Posts by Mark Darwin
Torrent to acquire KKR’s stake in JB Pharma for US$1.4 billion
[MUMBAI] Torrent Pharmaceuticals agreed to take a controlling stake in JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals from private equity firm KKR, the latest sign of a dealmaking boom in India. Torrent will buy a 46.4 per cent stake in the company known as JB Pharma from KKR for 1,600 rupees per share, according to a statement on…
Read MoreOil falls on prospect of more Opec+ supply, easing risks in Middle East
Published Mon, Jun 30, 2025 · 08:54 AM [SINGAPORE] Oil prices fell 1 per cent on Monday as an easing of geopolitical risks in the Middle East and the prospect of another Opec+ output hike in August boosted the supply outlook. Brent crude futures fell 66 cents, or 0.97 per cent, to US$67.11 a barrel…
Read MoreStocks to watch: OCBC, Fu Yu, TalkMed
[SINGAPORE] The following companies saw new developments that may affect trading of their securities on Monday (Jun 30): OCBC: The local bank announced in an e-mail sent to customers on Jun 27 that it will cut interest rates for its 360 Account, in line with lower interest rate expectations. With effect from Aug 1, the maximum…
Read MoreShein to file confidentially for Hong Kong IPO in rare move: sources
CHINA-FOUNDED fast-fashion retailer Shein plans to file a draft prospectus confidentially for its Hong Kong listing, marking a rare departure from the usual practice of companies making public filings of IPO documents, three sources with knowledge of the matter said. Shein aims to submit the filing confidentially as soon as this week, one of the…
Read MoreNikkei 225 expected to trend higher if trade deals are inked
The Nikkei 225 Index Futures, traded in standard, mini, and micro contracts, is a derivative instrument based on Japan’s flagship equity benchmark, the Nikkei 225 Index. Its top three constituents by weight are Fast Retailing (Uniqlo), Tokyo Electron (semiconductor equipment), and Advantest (semiconductor testing solutions). In May, Japanese equities rallied by 5.36 per cent in…
Read MoreTrump says TikTok buyer group found, needs China nod
[WASHINGTON] President Donald Trump said he has identified a buyer for the US operations of TikTok, the social media app owned by Chinese company ByteDance, without naming the winning bidder. Completing a sale would be contingent on Beijing and President Xi Jinping’s agreement, Trump added in a pre-taped interview on Fox New’s Sunday Morning Futures…
Read MoreNew listings on SGX may reinforce positive sentiment
[SINGAPORE] Markets around the world are poised to end the first half of 2025 on a bullish note this week. On Friday (Jun 27), the S&P 500, Stoxx Europe 600, Nikkei 225 and Hang Seng indices were in positive territory on a year-to-date basis, and as much as 29 per cent above the lows to…
Read MoreBig banks pass Fed’s stress test, setting stage for payouts
[WASHINGTON, DC] A group of large US banks comfortably cleared the Federal Reserve’s annual stress test, setting the stage for lenders to boost buybacks and dividends for shareholders. The 22 banks subjected to this year’s test all remained above minimum capital levels in a hypothetical recession. The lenders would withstand more than US$550 billion in…
Read MoreWealthy Silicon Valley investors in line for US$17 billion windfall in US senate Republican tax Bill
[NEW YORK] Silicon Valley’s favourite tax break may be getting an upgrade. Venture capitalists, along with successful tech founders and early startup employees, already pay no taxes on billions of US dollars of gains annually, thanks to a lucrative and complicated provision called Qualified Small Business Stock, or QSBS. Now the carve-out could get even…
Read MoreOCBC trims 360 Account interest rates for the second time in 2025
[SINGAPORE] OCBC will cut interest rates for its 360 Account, in line with lower interest rate expectations. With effect from Aug 1, the maximum interest rate of the local lender’s flagship savings account will be lowered to 5.45 per cent per annum on the first S$100,000, from the current 6.3 per cent, based on an…
Read More