Posts by Liam Redmond
Gold heads for best week since January, US jobs data in focus
Published Fri, Aug 7, 2026 · 08:41 AM — Updated Fri, Aug 7, 2026 · 03:08 PM [BENGALURU] Gold rose more than 1 per cent on Friday (Aug 7) and was set for its biggest weekly gain since January, helped by weaker oil prices, while investors awaited key US nonfarm payrolls (NFP) data for clues…
Read MoreOver 600 companies likely to be culled in Topix’s biggest overhaul: analysts
There has been long-standing investor criticism that the Japanese benchmark includes too many small and illiquid stocks Published Fri, Aug 7, 2026 · 08:25 AM JAPAN’S Topix stock index is poised for its biggest overhaul, with more than 600 companies — over a third of its constituents — likely to be gradually removed under new…
Read MorePetrobras profit jumps 80%, tops estimates on Iran war-driven oil rally
This comes as supply disruptions from the Middle East conflict lift prices for crude, petrol and diesel Published Fri, Aug 7, 2026 · 08:08 AM [RIO DE JANEIRO] Brazilian oil producer Petrobras outperformed expectations after supply disruptions stemming from the US-Iran conflict lifted second quarter prices for crude, petrol and diesel. The state-controlled driller’s 93.8…
Read MoreSpaceX stock climbs as shares available for trading more than double
Published Fri, Aug 7, 2026 · 07:52 AM SPACEX stock rose in heavy trading on Thursday (Aug 6), as the number of shares available for public trading more than doubled following the expiry of the first of several lockup restrictions. The internet and rocket company’s stock was up 1.4 per cent at US$109.86, with over…
Read More‘Size in banking is not everything’: UOB pursues capital-light strategy as Q2 profit rises; trims fee growth outlook
[SINGAPORE] UOB signalled that it will continue pruning non-core businesses as it reshapes itself into a more capital-light, advisory-led lender, with group chief executive Wee Ee Cheong saying that the bank will focus on businesses where it has a competitive advantage. The comments came after UOB reported a 10 per cent rise in its second-quarter…
Read MoreUOB Q2 profit climbs 10% to S$1.48 billion, edging past estimates
[SINGAPORE] UOB’s net profit for its second quarter rose 10 per cent as net fee income rose on record wealth management fees, it said on Friday (Aug 7). Net profit for the three months ended June 30, 2026 stood at S$1.48 billion, compared with S$1.34 billion from the year-ago period. The earnings slightly beat the…
Read MoreAlphabet raises US$25 billion from sought-after bond sale
The offering draws roughly US$115 billion of peak demand, according to people with knowledge of the matter Published Fri, Aug 7, 2026 · 06:45 AM [NEW YORK] Alphabet sold US$25 billion of investment-grade bonds after generous yield payouts helped secure one of the year’s largest order books for artificial intelligence-related debt. The Thursday (Aug 6)…
Read MoreOCBC raises 2026 loan growth forecast after Q2 profit jumps 22%, lifts dividend
Higher guidance comes as wealth, trading and insurance offset pressure from lower interest rates [SINGAPORE] OCBC has raised its full-year loan growth guidance after a stronger-than-expected first half, as continued momentum in wealth management and corporate lending helped offset lower interest rates. The bank now expects loan growth of high-single digits to low-double digits, up…
Read MoreOil rises on concerns over Strait of Hormuz reopening plans
Analysts said the events that have unfolded this week signalled that the hostilities between Iran and the US are not yet over Published Fri, Aug 7, 2026 · 06:08 AM — Updated Fri, Aug 7, 2026 · 12:05 PM OIL extended gains on Friday (Aug 7) amid further concerns around the opening of the Strait…
Read MoreOil settles up US$3 as Iran reviews bill to ban US, Israeli vessels from Hormuz
Published Fri, Aug 7, 2026 · 06:08 AM [HOUSTON] Oil prices settled up by more than US$3 a barrel on Thursday (Aug 6) on news an Iranian parliament committee is reviewing a bill that would ban US and Israeli vessels from the Strait of Hormuz and fine violators up to a fifth of the value of…
Read MoreEuropean shares extend run of record highs on earnings, US-Iran optimism
Published Fri, Aug 7, 2026 · 05:54 AM EUROPEAN shares closed at a record high for a third straight session on Thursday (Aug 6) as investors assessed prospects for a US-Iran peace deal and progress toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while digesting a largely positive slate of corporate earnings. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed 0.2…
Read MoreUS stocks fall as investors eye Middle East talks, earnings
Published Fri, Aug 7, 2026 · 05:47 AM [NEW YORK] US stocks finished the trading session lower on Thursday (Aug 6), pausing after a strong start to the week, as investors digested the latest round of corporate earnings and looked for signs of progress toward a peace deal between the US and Iran. A robust earnings…
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