BOJ Governor Ueda: Underlying Inflation Gradually Accelerating Towards Target
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said underlying inflation is gradually moving toward the 2% target, but highlighted the mixed impact of the U.S.-Iran conflict. Rising oil prices are adding cost‑push pressure while wage growth remains strong, with the latest Rengo negotiations showing a 5.26% average pay rise for the third consecutive year. The BOJ faces a policy dilemma as it weighs these inflation drivers against the risk of slowing corporate activity. A rate‑hike decision is due on 28 April, with market odds around 34%.
Q2 2026 Outlook: The Reset Is Your Entry Point>
The Q2 2026 outlook highlights a reset across multiple asset classes, creating entry points for investors. Corporate adoption of AI is accelerating, driving robust semiconductor demand that the market may be undervaluing. Private credit BDCs are trading at discounts that...
Plant Based Meat Giant Beyond Meat Continues to Spiral Downwards
Beyond Meat posted a dismal fourth‑quarter, with revenue falling 19.7% year‑over‑year to $61.1 million and gross margin shrinking to 2.3%. Gross profit plunged to $1.4 million, while a $548 million non‑cash debt‑restructuring gain inflated net income to $410 million, masking an adjusted pre‑tax...
Ola Electric Mobility Share Price Falls Around 8% Following Weakness in Dalal Street; Stock up 61% in April
Ola Electric Mobility’s shares slipped about 8% on April 13, falling to ₹37.75 (≈ $0.45) amid profit‑taking and a broader sell‑off in Indian equities. The drop follows a dramatic 61% rally earlier in the month, but the stock remains under pressure, down...
Feeder Cattle Market: Heavy Cattle Weighing Down Northern Prices
Feeder cattle prices slipped this week as a weakening cyclone moved into northern Queensland and southern regions faced their first cold snap. Flat‑back steers on the Darling Downs fell to 450‑470 c/kg, a 10 c drop, while Angus steers stayed steady around...
US-Iran War: Why Is Singapore Stock Market Among the Least Affected by Middle East Crisis?
Amid the escalating US‑Iran war, Singapore’s Straits Times Index has stayed near record highs, remaining flat since the conflict began on Feb 28, while the Indian Nifty 50 fell more than 6% and the S&P 500 slipped 1%. The city‑state’s economy expanded 4.8%...
Trump’s Strait of Hormuz Blockade Risks New Costs for the Global Economy
President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that the U.S. Navy will begin a blockade of all vessels entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries roughly one‑fifth of global oil and gas. Iran has effectively shut...
How to Invest in Asian Markets – No Longer Just ‘Emerging’
Asian equities are no longer just “emerging” markets; China, South Korea and Taiwan now dominate the MSCI Asia ex‑Japan index, accounting for over 75% of its weight and more than 60% of the broader MSCI Emerging Markets basket. The region’s...
Knight Frank Targets Growth with Self-Employed Affiliate Estate Agency Model
Knight Frank has unveiled an affiliate estate‑agency model that lets self‑employed brokers operate under its brand while remaining independent. The network will extend the firm’s residential sales reach into 36 target markets without opening new physical branches, starting with several...
TCS, Infosys, Wipro to HCL Technologies: IT Stocks Crash Following Sell-Off in Indian Stock Market
Indian IT stocks tumbled on Monday as the Nifty IT index slipped more than 2%, extending a market-wide sell‑off driven by rising geopolitical tensions and crude oil breaching $104 per barrel. Tier‑1 firms TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL and Persistent each...
Victoria’s Old Retail, Racing and Radio Sites Now Set to Become New Housing
Victoria's government launched the Unlocking Strategic Sites pathway to fast‑track rezoning of underutilised land for residential use. The first seven identified parcels—including a former Bunnings store in Preston, a Bendigo radio station, and surplus university land—could yield up to 9,155...
Tata Chemicals, Tata Investment Corp Shares Rally up to 12% Amid Tata Sons IPO Buzz
Shares of Tata Chemicals and Tata Investment Corp surged up to 12% and 8.5% respectively, reaching ₹774 (~$9.30) and ₹722 (~$8.70) as speculation around a Tata Sons IPO intensified. The rally follows public endorsements from trustees Vijay Singh and Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry, who argue...
