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Bond issuers make big comeback in first quarter
SINGAPORE - The appetite for corporate bonds has grown sharply as investors shake off jitters triggered last year by talk of interest rate hikes in the United States.A total of 38 issues of Singapore...
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Open House
IT sounds insane to buy a house just by viewing it off Google maps but Patricia Kho and Simon Johnstone did exactly that.The couple and their two kids were living in Sydney some years ago, and planned...
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19 ways successful people spend their lunch break
SINGAPORE - Feeling lethargic or restless during the work day? Take the chance and refresh yourself during your lunch break.You'd be surprised at how the one-hour lunch hour can pick you up if you do...
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Dennis Foo to retire, son to step up
SINGAPORE - After 35 years as a leading light in the local entertainment business, nightclub boss Dennis Foo is finally calling it a night.The chief executive of St James Holdings will step down once a...
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Car leasing hits speed bump
SINGAPORE - Distributors who jumped on the car-leasing bandwagon last year are seeing business hit a speed bump due to cultural preferences and other factors.Some firms began to offer leasing...
View ArticleIs the Malaysian goods and services tax regressive?
A broad based tax, such as goods and services tax is generally considered to be a regressive tax. Before we go further, let us understand what regressive actually means.In simple terms, a regressive...
View ArticleMoves to curb property financing in Malaysia?
PETALING JAYA - More measures to curb lending to the property sector may be in the offing this year, judging from the resiliency of lending to the sector.Malaysian Rating Corp Bhd (MARC) chief...
View ArticleExternal sector to support Malaysia's growth, twin deficit worries...
PETALING JAYA - Malaysia's growth will quicken in the second half of this year, boosted by rising exports to major economies that will help offset moderation in domestic demand, said economists. "We...
View ArticleAsian theme strong in big banks
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd's (OCBC) offer to buy Hong Kong's Wing Hang Bank Ltd is a signal of confidence in its Asian strategy.While other Asian banks are eyeing embattled units of banks in the...
View ArticleCasino riches fuel Macau property 'bubble' forcing residents elsewhere
MACAU - As the world's gambling capital Macau races to open more than 17,000 new hotel rooms over the next three years to keep pace with a flood of Chinese visitors, only about 4,000 affordable homes...
View ArticleHong Kong stocks open 0.42 per cent lower
HONG KONG - Hong Kong shares sank 0.42 per cent Monday morning following heavy losses on Wall Street and despite a healthy US jobs report.The benchmark Hang Seng Index slipped 93.61 points to 22,416.47...
View ArticleSamsung, SoftBank show no sign of improved relations
An immediate breakthrough in relations between Samsung Electronics and SoftBank appears unlikely as Japan's third-largest mobile carrier's release of the Galaxy S5 has yet to be decided.Instead of...
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Inaccurate 2013 growth estimates unsettling
SINGAPORE - When the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) first introduced quarter-on-quarter advance gross domestic product (GDP) estimates in Q2 2000, it aimed to provide more timely economic data to...
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Overseas retail REITS: Tread with care
SINGAPORE - Retail real-estate investment trusts (Reits) are popular because they are seen as defensive investments - after all, people will shop, no matter how the economy is doing.Also, their annual...
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Asia downbeat as Wall Street retreats
SINGAPORE - Singapore shares headed south amid a regional selldown yesterday, spooked by Friday's weak finish on Wall Street.The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) dipped 19.13 points - or 0.6 per...
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New compass in a buyers' market
SINGAPORE - Home buyers are paying less than the projected market prices for their Housing Board properties, according to a newly launched property price index that also shows a buyers' market over the...
View ArticlePOSH, part of the empire of Malaysia's richest man Robert Kuok, draws...
SINGAPORE - PACC Offshore Services Holdings (POSH), part of the empire of Malaysia's richest man Robert Kuok, has roped in Hwang Investment Management Bhd and Fortress Capital Asset Management as...
View ArticleEquity guru Mobius believes SET will rise further
Thailand's stock index could rise further even though the country's sovereign credit outlook was downgraded last week by a Japanese agency as the political crisis persists, according to veteran...
View ArticleMaybank upbeat on Pakistan bank
KUALA LUMPUR - Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank), which is looking to open more branches in China, intends to further improve the performance of its associate MCB Bank in Pakistan despite the challenges in...
View ArticleWorld Bank lowers China outlook
BEIJING - The World Bank has lowered its forecast for China's economic growth this year to 7.6 per cent from 7.7 per cent, taking into account soft data on industrial output and exports in the first...
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