The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 closed sharply lower on Friday and Treasury yields dipped as investors juggled lacklustre earnings, uncertainties surrounding central bank policy and geopolitical strife.

Nasdaq tumbles, Treasuries dip amid earnings, geopolitical crosscurrents

Monthly Swiss watch exports suffered their biggest decline since 2020 as demand for premium and luxury timepieces in key markets including China and Hong Kong plunged.

Exports dropped 16% by value in March to two billion Swiss francs (RM10.49 billion) from a year earlier, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said on Thursday.

Swiss watch exports plunge as China, Hong Kong demand dries up

Norway's US$1.6 trillion (RM7.6 trillion) sovereign wealth fund, one of the world's largest investors, said on Thursday it would vote in favour of a proposal letting NatWest buy back more of its stock from the British government, amid efforts to speed up privatisation.

Norway wealth fund backs NatWest plan to buy back stock from govt

Asian stocks crept higher in a mixed session on Thursday, while the dollar took a breather and bond markets steadied as investors stepped back to assess the interest rate outlook.

Asian stocks mixed as soaring dollar pauses

World shares edged up on Wednesday, though investors stayed cautious at the prospect of US interest rates staying higher for longer, which in turn pushed Treasury yields to five-month highs and buoyed the dollar.

Shares edge up but bonds buffeted by Fed disappointment

Global regulators proposed a package of measures to ensure hedge funds and other investors from outside the banking sector are better able to cope with margin and collateral calls in times of market stress.

Regulators want to better prepare funds for margin calls

Fear that interest rates in major economies will stay relatively high is creeping back and threatens a painful wake-up call for financial markets, big investors warn.

Painful high rates wake-up call threatens global markets

The world’s biggest bond market was hammered anew, with the two-year yield briefly hitting 5% after Jerome Powell signalled policymakers are in no rush to cut interest rates.

US yields spike as hawkish Powell puts 5% in play

Global stocks slid to two-month lows, while the dollar rose to its highest in over five months on Tuesday, after stronger-than-expected US retail sales further reinforced the view that the Federal Reserve may not rush to cut interest rates this year.

Stocks slide, dollar up as ‘higher for longer’ rate view takes root 

Europe's main share and currency markets started the week modestly higher, while oil and bond prices dipped, as investors kept Middle East concerns in check after Iran's weekend attacks on Israel.

Stocks climb, oil dips as Middle East concerns in check

(April 15): Bond investors who were busted yet again by robust economic data now want clear and conclusive proof that Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts are imminent before making any more big bullish wagers.

US yields surged to their highest levels of the year last week after traders w...

Weary bond traders adopt 'show-me' mode to avoid more losses

US stocks sold off sharply on Friday while the dollar jumped as investors grappled with rising geopolitical tensions and persistent inflation that could lead to diverging monetary policy between the US and Europe.

Stocks tumble, dollar firms amid geopolitical risk, mixed central bank views

European stocks were on track to race ahead of Wall Street on Friday, with exporters' shares in high demand as the continent's major currencies dropped against a dollar standing tall on bets the US Federal Reserve (Fed) would keep interest rates high.

European stocks gain, dollar stands tall as traders cut Fed easing bets

A global equities index rose slightly on Thursday after falling earlier in the day while Treasury yields rose as investors looked to the latest inflation data for clues about the potential for Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate cuts.

A day after March's hot consumer price index (CPI) reading sent equity investors to the exits, Thursday's data showed US producer prices rose more slowly than expected last month with a cost of services increase blunted by falling goods prices. The producer price index (PPI) for final demand rose 0.2% versus economist expectations for 0.3% and a February increase of 0.6%.

Global equity gauge rises slightly with inflation, rates in focus

Elon Musk postponed a planned trip to India where he was to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing obligations at his Tesla automaker and saying he aimed to reschedule the visit for later this year.

Tesla's Elon Musk postpones India trip, aims to visit this year

Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), the operator of Malaysia’s 5G telecommunications assets, said the process in relation to the subscription of its shares by five mobile network operators (MNOs) in this country is ongoing.

DNB says process relating to subscription of its shares by five mobile network operators ongoing

Approved road transport logistics companies will obtain “fleet cards” from select fuel retailers to purchase subsidised fuel under the diesel subsidy rationalisation programme, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said.

Approved logistics players to get diesel fleet cards amid subsidy rationalisation

PKR Information chief Fahmi Fadzil said no specific names were discussed regarding the leadership of the Sabah PKR State Leadership Council (MPN) at a special meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Saturday.

No specific names discussed for Sabah PKR State Leadership Council head, says Fahmi

Efforts to reform the Bretton Woods institutions – the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank – are progressing, albeit slowly. In December, the IMF Board of Governors approved a 50% increase in member quotas, which will reduce its reliance on borrowed resources, and the World Bank has re...

The Frontiers Of Growth : How to Govern the Bretton Woods Institutions Better

A highly anticipated Bitcoin software update called the “halving” has been completed, dealing a potential blow to the companies that make money by ensuring that the digital currency functions smoothly and securely.

Bitcoin ‘halving’ cuts supply of new tokens in threat to miners

A Philippine freight railway project may be built with the support of the US and Japan, an official in charge of it said, as Manila seeks alternative financing deals after dropping funding talks with China.

Philippines wants US, Japan to take over rail deal eyed by China

The World Bank on Friday said that 11 countries have pledged to contribute over US$11 billion (RM52.62 billion) to new hybrid capital and portfolio guarantee instruments designed to expand the bank's financing capacity by US$70 billion over a decade to tackle climate change, pandemics and other global challenges.

World Bank wins US$11b in pledges to boost lending for climate, global crises

Shareholders of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed this week on the importance of addressing challenges faced by low-income countries, many of which are facing unsustainable debt burdens, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday.

IMF concerned about debt, fiscal challenges facing low-income countries

The ringgit is likely to trade in the same range of around 4.78 against the US dollar next week, as the situation in the Middle East will continue to be under scrutiny by investors, said an analyst.

Ringgit likely to trade around 4.78 versus greenback next week

Former inspector general of police Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar died at 2.15am on Saturday. He was 85.

Former IGP Tun Hanif Omar passes away

The long-awaited Energy Exchange Malaysia (Enegem) has finally been introduced, along with guidelines on cross-border electricity sales announced by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) last Monday for exports of green electricity from Malaysia to Singapore and Thailand.

Enegem: Malaysia edges closer to RE exports

Attention this week will be on the March inflation rate, with the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) slated to put out Consumer Price Index (CPI) — the key gauge for inflation — data on Thursday.

Inflation edged up by a higher-than-expected 1.8% i...

The Week Ahead: Eyes on March inflation, US 1Q GDP and tech earnings