COE Quota: Cat A Falls 2%, Cat B Rises 7% for May to July
Singapore's Land Transport Authority announced the COE quota for the May‑July 2026 period, increasing total supply by 1% to 19,052. Category A quota fell 2% to 7,434, while Category B rose 7% to 5,205, reflecting a shift toward larger, higher‑powered vehicles and EVs. Quotas for motorcycles and the Open category also adjusted, with motorcycles decreasing to 3,145 and Open rising to 1,526. Bidding begins May 4, and the next quota update will cover August‑October 2026.
No Prosecution for Seatrium over Brazilian Corruption Offences, High Court Approves US$110 Million Penalty
Seatrium, a marine offshore engineering firm, secured a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) from Singapore's High Court, avoiding criminal charges for alleged Brazilian corruption. The company will pay a net US$57 million after Singapore credits US$53 million against a US$110 million penalty, reflecting prior...
STI Dips 0.4% as Investors Are Concerned About War and Inflation
Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index slipped 0.4% to 4,922.86 on Friday as heightened geopolitical tension and persistent inflation dampened investor confidence. Yangzijiang Shipbuilding led gains, rising 3.8% to S$4.33 (about $3.20), while UOB fell 2.44% despite declaring a S$0.71 ($0.53)...
Warburg Pincus-Backed PDG Taps Goldman for Stake Sale: Sources
Singapore‑based Princeton Digital Group (PDG), backed by Warburg Pincus and other sovereign investors, has hired Goldman Sachs to conduct a strategic review that could lead to a stake sale. The preliminary process follows heightened interest from global private‑equity firms in...
Hospitality Veterans David Michels, Howard Panter Appointed to Millennium & Copthorne Board
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, the hospitality arm of City Developments Ltd, appointed industry veterans David Michels and Howard Panter to its board on March 27. The move follows a series of recent board resignations linked to a prior governance dispute. Both newcomers...
Singapore Gas Supply Secure; Higher Power Prices May Benefit Units: Sembcorp
Sembcorp Industries assured that Singapore's gas supply stays secure despite the Middle East conflict, thanks to diversified piped natural gas and LNG contracts that exclude the region for 2026. The firm said higher wholesale power prices could let its power...
European Stocks Slip as Middle East Tensions Persist; Earnings Watched
European equities extended losses on April 22, with the Stoxx 600 slipping 0.4% as oil prices rose to $100 per barrel and Middle‑East tensions lingered. Germany’s economy ministry halved its 2026 growth forecast while raising inflation expectations, adding to market unease....
Volvo Cars Says Demand for New EX60 Electric SUV Exceeds Expectation
Volvo Cars announced it will produce up to 40,000 units of its new EX60 electric SUV in 2026, a figure that surpasses the company’s original sales forecast. The demand surge has prompted the automaker to consider adding an extra week...
Wall Street Opens Higher on Ceasefire Extension Relief
Wall Street opened higher on April 22 after President Donald Trump announced an extension of the U.S.–Iran cease‑fire. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 122.1 points (0.25%) to 49,271.5, the S&P 500 rose 38.9 points (0.55%) to 7,102.91, and the Nasdaq...
Kin Global’s Public Offer of 1 Million Shares 29.5 Times Subscribed at S$0.23 a Share
Kin Global’s IPO of 1 million public‑offer shares at S$0.23 each was 29.5‑times oversubscribed, raising roughly US$5 million. A separate placement of 23.9 million shares attracted 2.9‑times demand, adding about US$12 million, while cornerstone investors bought 19.2 million shares for US$4.4 million. Net proceeds of approximately...
CICT Leans on ‘Bold Acquisitions’ and Asset Recycling to Drive Growth
CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT) is pursuing aggressive portfolio upgrades, highlighted by a S$3.9 bn ($2.9 bn) acquisition of Paragon Mall funded through debt, a S$600 m ($444 m) private placement, and the sale of Asia Square Tower 2 for S$2.48 bn ($1.84 bn). The REIT’s recent...
Moody's Profit Rises on Strong Analytics Growth, Lifts Annual Forecast
Moody's reported a first‑quarter profit increase to $661 million, driven by an 8% rise in its analytics segment to $926 million and a record $1.15 billion in ratings revenue, also up 8% year‑over‑year. Earnings per share climbed to $3.73, prompting the company to...
