THE expectation that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will cut interest rates this year in June is increasingly being challenged. Some economists say while their estimates are maintained at three cuts this year, totalling 75 basis points (bps), the risk is now skewed towards later moves and perhaps e...

Cover Story:Rising oil prices add to inflation conundrum

THE price of gold, which had ignored the persistent US dollar strength last week, pushing past the record US$2,300 threshold, is expected to maintain its upward trajectory due to expectations of global monetary easing, central banks’ continued buying of the precious metal as well as a play on its...

Cover Story: Four factors behind gold price climb

THE uptrend in the prices of a number of commodities — reflected in the 14.2% rise in the S&P GSCI from its recent December trough — brought back memories of the commodity bull run in 2021 and 2022, when the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic followed by the war in Ukraine choked global supply ...

Cover Story: Are commodities at the start of a secular bull run? 

Our rice was at centre stage again with a very peculiar problem, that is, local rice was not available in the market in the second half of last year although 64% of supply comes from local farms. Despite stern warnings from the government against manipulation of rice supply, the problem persisted...

My Say: What is wrong with our rice sector

They are home to a quarter of humanity — 1.9 billion people. They possess prized natural resources, including one-fifth of the world’s copper and gold reserves, as well as many of the rare metals essential for the transition to clean energy. Their working-age populations are set to expand for the...

The New Global Economy: The world cannot afford to ignore the poorest countries

JASMINE Loo was the third individual wanted by the authorities, on the Interpol Red Notice list,  to return to Malaysia.

More than 10 years on from the first signs of trouble at 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), there are still a number of individuals who remain on the run, sought ...

Most yet to return to face the music

In Jalan Rotan in Kampung Attap, Kuala Lumpur, there is a light yellow building with beautiful graffiti art on one wall. Built in 1912 by influential business tycoon Loke Yew, it was restored in recent years and is now the office of master planning, architecture and landscape design consultancy P...

Designworks: Preserving space and land for posterity

PERCEIVED to be in the ­“inner circle” of fugitive financier Low Taek Jho (Jho Low) in the heist of billions of dollars from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), the state-owned company’s former general counsel Jasmine Loo Ai Swan recently recalled life on the run. Conditions were uncertain, even pr...

Traversing Indochina and China, Loo negotiated return while on the run in Myanmar 

THE overriding narrative from Wall Street to the Silicon Valley recently has been about the winners and laggards in the new generative artificial intelligence, or AI, world. Lumped among “winners” were firms such as software supremo Microsoft Corp and its partner OpenAI, the creator of AI chatbot...

Tech: Can Google get its mojo back?

THE Sarawak government’s decision to put all new hires on the contribution-based position (Jawatan ­Berasaskan Caruman [JBC]) scheme is seen as the initial step towards much-needed reforms for the state’s public service.

In March, Sarawak state secretary Datuk Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki ...

Reforming Sarawak’s public service

It has been a volatile and strange month in the markets. Gold prices crossed an all-time high of over US$2,400 per ounce after Iran launched 350 drones and missiles against Israel, having just crossed US$2,000 earlier in the month. The US 10-year Treasuries yield went back up to 4.6% per annum, w...

Condivergence: Heed Dimon’s view on how financial regulators must support growth

In the third and fourth instalments of our four-part series on the economy, we are focusing on mission-based policy packages that Malaysia can embark on to realise our vision of Malaysia Madani. As a recap, the first article — “Taking a systems approach to fuel subsidies” (Issue 1515, March 18) —...

My Say: Mission Madani: Now is not the time to work in silos

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities fell to the lowest in a decade in 2023. According to the “Global M&A Report” published by Bain & Co, the total M&A market fell by 15% year on year last year to US$3.2 trillion, the lowest in a decade.

M&A activities hit a low in 2023, pickup expected this year

NINJA Logistics Sdn Bhd (Ninja Van Malaysia) was one of the private venture-backed start-ups that burst onto the last-mile delivery scene and disrupted the long-standing business model of incumbent delivery companies with technologies that deliver products faster, cheaper and more efficiently tha...

Ninja Van Malaysia takes pole position with record growth pace

LONDON (April 26): One fixture lurking like a troll in Arsenal's Premier League title run-in has probably consumed the thoughts of the club's fans more than any other -- Sunday's short trip to arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Like all big city derbies, pride and bragging rights are always...

Arsenal face derby test with title up for grabs

(April 26): 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.

After an internal review found other countries are tar...

UK warns universities about research threat from foreign states

(April 26): The Tesla Inc. shareholder who won a court order in Delaware killing co-founder Elon Musk’s US$56 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 inves...

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

(April 26): 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

NEW YORK/LONDON (April 26): Stocks snapped a three-day winning streak on Thursday as disappointing forecasts from Facebook and Instagram owner Meta hammered the tech sector, and Japan's yen sank through 155 per dollar for the first time since 1990.

Tepid U.S. GDP data pushed Wall Street...

Equities fall amid earnings gloom, as persistent inflation lifts Treasury yields

(April 26): Boeing's credit rating faced pressure for a second time this week as S&P brought the company one step closer to a junk rating on Thursday after a January mid-air blowout of a cabin panel led the planemaker to slow production of its best-selling jet.

The rating agency cha...

S&P slashes Boeing credit outlook as rating hovers above junk status

WASHINGTON (April 26): The Federal Communications Commission said on Thursday it is ordering the U.S. units of China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile to discontinue fixed or mobile broadband internet operations in the United States.

The FCC said it was requiring the Chinese carrie...