Mortgage Deals Pulled at Fastest Rate on Record as Product Choice Shrinks
Mortgage deals in the UK are vanishing at an unprecedented pace, with the average shelf‑life shrinking to just eight days in March – the shortest since Moneyfacts began tracking in 2011. The total number of mortgage products fell by 1,283...
ACME Solar Share Price Jumps 7% After HSBC Assigns ‘Buy’ Call, Sees up to 30% Upside Potential
ACME Solar Holdings shares jumped nearly 7% after HSBC launched coverage with a Buy rating and a target price of ₹350 (≈ $4.2), implying about 30% upside. HSBC highlighted that the company currently runs roughly 3 GW of solar capacity and has...
The Political Economy of Rwanda’s Rise
The new Cambridge University Press book "The Political Economy of Rwanda’s Rise" argues that Rwanda’s rapid growth over the past two decades stems from a services‑first strategy rather than traditional manufacturing‑led industrialisation. Fieldwork since 2011 and 580 interviews reveal the...
Hedge Fund Money Is Reshaping a 180-Year-Old Insurance Model
Alternative investment managers poured record capital into reinsurance, pushing catastrophe‑bond allocations to $136 billion in 2025, an 18% increase. The surge also expanded sidecar vehicles to $18 billion, tripling their size since 2023, while traditional reinsurers’ share of catastrophe losses fell to...
Wildfire Explosion Leads to Higher Financing Costs for Vulnerable Cities
A University of Iowa study finds that municipalities with high wildfire risk pay about 0.36% more on municipal bonds, translating to roughly $4 billion in extra taxpayer costs between 2000 and 2022. The premium, roughly two‑thirds of the sea‑level‑rise bond premium,...
Why Pressure Is Mounting at Oil Giant BP Ahead of Its Annual General Meeting
BP faces mounting shareholder pressure ahead of its April 23 AGM as the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, Glass Lewis, ISS and Legal & General recommend voting against the chair and several board‑backed resolutions. The board seeks to retire two climate‑reporting proposals, arguing they...
China Remains Resilient in the Face of Middle East Conflict, Says ADB Economist
China’s vast oil reserves and booming clean‑energy exports are cushioning its economy from the fallout of the Middle East conflict, according to Asian Development Bank senior economist Yothin Jinjarak. The country holds 1.2‑1.5 billion barrels of strategic oil stockpiles, enough for...
Letting Agencies Rethink Strategies as Landlord Exodus Accelerates
Letting agents anticipate a 71% plunge in buy‑to‑let investors this year, according to Iamproperty’s survey of more than 320 agencies. The sharp decline forces a strategic shift from landlord‑driven expansion toward owner‑occupier sales and needs‑based services, prompting agencies to allocate...
Trent vs DMart: Which Retailer’s Shares Should You Buy Now?
Trent (owner of Zudio) and Avenue Supermarts (DMart) have outperformed the market, with Trent up nearly 6% and DMart over 11% in the past month. Trent’s shares have rallied 11% this week but are down 9% year‑to‑date, while DMart is...
Safety Controls & Devices Share Price Lists at ₹83, up 3.75% From SME IPO Price in an Otherwise Weak...
Safety Controls & Devices listed on the BSE SME at ₹83 per share on April 13, a 3.75% premium over its IPO price of ₹80, despite a broadly weak market driven by geopolitical tensions. The IPO was subscribed 1.23 times overall,...
Xref Reports Strong Q3 FY26 as ARR Surges 54% and EBITDA Turns Positive
Xref reported a dramatic turnaround in FY26 Q3, with annual recurring revenue climbing to $10.6 m, a 54% year‑on‑year increase. The new hire‑to‑retire platform now accounts for 97% of sales, up from 66% in the prior period. Cost discipline drove operational...
Why Trump’s Latest Threat Could Turn a Crisis Into an Emergency
President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Navy could block vessels from Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, reviving a high‑risk escalation in a six‑week conflict. The threat sent Brent crude futures up roughly 8%, to $102.80 a barrel,...
