Posts by Mark Darwin
Globally diversified equities remain attractive amid yet another Fed pause: analysts
[SINGAPORE] Analysts continue to favour globally diversified equities, as the US Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday (Jun 18). In its latest meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) agreed to leave the central bank’s benchmark interest rate unchanged in the 4.25 to 4.5 per cent range, citing a healthy labour market and…
Read MoreShell is being ‘very careful’ with shipping in the Middle East: CEO
Published Thu, Jun 19, 2025 · 11:36 AM [TOKYO] Shell CEO Wael Sawan said on Thursday the oil and gas major was being “very careful” with its shipping through the Middle East given the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. The Iran-Israel air war entered a seventh day on Thursday with President Donald Trump keeping…
Read MorePEC delists from SGX on Jun 19 in US$165 million acquisition by Liberty Energy Solutions
[SINGAPORE] Engineering company PEC has been delisted from the mainboard of the Singapore Exchange (SGX) as at 9 am on Thursday (Jun 19) after Alliance Energy Services’ offer to privatise the group via a scheme arrangement received shareholder approval in May. The scheme consideration, which amounts to S$0.84 and comprises a payment of S$0.64 per…
Read MoreBlackstone’s ASK plans to hire 70 wealth bankers in India
The group has over 745 billion rupees in assets across alternative investment funds, portfolio management services and private wealth Published Thu, Jun 19, 2025 · 10:32 AM [MUMBAI] Blackstone’s ASK Group plans to hire 70 private bankers as competition heats up within India’s booming wealth management space. ASK’s private wealth unit aims to have 175…
Read MoreFed’s Powell says he expects to see more tariff-driven price hikes in coming months
[WASHINGTON] Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday goods price inflation will pick up over the course of the summer as President Donald Trump’s tariffs work their way to US consumers, who he argued would bear some of those costs. “Ultimately, the cost of the tariff has to be paid, and some of it…
Read MoreUK’s high-speed rail faces new delays, deemed ‘appalling mess’
Published Thu, Jun 19, 2025 · 08:55 AM [LONDON] Britain’s transport secretary on Wednesday announced further delays to the country’s new high-speed HS2 train line, describing the project as an “appalling mess” amid soaring costs. The high-speed rail track between London and Birmingham will no longer be delivered by the planned 2033 target, despite the…
Read MoreAir India cuts foreign widebody flights by 15% after crash
[NEW DELHI] Air India is reducing its international service using widebody planes by 15 per cent as the nation’s flag carrier grapples with the fallout from a fatal Boeing 787 crash last week and an Israel-Iran clash in the Middle East. The cuts will be rolled out to Jun 20 and will continue until at…
Read MoreOil settles higher as Iran-Israel conflict enters sixth day
[NEW YORK] Oil prices settled higher on Wednesday in a volatile session as investors weighed the chance of supply disruptions from the Iran-Israel conflict and potential direct US involvement. Brent crude futures settled 25 cents higher at US$76.70 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude rose 30 cents at US$75.14. Earlier in the session, prices were down…
Read MoreUS: Stocks flat after Fed decision as markets eye Iran
Published Thu, Jun 19, 2025 · 06:12 AM Wall Street stocks ended little changed on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady, while markets followed ongoing fighting between Iran and Israel. The Fed, as expected, held interest rates unchanged for a fourth consecutive meeting, as Chair Jerome Powell said more time was needed to monitor…
Read MoreWant to invest in nuclear energy? DBS cites opportunities in mining, utilities stocks
[SINGAPORE] As global interest in nuclear energy surges, investors can gain exposure to the sector by betting on physical uranium or miners, utilities companies and reactor manufacturers, said DBS in a report. The bank, in the latest edition of its Chief Investment Officer Vantage Point report on Monday (Jun 16), said: “(We) believe that nuclear…
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