Agency bars Chinese telecom carriers from offering US broadband services

NEW YORK (April 26): Wall Street stocks closed lower on Thursday as markets were stunned by data showing slower-than-expected U.S. economic growth and persistent inflation, coupled with a sell-off in large cap stocks triggered by disappointing results from Meta Platforms META.O.

Data on...

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

(April 26): Alphabet announced its first-ever dividend on Thursday and a $70 billion stock buybuck, cheering investors who sent the stock surging nearly 16% after the bell.

The Google parent is returning capital while spending billions of dollars on data centers to catch up with rivals ...

Google parent Alphabet announces first-ever dividend, shares soar

BRIGHTON, England (April 26): Phil Foden struck twice as Manchester City stepped up their bid for a fourth Premier League crown in a row with a ruthless 4-0 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday.

A day after Liverpool's title challenge suffered a huge blow with a 2-0 defeat ...

Man City humble Brighton to keep pressure on Arsenal

AirAsia X Bhd (AAX), which will be taking over Capital A Bhd's aviation business, has announced the mechanics of its plan via a bourse filing on Thursday.

AirAsia X to buy Capital A's aviation business for RM6.8b via share and debt deal 

Chin Teck Plantations Bhd’s net profit surged sevenfold for the financial quarter ended Feb 29, 2024 (2QFY2024) thanks to higher palm oil production as well as lower operating and administrative expenses.

Chin Teck’s 2Q net profit up sevenfold

MKH Oil Palm (East Kalimantan) Bhd (MKHOP), the plantation arm of property developer MKH Bhd, reported RM16.02 million net profit on the back of RM86.05 million revenue for the second quarter ended March 31, 2024 (2QFY2024), ahead of its listing on Bursa Malaysia’s Main Market.

MKH Oil Palm posts RM16 mil net profit in 2Q, q-o-q up 44% ahead of Main Market listing

Practice Note 17 (PN17) company Khee San Bhd will increase the allotment underwritten in its proposed rights issue after Ng Meng Kee ceased to be a substantial shareholder and requested to discharge his undertaking.&nbsp;

Khee San revises underwriting of rights issue after substantial shareholder ceases to be, withdraws undertaking

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 

Pantech Group Holdings Bhd is considering to list two wholly-owned subsidiaries — Pantech Stainless &amp; Alloy Industries Sdn Bhd and Pantech Steel Industries Sdn Bhd — on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia via a special purpose vehicle (SPV).

Plans for this are still at the preliminary stage and extensive preparatory work needs to be carried out, Pantech said in a bourse filing on Thursday.

Pantech mulls listing two subsidiaries on Main Market via SPV

ViTrox Corp Bhd saw its net profit nearly halved for the financial quarter ended March 31, 2024 (1QFY2024), primarily due to unfavourable product mix and higher research and development (R&amp;D) expenditures to support the introduction of new products.

ViTrox 1Q’s net profit nearly halved, extending declining profits to five quarters

Construction company Inta Bina Group Bhd has secured a contract worth RM224.8 million to develop a 38-storey business serviced apartment in Subang Jaya.

Inta Bina bags RM224.8m job to build business serviced apartments in Subang Jaya

The newly constituted board of Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) will convene a meeting soon to review due diligence findings and address the remaining conditions precedent in the share subscription agreements (SSAs), said Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.

DNB's new board to review due diligence findings, finalise share subscription agreements soon — Gobind

Pavilion Real Estate Investment Trust (PavREIT) reported that its first quarter net property income (NPI) jumped 33.2% year-on-year, thanks largely to contribution from its newly acquired mall, Pavilion Bukit Jalil. The increase was also attributed to higher occupancy rates and higher revenue rent from its other retail malls.

PavREIT’s 1Q NPI jumps 33%, pays 2.48 sen distribution per unit

US economic growth slowed more than expected in the first quarter, but an acceleration in inflation suggested that the Federal Reserve would not cut interest rates before September.

US economic growth slows more than expected in first quarter

KUALA LUMPUR (April 25): The Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) expects more companies to utilise the new corporate rehabilitation framework introduced by the Companies (Amendment) Act 2024, which came into force on April 1.

SSM expects more companies to utilise new corporate rehabilitation framework

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has served a senior police officer arrested on suspicion of protecting an illegal syndicate in the country's capital a notice to declare his assets before April 28.

Senior police officer arrested for alleged corruption given until April 28 to declare assets to MACC

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EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

TAS Offshore Bhd’s net profit has leapt by nine-fold year-on-year for the financial quarter ended Feb 29, 2024 (3QFY2024) due to more vessels delivered.

TAS Offshore’s 3Q net profit up nine-fold, shares surge to eight-year high

US economic growth for the first quarter could be revised higher and inflation will ease to more normal levels, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Reuters on Thursday after a clutch of "peculiar" factors held the economy to its weakest showing in nearly two years.

US growth may get revised up, inflation will ebb

PARIS (April 25): French President Emmanuel&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;appealed on Thursday for stronger, more integrated European defences and said the continent must not become a vassal of the United States, as he&nbsp;outlined&nbsp;his vision for a more assertive European Union (EU)&nbsp;on the global stage.

'Europe could die,' Macron warns, as he calls for stronger defences

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday gave assurance that the revised Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA), which will be announced soon, will be the best ever introduced in the country.

Revised public service remuneration system will be the best ever introduced — Anwar

As part of its continuing quest to add long-haul destinations to its routes over the long term, AirAsia X is exploring possible destinations in Eastern European countries such as Poland and Hungary, and the airline is not ruling out revisiting London and exercising its landing rights to Orlando in the United States.

AirAsia X mulls flying to Poland, Hungary, London and Orlando

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.

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