Posts by Liam Redmond
Gold heads for fourth weekly gain on optimism for US-Iran truce
Published Fri, Apr 17, 2026 · 09:28 AM [SINGAPORE] Gold headed for a fourth weekly gain after US President Donald Trump expressed optimism that the US and Iran could agree a permanent ceasefire to end the war that’s upended markets and heightened inflation fears. Bullion was steady near US$4,795 an ounce in early trading, having…
Read MoreBOJ chief avoids hints of April rate hike, shattering hawkish market bets
Published Fri, Apr 17, 2026 · 09:07 AM — Updated Fri, Apr 17, 2026 · 10:57 AM [WASHINGTON] Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda steered clear of signalling a rate hike was on the cards this month, instead highlighting the country’s low real interest rates and robust corporate profits, heightening the chance it will hold fire at…
Read MoreCocoa demand recovery bumpy as Europe grinds drop to 17-year low
The most-active New York cocoa contract has slumped more than 70% from a record high in 2024 Published Fri, Apr 17, 2026 · 08:43 AM [KUALA LUMPUR/NEW YORK] A recovery in cocoa demand is proving choppy, as European grindings slump to the lowest first-quarter levels since 2009. The data on grindings, the amount of beans…
Read MoreStocks to watch: FLCT, Yangzijiang Maritime, MoneyMax, Keppel Pacific Oak US Reit
[SINGAPORE] The following companies saw new developments that may affect trading of their securities on Friday (Apr 17): Frasers Logistics & Commercial Trust (FLCT) : The manager of FLCT announced on Thursday that it has completed the acquisition of a freehold logistics property in Hapert, the Netherlands, for a gross purchase price of 43 million…
Read MoreAustralia secures fertiliser from Indonesia to meet crop needs
About 60% of the nation’s supplies of urea normally travel through the now largely shut Strait of Hormuz Published Fri, Apr 17, 2026 · 08:26 AM [MELBOURNE] Australia will purchase 250,000 tonnes of agricultural grade urea from Indonesia to help fill gaps in its supply left by disruptions from the war in Iran. In a…
Read MoreNetflix co-founder Hastings exits as streaming pioneer hunts for growth
Published Fri, Apr 17, 2026 · 08:21 AM [LOS ANGELES] Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings is quitting the streaming service he co-founded 29 years ago. The departure of Hastings, 65, comes at an inopportune time. The company is searching for new avenues of growth as sales slow due to competition, and after a potentially transformative merger…
Read MoreKore US Reit Q1 distributable income rises 4.3% on higher adjusted NPI
The improvement is mainly due to higher one-off other operating income and cash rental income [SINGAPORE] The manager of Kore US Reit on Friday (Apr 17) posted a distributable income of US$10 million for its first quarter ended March, up 4.3 per cent from US$9.6 million in the year-ago period. The improvement came as the…
Read MoreEuropean airlines face fuel shortages within weeks
Europe is by far the biggest consumer of jet fuel shipped through the Strait of Hormuz THE war in Iran has forced airlines to raise prices and cut flights. But soon, some of them, particularly in Europe, could struggle to find enough jet fuel to put planes in the sky. Ryanair, the low-cost airline that…
Read MoreAsia relying on US crude to replace Middle East supply
The war in Iran and near closing of the Strait of Hormuz has choked off crude flows to Asia Published Fri, Apr 17, 2026 · 07:33 AM [SINGAPORE] Asian refiners have grown increasingly reliant on US crude as oil-starved fuel makers scour the globe to replace Middle Eastern supply and stave off shortages that could…
Read MoreAmple crude supply buffers US cargoes from price shock as Europe, Asia prices surge
The US imported 295,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan crude in the first quarter, up 14 per cent on the year [HOUSTON/LONDON] US crude cargo prices have retreated from recent price spikes while prices in Europe and Asia continued to hit record highs almost seven weeks into the Iran war, as releases from the US…
Read MoreG7 finance chiefs say it is urgent to limit Middle East war’s cost to global economy
Published Fri, Apr 17, 2026 · 07:01 AM [WASHINGTON] Finance chiefs of the Group of Seven nations on Thursday said it was urgent to limit the cost to the global economy of an enduring Middle East war and “reaffirmed the pressing need to move toward a lasting peace.” The war was among three key topics…
Read MoreiEdge Next 50 Liquidity Weighted Index outperforms STI on tech strength
[SINGAPORE] The iEdge Singapore Next 50 Liquidity Weighted Index outpaced the Straits Times Index (STI) in year-to-date total returns, data from an SGX market update on Thursday (Apr 16) showed. As at the morning trading session on Thursday, the index recorded a 9.7 per cent year-to-date total return, compared with the STI’s 8.9 per cent.…
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