Posts by Yurie Miyazawa
Ultra-rare metal rides AI boom as star performer among commodities
[SINGAPORE] Thanks to the boom in artificial intelligence (AI), an ultra-rare element that you’ve probably never heard of is one of this year’s best-performing raw materials. Ruthenium, a silvery grey mineral, has eclipsed the headline-grabbing rallies in other commodities such as gold and silver by nearly doubling in price over the past year to US$800…
Read MoreCathay cinema survived a world war, but there may not be a sequel for the icon
[SINGAPORE] Cathay cinema could face its final curtain call after 85 years, as streaming and shifting consumer patterns deal a fatal blow to theatres around the world. mm2 Asia – which bought the cinema chain in 2017 – on Thursday (Jul 17) said that Cathay Cineplexes’ closure is one of several options being explored, in…
Read MoreBHP delays Jansen potash project as costs surge; logs record copper output
[BENGALURU] BHP Group flagged delays and cost overruns of about 30 per cent for its key Jansen Stage 1 potash project on Friday (Jul 18), even as the miner reported record annual copper production above two million metric tonnes (Mt) and warned of a decline next year. The cost blowouts that could be up to…
Read MoreSeven & i risks becoming buyout target again if turnaround fails
[TOKYO] Even after fending off Alimentation Couche-Tard’s unsolicited 6.77 trillion yen (S$58.5 billion) takeover approach, Seven & i Holdings remains a buyout target in the eyes of some investors, who say new suitors may emerge unless the operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores turns around its business. “If the stock price drops significantly, there might be…
Read MoreFed’s Waller wants July interest rate cut amid rising growth, job market risks
[NEW YORK] Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller said on Thursday (Jul 17) that he continues to believe the US central bank should cut interest rates at the end of this month amid mounting risks to the economy and the strong likelihood that tariff-induced inflation will not drive a persistent rise in price pressures. “It makes…
Read MoreChina threatens to block Panama ports deal unless its shipping giant gets stake: report
Chinese officials have told BlackRock, MSC and Hutchison that if Cosco is left out of the deal, Beijing would take steps to block Hutchison’s proposed sale of the ports Published Fri, Jul 18, 2025 · 09:01 AM [BENGALURU] China is threatening to block the sale of more than 40 ports, owned by Hong Kong-based CK…
Read MoreEurope: Shares see first daily gain in five on strong earnings
[BENGALURU] European shares snapped a four-day losing streak on Thursday (Jul 16), boosted by gains in industrials ABB and Legrand after they reported positive earnings news. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed 1 per cent higher. Most major regional bourses also gained, with Germany benchmark DAX gaining 1.5 per cent, while France’s CAC 40 added…
Read MoreUS: Wall St opens marginally higher as markets weigh data
Published Thu, Jul 17, 2025 · 09:53 PM [NEW YORK] Wall Street opened largely steady on Thursday (Jul 17), as investors mulled over fresh economic data, while upbeat results from Taiwan’s TSMC that energised US chipmakers. At 09.31 am ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 40.95 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 44,295.73. The…
Read MoreOCBC to develop quantum applications with NUS, NTU and SMU
[SINGAPORE] OCBC will embark on research collaborations with three local universities to develop applications of quantum technology in derivative pricing, fraud detection and data security. The bank announced this during a media briefing on Thursday (Jul 17), where it signed 12-month long collaboration agreements with the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Management University (SMU)…
Read MoreTaiwan’s TSMC says second quarter profit up 60%
The quarterly results follow Trump’s latest barrage of tariffs and renewed threats to impose levies on pharmaceutical products and chips Published Thu, Jul 17, 2025 · 02:22 PM — Updated Thu, Jul 17, 2025 · 04:02 PM [TAIPEI] Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC reported on Thursday (Jul 17) a forecast-beating 60 per cent rise in net…
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