Coffee prices are expected to extend their meteoric surge with the hoarding of beans and poor weather set to exacerbate a supply crunch in Vietnam, the world’s biggest producer of the robusta variety.

Pricey coffee is here to stay as hoarding, heat hit Vietnam supply

The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives hit a two-month low on Thursday, due to weaker soybean oil futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), said a dealer.

Mumbai-based Sunvin Group commodity research head Anilkumar Bagani said the market sentiment was also weighed down by the Dalian Commodity Exchange’s refined, bleached, and deodorised palm olein during Asian trading hours.

CPO futures hit two-month low at the close, in line with weaker rival oils

Cocoa resumed gains in New York, with prices the most volatile in almost five decades amid uncertainty over a historic crunch and as traders pull out of the market.

Cocoa price swings are the craziest since the 1970s

KUALA TERENGGANU (April 24): The Terengganu state government needs to formulate a medium and long-term plan to optimise its non-radioactive rare earth elements (NR-REE) resources to obtain high returns.

Terengganu needs a plan to optimise non-radioactive rare earth elements resources, state assembly told

A key measure of Chinese copper demand just sank to zero, another sign that global prices are not balanced with what buyers in the biggest market are prepared to pay.

China copper gauge at zero offers stark warning to metals bulls

KOTA KINABALU (April 23): The Sabah government has not imposed state sales tax and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department has also not levied export duties on gold taken out of Sabah to Peninsular Malaysia, the Sabah State Legislative Assembly was told on Tuesday.

No sales tax, export duties on gold taken out of Sabah to peninsula

Commodities look like a “win-win” for investors as climbing prices reflect vigorous economic growth, according to veteran analyst Jeff Currie.

Commodities are a ‘win-win’ with US$100 oil in sight, Carlyle’s Currie says 

The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives ended higher on Monday influenced by stronger Malaysian palm oil export in April, said a dealer.

Mumbai-based Sunvin Group commodity research head Anilkumar Bagani said market sentiment was also supported by lower palm oil production which could see Malaysian palm oil stocks decrease at the end of April.

CPO futures end higher amid stronger export figures

Sugar futures rose in New York as signs of tighter supplies buoyed prices that last week slumped to the lowest in more than a year.

Sugar rises from near one-year low on signs of tighter supply

Prices of Shanghai nickel and tin jumped on Monday to multi-month highs, driven by a tighter supply outlook in China, the world's top consumer of both metals.

The most-traded June nickel contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) jumped as much as 6.5% in early trade, before paring some gains and closed day-time trade at 3.1% higher at a six-month high of 143,580 yuan (RM94,759).

Shanghai nickel, tin rally to multi-month highs on supply fears

Chile imposed temporary anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese steel products used in the country’s mining industry in a bid to support faltering local mills.

Chinese steel balls and the bars used to make them will face tariffs of 33.5% and 24.9%, respectively, over the next six months, according to a decree published Saturday in the national gazette.

Chile slaps tariffs on Chinese steel to bolster local industry

The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives ended lower on Friday due to persistent weakness in the soybean oil market on the Chicago Board of Trade, said a dealer.

Palm oil trader David Ng noted that market sentiment has been influenced by concerns regarding the anticipated surge in output over the coming weeks, which is perceived as exerting pressure on the market

CPO futures end lower due to weaker soybean futures

Cocoa futures hit a new high in New York — topping US$11,000 (RM52,624) a metric tonne — as the pace of processing in chocolate factories holds up even in the face of a global supply crunch and record prices.

Cocoa soars above US$11,000 a tonne as processing pace holds up

The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives closed lower for the fifth consecutive day, said palm oil trader David Ng.

He said the weaker soybean oil market and lower crude oil prices continue to pile pressure on prices.

CPO futures end lower for 5th consecutive trading day

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) kept interest rates around zero on Friday and issued fresh estimates projecting inflation to stay near its 2% target in the next three years, signalling its readiness to hike borrowing costs later this year.

BOJ keeps ultra-low rates, projects inflation near 2% for years

The world’s 3,000 billionaires should pay a minimum 2% tax on their fast-growing wealth to raise £250 billion (RM1.28 trillion) a year for the global fight against poverty, inequality and global heating, ministers from four leading economies have suggested.

World’s billionaires should pay minimum 2% wealth tax, say G20 ministers

Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery's Jaecoo marked the debut of its J7 PHEV and J8 PHEV from its new energy family at the 2024 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition.

Jaecoo marks debut of J7 PHEV, J8 PHEV at 2024 Beijing auto show

Singapore home prices grew at a slower pace last quarter and rents fell, as the city-state’s property boom began to lose steam.

Singapore home price growth slows, rents decline as market cools

Analysts are positive that Capital A Bhd's proposed restructuring plan to streamline its aviation segments will help it exit the Practice Note 17 (PN17) status and enhance its competitive stance against established full-service carriers.

Analysts positive on Capital A's restructuring plan to get it out of PN17

Maxis Bhd could work with another consortium partner to lower the cost of deploying the second 5G network, even after the recapitalisation of Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), said RHB Research in a note on Friday.

Maxis could lead second 5G network rollout with new consortium partner, says RHB Research

KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): Malaysia requires an annual allocation of at least RM10 billion for the next three years, which is crucial to boost water infrastructure amid below-cost tariffs and high wastage, the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) said on Thursday.

