Posts by Stephanie Irvin
PBOC’s policy flip-flop sows confusion over timing of rate cuts
AT A rare press briefing back in September, China’s central bank chief Pan Gongsheng unveiled a stimulus blitz that spurred optimism for one of the biggest policy shifts in a decade. But since then, market watchers wanting more support have been left scratching their heads. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has not cut interest…
Read MoreGold steady near record highs amid tariff concerns, inflation data awaited
GOLD prices steadied near an all-time high on Monday (Feb 24), supported by concerns over US President Donald Trump’s tariff plans, while the focus shifted to a key US inflation report due later this week. Spot gold was steady at US$2,934.82 an ounce as at 0020 GMT. US gold futures dipped 0.1 per cent to…
Read MoreIndonesia launches Danantara investment fund, channelling US$20 billion into 20 strategic projects
[JAKARTA] Indonesia officially launched the Danantara investment fund on Monday (Feb 24), a high-stakes, multi-billion-dollar initiative designed to consolidate the country’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs), while serving as a powerful catalyst to attract investment and fuel the nation’s ambitious growth trajectory. As part of its first wave of investments, Danantara will allocate US$20 billion to fund…
Read MoreRaffles Medical posts 4.3% rise in H2 profit to S$31.6 million
PRIVATE healthcare provider Raffles Medical Group posted a 4.3 per cent rise in net profit to S$31.6 million for its second half ended Dec 31, 2024, from S$30.3 million in the previous corresponding period. This translates to an earnings per share (EPS) of S$0.017 against an EPS of S$0.0163 previously. Revenue for H2 climbed 14.8…
Read MoreAustralia’s Perpetual ends talks with KKR on sale of wealth, trust units
AUSTRALIA’S Perpetual on Monday said it has ended talks with KKR for the sale of its wealth management and corporate trust units, while confirming plans to pursue a sale of its wealth management business separately. The deal with KKR, which was initially announced in May last year, was deemed to be not in the best…
Read MoreQatar signs deal with Scale AI to use AI to boost government services
Scale AI will develop more than 50 possible uses of AI for Qatar’s government over the next five years QATAR’S government has signed a five-year deal with artificial intelligence (AI) data company Scale AI to deploy AI-powered tools and training in a push to improve government services in the Gulf Arab state, a senior Scale…
Read MoreMAS review group disappoints, then delivers
Some market watchers may worry demand-side measures such as the S$5 billion EQDP are the wrong place to start, but the review group has made it clear it will not stop there THE acid test for the first set of measures to revitalise the Singapore market could be whether the local bourse operator’s share price…
Read MoreDoes the existing approach to corporate governance help or hinder innovation?
There is no easy answer, but current thinking suggests that governance practices may have to be tweaked to allow companies to be more flexible and risk-taking WHEN the Committee on the Future Economy issued its recommendations in 2017, it identified innovation as key to ensuring that local companies are able to compete in today’s digital…
Read MoreWalmart bonuses largely exceed targets but dip from prior year
WALMART will pay corporate employees more than their bonus target for another year, though workers will receive a slightly lower percentage than a year earlier. Most of the US-based staff will receive 122 per cent of what they are eligible for in the year that ended in January, according to people familiar with the matter,…
Read MoreSales Forecasting: Crystal Ball Not Required
Sales forecasting can feel like a guessing game, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right tools and templates, you can create forecasts that actually make sense for your business. Whether you’re working with spreadsheets or advanced software, the goal is the same: to predict future sales and use that data to make smarter…
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