Pakistan SOP Producers Cut Rates on Sulphur Shortage
Pakistan's Mannheim SOP producers have slashed run rates to 50‑75% from the usual 80‑90% as Iranian sulphur supplies tighten amid the US‑Iran conflict. Imported sulphur prices have surged to $750‑$780 per ton, pushing domestic sulphuric acid costs to $1,077 per...
Decision to Launch of Antimony Trioxide 99.5% Sb2O3 Min, Exw China Price Assessment: Pricing Notice
Fastmarkets announced the launch of a new price assessment for antimony trioxide (99.5% Sb2O3 min) on an ex‑works China basis, effective April 17, 2026. The assessment follows a one‑month consultation and adds a domestic Chinese price indicator to its industrial...
Despite Subsidies, Diesel Price Is Affecting Malaysian Hauliers – Credit Limits Are Being Exhausted Earlier
Malaysian hauliers are feeling the strain of a sharp diesel price surge, which climbed from RM3.12 (≈$0.69) per litre in early March to RM6.72 (≈$1.48) per litre this week. Although the government’s fuel subsidy cushions end‑consumer prices, credit limits with...
Goldman Sachs Is Set to Report First-Quarter Earnings — Here's What Wall Street Expects
Goldman Sachs will announce its Q1 2026 results before the market opens Monday, with analysts forecasting earnings per share of $16.49 and revenue of $16.97 billion. The bank’s dual‑track model—trading and investment banking—is expected to sustain growth amid AI‑driven market rebalancing....
Why Imports Won’t Fix Canada’s Beef Price Problem
The Canadian Cattle Association has petitioned Ottawa to limit beef imports as Mercosur trade talks advance, warning that cheaper South American beef could flood the market. Canadian beef prices have risen about 13‑14% year‑over‑year and sit roughly 40% above their...
We Are Stuck in a Currency Doom Loop
The Financial Times opinion piece titled "We are stuck in a currency doom loop" argues that many economies are caught in a self‑reinforcing cycle of currency weakness, rising inflation and higher borrowing costs. It points to policy missteps, fragile fiscal...
EML Payments Slashes FY26 EBITDA Guidance by 20% on Implementation Delays and Weak Trading
EML Payments trimmed its FY26 underlying EBITDA outlook by roughly 20%, now forecasting $31‑33 million USD (previously $38‑40 million USD). The downgrade stems from delayed program go‑lives and weaker‑than‑expected trading in its northern‑hemisphere operations. Despite the revenue shortfall, the company says operating...
EVT: Market Pullback And Discount Present Another Buying Opportunity
The Eaton Vance Tax‑Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (EVT) is trading at a 9.17% discount to net asset value while delivering an 8.31% distribution yield. Its leveraged closed‑end structure adds volatility, but the discount is the widest in several years, creating...
LME Contract Activity Grows in Q1
The London Metal Exchange reported a more than 25% year‑over‑year rise in average daily volume (ADV) for its non‑ferrous contracts in Q1 2026, marking its highest‑ever quarter and a 13% increase versus the previous quarter. Aluminum, copper, nickel and lead all...
Diesel Export Tax Hike May Align Prices of State OMCs, Private Comapnies
India raised its diesel export duty to $95 per barrel, up from $37, prompting a sharp narrowing of the pricing gap between state‑run oil marketing companies (OMCs) and private refiners. OMCs, which dominate about 90% of the domestic fuel retail...
GUSH: Immediate Uncertainty And Conflict Risks Dominate
The Direxion Daily S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production 2X ETF (GUSH) provides leveraged exposure to the E&P sector, but its daily reset makes it suitable only for short‑term trades. Recent collapse of cease‑fire talks and a U.S.-backed blockade...
New UK Steel Tariffs Threaten British Manufacturing, Industry Warns
Britain announced a sweeping steel protection plan that slashes import quotas by 60% and imposes tariffs of up to 50% on steel not made domestically. The measure aims to boost UK steel production to cover half of national demand and...
Asia Stocks Dip After US-Iran Talks Fall Through, Hormuz Disruptions Persist
Asian equity markets slipped more than 1% on Monday after U.S. and Iran failed to reach a breakthrough in weekend talks, prompting Washington to consider a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The geopolitical flare‑up sent Brent crude up 8%,...
