
M&G Global Maxima Equity UCITS ETF Debuts on London Stock Exchange
M&G Investments introduced the Global Maxima Equity UCITS ETF on the London Stock Exchange on March 31, 2026, extending its active‑ETF lineup. The fund mirrors a €385 million ($424 million) Luxembourg mutual fund that uses quantitative analysis and machine‑learning to select stocks worldwide. Listed also on Deutsche Börse and Borsa Italiana, the ETF carries a 0.55% total expense ratio and is denominated in both GBP and USD. Its objective is to outperform the global equity market over a five‑year horizon while delivering capital growth and income.

Peso Plunges Toward ₱61 per US Dollar Amid Oil Surge
The Philippine peso fell to a new low of ₱60.75 per dollar (≈ $1 = ₱60.75) on March 31, as rising oil prices and risk‑off sentiment lifted the US dollar. Trading volume slipped to $1.59 billion from $2.01 billion, and analysts expect the peso to hover...
Securing Asean’s Food Resilience Amid the Middle East Conflict
The ongoing Middle East conflict threatens ASEAN’s food security by jeopardizing both fertilizer imports and the LNG supplies that power nitrogen‑based fertilizers. ASEAN relies on 82% of its fertilizer imports from outside the region, with Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar especially...

Ukraine’s New-Crop Grain Offered without Usual Discount to Old-Crop Prices
Ukraine’s new‑crop grain prices are trading virtually level with, or even above, old‑crop values – a rare deviation from the usual discount. New‑crop 11.5% wheat is offered at $234 /tonne FOB, just $2 below the $236 /tonne old‑crop level, while new‑crop corn...

Global Water Innovators: A Sustainability Perspective
Deka Investment GmbH has launched the Deka STOXX Future Water ESG UCITS ETF, which tracks the STOXX® Future Water ESG index and offers investors exposure to leading water‑innovation companies worldwide. The fund aims to address the growing supply‑demand gap for...
What a US Fed Rate Hike Could Mean for These Key Stock Sectors
The Federal Reserve’s odds of raising rates in 2026 have jumped to about 20% after the Iran war sparked a 30% surge in gasoline prices and renewed inflation worries. Analysts warn that a rate hike would push investors into a...

Malaysia Raises 2026 Growth Forecast Despite Iran War Risks
Malaysia’s central bank has raised its 2026 growth projection to a 4‑5% range, up from the government’s previous 4‑4.5% target, citing stronger‑than‑expected momentum in late 2025 and resilient domestic demand. The outlook incorporates risks from the Iran‑related oil price surge,...
Bull of the Day: Permian Resources (PR)
Permian Resources (PR) has been added to Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buy list as oil prices climb above $100 per barrel following Middle East disruptions. The company’s shares hit a 52‑week high of $21, up more than 50% year‑to‑date, while...

Japanese Firms Back VC Fund Targeting African Startups
Japanese conglomerates Mitsubishi Corp., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., and Toyota Ventures LLC have pledged $147 million to a new Africa‑focused venture capital fund managed by Novastar Ventures. The fund also attracted capital from SBI Holdings, Mitsui OSK Lines, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency....

What Vanguard’s ‘Surrender’ Means for T&L Boardrooms, BlackRock & State Street
Vanguard filed Schedule 13G/A amendments showing it holds 0% of CH Robinson, Expeditors and Forward Air, effectively surrendering its voting rights in these transportation‑and‑logistics (T&L) companies. The move is not a market sell‑off but a compliance‑driven relinquishment of influence under...
Colombia Highlights Common History in Africa Push
Colombia’s Afro‑descendant vice‑president Francia Márquez is spearheading a diplomatic outreach to Africa, highlighting shared heritage and seeking deeper economic ties. Trade between Colombia and the continent, though modest, has risen sharply – exports to Africa grew 16% annually from 2001‑2021...

Southeast Asia Braces for Fertilizer Shortages as Prices Spike on Iran War
Southeast Asian nations are confronting looming fertilizer shortages as global prices have surged sharply following the outbreak of war in Iran. The region relies on more than three‑quarters of its nitrogen‑based fertilizers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, making it...

