Posts by Swedan Margen
Asian stocks at record high, US jobs data buoys yields, dollar
Inflation data is due on Friday and will be the next test for market views on interest rate cuts Published Thu, Feb 12, 2026 · 11:23 AM [SINGAPORE] Asian stocks rose to a record high on Thursday (Feb 12), while the US dollar firmed a touch against most currencies except the yen after stronger-than-expected US…
Read MorePentagon pushing AI companies to expand on classified networks: sources
Military officials are hoping to leverage AI’s power to synthesise information to help shape decisions Published Thu, Feb 12, 2026 · 11:12 AM [NEW YORK] The Pentagon is pushing the top artificial intelligence (AI) companies including OpenAI and Anthropic to make their AI tools available on classified networks without many of the standard restrictions that…
Read MoreChina has bought some Venezuelan oil from the US, Chris Wright says
In Asia, several Indian refiners have bought Venezuela’s flagship Merey crude following the US action Published Thu, Feb 12, 2026 · 10:46 AM [SINGAPORE] China has bought some Venezuelan oil that was purchased earlier by the US, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “China has already bought some of the crude that’s been sold by…
Read MoreGold, silver dip as dollar rises after strong US jobs data
Published Thu, Feb 12, 2026 · 10:19 AM [BENGALURU] Gold and silver fell on Thursday (Feb 12) as the US dollar firmed after stronger-than-expected January jobs data dented expectation for near-term interest rate cuts, while investors awaited inflation data due on Friday for more monetary policy cues. Spot gold was down 0.4 per cent at…
Read MoreSouth Koreans are shunning dangerous shipbuilding jobs envied by Trump
Demand is growing as the industry enjoys a new boom that puts further strains on its workforce [SEOUL] South Korea has promised to help “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again”, pitching its world-leading shipyards to US President Donald Trump as a model to revive US manufacturing and create desirable blue-collar jobs. But in reality, the sector…
Read MoreSTI crosses 5,000 mark for first time to record high
Its gains follow measures to revive Singapore’s stock market, a strong Singdollar and a pivot from US dollar assets [SINGAPORE] After days of fluctuations, the Straits Times Index (STI) surpassed the 5,000 mark on Thursday (Feb 12), hitting a historic milestone well ahead of forecasts. It also came ahead of Singapore’s Budget 2026 statement, which…
Read MoreGIC weighs selling stake in European data centre JV for up to one billion euros
Published Thu, Feb 12, 2026 · 09:24 AM [LONDON] GIC is considering a sale of its 80 per cent stake in a European data centre joint venture (JV), a potential deal that could value the business at about two billion euros (S$3 billion) including debt, sources with knowledge of the matter said. The Singapore wealth…
Read MoreUK’s digital bonds to be issued using HSBC blockchain platform
The plans also come as large financial institutions around the globe ramp up efforts to tokenise other financial instruments Published Thu, Feb 12, 2026 · 09:06 AM [LONDON] The UK Treasury has chosen HSBC Holdings’ blockchain platform for the pilot issuance of the country’s digital gilt instruments, as part of plans to update the nation’s…
Read MoreJapan’s Nikkei surges past 58,000 for first time as Takaichi trade rally continues
Published Thu, Feb 12, 2026 · 09:06 AM [TOKYO] Japan’s Nikkei share average surged past the 58,000 mark for the first time, continuing a scorching rally since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a resounding electoral victory on a campaign of increased economic stimulus. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.14 per cent to 57,739.20 in…
Read MoreCompanies fear Singapore’s proposed coastal defences will affect lease tenures, costs
Published Thu, Feb 12, 2026 · 08:47 AM [SINGAPORE] Companies in Singapore recognise the need for them to protect their assets from rising seas, but are concerned over how lease renewals and the costs of implementing coastal defences will affect their business viability. Such costs may involve more than just the actual construction of defences, they say, as…
Read MoreStocks to watch: Singtel, StarHub, FEHT, Thomson Medical, Starhill Global Reit, Prime US Reit, Soilbuild
[SINGAPORE] The following companies saw new developments that may affect trading of their securities on Thursday (Feb 12): Singtel : Its third-quarter net profit rose 43.5 per cent to S$1.9 billion from S$1.3 billion in the year-ago period, said the group in a business update on Thursday. Operating revenue rose 0.9 per cent to S$3.7…
Read MoreSingtel Q3 net profit up 43.5% at S$1.9 billion on exceptional gain from Airtel stake sale
Optus is ‘continuing to invest in strengthening resilience’ after an independent review into the Triple Zero outage, says Singtel group CEO [SINGAPORE] Singtel posted a 43.5 per cent surge in net profit to S$1.9 billion for its third quarter ended Dec 31, 2025, from S$1.3 billion in the year-ago period. The increase in earnings was…
Read More