Posts by Stephanie Irvin
China bonds see renewed selloff after stock market rebound
[BEIJING] Chinese government bonds declined in Friday (Sep 5) afternoon trading as an equity rebound extended and higher yields at a longer-dated auction disappointed some investors. Futures on 30-year sovereign notes dropped almost 1 per cent, the most in nearly three weeks. This was even after an earlier 30-year bond auction suggested a moderate improvement…
Read MoreTencent-backed Airwallex acquires OpenPay; move pits it against Stripe Billing
[SINGAPORE] Fintech company Airwallex has acquired OpenPay, a San Francisco-based billing platform that provides subscription management, payment orchestration and revenue analytics services. The Singapore-based company will bring OpenPay’s billing and analytics capabilities onboard its global platform and offer billing services to its customers by the fourth quarter of 2025. The acquisition will strengthen Airwallex’s position…
Read MoreSingapore swim school Fitness Champs splashes into Nasdaq with US$15 million IPO
[SINGAPORE] As a former competitive swimmer waiting to enter university, Joyce Lee started freelancing as a swim instructor in 1999 to help support her family in the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Now, the founder of Singapore-based swim school Fitness Champs is raising US$15 million in an initial public offering (IPO) on the…
Read MoreOil prices ease on surprise build in US crude stockpiles, Opec+ to consider output hike
[NEW YORK] Oil prices eased about 1 per cent to a two-week low on Thursday on a surprise build in US crude inventories last week and expectations that Opec+ producers will increase output targets at a meeting this weekend. Brent crude futures fell 65 cents, or 1.0 per cent, to settle at US$66.95 a barrel, while…
Read MoreUS: Wall St indexes open mixed after jobs data
Published Thu, Sep 4, 2025 · 09:43 PM [NEW YORK] Wall Street opened mixed on Thursday (Sep 4) after a weaker-than-expected private payrolls report, while Salesforce shares dropped as the cloud company gave a downbeat revenue forecast. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 66.4 points, or 0.15 per cent, at the open to 45,204.87. The…
Read MoreHong Kong probes alleged insider trading by staff at HKEX, SFC
[HONG KONG] Hong Kong is probing allegations of insider dealing that involve at least two individuals at the stock exchange and the city’s financial regulator as well as brokers and social media influencers, according to people familiar with the matter. Authorities are investigating if regulatory staff at Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing and the Securities…
Read MoreUS: Wall St opens lower on tariff uncertainty; focus on data
Published Tue, Sep 2, 2025 · 09:44 PM [NEW YORK] Wall Street’s main indexes opened lower on Tuesday (Sep 2), as investors returning from a long holiday weekend worried about the legality of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and awaited crucial economic reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 257.1 points, or 0.56 per cent,…
Read MoreD2C Brands Must Master Meta and Google to Succeed
When new direct-to-consumer brands ask me about paid advertising strategies, I often see them searching for some secret channel or hidden opportunity that will magically drive their growth. The reality is much simpler—and perhaps less exciting. Despite all the hype around emerging platforms, the two most effective digital advertising channels remain the same as they’ve…
Read MoreWhy Embracing Constant Growth Is My Key to Happiness
I’ve come to realize that stagnation is my worst enemy. The thought of looking up two or three years from now and seeing that I’ve been doing the same thing without growth or new challenges makes me deeply uncomfortable. This isn’t just about career advancement—it’s about living life to its fullest potential. For me, happiness…
Read MoreAlphabet’s Waymo gets first permit to test autonomous vehicles in New York City
New York State law requires that a test vehicle operator be present at all times and be ready to assume control of the vehicle while the self-driving technology is in operation Published Sun, Aug 24, 2025 · 08:30 AM [BENGALURU] Alphabet’s robotaxi unit Waymo has received its first permit to begin testing its autonomous vehicles…
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