If OpenAI Is to Float on the Stock Market This Year, It Needs to Start Turning a Profit
OpenAI, valued at roughly $850 bn, is confronting a massive cash‑burn problem as it eyes a potential IPO before year‑end. The company plans to spend about $600 bn on compute infrastructure through 2030, yet its current annualised revenue sits near $25 bn, leaving...
FLXR: High-Quality Diversified Bond ETF, Outstanding Risk-Return Profile
The TCW Flexible Income ETF (FLXR) targets high‑quality, short‑term bonds amid persistently elevated Federal Reserve rates, delivering a 5.7% dividend yield. Its actively managed, diversified portfolio spans major bond sub‑asset classes while maintaining lower volatility than many peers. The fund’s...

Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions and Trade Restrictions, AI Emerges as Key Driver of Global Trade Growth: McKinsey
Artificial intelligence is reshaping global commerce, with AI‑related hardware shipments surging nearly 40% in 2025 and accounting for roughly a third of worldwide trade growth. The United States emerged as the dominant demand hub, adding about half of all new...
Multi-Strategy Leads in February
Multi‑strategy hedge funds led South African hedge fund performance in February, posting a median 1.52% gain, while the HedgeNews Africa Single Manager Composite rose 1.33%. The broader market rallied, with the FTSE/JSE All‑Share Index up 7.01% and the All Bond...

Fuelling Up: The New ‘Obsession’ Drawing Singaporeans to Malaysia’s Johor
Sharp spikes in Singapore’s fuel prices, driven by the Middle East conflict, have made RON97 petrol nearly twice as expensive as in Malaysia’s Johor Bahru (US$2.64 vs US$1.27 per litre). Singapore drivers, bound by a law requiring tanks to be...

Danantara’s ‘Impact Investing’ Is Really Just State Capitalism
Indonesia’s new sovereign fund, Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara), is marketed as an impact‑investing vehicle but operates as state‑directed capital. The fund is tightly woven into the government’s industrial strategy, aiming to reverse premature deindustrialisation as manufacturing’s GDP share slips to...

Ukraine Among Riskiest Markets as Equity Risk Premium Nears 20%
Ukraine’s equity risk premium has surged to roughly 19.8%, edging close to the 20% mark, making it one of the world’s most hazardous investment arenas. By contrast, mature markets such as Canada, Germany and Singapore sit near a 4‑5% premium,...
Why Chocolate Costs so Much Now, when Cocoa’s Price Is at a Three‑year Low
Chocolate prices remain high this Easter despite cocoa falling to a three‑year low of about $3,165 per ton. The lag is due to manufacturers still drawing on cocoa inventories purchased at peak prices and to rising costs in packaging, oil,...

Is BMO Bank Stock Worth Your Clients’ Money?
Bank of Montreal (BMO) remains a core Canadian banking stock, with a market capitalization of roughly $96 billion USD and a trailing twelve‑month P/E of 15.4, suggesting relative undervaluation. The bank reported fiscal 2025 net income of about $6.4 billion USD and Q1 2026...

Oil-Thirsty Asian Nations Seek Russian Crude as Iran War Strains Supplies
Asian nations are scrambling for Russian crude as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran has cut roughly one‑fifth of global oil supply, especially through the Strait of Hormuz. The United States temporarily eased sanctions on Russian shipments, first for India and...

Piyush Goyal Discusses Early Implementation of India-EU FTA with European Parliament Delegation
Union Minister Piyush Goyal met a European Parliament delegation in New Delhi to discuss accelerating the India‑EU Free Trade Agreement, which was concluded in January 2026 and is expected to be ratified by early 2027. The FTA targets $300 billion in...

FTSE 100 Live: Stocks Inch up; Fuel Shortage Fears Hit Airlines; Unilever Nears Food Deal
Oil prices surged in March, with Brent crude climbing over 51% since February and staying above $110 a barrel, marking the largest monthly gain on record. The spike follows the outbreak of war in Iran and heightened threats to the...

China Wheat Auction Clearance Rate Increases
China’s domestic wheat auctions under the minimum‑price program have accelerated, with a year‑to‑date clearance rate of 79.5% and a perfect 100% clearance on the March 18 auction. Average sale prices rose to ¥2,441 per tonne (about $354), reflecting strong demand from...

