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%, while Keppel DC posted a 13.2% rise in distribution per unit and a 51% rental reversion. Kore US REIT reported a 4.3% increase in income available for distribution despite a slight dip in occupancy. Analysts note that, despite an 8% drop in the iEdge S‑REIT Index, the sector’s balance sheets remain robust and debt is largely hedged.
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...
KKR Unit to Boost Buying in 450 Trillion Yen Japan Property Market
KKR’s Japan real‑estate arm, KJRM Holdings, announced a major push to buy corporate‑owned properties as Japanese firms accelerate divestitures. The firm estimates the addressable market at roughly ¥450 trillion (about $3 trillion) and says its own holdings grew 20% to ¥2.5 trillion ($16.7 bn)...
Gold Tumbles as US Blockade of Hormuz Raises Inflationary Risks
Gold prices plunged 2.2% on Monday, slipping below $4,650 an ounce after the United States announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The move triggered a sharp rise in oil and natural‑gas prices, pushing the Bloomberg Dollar Spot...
Cathay Pacific to Cut Flights From Mid-May to End-June as Jet Fuel Prices Surge
Cathay Pacific announced it will cancel roughly 2% of its scheduled passenger flights from May 16 to June 30, 2026, citing a sharp rise in jet‑fuel costs linked to the Middle‑East conflict. Its low‑cost subsidiary HK Express will trim about...
Singapore-Listed IX Biopharma Bets Big on Non-Opioid Pain Relief
Singapore-listed IX Biopharma has advanced its sublingual ketamine wafer, Wafermine, through Phase 2 trials and secured a $40.95 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to fund Phase 3 development and an Emergency Use Authorization. The FDA has accepted the Phase 2 data,...
Nasdaq Expected to Consolidate in Near Term
The Nasdaq 100 rebounded sharply in early Q2 2026, breaking above the down‑trend channel that dominated from January to early April. The rally was fueled by easing U.S.–Iran tensions and improved market sentiment, pushing the index back to February‑level highs. However, the...
Trump Says Petrol Prices May Remain High Through November Midterm Election
President Donald Trump warned that U.S. gasoline prices, which have been above $4 per gallon in April, could stay elevated through the November midterm elections. He announced a U.S. Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to deter ships paying...
Tata Group Chair Tells Workers Air India Faces Challenging Time
Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran warned Air India employees that the airline is in a "challenging time" as it grapples with record losses, the departure of CEO Campbell Wilson, and costly integration after merging with Vistara. Integration expenses and persistent...
Japan Approves Additional 631.5 Billion Yen for Chipmaker Rapidus
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry approved an additional 631.5 billion yen (about $4.2 bn) for chipmaker Rapidus, bringing total government R&D support to 2.354 trillion yen (~$15.7 bn). The funding is aimed at accelerating Rapidus’s development of 2‑nanometre logic semiconductors, with mass...
Tesla’s Supervised Self-Driving Software Gets Dutch Okay, First in Europe
Dutch regulator RDW approved Tesla's Full Self‑Driving Supervised system for highways and city streets, marking the first European authorization of the technology. The approval follows 18 months of testing and positions the Netherlands as a gateway for EU‑wide certification. Tesla...
Big US Banks Set to Temper Bond Sales After Strong 2026 Debut
The six largest U.S. banks are set to scale back bond issuance in the second quarter, targeting $35‑$45 billion of high‑grade securities after a record $65.8 billion sold in Q1 2026. The Q1 surge was driven by a $16 billion Goldman Sachs deal...
Italy’s UniCredit Says No Plans to Liquidate Russian Business
Italian lender UniCredit reiterated on April 10 that it will not liquidate its Russian subsidiary or surrender its banking licence, despite recent media speculation. The bank’s CEO Andrea Orcel emphasized that an exit would harm shareholders, so the institution will keep...
Wall Street Strategists Wrestle with War’s Toll on 2026 Outlook
A fragile cease‑fire in the Middle East sparked a brief rally, lifting the S&P 500 3.6% – its strongest jump since November – while emerging‑market equities and Bitcoin surged. Wall Street strategists, however, warn the war has already scarred inflation, energy...
Oil Posts Biggest Weekly Loss Since 2020 Ahead of Iran-US Talks
Oil prices slipped sharply as the market digested the prospect of Iran‑U.S. talks. West Texas Intermediate fell 1.3% to below $97 a barrel, while weekly futures dropped 13.4%, marking the steepest decline since 2020. Prices remain over 30% above pre‑conflict...
Auditors Flag Uncertainty on Katrina Group’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
Singapore‑listed hospitality group Katrina Group disclosed that its independent auditors, EY, raised a going‑concern uncertainty after its December 2025 financials showed net liabilities exceeding assets by about S$6.7 million (≈$5 million). The company posted a net loss of S$2.8 million (≈$2.1 million) and revenue fell 16%...
Popiah King Sam Goi’s Son to Be CEO of PSC Corp
Sam Goi’s son, 53‑year‑old Goi Kok Ming, has been appointed chief executive officer of PSC Corporation, taking the role on May 5. He moves from a non‑executive director position to executive director, overseeing the fast‑moving consumer goods business. The appointment ends a CEO vacancy that...
CVC Seeks Partners to Back 10.9 Billion-Euro Italian Drugmaker Recordati Deal: Sources
CVC Capital Partners is courting co‑investors to fund a €10.9 billion (≈$11.9 bn) takeover of Italy’s Recordati. The firm needs an equity injection of €5.5‑€6 bn (≈$6.0‑$6.5 bn), which would rank the deal among Europe’s largest leveraged buyouts. Potential partners include Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, Abu Dhabi...
How War in the Middle East Paralysed an Asian Food Giant
The war in the Middle East has sharply curtailed oil and fertilizer shipments, driving diesel prices in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta to double and depleting fertilizer stocks to a fraction of normal levels. Rice mills have halted operations and barges sit...
Wall St Opens Muted over Fragile Mideast Truce
Wall Street opened muted on Thursday as the Dow Jones slipped 69.3 points, or 0.14%, to 47,840.63. The S&P 500 was essentially flat, down 0.01% to 6,783.69, while the Nasdaq nudged higher 0.05% to 22,646.35. The moves came amid growing...
Mercedes Q1 Sales Down in Tough ‘Transition Year’ for China Business
Mercedes‑Benz reported a 6% drop in global Q1 sales to 419,400 vehicles, driven by a 27% plunge in China. While Europe saw a 7% rise and the United States a 20% increase, the Chinese slump outweighed these gains. The decline...
CDL Sets up S$2 Billion Multicurrency Perpetual Securities Issuance Programme
City Developments Ltd (CDL) announced a S$2 billion (~$1.48 billion USD) multicurrency perpetual securities issuance programme. The net proceeds will fund general working capital, corporate funding for CDL and its subsidiaries, and refinance existing borrowings. The perpetual securities carry no fixed maturity,...
Robust Trading Across Asset Classes Sends SGX Securities Turnover Value up 78% on Year in March
The Singapore Exchange (SGX) posted a 78% year‑on‑year jump in securities turnover to S$52.8 billion (≈ $39 billion) in March, while its daily average value rose 62% to S$2.4 billion. Derivatives activity hit a record 38.3 million contracts, up 40% YoY, and retail participation reached...
Nvidia Shares Near Level Where Technical Traders See a Breakout
Nvidia’s shares have surged more than 10% over the past six sessions, closing at $182 and approaching the $185 technical breakout threshold that traders watch. The rally ends a flat stretch that began in September 2025 and follows a broader...