How Did Singapore Biggest Lender DBS’s Stock Perform Before CEO Tan Su Shan Sold 100,000 Shares?
Singapore's DBS Group saw its shares trade at SGD 61.70 (US$48.26) on Thursday, just shy of the all‑time high of SGD 62. The bank’s CEO Tan Su Shan sold 100,000 shares on May 15 at SGD 60.12, netting roughly US$4.7 million. DBS’s stock is up 9.4% year‑to‑date and almost 40% versus a year ago after a Q1 earnings release that beat earnings‑per‑share expectations. Analysts have upgraded forecasts, citing resilient net interest income and stronger wealth‑management fees.
Failed Coffee Farmstay Costs My Friend $130,000
Vietnamese couple invested VND3.5 bn (~US$132k) to convert a coffee farm into a farmstay, far exceeding their original VND1 bn budget. The venture relied heavily on personal networks, with 30% of guests being friends, and struggled with high operating costs and staffing....
Mekong Delta Durian Farmers Face Losses as Prices Plummet
Durian farmers in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta are grappling with a sharp price collapse, as Ri6 fruit now sells for a multi‑year low of $0.8‑$1.1 per kilogram—a 66% drop since January. Production costs have risen 10‑20% due to higher fertilizer and...
Malaysian Durian Farmers Use Technology to Fight Fake Penang Fruits
Malaysian durian growers in Penang have rolled out a QR‑code verification system that lets shoppers trace each fruit back to its orchard within seconds. The initiative, spearheaded by the Penang Fruit Farmers Association, tags each durian’s stem with a code...
Hong Kong Plans to Revive Gold Futures Amid Rising Demand
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing is set to revive gold futures trading within the next few months, responding to surging demand from mainland China and broader Asian markets. The government will back the relaunch with a new clearing system and...
Durian Prices Tumble in China as Faster Deliveries From Southeast Asia Boost Supply
Durian, once a luxury fruit in China, has seen its wholesale price plunge as faster cold‑chain rail and sea routes from Southeast Asia boost supply. In Kunming, Thailand’s Monthong durians now sell for 28 yuan per kilogram (about $4), a drop...
Founders of Semiconductor Materials Supplier Hubei Dinglong Become Billionaires
China's Hubei Dinglong, the sole domestic supplier of full‑range CMP materials, saw its shares surge 116% over the past year, propelling co‑founders Zhu Shuangquan and Zhu Shunquan into billionaire status with each now worth about $1.3 billion. The Wuhan‑based firm has...
Wealthy Families Pick up Hong Kong Luxury Homes as Secondary Market Recovers
Hong Kong’s secondary luxury housing market is rebounding as affluent families return, drawn by modest price gains and easing borrowing costs. The Nameson family acquired two adjacent units in Tai Po’s Mayfair By The Sea I for HKD 60 million (≈US$7.7 million), while a...
Citi Reaffirms Long-Term Commitment in Talks with Vietnam's New Government
Citi reaffirmed its long‑term commitment to Vietnam during a high‑profile U.S. business delegation visit to Hanoi, the first public‑private dialogue with the country’s new government. The trip involved 52 U.S. companies and 120 delegates, highlighting Vietnam’s appeal as a supply‑chain...
Hong Kong Lenders Offer Gold, Dior Beauty Services to Attract Wealthy Mainland Chinese Investors During ‘Golden Week’
Hong Kong’s major banks are rolling out luxury incentives—gold bars, Dior beauty services, cruise suites and hotel stays—to lure affluent mainland Chinese visitors during the five‑day Golden Week, which is expected to bring about 980,000 travelers, a 7% rise over...
Singapore’s 3 Hawkers Turn Curry Puff Into $393,000 Business with Modern Recipe
Three Singapore hawkers—brothers Lim Yuan Ming and Brandon Lim with partner Oh Chin Jie—launched What The Puff in December 2024, reinventing the classic curry puff with modern flavours. Within a year they expanded to three stalls, producing about 1,500 puffs daily...
From Policeman to Property Tycoon: How Ching Chiat Kwong Became Singapore’s ‘Shoebox King’
Ching Chiat Kwong, a former police officer, built Oxley Holdings into Singapore’s “shoebox king” by pioneering 30‑45 sq m one‑room apartments that sold out in minutes, starting with a $735k SGD (~$540k USD) investment. The developer later expanded into commercial, industrial and...
Ri6 Durian Prices Plunge to Record Low on Surging Thai Supply
Vietnam’s Ri6 durian prices have collapsed to a record low of $0.75‑$1.32 per kilogram as Thailand’s peak harvest floods the regional market. Musang King and Monthong varieties are now selling at roughly half their early‑year prices, while grade‑A fruit fetches...
Hanoi Retailers Abandon Prime Locations Despite Plummeting Rents
Hanoi’s prime retail streets are seeing a wave of vacancies as merchants abandon storefronts despite landlords slashing rents by double‑digit percentages. The average asking rent for townhouses has dropped 13‑37% from 2025 peaks, and more than 30 units on Kim Ma...
Chinese Tycoon Zhao Zhijun Reaps 86% Gain as Hong Kong Luxury Home Pair Sells for $41M
Chinese investor Zhao Zhijun sold two adjoining units at 8‑12 Peak Road for HKD 320 million (about $40.8 million), netting an 86 % gain since his 2010 purchase of HKD 171.8 million ($21.9 million). The sale underscores a broader surge in Hong Kong’s ultra‑prime market, where 72...