Posts by Liam Redmond
Allianz to buy HSBC’s Singapore insurance unit for S$2.9 billion
This comes after German insurance giant’s S$2.2 billion bid for a controlling stake in Income fell through [SINGAPORE] HSBC Holdings on Friday (Jul 24) said that it has agreed to sell its life and health insurance business in Singapore to German insurer Allianz for S$2.7 billion. This is part of a broader S$2.9 billion deal…
Read MoreTrump weighs wider Iranian attacks with new truce still elusive
The US president also says damages to ships and cargo will be paid for using frozen Iranian funds in the US’ possession Published Fri, Jul 24, 2026 · 06:58 AM — Updated Fri, Jul 24, 2026 · 02:06 PM [WASHINGTON] US President Donald Trump said he is considering a “massive attack” on Iran to push…
Read MoreUS warns against excessive yen volatility, calls for BOJ rate hikes
Published Fri, Jul 24, 2026 · 06:49 AM [TOKYO] The US Treasury Department said yen weakness has persisted despite the narrowing of US-Japan interest rate differentials, warning excess volatility in the currency was undesirable. The Treasury also called for further interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan, warning that inflation has strained households’ purchasing…
Read MoreNvidia signs US$1.5 billion accord with semiconductor firm Amkor for chip packaging
This boosts Amkor’s production in Asia to create a geographically diverse and resilient global supply chain Published Fri, Jul 24, 2026 · 06:38 AM [SAN FRANCISCO] Nvidia signed a US$1.5 billion agreement with Amkor Technology to help bolster the company’s chip packaging facilities, part of a broader push to expand semiconductor operations in the US. …
Read MoreIntel forecast crushes estimates as AI boom boosts chip demand; shares jump
It will raise its capital expenditure forecast for this year from US$18 billion to US$20 billion Published Fri, Jul 24, 2026 · 06:32 AM INTEL forecast quarterly profit and revenue above estimates on Thursday (Jul 23), pushing its shares up 10 per cent in after-hours trade, and boosted spending plans over the next two years as…
Read MoreEuropean shares post biggest drop in two weeks on oil surge, rate hike concerns
Published Fri, Jul 24, 2026 · 06:21 AM [BENGALURU] European shares suffered their steepest one-day drop in over two weeks on Thursday (Jul 24), weighed down by lacklustre earnings, hawkish central bank commentary and elevated crude oil prices. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index fell 1.3 per cent to 638.5 points. The index has struggled to…
Read MoreUS stocks: Wall Street falls as tech earnings spark AI spending worries and oil hits US$100
Published Fri, Jul 24, 2026 · 06:15 AM WALL Street indexes closed lower on Thursday (Jul 23) with Nasdaq sinking more than 2 per cent as the latest earnings updates from large technology companies revived concerns about heavy AI spending, while soaring oil prices amped up inflation worries, lifting bond yields. The S&P 500 fell…
Read MoreGIC posts lower 3.4% 20-year annualised real rate of return, launches new investment framework
Singapore sovereign wealth fund sees need for more flexibility amid geopolitical tensions, AI advances [SINGAPORE] Sovereign wealth fund GIC reported an annualised rolling 20-year real rate of return of 3.4 per cent for its latest period ended Mar 31, 2026. The return – which accounts for inflation and spans the 20-year period from April 2006…
Read MoreGIC bullish on AI but warns of capital concentration as ‘largest market risk’
It is also optimistic on renewable power for data centres, transmission infrastructure [SINGAPORE] Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC is upbeat on the strategic opportunities that artificial intelligence offers, but cautioned that the amount of capital flowing into the sector poses a major concentration risk. “Globally, more and more capital is going into the AI ecosystem,…
Read MoreCommentary: AI companies are creating ‘all-powerful psychopaths.’ Maybe not a great idea?
Repeated law-breaking. Lying and deceit. Reckless disregard for safety. Lack of remorse. Those are traits that help define a psychopath, someone who lives among us but doesn’t have the empathy and ethics necessary to behave in a civilized, or even safe, fashion. Unfortunately, it’s also increasingly clear that these are the traits that define the…
Read MoreSingPost chairperson says talks with government ongoing in response to query about state aid
She says she cannot disclose the discussions “until and unless the government has decided that it wants to reveal it” [SINGAPORE] Singapore Post (SingPost) chairperson Teo Swee Lian said that the national postal service provider has been “talking to the government”, when asked about state aid for its loss-making postal business. She was responding to…
Read MoreMapletree Industrial Trust posts 4.9% fall in Q1 DPU to S$0.0311
Its net property income is down 8.5% on the year to S$122.3 million for the quarter [SINGAPORE] Mapletree Industrial Trust’s (MIT) distribution per unit (DPU) fell 4.9 per cent to S$0.0311 for its first quarter ended Jun 30, 2026, from S$0.0327 the year before. Revenue declined 7.7 per cent to S$162.3 million for the quarter,…
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