth US$700 billion following pay package ruling
TESLA CEO Elon Musk’s net worth surged to US$749 billion late Friday (Dec 19) after the Delaware Supreme Court reinstated Tesla stock options worth US$139 billion that were voided last year, according to Forbes’ billionaires index. Musk’s 2018 pay package, once worth US$56 billion, was restored by the Delaware Supreme Court on Friday, two years…
Read More10 S-Reits garner over S$1 billion in total retail net inflows in 2025
Including dividends, total returns for the STI and S-Reits reached 26.7% and 14.4%, respectively [SINGAPORE] With seven trading days remaining in 2025, the Straits Times Index (STI) has delivered a year-to-date price return of 20.7 per cent as at Thursday (Dec 18), while Singapore-listed real estate investment trusts (S-Reits) have gained 9 per cent. Including…
Read MoreMusk wins US court appeal of US$56 billion Tesla pay package
A DELEWARE appeals court cleared the way Friday for tech CEO Elon Musk to receive a long-contested US$56 billion Tesla pay package, reversing an earlier judgment in the long-running case. The decision by the Delaware Supreme Court rejects a pair of judgments by Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of Delaware’s Court of Chancery and sets the stage…
Read MoreTikTok owner ByteDance on track for US$50 billion profit in 2025
BYTEDANCE is on track for profits of roughly US$50 billion in 2025, capping a record year for a Chinese social media leader making major inroads into e-commerce and new markets. The Beijing-based parent company of TikTok is on track to hit that milestone after amassing net income of about US$40 billion over the year’s first three quarters,…
Read MoreUS stocks: Nasdaq rallies again while yen falls despite BOJ rate hike
RESURGENT artificial intelligence shares lifted the Nasdaq on Friday for a second straight session while the yen retreated despite a Bank of Japan interest rate hike. The tech-forward Nasdaq piled on 1.31 per cent to close at 23,307.62 after a similar gain on Thursday following blowout earnings from chip company Micron Technology. But several leading…
Read MoreREE Medical Guide: How to Choose a Good Disability Claim Company and Avoid Bad Actors
The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to process disability claims at a historic volume. In fiscal year 2024, VA reported completing more than 2.4 million disability compensation claims, a pace that has carried into 2025 as toxic‑exposure and post‑deployment conditions keep surfacing in the system. Even with that throughput, the claims backlog remains large enough…
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