London Flat’s SOLD Price Drops £450k in Seven Years
A three‑bedroom Canary Wharf flat sold for £950,000 (≈ $1.2 million) in 2023, down from £1.4 million (≈ $1.8 million) just seven years earlier. The price drop of £450,000 (≈ $580,000) represents a 33% decline and roughly $80,000 loss per year. The property originally fetched £2.1 million...

Ajaokuta’s Uncertain Future: Nigeria’s Steel Ambition Amid UK Deal
Nigeria’s government has signed a roughly $950 million export‑finance pact with the United Kingdom to upgrade Lagos’s main seaports, including a $89 million contract for British Steel to supply 120,000 tonnes of steel billets. While the deal promises faster cargo handling and potential...
US Stock Market | Nasdaq Speeds up Big Tech Entry with New Fast-Track Index Rules
Nasdaq announced a overhaul of its Nasdaq‑100 index rules to accelerate the inclusion of newly listed large‑cap companies. A new “fast‑entry” mechanism can add eligible firms within weeks instead of up to a year. The changes also revise market‑capitalisation calculations,...

Reopening Hormuz Is ‘Easier Said Than Done,’ Starmer Says
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that reopening the Strait of Hormuz for commercial traffic will be challenging, emphasizing the need for de‑escalation before safe navigation can resume. He hosted senior military officials and executives from Lloyd’s, Goldman Sachs, HSBC,...
India’s Real Estate PE Inflows Jump 59% to $6.7 Billion in 2025; Office, Data Centres Lead: Savills India
India’s real‑estate private‑equity inflows surged 59% in 2025, reaching $6.7 billion, driven by strong GDP growth and easing monetary conditions. Office assets led the market with $2.4 billion, while data centres and residential properties also saw sizable allocations. Foreign investors contributed roughly...

InvestingLive Asia-Pacific FX News: Trump Open to Ending War without Hormuz Opening (WSJ)
Geopolitical tensions in the Gulf intensified as Iran struck a Kuwaiti oil tanker in Dubai, igniting a fire, while Saudi Arabia intercepted eight Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh. Explosions erupted in Iran’s Isfahan amid U.S. and Israeli strikes, and...
Why Multi-Asset Funds Are Now Moving to the Centre of Mutual Fund Portfolios
Multi‑asset funds in India are shedding their niche status, drawing roughly $1 billion in net inflows in February 2026 and pushing total assets under management to about $22 billion. The category led hybrid‑fund inflows for the fourth straight month, with assets growing 4.9%...
Stellantis’ $26 Billion EV Reset – a Potential Net Positive for NdFeB Magnet Demand via EREV Pivot
Stellantis announced a €22.2 billion ($26 billion) charge to reset its EV strategy after over‑estimating adoption rates. The automaker is pivoting to a multi‑energy mix that emphasizes internal‑combustion engines, conventional hybrids and range‑extended electric vehicles (EREVs). Because EREVs rely on permanent‑magnet synchronous...

Vetted FX Brokers vs Elite Trader: Which Is Better for Comparing Forex Brokers?
Choosing a forex broker now requires more than marketing promises, as traders face hundreds of platforms with varying spreads, execution speeds, and regulatory status. Review sites like Vetted FX Brokers and community forums such as Elite Trader have emerged to fill the information...
BX 2026-ALOHA Issues Single-Borrower $1.2 Billion, CMBS Deal
BX 2026‑ALOHA has launched a $1.2 billion single‑borrower CMBS transaction. The deal, backed by a non‑recourse first‑lien mortgage, covers 36 Hawaii properties—20 retail, 15 industrial and two office assets—leasing 92.7% to over 670 tenants. KBRA assigned AAA, AA‑, and A‑ ratings...

Foreign Direct Investments Into Ho Chi Minh City Grow by over 200% in Q1 2026
Foreign direct investment into Ho Chi Minh City surged to nearly $2.9 bn in Q1 2026, a rise of more than 200% compared with the same quarter last year. When measured against the city alone, the increase approaches 480%. Exports for the...
American Hotel Income Properties REIT LP Reports Q4 2025 Results, Improved Balance Sheet and Demonstrated Hotel Value
American Hotel Income Properties REIT LP (AHIP) posted its Q4 2025 results, highlighting a modest ADR increase to $137 and flat RevPAR at $94, while same‑property NOI fell 22.3% to $7.2 million. The REIT continued its balance‑sheet overhaul, redeeming $25 million of its...

