Posts by Stephanie Irvin
ASML shows chasm in chip land: AI winners versus everyone else
THERE’S a growing divide in the US$530 billion semiconductor industry between the companies that are riding the artificial intelligence (AI) wave and those that are not. And looking at the early returns from this earnings season, that gulf could soon widen into an abyss. “Without AI, the market would be very sad,” Christophe Fouquet, chief…
Read MoreDownside-protected ETFs probably aren’t worth your time, unless you’re short on time
While such products may be a way for investors to achieve higher returns than they otherwise could, they do come with costs INVESTORS have differing risk tolerances, but a common goal would perhaps be to make the maximum amount of returns for the lowest amount of risk. To do so, they may be enticed…
Read MoreCanadian dollar falls for third week on jumbo rate cut bets
THE Canadian dollar steadied against its US counterpart on Friday (Oct 18)but was on track for its third straight weekly decline, as oil prices fell and investors bet on an unusually large interest rate cut from the Bank of Canada (BOC). The loonie was trading nearly unchanged at 1.38 to the US dollar, or 72.46…
Read MoreOil prices show how numb traders have become to US sanctions
A week ago, the US government imposed yet more sanctions on Iran’s oil trade. Crude prices have sagged more than US$5 a barrel since. The decline was largely driven by indications that Israel is going to avoid attacking Iran’s oil infrastructure – one of the market’s big concerns. But the drop nevertheless highlights how unfazed…
Read MoreTemasek, Saudi Arabia’s PIF rated highest for credit metrics and liquidity by Moody’s
SINGAPORE’S Temasek Holdings and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) have the strongest intrinsic credit quality, among the 11 government-owned investment holding companies (IHCs) it rated, said Moody’s Ratings in an Oct 17 report. The rating agency explained that while credit quality of the rated government-owned IHC is generally closely aligned with that of its…
Read MoreBoeing proposes 35% wage hike in new bid to end lengthy strike
Boeing and the union representing 33,000 striking workers reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with help from the White House, underscoring the high stakes to end a work stoppage that has crippled one of the largest US exporters. The proposal hammered out overnight in Seattle includes a wage increase of 35 per cent…
Read MoreAsian IPOs set for blockbuster week as ‘animal spirits’ return
Asia’s stock markets are gearing up for their busiest week of listings in more than two years, offering a crucial test of demand as companies rush to raise money before the US election. Around 20 companies from the Asia-Pacific are listing shares next week in deals that may raise as much as US$8.3 billion, the…
Read MoreS-Reits announce their schedule for upcoming earnings season
AROUND three-quarters of real estate investment trusts (Reits) and property trusts in Singapore have confirmed the release dates for their financial results or business updates for their respective periods ended Sep 30, 2024. Among them, 22 will report business updates and eight will report financial results. Parkway Life Reit (PLife Reit) kicked off the current…
Read MoreBMW recalls almost 700,000 cars in China on fire safety risk
BMW is recalling nearly 700,000 vehicles in China due to coolant pump defects, a fresh setback for the German carmaker that’s reeling from other vehicle faults. BMW will recall 499,539 cars produced locally, and 188,371 imported vehicles from Mar 1, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation said on Friday (Oct 18). Faulty coolant pump…
Read MoreBlackRock seeks bigger foothold in crypto derivatives market
BLACKROCK is pushing to have its money-market digital coin more widely used as collateral for crypto derivatives trades, as Wall Street firms push deeper into digital asset markets. The world’s biggest asset manager and its brokerage partner, Securitize, are in early talks with some of the largest global crypto exchanges about using BlackRock’s new BUIDL…
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