Singapore News Highlights : 1st Sept 15

• Singapore shares opened almost flat, with the Straits Times Index up 0.88 points to 2,922.32 despite overnight weakness in US equities.
• Chinese stocks fall at market open.
• Sembcorp Marine has clinched a approx US$1 billion engineering, procurement and construction contract to build three topsides for the Culzean Field development in the North Sea.
• Singtel has completed purchase of a 98 per cent stake in cyber security firm Trustwave for a lowered price of US$770 million. 
• Chinese Global Investors Group will resume trading today.
• Singapore listed companies lost approx S$83b in value in August.
• Asian market turmoil is forcing Croesus Retail Trust to rethink deal terms.
• Asian shares nervous ahead of China data.
• Oil prices leap 8% on lower US output and Opec signal
• Dubai gold retailer defaults on US$136m.
• Asia-Pacific crude is weighed by Slow demand.
• Dollar lowers as investors seek Fed rate hike clues.
• Singapore eases to 0.6% in July in Growth in bank lending.

Singapore News Highlights : 31st August 15

• Singapore shares opened 0.5 per cent higher, with the STI up 13.82 points to 2,969.76 following a mixed session for US markets before the weekend.
• Keppel is buying the owner of LeTourneau jackup rig designs from Cameron International Corp for US$100 million in cash.
• Raffles Medical Group is buying a chain of 10 clinics in China, Vietnam and Cambodia for US$24.5 million.
• Carlyle Group has ended its presence on the board of China Fishery Group.
• Singtel to double paternity leave and also supports call to raise re-employment age.
• China Everbright Water is seeking to acquire Dalian Dongda Water Company.
• Stock futures drop, while the Yen rallies after Fischer talks up inflation.

Singapore News Highlights : 28th August 15

Singapore Straits Times Index opened higher by 1.31% or 38.71 points at 2,984.14, buoyed by Wall Street's biggest two-day gain since the 2008 global financial crisis.

OLAM International will take a strategic stake in the Singapore-listed commodity trader for S$1.53 billion.

GuocoLeisure posted a 23 per cent rise in net profit, to US$47.9 million.

Sim Lian  net profit for the full year ended June 30, 2015, increased 41 per cent from a year ago to S$240.4 million, on the back of a 67 per cent jump in revenue to S$1.2 billion.

Noble Group rises 14% to lead gains on Singapore benchmark.

Stats Chip asks SGX for suspension of trading in its shares.

LionGold responded SGX on query on auditor's disclaimer of opinion.

Oil markets have catched breath after biggest gains in past six years.

Gold coasts along as stocks perk up.

Singapore News Highlights - 27th August 15

Singapore market opened 1.43 per cent or 41.20 points higher at 2,914.20, due to possible US Federal Reserve delay in interest rate hike.

STI up more than 2%.

Hupsteel & Union Steel swings down for Q4, full-year.

IEV unit has filed writ against Indonesian company.

GuocoLand Q4 profit down by 42%.

Imperium Crown's net profit has gone up by S$11.98m for year ended June.

Guocoland reported a 42 per cent break in net profit for the fourth quarter ended June 30, 2015, to S$107.31 million.

Union Steel Holdings fourth-quarter results down with a net loss of S$8.4 million.

Hupsteel had a net loss of S$9.3 million for the fourth quarter, due to an inventory write-down, a goodwill write-off and provision for doubtful debts.

Asian stocks are up as Wall Street rally calms markets, & dollar surges.

Dollar gains due to Wall St rebounds from 6-day rout.

China interbank liquidity crunch has eased, but relief may be fleeting.

Greece's Tsipras rules out at forming national unity government.

Oil went down after mixed US petroleum supply report.

Gold has started struggling as equities recover after China rate cut.

Singapore News Highlights

- Following Japan's stock market, Singapore share prices opened lower with the Straits Times Index (STI) down 5.31 points or 0.15 per cent to 3,507.69.

- Private healthcare provider Raffles Medical Group posted a 2.9 per cent year-on-year rise in net profit to S$14.98 million for Q1 FY15 while revenue jumped 8.5 per cent to S$95.02 million.

