Posts by Kim Browne
Maybank eyes 13-14% ROE by 2030 in new five-year strategy unveiled ahead of Q4 earnings
It will invest RM10 billion in its technology, data and artificial strategy over the next five years [SINGAPORE] Malaysian lender Maybank on Tuesday (Jan 20) unveiled a new five-year plan outlining a strategic roadmap until 2030. The plan, Roar 30, aims to deliver stronger and sustainable growth with a target return on equity (ROE) of…
Read MoreOCBC sets up securities financing unit for institutional investors
It will create opportunities for these customers to earn fee income by lending out their idle securities, says lender [SINGAPORE] OCBC has set up a dedicated securities financing unit for its institutional investors, under its global markets division. The unit will mobilise lendable securities from customers across OCBC and subsidiaries OCBC Securities, Bank of Singapore…
Read MoreSingapore a ‘safe harbour’ amid global volatility with Singdollar set to gain: Julius Baer
The wealth manager urges investors to look to growth areas for portfolio diversification [SINGAPORE] The Republic represents a “safe harbour” amid a volatile and rapidly shifting macroeconomic environment, said Swiss private bank Julius Baer in its 2026 market outlook, forecasting gains for the Singapore dollar and local equities. Mark Matthews, head of research for Asia…
Read MoreGold and platinum hit records as crisis over Greenland worsens
GOLD and platinum rose to fresh records – while silver was near an all-time peak – as the worsening crisis over Greenland and a meltdown in Japanese government debt supported haven demand. President Donald Trump, who is in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum at Davos, showed no signs of backing down on his Greenland grab.…
Read MoreSTI, Asia markets retreat after Dow dives nearly 900 points on Trump tariff threats
Trump’s tariff threats against Europe over Greenland sparked sell-offs; Bitcoin fell more than 3 per cent [SINGAPORE] Singapore shares were trading lower on Wednesday (Jan 21), mirroring losses in markets abroad after new tariff threats by US President Donald Trump sparked massive Wall Street sell-offs. The Straits Times Index (STI) fell 0.6 per cent or…
Read MoreJapanese bonds may rebound after Katayama calls for market calm
JAPAN’S bonds are likely to rebound after Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama called for calm among market participants following a selloff that pushed yields to all-time highs. Katayama’s comments came after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s election pitch to cut taxes on food drove up yields on 30- and 40-year debt by more than 25 basis points…
Read MoreDemocratic senators demand records on Powell probe
US DEMOCRATIC senators Elizabeth Warren and Dick Durbin on Tuesday called for President Donald Trump’s administration to turn over records related to the Justice Department’s criminal probe of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. “This investigation appears to be a serious misuse of power, and yet another action in a series of President Trump’s unlawful efforts…
Read MoreUS military seizes another Venezuela-linked tanker in the Caribbean
[WASHINGTON] The US military said it seized a Venezuela-linked tanker on Tuesday in the Caribbean, marking the seventh such apprehension since the start of US President Donald Trump’s month-long campaign to control Venezuela’s oil flows. The US military’s Southern Command, which is overseeing nearly a dozen warships and thousands of troops in the Caribbean, said…
Read MoreEuropean shares end lower as Trump’s tariff threat persists
EUROPEAN shares touched their lowest in nearly two weeks on Tuesday, as mounting unease over US President Donald Trump’s tariff threat over Greenland hurt optimism from earlier in the month. The pan-European Stoxx 600 ended 0.7 per cent lower at 602.80 points, marking its biggest two-day drop in two months. France’s CAC 40 index dropped 0.6 per…
Read MoreICE Has Cut Its Detainees Off From Medical Care
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has stopped paying for immigrant detainees to receive health care—and isn’t planning on paying for months, independent journalist Judd Legum reported Tuesday. ICE Health Service Corps, the entity that provides immigrants in detention with health care, quietly posted last week that Acentra, the agency’s new third-party administrator for medical claims,…
Read More“You’ll Find Out”: Trump Warns Greenland on How Far He’ll Go
“Kudos to these Trump Deranged Liberals for constantly inventing new ways to light Democrat donor money on fire by spreading fake news,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Washington Post, in a Monday email. “Looking forward to your jail sentence, DJT!” one message on the card read, according to the Post. The original birthday…
Read MoreDOGE Goons May Have Used Social Security Data for Election Plot
“Kudos to these Trump Deranged Liberals for constantly inventing new ways to light Democrat donor money on fire by spreading fake news,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Washington Post, in a Monday email. “Looking forward to your jail sentence, DJT!” one message on the card read, according to the Post. The original birthday…
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