Oiltek to ‘Actively Review’ Capital Structure After Stock-Split Query
Oiltek announced it will "actively review" its capital structure after a shareholder raised the prospect of a stock split, noting the current high share price could dampen market participation. The agritech firm’s shares have surged more than 250% year‑to‑date, reaching...
Hong Leong Asia Acquires Bomb Shelter Supplier Yong Tai Loong for S$90.7 Million
Hong Leong Asia (HLA) has completed the acquisition of Yong Tai Loong, a specialist supplier of bomb‑shelter components, for S$90.7 million (approximately $67 million) in cash. The deal makes Yong Tai Loong a wholly‑owned subsidiary and expands HLA’s building‑materials portfolio, especially in...
Nam Cheong Sells Two Offshore Support Vessels for US$36.7 Million
Nam Cheong announced the sale of two offshore support vessels for US$36.7 million, comprising a new‑build multi‑purpose vessel and a 120‑tonne anchor‑handling tug that will turn 16 this year. The buyers are a vessel operator in Indonesia and a government‑linked operator...
DFI Retail Group Q1 Underlying Profit From Continuing Businesses up 49%
DFI Retail Group reported a 49% year‑on‑year jump in underlying profit from continuing operations in Q1 2026, driven by lower financing costs and disciplined cost control. Operating profit from the same segment rose 12% as the retailer trimmed expenses and...
Suntec Reit Flags Near-Term Pressure on Convention Business as Bookings Slow in Wake of Iran War
Suntec REIT warned that the Iran‑Israel conflict is dampening near‑term convention bookings in Singapore as corporates adopt a wait‑and‑see stance. While no cancellations have occurred, higher air‑fares, accommodation costs and disrupted travel routes are pressuring event organisers. The REIT, newly...
‘Largest Singapore Commercial S-Reit Proxy’: Analysts Say Buy CICT Shares After Paragon Acquisition
CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT) announced a S$3.9 billion (~$2.9 billion) acquisition of the luxury Paragon mall, cementing its status as the largest Singapore commercial S‑REIT proxy. The deal is financed by the recent S$2.48 billion (~$1.8 billion) sale of Asia Square Tower 2 and...
Here Are SGX’s Top 10 Dividend and Best-Performing ETFs in the Volatile First Quarter
Singapore Exchange‑listed ETFs hit a record $14 billion in assets under management in Q1 2026, up from previous quarters. Average turnover surged 117% to roughly $47 million, propelled by strong demand for gold and equity‑focused funds. Gold ETFs posted a 164% quarterly gain,...
CATL Share Sale’s Tightening Discount Shows China Tech Momentum
Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) sold 58 million shares – 1.27% of its float – at a 5.1% discount, more than twice oversubscribed. The deal, valued at 23.8 billion yuan (≈$3.3 billion), narrowed the discount from the 6.9% seen in November, underscoring heightened investor...
Hong Kong Flight Capacity Set to Rise 10% on China, South Korea Demand
Hong Kong’s airline capacity is projected to rise about 10% in Q2, led by strong demand on routes to China and South Korea. Seats on those corridors are expected to increase 17‑30% year‑on‑year, while Southeast Asian leisure markets such as...
ESR Reit’s FY2026 DPU Will Drop if Divestment Proceeds Are Not Redeployed: Manager
ESR REIT warned that its FY2026 distribution per unit (DPU) could fall if the proceeds from recent divestments are not redeployed. The trust sold non‑core assets for S$338.1 million (≈$250 million) and a hotel for S$101.1 million (≈$75 million), which will be used to...
S-Reits Commence Q1 Reporting Season on a Positive Start
Singapore’s Q1 FY2026 reporting season began with Alpha Integrated REIT and Keppel DC REIT delivering stronger occupancy and rental growth, followed by Kore US REIT’s modest income improvement. Alpha lifted portfolio occupancy to 91.4% and cut financing costs to 3.85%,...
CEOs of Uni-Asia and The Assembly Place Build Stakes
Between April 10‑16, institutional investors sold a net S$404 million (~$300 million) of Singapore equities, extending a half‑year outflow to S$282 million in the week. At the same time, insiders showed confidence: Uni‑Asia Group’s CEO bought 40,000 shares at S$0.925 (~$0.68) each, while The...
Apple Defeats Bid for New Apple Watch Import Ban at US Trade Tribunal
U.S. International Trade Commission rejected Masimo’s request to reinstate an import ban on Apple’s Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches. The tribunal affirmed Apple’s redesign, which moves blood‑oxygen readings from the watch to the iPhone, thereby avoiding the earlier patent infringement finding....