- DBS Group Holding, Southeast Asia's largest lender, posted higher first-quarter profit as net interest income increased. Net income gained 3 percent to S$1.27 billion for the three months ended March 31.

- Frasers Commercial Trust (FCOT) has entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement with Australand Property Holdings to acquire a commercial property in Melbourne for A$222.5 million (S$232 million).

- Profits earned by Chinese industrial firms fell 0.4 per cent in March from a year earlier to 508.61 billion yuan ($82.09 billion).

Malaysia News Highlights

• Malaysia share prices opened lower on Thursday with the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index down 2.71 points to 1,847.600.
• The ringgit opened lower against the US dollar today as the greenback strenghtened following US Federal Reserve hinta of an early rate hike.
• UEM Sunrise Bhd, the master developer of Nusajaya in Iskandar Malaysia, yesterday unveiled the 4,551-acre second phase development of Gerbang Nusajaya over a 25 year period with a gross development value of RM42 billion.
• Sime Darby Bhd and VTTI Asia Pte Ltd have scrapped plans to set up a joint venture company in relation to a bulk liquid storage terminal project at Weifang Sime Darby Port.
• Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to ease to 3.5% to 4.0% in the second quarter of 2015 with the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), from an estimated 5.0% to 5.2% in the first quarter, said MIDF Research.
• Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) takeover offer for Integrax Bhd has crossed the 90% threshold in order for the national utility company to undertake a compulsory acquisition for the remaining voting shares of the port operator.
• Dagang Nexchange Bhd has proposed a selective capital reduction and repayment exercise for its 71.25% subsidiary Dagang Net Technologies Sdn Bhd for RM1.50 a share.
• Maybank has appointed Daiwa, HSBC and SMBC Nikko as leads for a debut offering of Samurai bonds.
• Malakoff Corp Bhd, Malaysia's largest independent power producer, will start taking orders on April 17 for its RM2.74 billion initial public offering (IPO).
• Divestments will be a core component of companies' capital strategy in the next year as management teams address pressure to improve portfolio performance and shareholder returns, according to Ernst & Young's (EY) Global Corporate Divestment Study 2015. 
  
           
  

Malaysia News Highlights & Technical Reports

1. The ringgit opened higher against the US dollar in the early session today on renewed buying interest. 

2. Malaysia share prices opened higher on Thursday with the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index up 0.75 points to 1,827.06. 

3. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has aborted plans to put 1Malaysia Development Bhd's energy arm up for sale and will proceed with Edra Global Energy Bhd (Edra) initial public offering (IPO).

4. Westports Holdings Bhd said there were no disruptions to the import process flow at the port yesterday with the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

5. Maybank Investment Bank Bhd (Maybank IB) and CIMB Investment Bank Bhd (CIMB) have together entered into an agreement with Cititower Sdn Bhd for a 20-year RM3.2 billion syndicated Islamic term financing (Syndicated ITF).  

Singapore News Highlights

SINGAPORE

• Singapore share prices opened lower, with the Straits Times Index down 7.27 points to 3,442.83/
• Singapore shares may get off to a slow start with rate hike concerns in the US possibly weighing on sentiment again.
• Sino Construction will raise about $6.5 million through a share placement to partly fund the construction of micro power plants in South Korea.
  
• SINGAPORE businesses are slightly more optimistic about the next three months, the first uptick in sentiment in three quarters, according to the Singapore Commercial Credit Bureau (SCCB).
  
• Oil prices dipped in Asian morning trading on Monday, adding to steep losses in the previous session, as Iran and six world powers tried to reach a deal that could add oil to the market if sanctions against Tehran are lifted.

Malaysia News Today

• Malaysia share prices opened higher on Tuesday with the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index up 2.90points to 1,798.75.

• The ringgit extended yesterday’s rally against the US dollar on continued buying interest.

• Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) was ranked one of the "Top 100 Global Bank Brands", with a brand rating of AA+ in 2015, moving up to 91st position from 93rd in 2014.

• Foreign funds bought back Malaysian equity last week after two weeks of relatively intense selling, despite rating agency Fitch raising the odds that it may downgrade the country's sovereign rating.

• Fordington Pte Ltd has extended the closing date for the unconditional take-over offer for Yokohama Industries Bhd from March 25 to April 8.