- A + A (June 30): Taiwan’s stock benchmark index slumped on Thursday (June 30), taking its decline from a January high to over 19% and just points away from a so-called bear market. The Taiex gauge closed 2.7% lower in Taipei, the worst performer in Asia. It was dragged by chipmakers after Bank of America took a cautious view on the industry’s growth prospects. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), which accounts for more than a quarter of the index’s weighting, dropped 3.1%. Facing headwinds of rate hikes by global central banks, tech-heavy stock markets in Taiwan and South Korea have been the worst performers in Asia this quarter, both down over 15%. Foreign investors have net sold about US$16 billion (about RM70.52 billion) of Taiwan stocks during the three-month period, the most among emerging Asia countries outside China. Taiwan’s deputy finance minister said the National Financial Stabilization Fund will continue to closely monitor the stock market … [Read more...] about Bear market looms for Taiwan stocks after chipmaker-led slump
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Foreign flows into local bond market returns to positive territory
PETALING JAYA: Foreign flows into the local bond market returned to positive territory in May amid foreign investors’ flight-to-safety demand and Bank Negara’s hawkish pivot. Nevertheless, the magnitude was only a meager RM531mil, which did not completely offset the relative net foreign outflows of RM2.2bil in April. Total cumulative foreign holdings in the local bond market grew to RM911.1mil for the first five months of 2022, following the net foreign inflows. Notwithstanding this, they were significantly lower than the cumulative net foreign inflows of RM25bil from January to May 2021, according to MARC Ratings Bhd. Total Malaysian Government Securities/Government Investment Issues (MGS and GII) outstanding expanded by 11.1% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM947.3bil in May 2022 as there was no redemption of government bonds recorded. This is notwithstanding the reduced issuances in both the MGS (May: RM4.5bil; April: RM10bil) and GII (May: RM8bil; April: RM9.5bil) segments during … [Read more...] about Foreign flows into local bond market returns to positive territory
Markets in 1H: The almost perfect storm
- A + A LONDON (June 30): Investors knew that, after two years of COVID-19 chaos, 2022 would be a bumpy ride, but nobody expected this - the most turbulent first half global markets have ever seen. To grasp just how torrid things have been, consider two things. MSCI's 47-country world stocks index has suffered its biggest 1H drop since its creation in 1990. At same time, 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds - the benchmark of global borrowing markets and traditional go-to asset in troubled times - have had their worst first half since 1788. Why? Russia's invasion of Ukraine supercharged what was already fast-rising inflation, forcing the big central banks to jack up interest rates and politicians to warn of new world orders. The result? A $13 trillion wipeout in world stocks, a 15.5% plunge Japan's yen, Italy's worst rout since the euro zone crisis, and what is shaping up to be the strongest commodities rally since World War I. Add to that Russia being gouged out the … [Read more...] about Markets in 1H: The almost perfect storm
Cover Story: RHB’s Game Plan in ‘fast-changing’ new normal
This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on June 20, 2022 - June 26, 2022. - A + A ALL eyes are on RHB Banking Group’s newly minted group managing director (MD) and group CEO Mohd Rashid Mohamad as he steers the fourth-largest banking group by assets forward in a tough operating landscape. “It’s very challenging, especially now in a fast-changing market environment, and as we face potential risks such as geopolitical and inflationary,” acknowledges Rashid in his first exclusive interview as group MD/CEO. Competition has intensified, given new entrants into the market, which are not just new banks but also technology companies that compete for the same pie. Rashid adds that this has partly affected the profitability of the industry, along with many other factors. He notes that banks globally no longer see “high ROEs” as before. For RHB Bank Bhd, its return on equity (ROE) in the past 10 financial years hit a high of 13.4% in FY2012 before … [Read more...] about Cover Story: RHB’s Game Plan in ‘fast-changing’ new normal
Asian currencies set for half-year losses on rate hikes, inflation woes
- A + A (June 30): All emerging Asian currencies were set for half-yearly losses on Thursday, with the South Korean won set to lose the most, as policy tightening by the US central bank and concerns over global economic outlook spurred selling in Asian assets. The won dropped 8.4% so far this year, while the Philippine peso and Indian rupee were on track to post half-yearly losses of 7.3% and 5.8%, respectively. Emerging markets in the six-month period were battered by capital outflows due to the US Federal Reserve kicking off its tightening cycle, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and inflation from higher commodity prices. Among local drivers, China's insistence on a zero-Covid policy also spurred selling as the country's repeated imposition of restrictions means a slower economic recovery for the region's largest economy. "The broader market ... they need some more convincing because I think at the back of their mind, they've still got this hesitancy due to the … [Read more...] about Asian currencies set for half-year losses on rate hikes, inflation woes
