Author: Journalist

At COP29, the Singapore government pledged up to US$500 million as concessional capital, to match dollar-for-dollar concessional capital from other partners.The Australian government has approved a US$50 million ($67.24 million) investment into the Green Investments partnership (GIP) under Singapore’s Financing Asia’s Transition Partnership (Fast-P) initiative, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced on Dec 3.The investment will support clean energy transition and sustainable infrastructure development across Southeast Asia, according to MAS, which launched Fast-P at COP28 in 2023.Australia’s investment, administered by Export Finance Australia (EFA), will help facilitate investment opportunities in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure projects across Southeast Asia…

The Smart Investor Smart Reads Pic 3 As earnings season rolls on, the spotlight this week is firmly on income. We highlight five Singapore stocks paying dividends in August and take a closer look at four REITs worth watching in the same period. For investors seeking more dependable yields, we have also rounded up four reliable dividend stocks that could fit neatly into a long-term income portfolio. Corporate activity is another theme, with three Singapore companies unlocking value for shareholders through corporate actions and business moves. Over in the IPO space, we review how recent listings have performed and whether…

July was good to Bitcoin, and some analysts think this may just be the warmup. Although Bitcoin was last down 0.35% at $115,396.40, below its record peak of around $123,000, some analysts aren’t worried. Tom Lee,  managing partner and head of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors who predicted Bitcoin’s peak in 2024, has said he thinks Bitcoin willl reach $250,000 before the end of the year. Bitcoin climbed to a record high on July 14 as weekly cryptocurrency investment products saw record weekly inflows, pushing the total crypto market to top $4 trillion for the first time ever. With new…

The price of Bitcoin (BTC) is expected to reach a high of $162,353 this year (€139,148), before it settles at around $145,167 (€124,418). That’s according to UK fintech firm Finder’s latest survey, collecting price predictions from 24 crypto industry specialists. Within responses, high and low estimates range widely, and the most optimistic predictions expect a peak price of $250,000 this year. The average lowest price prediction sits at $87,618, with some predicting that Bitcoin will fall as low as $70,000. The cryptocurrency has recently reached $120,000 from just below $100,000 at the end of last year. “There are a number…

In the equity market, investments need to be prudently hedged to overcome uncertainties and limit losses related to external shocks. A question that arises often is whether one should resort to a value strategy that seeks discounted stocks or opt for growth investing in times of extreme market instability. The investing track of the Oracle of Omaha over the past few decades and his gradual shift from being a pure-play value investor to a GARP (growth at a reasonable price) investor might give us all the answers. Per the GARP theory, the strategic mingling of growth and value-investing principles gives…

iFAST HQ Last year, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) established an equity market review committee (EMRC) to look at ways to strengthen Singapore’s stock market. As part of a raft of new initiatives aimed at increasing interest from both retail and institutional investors, MAS has agreed to a S$5 billion programme. Singapore’s central bank will partner with selected fund managers to invest in local stocks. We shortlisted five interesting candidates that we believe will benefit from this pool of money as these stocks look set to report healthy growth. ComfortDelGro Corporation, or CDG, is a transport operator offering a…

Welcome to this week’s edition of top stock market highlights. After weeks of intense negotiations, President Donald Trump has reached a trade deal with Vietnam ahead of a deadline on 9 July. Recall that Trump had paused his list of reciprocal tariffs for 90 days after declaring his “Liberation Day” list of tariffs on more than 180 countries. A 20% tariff will be imposed on all Vietnamese exports to the US, with the levy rising to 40% on any goods transhipped within the country. In return, Vietnam has agreed to withdraw all levies on US imports. This deal was secured…

The restaurant industry has faced a mixed bag in 2025, grappling with persistent macro headwinds such as elevated labor costs, cautious consumer spending and ongoing food inflation.While dining demand has been relatively stable in some segments, the broader industry has lagged the market amid concerns over discretionary income pressure and shifting customer preferences. As a result, many restaurant stocks have underperformed, with investors growing increasingly selective about where to allocate capital within the space.Despite the industry’s uneven performance, several restaurant chains have bucked the trend, posting strong earnings, solid same-store sales growth, and continued unit expansion. These outperformers are benefiting…

LONDON, July 01, 2025–(BUSINESS WIRE)–London-based Zango has raised $4.8m, in a round led by Nexus Venture Partners, a leading global venture capital firm with over $2.6 billion capital under management. Other participants in the latest round include South Park Commons, Richard Davies, CEO of Allica Bank, Alan Morgan, former head of Financial Services at McKinsey (EMEA), Mark Ransford, Notion Capital, No Label Ventures and Start Ventures. Ritesh Singhania, Co-founder of Zango says, “Traditional SaaS stops at KYC and AML, leaving the rest of compliance buried in spreadsheets and manual reviews. Zango changes that. Our regulation-aware AI agents continuously track regulatory…

” Comprehensive Report Highlights Market Growth, Key Applications, and Emerging Trends in Polyester Resin Across Industries.” BOSTON, June 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — According to the latest study from BCC Research, “Polyester Resin: Global Markets” is expected to grow from $13.0 billion in 2024 to $16.6 billion by the end of 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.0% from 2024 through 2029. BCC Research (PRNewsfoto/BCC Research LLC) The report on the polyester resin market focuses on its forms (liquid and solid), types (unsaturated, saturated, alkyd, and vinyl ester), and end-use industries (construction, transportation, marine and electronics). It offers insights…