Posts by Stephanie Irvin
Asia dealmakers see more IPOs, convertible bonds in 2025
INVESTMENT bankers are pinning hopes on initial public offerings (IPOs) in Asia to grab a bigger slice of equity capital markets volumes in 2025, after such transactions fell to the smallest proportion in eight years as Chinese deals remained muted. New listings in mainland China have underwhelmed since last August, when the securities regulator tightened…
Read MoreSingapore shares open lower on Thursday; STI down 0.9%
SINGAPORE shares opened in the red on Thursday (Dec 19), tracking broader losses in Asia after the US Federal Reserve signalled fewer interest rate cuts next year. As at 9.01 am, the Straits Times Index (STI) fell 0.9 per cent or 34.69 points to 3,744.93. Across the broader market, losers outnumbered gainers 140 to 24…
Read MoreStocks to watch: Yeo Hiap Seng, Asia-Pacific Strategic Investments
THE following company saw developments that may affect the trading of its securities on Thursday (Dec 19): Yeo Hiap Seng: The beverage manufacturer on Thursday said it would lay off 25 employees as a direct result of Oatly’s evaluation of its supply network. Shares of the group closed flat at S$0.58 on Wednesday, before Oatly…
Read MoreMerck snags Chinese obesity drug in nearly US$2 billion deal
MERCK snagged a potential drug in the burgeoning market for obesity medications in a deal worth as much as US$2 billion. Under the terms of the deal, the company will gain the exclusive global license to develop, manufacture and commercialise Chinese drugmaker Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group’s HS-10535, an experimental oral drug that targets the receptors for…
Read MoreUS Supreme Court agrees to hear TikTok ban case
THE US Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear TikTok’s appeal of a law that would force its Chinese owner to sell the online video-sharing platform or shut it down. The top court scheduled oral arguments in the case for Jan 10, nine days before TikTok faces a ban unless ByteDance divests from the popular…
Read MoreSingapore healthcare players narrow focus, expand overseas in medical tourism race
Foreign patients are moving towards cheaper hubs such as Malaysia and Thailand, forcing the city-state’s healthcare providers to focus on complex procedures SINGAPORE’S position as the go-to medical hub in South-east Asia is under threat, amid a strong Singapore dollar and regional peers catching up in terms of quality care and scope of services. To…
Read MoreStrong Singapore dollar, Malaysian, Thai medical tourism push a bitter pill for Singapore to swallow
Singapore healthcare players focusing on complex cases to attract higher-paying foreign patients SINGAPORE’S position as the go-to medical hub in South-east Asia is under threat, amid a strong Singapore dollar and regional peers catching up in terms of quality care and scope of services. To overcome this challenge, local healthcare players have been zeroing in…
Read MoreUS: Wall Street opens little changed as markets brace for Fed
WALL Street’s main indexes opened flat Wednesday (Dec 18), as investors turned cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve’s final rate decision of the year and awaited signals on whether policymakers will take a more cautious stance in 2025. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 9.8 points, or 0.02 per cent, at the open to 43,459.72.…
Read MoreUS graphite firms seek 920% duty to thwart China on EV material
US PRODUCERS of a crucial material used in electric vehicle batteries have initiated a trade action seeking sharp tariff increases on Chinese graphite, arguing that Beijing’s massive state subsidies are artificially lowering prices and making it impossible for their companies to compete. A trade association representing US graphite producers filed petitions with two federal agencies…
Read MoreChina central bank urges financial institutions to guard against rate risks in bond market
CHINA’S central bank on Wednesday (Dec 18) urged financial institutions to guard against interest rate risks when trading in bonds, signalling discomfort among policymakers over recent frenzied buying that has helped drive yields sharply lower. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) held meetings with some financial institutions who were engaged in aggressive bond trading activity…
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