Japan’s Benchmark Bond Yield Jumps to 29-Year High as US-Iran Talks Collapse
Japan’s benchmark 10‑year government bond yield jumped 5.5 basis points to 2.49%, the highest level since June 1997, as the collapse of U.S.–Iran peace talks sent oil prices soaring. The five‑year yield also hit a record 1.90%, reflecting heightened inflation...
India Increases Use of Foreign Players to Move up Electronics Value Chain
India is accelerating the entry of foreign electronics manufacturers through partnerships and government‑backed incentive schemes. The strategy aims to lift the sector from low‑margin assembly toward higher‑value activities such as design, testing and component production. Companies like Japan’s TDK and...
TOPT: Ultra-Concentrated Basket Of Mega Caps That Is Unnecessarily Risky, A Hold
The iShares Top 20 US Stocks ETF (TOPT) concentrates on the 20 biggest S&P 500 constituents, holding about $530 million in assets. Its 0.20% expense ratio and quarterly dividend give it a modest yield of 0.40%. While TOPT has outperformed the broad‑market IVV since...
Taiwan Government Should Lead Engagement with China on New Measures, Senior Official Says
Taiwan’s National Security Bureau chief Tsai Ming‑yen urged the island’s government to take the lead in engaging China after Beijing announced ten new incentive measures, such as relaxed tourism curbs, permissive TV content, and easier food‑product sales. He warned that...
Partners Group Exits Green Tea Group Following Hong Kong IPO
Swiss private equity firm Partners Group is exiting its nearly nine‑year investment in Hong Kong casual‑dining chain Green Tea Group by selling its entire 15.96% stake, more than 106 million shares. The disposal includes a block trade of over 60 million shares...
Flipping Consigned to History as Profits Diminish
Flipping homes in England and Wales fell to 1.5 % of transactions in 2025, the lowest share in a decade, as higher stamp‑duty charges erode margins. Average post‑SDLT profit dropped from £36,500 (≈ $45,600) in 2015 to £16,390 (≈ $20,500) in 2025, a...
Neila Creek Site Visit Takeaways and What’s Ahead for Golden Globe's Gold Projects
Golden Globe Resources (ASX:GGR) is advancing its Neila Creek project in New South Wales, having completed two diamond drill holes and started a third. Samples from the first two holes are now in the assay lab, with results expected soon....
Asian LNG Prices Set to Rise as US Threatens to Block Hormuz
Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices are poised to climb after the United States announced a naval blockade of all vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports. The move follows stalled peace talks between Washington and Tehran and targets only...
Two Dozen Stocks Including, L&T, NTPC, HUDCO, NBCC, Zaggle, AstraZeneca, Apollo Hospitals, Shalby, TGV Sraac Will Be in Focus on...
A wave of high‑value contracts and strategic deals swept India’s infrastructure, pharma, and real‑estate sectors on Monday. Enviro Infra secured roughly $117 million in sewage‑treatment projects, while L&T Realty and AstraZeneca announced acquisitions worth $135 million and $408 million respectively. NTPC’s Tehri pumped‑storage...
Trump’s Hormuz Blockade Risks Piling Pain on Asia Allies, China
President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, restricting vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports starting 10 am NY time on April 13. The move sent Brent crude up 8.6% to over $103 a barrel and spiked European gas...
Hong Kong Increasingly Seen as a Safe Haven in Troubled World
Amid escalating geopolitical tensions and fragmented supply chains, stability has become a premium asset for investors. The article argues that Hong Kong, long viewed through a risk‑laden lens, is now being reassessed as a safe haven because of its institutional continuity...
Southeast Asia’s Rising Investment Appeal: Malaysia Leads the Way Among Developing Economies in 2026
Southeast Asia is emerging as a hot spot for global capital, with six growth markets drawing 8.2% of all emerging‑market inflows between 2021 and 2024. Malaysia leads the region, ranking 23rd worldwide in the Milken Institute’s 2026 Global Opportunity Index,...
How Govt Policy Initiatives to Impact Shares of EV Makers, Oil Exporters
India’s Finance Ministry raised the windfall tax on export‑bound diesel by 158% to ₹55.5 per litre (about $0.67) and on aviation turbine fuel by 42% to ₹42 per litre (about $0.51), effective immediately. The hike follows a March 26 re‑imposition...