Bank of Baroda shares gain after lender reports nine-fold jump in PAT for FY22
Bank of Baroda reports profit of Rs 1779 crore in March quarter. Bank of Baroda has reported a standalone net profit of Rs 1,778.77 crore for the fourth quarter of 2021-22 as against a net loss of Rs 1,046.5 crore a year ago. However, on a sequential basis, the lender’s net profit fell 19 per cent from Rs 2,197.03 crore in the third quarter of last fiscal. Net interest income grew 21.2 per cent to Rs 8,612 crore from Rs 7,107 crore a year ago. Trade Watchlist Portfolio Message Set Alert live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More × Shares of Bank of Baroda (BoB) advanced higher in early trade on May 16, after the state-owned lender reported a nine-fold jump in its profit after tax (PAT) at Rs 7,272 crore for the financial year ended March 2022 as compared to a PAT of Rs 829 crore registered in FY21. At 11:20 am, the scrip traded at Rs 98.90 apiece on the BSE, up 4.16 … [Read more...] about Bank of Baroda shares gain after lender reports nine-fold jump in PAT for FY22
European shares face worst quarter since pandemic-led carnage in early 2020
- A + A BENGALURU (June 30): European shares on Thursday looked set for their worst quarter since the pandemic-led carnage in early 2020, as investors became increasingly wary of a global recession in the wake of hawkish central bank actions to tame rapid inflation. The continent-wide STOXX 600 index dropped 1.3%, setting it up for quarterly losses of more than 10%. France's CAC 40 index slid 1.8% as preliminary official figures showed inflation climbed further from the previous month to a record 6.5%. "What we're seeing at the moment is more evidence that inflation is serious, entrenched and investors are having to now reappraise the valuations they are putting on equities," said Azad Zangana, senior European economist and strategist at Schroders. "Now for a little while, the attitude in Europe was well a lot of the inflation is external. That's changing now and over the next few months, the European Central Bank will have to step up its efforts to curb … [Read more...] about European shares face worst quarter since pandemic-led carnage in early 2020
Inside Didi’s US$60b crash that changed China tech forever
- A + A (June 30): It was an unusually frigid December weekend when Cheng Wei summoned his inner circle to his Beijing office. The founder of Didi Global Inc, dressed entirely in black, told his lieutenants to slash spending by a fifth in 2022 and begin layoffs after staff return from Lunar New Year vacations. He delivered his bombshell flanked by a giant Powerpoint slide that read: “Don’t live with illusions. Face reality.” “We had a tough year,” said the reserved billionaire known as Will, who that day seemed even gloomier than normal, according to people briefed on the gathering. “But next year will be even tougher.” That sombre gathering encapsulated what many in the room already suspected — the ride-hailing champion once feted for running Uber Technologies Inc out of China was no more. In its place was a defeated shell worth a fifth of its value at the peak, bleeding users, blocked from raising funds for cherished projects — and whose executives were constantly … [Read more...] about Inside Didi’s US$60b crash that changed China tech forever
Bursa ends at day’s low on heavy last-minute selling
- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (June 30): Bursa Malaysia erased gains made earlier on Thursday (June 30) to end at its intraday low following heavy selling in the last 10 minutes of trading, an analyst said. At 5pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) lost 0.5%, or 7.26 points, to finish at 1,444.22 from Wednesday's close of 1,451.48. The benchmark index, which opened 4.02 points better at 1,455.5, moved between 1,444.22 and 1,460.3 throughout the day. Overall market breadth was negative with losers outpacing gainers 520 to 327, while 396 counters were unchanged, 1,039 untraded, and 65 others suspended. Total turnover narrowed to 2.26 billion units worth RM1.97 billion from 2.37 billion units valued at RM1.77 billion on Wednesday. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said regionally, key indices also finished broadly lower following negative cues from Wall Street overnight. The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo declined after Japan’s May … [Read more...] about Bursa ends at day’s low on heavy last-minute selling
Filipina helper’s head hit by falling paper cutter in HK
Wet market at Wan Chai Causeway bay in Hong Kong. INQUIRER STOCK PHOTO A Filipina domestic helper suffered a severe head injury after she was accidentally hit by a paper cutter while walking in a shopping district in Hong Kong. The website of the local newspaper Headline Daily reported that the 55-year-old overseas Filipino worker was heading home from shopping for kitchen utensils at Wan Chai market when a paper cutter measuring 25 centimeters fell down and pounded her head. The cutter’s sharp blade was concealed, and yet the Filipina’s head bled. She was rushed to a clinic. Police disclosed that the paper cutter fell down from a nearby building that was undergoing renovation. A scaffolding worker who was allegedly responsible for the incident was arrested. Gianna Francesca Catolico /ra Subscribe to our global nation newsletter … [Read more...] about Filipina helper’s head hit by falling paper cutter in HK