Lutnick Shuts Down Talk of Any Chinese Investment in US Autos
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told a Semafor audience that Chinese automakers, including BYD, will not be allowed to invest in U.S. auto manufacturing, responding with a firm “no.” He reiterated the stance in remarks to Bloomberg, saying “not cars,...
US Again Allows More Russian Oil Sales to Help Control Prices Amid Iran War
The U.S. Treasury issued a temporary license on April 17 allowing the sale of Russian crude already loaded on tankers before that date, extending the waiver until May 16. The move is intended to ease the surge in global fuel prices triggered...
Blue Owl Co-CEOs’ Personal Loans No Longer Backed by Firm Shares
Blue Owl Capital’s co‑CEOs Doug Ostrover and Marc Lipschultz have stripped more than $1.85 billion of company stock from the collateral backing their personal loans after the firm’s shares tumbled over 60% since early 2025. The executives had originally pledged over...
Stoxx 600 Jumps More than 1% After Iran Declares Strait of Hormuz Open
The Stoxx 600 jumped 1.6% on Friday, marking its fourth consecutive weekly gain after Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz was open for commercial traffic. The reopening triggered an 11% plunge in oil prices, lifting European equity markets while Eurozone...
AI-Reit Trustee Disputes Resolution to Access Records Related to Internalisation
Alpha Integrated Real Estate Investment Trust (AI‑Reit) faced a trustee‑led challenge to a resolution that would grant the REIT manager access to internalisation records. HSBC Institutional Trust Services labeled the motion invalid under the trust deed and warned it could...
Clar Preferential Offering Closes with 74.5% Valid Acceptances; Total Applications at 244.2%
CapitaLand Ascendas REIT closed its non‑renounceable preferential offering with 74.5% valid acceptances, representing 96.1 million units out of 129.1 million offered. Total applications reached 244.2% of the offering, driven by excess demand of 219.3 million units. The raise targets roughly S$300 million (~$222 million) to...
Stellantis Invests 100 Million Euros to Keep Site Near Paris Open
Stellantis announced a €100 million (about $108 million) investment to modernize its Poissy assembly plant near Paris. The plant will continue building the Opel Mokka and DS SUVs through 2028 before transitioning to auto‑parts production, recycling and 3‑D printing. Stellantis pledged to...
Honda to Shut Two Plants in China Jointly Owned with GAC, Dongfeng, Magazine Says
Honda Motor will close two internal‑combustion‑engine plants in China—a joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group in June and a Dongfeng‑owned facility next year—reducing its local production capacity to about 720,000 vehicles. The shutdown follows a write‑down of its China business...
Gold Heads for Fourth Weekly Gain on Optimism for US-Iran Truce
Gold is on track for a fourth consecutive weekly gain, hovering near $4,795 an ounce after a 1% rise this week. President Donald Trump expressed optimism that the United States and Iran could seal a permanent cease‑fire, easing the geopolitical...
BOJ Must Take Into Account Japan’s Low Real Rates in Setting Policy, Governor Ueda Says
BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said any rate‑hike decision must factor Japan’s persistently low real interest rates. He warned that inflation is being driven by a negative supply shock, notably higher oil prices, which is harder to curb with monetary policy....
Cocoa Demand Recovery Bumpy as Europe Grinds Drop to 17-Year Low
Cocoa demand recovery is uneven as European grindings fell 7.8% YoY in Q1 2026, the lowest level since 2009. The slump pushed the most‑active New York cocoa contract down more than 70% from its 2024 record high, prompting manufacturers to reformulate...
Stocks to Watch: FLCT, Yangzijiang Maritime, MoneyMax, Keppel Pacific Oak US Reit
Frasers Logistics & Commercial Trust (FLCT) completed a €43 million (≈$47 million) freehold logistics acquisition in Hapert, the Netherlands, boosting its distribution per unit. Yangzijiang Maritime signed contracts for eight VLCC new‑builds and the sale of four medium‑range tankers, funded by equity...
Australia Secures Fertiliser From Indonesia to Meet Crop Needs
Australia will buy 250,000 tonnes of urea from Indonesia’s Pupuk Indonesia Holding, covering about 20% of its winter‑crop fertilizer shortfall caused by the war‑driven disruption of shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. The deal, facilitated by both governments, is aimed at...