Malaysia needs RM10 bil each year till 2026 to upgrade water infrastructure — SPAN

The yen was parked by a 34-year low on the dollar and decade lows on other crosses ahead of a Bank of Japan (BOJ) meeting where interest rates are expected to stay low, while the dollar dipped elsewhere on softer-than-expected US growth data.

Yen at its weakest in decades as BOJ meets

Kiribati's parliament has voted to remove Australian-born High Court Judge David Lambourne, who said on Friday the move was politically motivated and an attack on the independence of the Pacific Island nation's judiciary.

Kiribati parliament votes to remove Australian-born high court judge

Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Thursday:

AirAsia X, Capital A, ViTrox, PavREIT, Luxchem, Chin Teck, MKHOP, TAS Offshore, Inta Bina, Heineken, Pantech and Infoline Tec 

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has updated its Investor Alert List.

SC adds four entities to Investor Alert List, two being potential clones

Mercury Securities Sdn Bhd has valued ACE Market-bound Sin-Kung Logistics Bhd at 14 sen based on a 14 times financial year 2025 (FY2025) earnings per share forecast of one sen.

Mercury Securities values ACE Market-bound Sin-Kung Logistics at 14 sen

Wall Street stocks closed lower on Thursday as markets were stunned by data showing slower-than-expected US economic growth and persistent inflation, coupled with a sell-off in large cap stocks triggered by disappointing results from Meta Platforms.

Wall Street stocks fall as weak GDP growth spreads rate-cut gloom

Harvey Weinstein's 2020 conviction for sexual assault and rape was overturned by New York's highest court, reopening the landmark case that fuelled the #MeToo movement and highlighting the challenges of holding powerful men accountable.

Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction overturned by top New York court

Shares of ViTrox Corp Bhd are headed for its worst day in 18 months as first-quarter (1Q) results disappointed investors while analysts turned increasingly cautious on the semiconductor company’s near-term prospects.

Vitrox shares on pace for worst day in 18 months as 1Q disappoints

RHB Retail Research said YTL Corp Bhd is eyeing to extend the upside movement after it staged a bullish breakout.

YTL Corp eyeing to extend upside movement, says RHB Retail Research 

Hulu Selangor Bersatu action division head has been named as Perikatan Nasional's (PN) candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) state by-election on May 11.

PN names Hulu Selangor Bersatu acting division head as candidate for KKB by-election

RHB Retail Research said VS Industry Bhd is poised to continue the bullish trajectory after it broke past the key resistance on high volume.

VS Industry poised to continue bullish trajectory, says RHB Retail Research 

Maxis Bhd could work with another consortium partner to lower the cost of deploying the second 5G network, even after the recapitalisation of Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), said RHB Research in a note on Friday.

The Tesla Inc shareholder who won a court order in Delaware killing co-founder Elon Musk’s US$56 billion (RM267.54 billion) pay package is premature in asking the judge to bar the billionaire from moving the executive-compensation dispute to Texas, the car company’s lawyers argue.

Tesla fires back at investor who doesn’t want pay fight in Texas

Former president Donald Trump’s economic advisers are considering ways to actively stop nations from shifting away from using the dollar — an effort to counter budding moves among key emerging markets to reduce exposure to the US currency, according to people familiar with the matter.

Trump advisers discuss penalties for nations that move away from the dollar

Analysts are positive that Capital A Bhd's proposed restructuring plan to streamline its aviation segments will help it exit the Practice Note 17 (PN17) status and enhance its competitive stance against established full-service carriers.

European and American investors showed converse interest in sustainable funds during the first quarter, research firm Morningstar said on Thursday, with a record US$8.8 billion (RM42.03 billion) in net withdrawals from the products in the US.

Record US$8.8 bil pulled from US sustainable funds in 1Q

The battle for consumer attention in China's electric car market is being fought over touches of "tech luxury" that car buyers in other markets have never seen.

China’s upstart electric brands, and even its state-owned, legacy automakers, are racing to pack technology and features once considered premium into electric vehicles (EVs) as cheap as US$20,000 (RM95,525) — less than half the cost of an average new car in the US, now more than US$48,000.

Battle for 'tech luxury' in China as EVs get smarter — and cheaper

Alphabet announced its first-ever dividend on Thursday and a US$70 billion (RM334.43 billion) stock buyback, cheering investors who sent the stock surging nearly 16% after the bell.

Google parent Alphabet announces first-ever dividend, shares soar

Asian shares rose cautiously on Friday as markets sobered up to the idea that US rate cuts were most likely some time away, while the yen and Japanese government bonds struggled ahead of a closely watched policy decision by the Bank of Japan (BOJ).

Asia stocks, yen tentative with eyes on BOJ decision

China is preparing a United Nations General Assembly resolution that it says is intended to help close gaps between rich and developing countries in the advance of artificial intelligence (AI), an initiative that follows an extensive and ambitious campaign by the US, its biggest AI competitor.

China prepares UN resolution to tap AI for good

Foreign states are using UK universities to “steal advantage” by covertly acquiring British intellectual property, the government warned, saying it would explore proposals to protect cutting-edge research and technology.

UK warns universities about research threat from foreign states

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said on Thursday it is ordering the US units of China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile to discontinue fixed or mobile broadband internet operations in the US.

Commodities

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