Posts by Liam Redmond
Singapore stocks close higher amid cautious Middle East outlook; STI up 0.4%
[SINGAPORE] Singapore stocks ended higher on Friday (May 22), even as investors stayed cautious amid ongoing US-Iran peace talks aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East. The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) gained 0.4 per cent or 22.44 points to finish at 5,068.15. Keppel led the gainers on Singapore’s blue-chip index, rising 4.7…
Read MoreSGX RegCo sets three-year limit for suspended companies to resolve concerns
The bourse regulator will delist issuers that do not show progress with sufficient urgency [SINGAPORE] Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) will set a three-year limit for suspended issuers to resolve concerns or face delisting, the bourse regulator said in a press release on Friday (May 22). SGX RegCo said that the move reinforces market discipline,…
Read MoreBank of Japan chief says he agreed to maintain dialogue with PM, no talk of June rate hike
Published Fri, May 22, 2026 · 06:42 PM — Updated Fri, May 22, 2026 · 07:31 PM [TOKYO] Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Friday he had agreed to communicate closely with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on monetary policy, but added the two did not discuss the possibility of a June interest rate…
Read MoreThe Hour Glass H2 profit jumps 39% to S$103.8 million on higher sales
[SINGAPORE] Luxury watch retailer The Hour Glass reported a 39 per cent rise in net profit to S$103.8 million for its second half ended Mar 31, driven by stronger sales momentum. This was up from S$74.4 million a year earlier, the company said in a bourse filing on Friday (May 22). Revenue rose 16 per…
Read MoreCiti to boost Asia wealth business with ‘significant’ hires, global head says
Published Fri, May 22, 2026 · 05:30 PM [HONG KONG] Citigroup plans to allocate a significant portion of its global wealth management hiring to Asia, where its private bank is growing faster and generating higher productivity than in other regions, the bank’s global wealth head Andy Sieg said. The US bank’s recently unveiled that hiring…
Read MoreEuropean shares hit over two-week highs on signs of progress in US-Iran talks
Published Fri, May 22, 2026 · 05:02 PM EUROPEAN shares rose to a more than two-week high on Friday, lifted by technology stocks with investors optimistic about signs of progress in US-Iran peace talks despite both sides remaining at odds over key issues. The pan-European Stoxx 600 climbed 0.6 per cent to 624.50 points by 0801 GMT…
Read MoreStanChart CEO apologises for ‘lower-value’ comments after outcry
Published Fri, May 22, 2026 · 04:49 PM STANDARD Chartered chief executive officer Bill Winters apologised for his comments earlier this week about how artificial intelligence will affect “lower-value human capital,” after such remarks spurred public backlash. Winters wrote in a LinkedIn post on Friday that he recognised his “choice of words” has “caused upset…
Read MoreEstee Lauder-Puig talks fail after Charlotte Tilbury tension
Puig and Estee Lauder have been holding talks about a potential business combination since March Published Fri, May 22, 2026 · 04:37 PM [NEW YORK] The proposed multibillion-dollar tie-up between Puig Brands and Estee Lauder fell apart due to makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury’s demands regarding her compensation in the deal, according to people familiar with…
Read MoreQatar Airways to skip staff bonuses due to Iran war impact
The carrier has been the most impacted airline in the region by number of suspended flights Published Fri, May 22, 2026 · 04:16 PM [DOHA] Qatar Airways will skip handing out bonuses to almost 60,000 workers this year after the US-Israel war on Iran forced the carrier to cancel tens of thousands of flights and…
Read MoreEarnings miss, downside risks weigh on Singtel shares, but RHB sees ‘re-entry opportunity’
The brokerage expects legacy share overhang to clear, and is betting on the telco’s AI, cloud initiatives [SINGAPORE] Singtel’s share price volatility offers investors a “re-entry opportunity” into the counter, said RHB analysts on Friday (May 22), even as other brokerages flagged the group’s latest earnings miss. RHB analysts said the volatility has been amplified…
Read MoreJapan’s Nikkei rallies to record close as AI shares shine
Published Fri, May 22, 2026 · 03:03 PM [TOKYO] Japan’s Nikkei share average soared to a record-high close on Friday (May 22) as AI shares rallied on the back of gains for US peers. The Nikkei ended the day up 2.7 per cent at 63,339.07, despite failing to breach the all-time intraday peak of 63,799.32…
Read MoreAMD ramping up Taiwan capacity as global CPU market tightens
CPUs are taking centre stage as companies and businesses gravitate towards agentic AI Published Fri, May 22, 2026 · 02:19 PM [TAIPEI] Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is working with Taiwan partners to ramp up production capacity as stronger-than-expected demand squeezes the global central processing unit (CPU) market, CEO Lisa Su said on Friday (May 22).…
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