Posts by Mark Darwin
RHB Bank’s Singapore unit key to regional growth plan, targets
Published Fri, Jul 18, 2025 · 05:34 PM [SINGAPORE] RHB Singapore, part of Malaysia’s fourth-biggest banking group RHB, will be key in driving its regional expansion plans and help meet targets which include hitting a return on equity of 12 per cent by 2027, a senior executive said on Friday (Jul 18). Singapore’s low taxes,…
Read MoreBP to sell onshore wind business in US
BP is seeking to cut cleaner energy investment by more than US$5 billion annually Published Fri, Jul 18, 2025 · 04:21 PM [LONDON] BP said on Friday (Jul 18) it had agreed to sell its onshore wind energy business in the United States, after the British giant shelved its targets for reducing carbon emissions. The…
Read MoreUltra-rare metal rides AI boom as commodities star performer
[SINGAPORE] Thanks to the boom in artificial intelligence (AI), an ultra-rare element you have probably never heard of is one of this year’s best-performing raw materials. Ruthenium, a silvery grey mineral, has eclipsed the headline-grabbing rallies in other commodities such as gold and silver by nearly doubling in price over the past year to US$800…
Read MoreWarburg Pincus-backed data centre operator Princeton Digital bags US$1.3 billion from Stonepeak
[SINGAPORE] Warbug Pincus-backed Princeton Digital Group announced on Friday (Jul 18) that it secured US$1.3 billion in funding from Stonepeak, a New-York based alternative investment firm specialising in infrastructure and real assets. Princeton Digital is a Singapore-headquartered data centre operator, with a portfolio of more than 1.1 gigawatts across 20 data centres in Singapore, Japan,…
Read MoreCouche-Tard’s failed bid for Seven & i sparks debate over Japan
[TOKYO] Alimentation Couche-Tard’s decision to walk away in frustration from an attempted acquisition of Seven & i Holdings set off a debate in Tokyo as to what lessons foreign companies with ambitions for M&A should draw. The bid was audacious from the start. 7-Eleven convenience stores have one of Japan’s most recognisable brands and a…
Read MoreFood Empire, AirAsia partner to launch ready-to-drink beverages
It will kick-off with a Vietnamese iced coffee product that will be sold on flights of the airline [SINGAPORE] Food Empire will collaborate with low-cost airline AirAsia to co-develop and launch a new range of ready-to-drink beverages. The collaboration was formalised with a memorandum of understanding signed between Food Empire’s subsidiary Empire International and AirAsia…
Read MoreLululemon’s best-selling black leggings pile up at outlet stores
[NEW YORK] Lululemon Athletica is facing slowing sales, fewer store visitors and waning demand for its iconic black leggings as the yogawear retailer tries to pull itself out of a rough patch. Lululemon’s core black leggings, which are vital products that rarely are discounted, are piling up at outlet stores, according to Randal Konik, an…
Read MoreThe Unexpected Invitation to Push Beyond My Limits
There I was, wrapped in a Mylar space blanket, shivering and drooling after what I thought was the most challenging physical feat of my life. I had just completed a grueling 50-mile endurance event that left me barely able to hold a cup of soup without spilling it all over myself. As I sat there…
Read MoreUber to invest US$300 million in EV maker Lucid as part of robotaxi deal
[SAN FRANCISCO] Uber will invest US$300 million in electric vehicle maker Lucid in a robotaxi deal that aims to start with one major US city late next year, the companies said on Thursday (Jul 17). Over six years starting in 2026, Uber will acquire and deploy over 20,000 Lucid Gravity SUVs that will be equipped…
Read MoreNo let-up in India’s private market boom as investors continue to shun China
[SINGAPORE] A surge in the value of private equity (PE) deals signed in India in the first half of this year, coupled with the inking of the country’s biggest private credit transaction, are adding fuel to a hot private market. With investors still keeping away from China, traditionally the largest Asian private market, the strong…
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