Posts by Liam Redmond
Trump will impose 100% tariff on some patented drugs
Published Fri, Apr 3, 2026 · 03:21 PM [WASHINGTON, DC] The Trump administration will impose tariffs of as much as 100 per cent on certain imported medicines, albeit with several major exemptions, a maneuver to pressure drugmakers to manufacture more in the US. The new levy, which US President Donald Trump authorised on Thursday (Apr…
Read MoreJapanese firms reduce share buybacks for first time since 2020
Published Fri, Apr 3, 2026 · 03:04 PM [TOKYO] Japanese firms announced fewer share buyback programmes in the fiscal year ended Tuesday (Mar 31), marking the first decline since 2020. Listed Japanese companies announced 1,365 buybacks in the year ended Mar 31, down slightly from 1,399 a year earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.…
Read MoreStarbucks dangles US$1,200 bonuses for fast, friendly baristas
Published Fri, Apr 3, 2026 · 01:53 PM [CHICAGO] Starbucks wants to entice baristas to be friendlier and faster, and it’s offering new payouts to make it happen. US hourly workers, which include baristas and shift supervisors, can now earn an additional US$1,200 a year if their store meets targets for sales, operations and customer…
Read MoreWall Street money managers hunker down as Iran war rages on
Published Fri, Apr 3, 2026 · 12:34 PM [NEW YORK] Five weeks of war with Iran have wiped trillions off global stocks, pushed oil past US$100 and kept it there and repriced wagers on interest rates and inflation. This week was supposed to bring clarity on when, and how, all that disruption would end. Investors…
Read MoreBitcoin lingers near lower bound of trading range amid conflict
Published Fri, Apr 3, 2026 · 11:03 AM [NEW YORK] Bitcoin traded near the lower bound of its more-than-a-month-long trading range amid continued uncertainty about the fallout from the conflict in the Middle East. Cryptocurrencies were lower across the board. Bitcoin – the largest by market value – dropped as much as 3.6 per cent…
Read MorePrivatisation reset puts ‘simplified’ ESR on growth path from Singapore
It has pulled US$700 million in foreign capital to Singapore over the last two years, and aims to double core AUM to more than US$80 billion by 2030 [SINGAPORE] Real estate fund management giant ESR Group’s decision to privatise, move its headquarters from Hong Kong and “clean up” its portfolios last year marked a strategic…
Read MoreUS$14.8 million in prepayments to vendors reason behind Mirxes’ missed 2025 results deadline; independent probe set up
The committee appoints independent professional advisers to review background, details of transactions [SINGAPORE] Local biotech Mirxes has disclosed that auditors flagged 14 transactions worth a combined US$14.8 million in prepayments to service providers and vendors as the reason behind its failure to meet its mandatory annual results deadline. In a bourse filing on Thursday (Apr…
Read MoreUS$14.8 million in prepayments to vendors behind Mirxes’ missed 2025 results deadline; independent probe set up
The investigation committee will oversee a review of 14 transactions and ‘associated subsequent events’ [SINGAPORE] Local biotech firm Mirxes on Thursday (Apr 2) revealed that it failed to meet its mandatory annual results deadline as its auditors had flagged 14 transactions totalling US$14.8 million in prepayments to service providers and vendors. In a bourse filing…
Read MoreNear-term oil prices hit record premium over later deliveries after Trump vows more attacks on Iran
Published Fri, Apr 3, 2026 · 08:35 AM [HOUSTON] US crude oil futures for immediate delivery next month hit their largest-ever premium over the second-month contract on Thursday, as traders scrambled to secure barrels after US President Donald Trump vowed to continue attacking Iran. The activity, known as backwardation – when immediate deliveries trade at…
Read MoreEurope: Shares trim losses on hopes of reopening of Strait of Hormuz
Published Fri, Apr 3, 2026 · 08:27 AM [BENGALURU] Europe’s main stock index trimmed losses on renewed hopes of a reopening of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, even as US President Donald Trump’s promise to keep striking Iran kept sentiment in check. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index dipped 0.2 per cent to 596.63 points on…
Read MoreUS: Wall Street ends mixed as worries linger before Good Friday break
Published Fri, Apr 3, 2026 · 08:16 AM [NEW YORK] US stocks ended slightly mixed on Thursday (Apr 2) after paring deeper losses, as diplomatic signals from the Middle East helped calm markets rattled earlier by US President Donald Trump’s threats of tougher action against Iran ahead of a long holiday weekend. Investor sentiment steadied…
Read MoreTechnology, industrial sectors lift STI Q1 total returns to 5.6%
[SINGAPORE] The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) delivered a total return of 5.6 per cent in the first quarter of FY2026, supported by gains in the technology and industrial sectors. Among the top performing stocks with a market capitalisation of more than S$10 billion, by total returns, for the quarter, were ST Engineering (28.4 per…
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