Posts by Stephanie Irvin
Stocks to watch: Sats, The Hour Glass, Japan Foods, Manulife US Reit
[SINGAPORE] The following companies saw new developments that may affect trading of their securities on Monday (May 26). Sats: The in-flight caterer on Friday reported net profit of S$38.7 million for the three months ended Mar 31, 2025, gaining 18.3 per cent from S$32.7 million in the corresponding year-ago period. This indicates earnings per share…
Read MoreShipping bottlenecks in Europe send a warning signal to US, Asia
[LONDON] Port congestion is worsening at key gateways in northern Europe and other hubs, according to a new report which suggests trade wars could spread maritime disruptions to Asia and the US and push up shipping rates. Waiting times for berth space jumped 77 per cent in Bremerhaven, Germany, between late March and mid-May, according…
Read MoreMore margin calls and stopouts in April as Trump tariffs rattle markets
[SINGAPORE] Several brokerages across Singapore observed up to double the number of margin calls and stopouts on such trades in April after US President Donald Trump administration’s “Liberation Day” tariffs roiled markets globally. Margin trading allows investors to borrow funds from brokerages to buy more stocks than they can afford with their own capital, using…
Read MoreWill more S-Reits soon exit the local market?
WHEN the proposed privatisation of Frasers Hospitality Trust (FHT) was unveiled on May 14, I couldn’t help feeling rather disheartened – not with the terms of the transaction but with the stated rationale for the deal. The decision to take FHT private, which came after a strategic review announced on Apr 23, seems to be…
Read MoreEurope’s shipping bottlenecks expected to persist into July
Port congestion is worsening at key gateways in northern Europe and other hubs, according to a new report which suggests trade wars could spread maritime disruptions to Asia and the US and push up shipping rates. Waiting times for berth space jumped 77 per cent in Bremerhaven, Germany, between late March and mid-May, according to…
Read MoreReit privatisation unsurprising amid higher-for-longer interest rates, but investment opportunities remain: SGX equities head
[SINGAPORE] Real estate investment trusts (Reits) being taken private is unsurprising as the sector is facing some challenges, but investment opportunities are still there for those “willing to look beyond the surface”, said Singapore Exchange (SGX) head of equities Ng Yao Loong on Saturday (May 24). Speaking at the opening of the Reits Symposium at…
Read MoreChina publishes draft guidance for online-platform merchant fees
The Chinese regulator has published draft guidelines for fees that online platforms charge third-party merchants, an important source of revenue for companies including JD.com, Meituan and PDD Holdings. Companies that operate online platforms should charge reasonable fees and take into account factors such as the operational status of merchants with which they do businesses, the…
Read MoreMAS to shortlist fund managers for S$5 billion Equity Market Development Programme by Q3
[SINGAPORE] The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will shortlist fund managers for its S$5 billion Equity Market Development Programme by the third quarter of 2025. In response to media queries, an MAS spokesperson said that the programme, which was announced on Feb 21, has received “good response” from global and regional asset managers. These…
Read MoreTether focuses elsewhere while US seeks to regulate stablecoins
[CHICAGO] While Congress is considering bills that would help integrate stablecoins more into mainstream finance, the largest issuer of the digital tokens says it will continue to focus on serving markets besides the US. On Monday (May 19), an industry-backed regulatory bill known as the Genius Act made its way through the Senate. The House…
Read More‘Little, little screws’ one of many hurdles to US-made iPhones
[NEW YORK/WASHINGTON] President Donald Trump’s bid to bring manufacturing of Apple’s iPhone to the United States faces many legal and economic challenges, experts said on Friday (May 23), the least of which are the insertion of “little screws” that would need to be automated. Trump threatened on Friday to impose a 25 per cent tariff…
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