Posts by Mark Darwin
DBS to add 100 wealth bankers in Hong Kong as clients trade more
DBS’s Hong Kong wealth revenue grew 86% in the first quarter from the corresponding period in 2023 Published Mon, Jun 16, 2025 · 04:25 PM [HONG KONG] DBS Group Holdings, Singapore’s largest lender, is planning to recruit 100 bankers catering to the rich in Hong Kong over the next three years with clients having more…
Read MoreCompetition watchdog flags Agoda’s Singapore website, mobile app for potentially misleading features
[SINGAPORE] Singapore’s competition watchdog has raised concerns with Agoda over several design features on its Singapore website and mobile application that were found to be potentially misleading. A number of these concerns related to how the presentation and ranking of the search results on Agoda failed to reflect that they were influenced by money that…
Read MoreNippon Steel shares rise after Trump approves US$14.9 billion US Steel bid
[TOKYO] Nippon Steel shares rose on Monday after US President Donald Trump approved its US$14.9 billion bid for US Steel, clearing a key hurdle in its 18-month pursuit and securing access to a vital market for its growth strategy. The approval capped a tumultuous process marked by union resistance and two national security reviews. Shares…
Read MoreLeonard Lauder, billionaire heir to cosmetics empire, dies at 92
[WASHINGTON] Leonard Lauder, who built Estee Lauder into one of the world’s biggest cosmetics makers and catapulted himself into the top echelon of wealthiest New Yorkers, has died. He was 92. Lauder died on Jun 14 surrounded by family, according to a statement by Estee Lauder. In almost 40 years running the New York-based company…
Read MoreSome SGX-listed energy stocks surge as oil prices rally on Israel-Iran conflict
[SINGAPORE] Shares of oil and gas companies listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) such as Rex International and RH PetroGas rose by more than 6 per cent at the market open on Monday (Jun 16). This comes on the back of global crude oil prices surging amid escalating conflict in the Middle East between Iran…
Read MoreHong Kong bourse seeks to woo South-east Asia, Middle East firms for second listings
[HONG KONG] The Hong Kong stock exchange plans to attract listed companies in South-east Asia and the Middle East, in particular, for second listings in the financial hub, its chief executive said, as the bourse looks to burnish its global credentials. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEX) also sees a pickup in the number…
Read MoreAustralia’s ASX shares slide as regulator launches probe into ‘serious failures’
SHARES of Australian bourse operator ASX dropped on Monday after the country’s securities regulator launched an investigation into the company, citing “repeated and serious” operational failures. Shares of ASX were down 4.4 per cent at A$69.58, as of 0044 GMT, on track for their worst day since March 12, if current losses hold. The stock…
Read MoreLivingstone Health’s strategy rooted in patient care and steady growth
[SINGAPORE] Livingstone Health is not in a rush to grow. Much like the lithops – a hardy succulent also known as a living stone, from which the company takes its name – the Singapore-based healthcare group is taking a slow and steady approach to expansion. The Catalist-listed company, which went public in 2021, operates 20…
Read MoreFed on hold leaves Wall Street asking what it will take to cut interest rates
[NEW YORK] With US Federal Reserve officials signalling an extended hold on interest rates, investors and economists will look to chair Jerome Powell this week for clues on what might eventually prompt the central bank to make a move, and when. A fourth straight meeting without a cut could provoke another tirade from US President…
Read MoreA ‘village’ where Alzheimer’s patients move about freely: Perennial’s new care model in China
[XI’AN] Near the scenic Qinling mountains of Xi’an is a life-sized replica of a typical Chinese town. It features residential blocks, a post office, grocery store, florist and playground. Bus stops line the road running through the town. Geese honk near a fountain, looking for food. Elderly people go about their morning exercise routines. This…
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