Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Gas prices are steadily but slowly dropping ahead of July Fourth and further relief at the pump may be coming ahead of one the most popular driving days of the year, though prices are still elevated compared to 2021. Key Facts The average national gas price Monday is $4.897 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association, which is down 12 cents from its peak of $5.016 on June 14. Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, predicted Sunday the national average for gas prices could fall to as low as $4.75 by July Fourth as crude oil prices fall. That would still represent a more than 50% increase from last July Fourth, when the national average gallon of gas was $3.13, per AAA. Still, AAA forecasts a record-high 42 million Americans will travel 50-plus miles over the holiday weekend – a telling sign as demand for gas remains largely unfazed by the historic … [Read more...] about What To Expect For July 4th Gas Prices
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United Malacca’s 4Q profit drops 38% quarter-on-quarter to RM18.8 mil, declares 10 sen dividend
- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (June 28): United Malacca Bhd recorded a net profit of RM18.72 million for its fourth quarter ended April 30, 2022 (4QFY22), compared with a net loss of RM11.7 million in the same period last year, thanks to higher crude palm oil (CPO) prices. Revenue grew 38.64% to RM147.45 million from RM106.36 million, backed by the group's operations in Malaysia which recorded a plantation profit of RM42.7 million, up 180% from RM15.2 million previously. The group posted earnings per share of 8.92 sen, compared with the loss per share of 5.58 sen seen last year, its bourse filing on Tuesday showed. "Higher earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in the current quarter were mainly due to higher average CPO price of RM6,034 per tonne compared to RM3,454 per tonne in the preceding year. "[This is in addition to] palm kernel price of RM4,526 per tonne from RM2,549 per tonne in the preceding year even though fresh fruit bunch … [Read more...] about United Malacca’s 4Q profit drops 38% quarter-on-quarter to RM18.8 mil, declares 10 sen dividend
What the Business Cycle is Telling us About a Recession
If you're looking for capitulation in 2022, it's in the bond market. And that tells you that investors' confidence in the global economy is very low. Inside the stock market, it's all about defense. Defensive stocks, which include big healthcare companies and dividend-paying value stocks, have been driving the gains. An index of global defensive stocks put together by Goldman Sachs, which is heavy in healthcare giants, has climbed to more than an 18-month high relative to the MSCI AC World Index. Inside the U.S., the defensive ETF ticker DEF has been outperforming the Spider ETF SPY all last week and all year. For market watchers, this feels a whole lot like a recession trade. While investors in the capital markets are battening the hatches for a recession, money in the private markets is also drying up. The value of venture capital deals in the U.S. dropped more than 25% in the second quarter to just $1 trillion, according to Dealogic . M&A activity in the United States … [Read more...] about What the Business Cycle is Telling us About a Recession
Singapore’s surging rents shock expats and encourage scammers
- A + A SINGAPORE (June 28): When Canadian expat Michelle went to renew the lease on her three-story house in Singapore in May, her landlord wanted to raise the rent by almost 40%. Michelle tried to negotiate but the owner wouldn’t budge on the S$10,000 (US$7,200) a month asking price. She’s moving her family into a three-bedroom apartment next month. “I took what I could get,” said Michelle, who asked not to use her full name on concern it may impact her business in the city-state. There’s “a lot of greed at the moment.” Rents are skyrocketing in Singapore, particularly in the prime accommodation favored by expatriate residents, as surging demand from locals and newer arrivals collides with pandemic-induced delays in supply. Rental prices for the private properties leased by expats are rising on average by 20% to 40%, according to 10 real estate agents interviewed by Bloomberg , though some landlords are even asking for double the previous rent. The island’s … [Read more...] about Singapore’s surging rents shock expats and encourage scammers
The number of Netflix bulls is dwindling
- A + A CHICAGO (June 28): In a year that has seen widespread selling of technology stocks and long-time market leaders fall into bear territory, the woes of Netflix Inc stand alone. The video-streaming company has plummeted 69% this year, abandoned by both investors and analysts as back-to-back disappointing quarterly reports raised concerns about user trends in an industry that’s becoming more competitive and losing its pandemic-related tailwinds. The drop is the most of any Nasdaq 100 or S&P 500 component, and much worse than the former index’s 26% decline. The growth outlook has weakened to the point that Netflix has cut hundreds of jobs and changed its tune on two longstanding principles: it is cracking down on password sharing, and will introduce an ad-based subscriber tier to the platform. That’s on top of a backdrop where high inflation has pushed the Federal Reserve to hike rates sharply, sparking recession fuels and fueling a rotation out of tech. … [Read more...] about The number of Netflix bulls is dwindling
I-Bhd strides ahead with confidence following rebound in business
- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (June 28): I-Bhd, the master developer of i-City Golden Triangle which is Malaysia’s No. 1 Technology City, is set to stride forward with confidence as the rebound in its business activities gathers momentum. Signs of renewed optimism and rebound are evident in all its major developments, the company said. "Passenger traffic is back at 2019 levels of 90% at Central i-City shopping mall which is a joint-venture between i-City and Thailand’s largest retail property developer, Central Pattana group. "Following the transition to endemicity, the leisure theme park has returned to profitability and [is] seeing a return to its pre-pandemic foot traffic. "The i-City Convention Centre (iCCC) is experiencing good take-up, especially on pent-up demand, as events and activities could not be held over the last two years," it said in a statement released after the company's annual general meeting (AGM) on Tuesday (June 28). Meanwhile, I-Bhd said Best … [Read more...] about I-Bhd strides ahead with confidence following rebound in business
At an almost two-year low, DRB-Hicom is still demonstrating upside uncertainty
This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on June 20, 2022 - June 26, 2022. - A + A THE share price of DRB-Hicom Bhd has been on a downward trend since December 2020, when the shortage of semiconductors became apparent the world over. Last Friday, DRB-Hicom was trading at RM1.16 — its lowest since March 23, 2020. This means DRB-Hicom is now trading at the level when stocks tumbled in reaction to the first Movement Control Order (MCO), which was implemented in March 2020 to contain the spread of Covid-19. This is in contrast to other automotive or automotive-based groups listed on Bursa Malaysia. For example, Bermaz Auto Bhd is trading at more than double the level on March 23, 2020, and MBM Resources Bhd is 38% higher than at the start of the pandemic. Shares in Sime Darby Bhd, which is also a conglomerate like DRB-Hicom, were up 43.5% last Friday compared with March 23, 2020. UMW Holdings Bhd, another conglomerate with a huge automotive … [Read more...] about At an almost two-year low, DRB-Hicom is still demonstrating upside uncertainty