Posts by Liam Redmond
Blackstone’s AirTrunk plans its first data centre-backed bond
The company operates data centres in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore Published Wed, Apr 22, 2026 · 01:08 PM [SYDNEY/SINGAPORE] Blackstone-owned data centre operator AirTrunk is looking to raise at least A$500 million (S$456 million) through asset-backed bonds, according to sources familiar with the matter, in what may be one of Asia’s first…
Read MoreHSBC is said to shortlist Allianz, Sumitomo for Singapore insurer
Published Wed, Apr 22, 2026 · 12:40 PM [HONG KONG] HSBC Holdings has narrowed a bidding list for its Singapore insurance unit to Allianz, Daiichi Life Group and Sumitomo Life Insurance, according to sources familiar with the matter. The shortlisted firms are working with advisers to prepare binding bids for HSBC Life Singapore in the…
Read MoreAustralia, New Zealand dollars bounce as US extends ceasefire with Iran
Published Wed, Apr 22, 2026 · 11:55 AM [SYDNEY] The Australian and New Zealand dollars bounced on Wednesday as the US extended a ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to allow for further peace talks, with the kiwi getting some added support from firming expectations of a rate hike in May. The Aussie inched up 0.1 per…
Read MoreWhat’s behind the Singdollar’s strength amid the Iran war – and how long will it last?
Currency’s resilience can last as long as MAS policy is tightened and geopolitics stay ‘uncertain enough to keep demand for lower-beta Asian currencies intact’: analysts [SINGAPORE] While the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has broadly battered Asean currencies against the US dollar, the Singapore dollar has emerged as a beacon of regional stability, acting…
Read MorePrudential extends Japan life sales pause, pulls growth target
Published Wed, Apr 22, 2026 · 09:46 AM [NEW YORK] Prudential Financial is extending a voluntary suspension of new life insurance sales in Japan that the company undertook in February in a bid to restore trust following a regulatory probe into employee misconduct. The sales pause, which was initially expected to end on May 10,…
Read MoreDeutsche Telekom weighs full combination with T-Mobile
Any transaction may face significant obstacles, including the need for political support in Berlin and Washington Published Wed, Apr 22, 2026 · 08:49 AM [NEW YORK/FRANKFURT] Deutsche Telekom is considering a full combination with its American arm T-Mobile US, a move that would create a multinational telecom group and rank as the largest-ever public M&A…
Read MoreMUFG Bank seeks more acquisitions after 396 billion rupee India deal
Japanese banks have been reaping record profits as rising domestic interest rates bolster lending income Published Wed, Apr 22, 2026 · 07:47 AM [TOKYO] MUFG Bank is looking for opportunities to make further acquisitions or investments in Asia and elsewhere, according to the new head of the lending unit at Japan’s largest banking group. Non-bank…
Read MoreAdobe announces US$25 billion buyback following share slide
Published Wed, Apr 22, 2026 · 06:51 AM [SAN FRANCISCO] Adobe will buy back as much as US$25 billion of its stock following a steady decline for more than two years over investor concerns that artificial intelligence will disrupt the company’s business. The new authorisation, which extends till April 2030, “is a direct expression of…
Read MoreOil prices climb 3% with Iran undecided whether to attend peace talks with US
Published Wed, Apr 22, 2026 · 05:45 AM [NEW YORK] Oil prices climbed about 3 per cent on Tuesday after Iran said it had yet to decide whether to attend peace talks with the United States, with one day left before the ceasefire runs out in the Iran war. US President Donald Trump said he hoped…
Read MoreKeppel Infrastructure Trust prices S$200 million in notes due 2033 at 2.8%
Net proceeds will be used to fund acquisitions, general working capital purposes, among other things [SINGAPORE] The trustee manager of Keppel Infrastructure Trust (KIT) is proposing to price S$200 million in notes due Apr 28, 2033, at 2.8 per cent per annum. The notes are part of the trust’s S$3 billion multicurrency debt issuance programme,…
Read MoreTrump opposes United–American merger, signals support for Spirit
The idea of the merger has already drawn pushback from some conservatives and Trump-aligned figures Published Tue, Apr 21, 2026 · 11:26 PM [WASHINGTON] US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (Apr 21) he opposes a potential merger between United Airlines and American Airlines, signalling resistance to a deal that would reshape the US airline…
Read MoreUS: Wall Street opens higher as AI optimism, earnings counter Middle East concerns
Published Tue, Apr 21, 2026 · 09:55 PM [NEW YORK] Wall Street’s main indexes opened higher on Tuesday (Apr 21) as renewed artificial intelligence optimism and strong corporate earnings bolstered markets battered by constant back-and-forth over the resolution of the Middle East conflict. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 245.8 points, or 0.5 per cent,…
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