UK Mortgage Approvals See Biggest Rise Since November, BoE Reports
The Bank of England reports the biggest month‑on‑month rise in UK mortgage approvals since November, indicating renewed buyer interest. Approvals are up roughly 15 % year‑over‑year as lower rates improve affordability compared with a year ago. Yet borrowing costs have jumped...

Is National Bank of Canada Stock a Worthy Investment for Your Clients?
National Bank of Canada (TSX:NA) now commands a market capitalization of roughly US$51 billion, a modest 0.13% rise from the previous year after a 54% surge in 2025. The stock trades at a price‑to‑book ratio of 2.04 and a price‑to‑earnings multiple...
PBOC Sets USD/ CNY Central Rate at 6.9194 (Vs. Estimate at 6.9209)
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) set the USD/CNY central reference rate at 6.9194 for the trading session, marginally stronger than the 6.9209 consensus estimate. The yuan is permitted to fluctuate within a +/-2% band around this benchmark. In parallel,...

Dollar Wraps Up Best Month Since 2022 Amid War in Middle East
The U.S. dollar is on track for its strongest month since September 2022, with the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index up roughly 3% in March. The surge is driven by the outbreak of war in the Middle East, which has disrupted energy...

3 Cities Where the Best Time To Sell Is Right Now
Realtor.com economists identified the week of March 29‑April 4 as the optimal selling window for homes in Cincinnati, Seattle, and Grand Rapids. In Cincinnati, sellers can expect a 14.7% price premium, while Seattle sees a 10.2% boost and Grand Rapids an 8.4%...

Hong Kong's Lai Sun Seeks Maturity Extension for July Dollar Bond
Lai Sun Development has asked bondholders to extend the maturity of its $493 million July 2024 bond by three years, offering to repay 20% of the principal upfront. The proposal, discussed in private meetings, would make Lai Sun one of the...
Sun Life Gains Full Ownership of BGO, Crescent Capital; Acquiring Bell Partners
Sun Life announced a series of multi‑billion‑dollar commercial‑real‑estate transactions, acquiring 100% of BGO for $1.16 billion USD and Crescent Capital for $608 million USD. It also agreed to buy Bell Partners, a U.S. multifamily manager with 70,000 apartments, for $350 million USD. The...

High-Flying Chip Stocks Bear Brunt of Iran War Risk-Off Trade
Investors are shifting to risk‑off positions as the Iran‑Israel conflict drags on, targeting the technology sector that has outperformed recently. Micron Technology fell 9.9% on the day and slipped further in after‑hours trading. Samsung Electronics dropped nearly 5% and SK...

Oil Jumps Above $115 After Drone Strike on Kuwaiti Tanker
Crude oil prices jumped above $115 per barrel after a drone attack struck a Kuwaiti‑flagged tanker transiting the Red Sea. The incident heightened concerns over potential supply disruptions in a key shipping corridor, prompting traders to bid up Brent and...
ENDRA Life Sciences Inc (NDRA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Schneider National reported fourth‑quarter 2025 revenue of $1.3 billion, up 4% year‑over‑year, but adjusted earnings per share fell to $0.13, a 35% decline. The quarter was marred by a truncated peak season, severe Midwest weather, and auto‑production shutdowns that compressed margins,...
DSS Inc (DSS) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
DSS Inc reported a sharp rebound in bookings, up 42% sequentially and 35% year‑over‑year to $540 million, while revenue slipped to $923 million as shipments declined. The quarter posted a $16 million adjusted operating loss, largely due to $40 million in tariff expenses. Management...
Brag House Holdings Inc (TBH) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Bread Financial reported a solid fourth‑quarter and full‑year 2025, with credit sales rising 3% to $27.8 billion and net income of $53 million excluding a $42 million debt‑repurchase charge. The company improved credit quality, cutting the net loss rate to 7.4% in Q4...
Centessa Pharmaceuticals PLC (CNTA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Centene reported full‑year 2025 adjusted diluted EPS of $2.08, while Q4 showed a $(1.19) loss driven by a $389 million divestiture charge. Management guided 2026 adjusted EPS above $3, implying more than 40% year‑over‑year growth, anchored by Medicaid margin stabilization and...