Singapore Stocks Rise Amid Mixed Regional Showing; STI up 0.3%
Singapore’s Straits Times Index climbed 0.3% to 5,021.20 on April 15, buoyed by a 3% jump in Sembcorp Industries. Trading activity was robust, with 607 stocks changing hands and a total turnover of S$2.1 billion (about $1.5 billion USD). While the local...
SIA Group Flies Record 42.4 Million Passengers in FY2025/26; March Traffic up 14.7%
Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group posted a record 42.4 million passengers for FY2025/26, a 7.7% rise over the previous year. March alone saw 3.8 million travelers, up 14.9% year‑on‑year, pushing monthly traffic up 14.7%. The group’s passenger load factor climbed to 90.6%, while...
Suntec Reit Eyes Injection of 9 Penang Road From Sponsor Into Portfolio
Suntec REIT’s new sponsor, Tang Organization, is evaluating the re‑injection of the 9 Penang Road office‑retail tower, a property the trust sold in 2021 for about S$89.9 million (≈$66.5 million). The REIT currently trades roughly 30% below its net asset value, though the discount...
Scoot Tops Cirium’s Global Airline Emissions Efficiency Rankings for 2025
Scoot, Singapore Airlines' low‑cost arm, topped Cirium’s 2025 EmeraldSky emissions‑efficiency rankings with a record‑low 51 grams of CO₂ per available seat kilometre (ASK). The airline’s advantage stemmed from an unusually high seat density of 242 seats per aircraft and an average...
DBS Deepens Hong Kong Bet with US$334 Million Purchase of Six Floors at The Center
Singapore‑based DBS Bank deepened its Hong Kong presence by buying six additional floors at The Center for US$334.29 million, the city’s largest commercial‑property transaction this year. The acquisition brings DBS’s total holdings to 14 floors in the landmark tower, giving the...
More Older Millennials and Gen X in Singapore Investing in Cryptocurrency: Report
Independent Reserve’s 2026 survey of 1,500 Singaporeans shows a third now own or have owned cryptocurrency, up from 29% in 2025. The surge is concentrated in the “sandwich class” – middle‑income households aged 35‑54 supporting both ageing parents and growing...
M&A Boom in Japan Is Fuelling Record Corporate Bond Sales
Japan's corporate bond market is set to break records as M&A activity drives unprecedented funding demand. Yen‑denominated issuance surged 94% year‑over‑year in March, and Daiwa estimates total sales will reach ¥16.5 trillion (about $110 billion) this fiscal year, up from ¥15.9 trillion last...
BlackRock’s Asia Private Credit Fund Sees China Borrower Default
BlackRock’s Asia‑Pacific Private Credit Opportunities Fund II recorded its first borrower default when Shanghai‑based Metcold Holdings failed to repay a $27.5 million principal and roughly $12 million in accrued interest. The fund, which raised about $435 million, had extended its investment period by a...
Westpac Flags Middle East Risk, Weaker Markets Income; Mortgage Portfolio Sale Cost Hits Profit
Westpac Banking Corp warned that the Middle East conflict and related energy‑market shocks are pressuring first‑half profits, prompting higher credit provisions. Net interest margin in its treasury and markets unit fell to 7 basis points in Q2, down from 15...
Singapore Must Resist Insular Policies, Deepen Ties with Trusted Partners Amid Geopolitical Fragmentation: DPM Gan
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong warned Singapore against turning inward as global economic policies grow more insular, urging deeper ties with trusted partners. He announced the launch of Enterprise Singapore's fourth U.S. overseas centre in Austin, the first non‑coastal...
Stocks to Watch: Oiltek International, Koh Brothers Eco Engineering, Koh Brothers, Acrophyte Hospitality Trust, Capital World
Singapore‑listed property conglomerate Koh Brothers voted against a shareholder proposal to compel its 54.8%‑owned unit, Koh Brothers Eco Engineering, to distribute its stake in Oiltek International. The move left Oiltek shares up 3.5% to S$2.08 (≈US$1.54) while KBE and Koh...
Surging Petrol Prices Drive Record EV Sales in Europe in March
Record EV registrations in Europe surged to nearly 540,000 units in March, propelling global electric‑vehicle sales up 3% year‑on‑year to over 1.7 million. The spike follows sharply higher petrol prices after the Iran war disrupted a key oil shipping route, prompting...