Corporate News

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KUALA LUMPUR: Here is a recap of the announcements that made headlines in Corporate Malaysia.

Commodities

Oil steady amid supply risks, rising Mideast exports

Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday after recovering earlier losses, as the market weighed increases in Middle Eastern crude exports and a planned Group of Seven release of emergency diesel and crude stockpiles against supply concerns related to attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.

Markets

S&P 500, Nasdaq hit records as earnings loom

US stocks ended higher on Tuesday as crude prices steadied and US Treasury yields eased, offering some reprieve from concerns that have preoccupied investors in recent weeks, and allowing markets to turn their attention to the approaching third-quarter reporting season.

Economy

Brazil assets surge as Bolsonaro leads presidential race

Brazilian assets are surging on expectations that Flávio Bolsonaro will address the country's mounting fiscal problems and pave the way for interest rate cuts as he becomes the surprise favourite to win the presidency in an Oct 25 runoff against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Business

US pays US$950mil for detention facilities

The Trump administration has agreed to pay US$950mil to buy three California immigration detention facilities from GEO Group Inc, part of a broader push to give the federal government more direct control over the infrastructure behind its mass deportation campaign.

Markets

GPU financing filters into ABS with Stonebriar, Wingspire deals

The growing demand for capital to fund artificial intelligence (AI) investment is filtering into a little-watched corner of the asset-backed securities (ABS) market: bonds secured by equipment loans and leases.

Insight

Under pressure: The squeezed middle class

Middle-income wage earners and households feel left behind, frequently described as the "squeezed middle" and have questioned the benefits of economic policies and globalisation.

Corporate News

JPMorgan dangles 11% yield on Volta’s AI loan sale

JPMorgan Chase & Co is pitching a yield of about 11% on a US$5bil leveraged-loan sale on behalf of Volta Infrastructure Holdings Ltd, one of the highest borrowing costs seen in the market for risky debt that's become popular for financing the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

Corporate News

Neinor raises payouts, unveils Orion JV

Neinor Homes SA, Spain's largest real estate developer, is increasing its shareholder payouts and financial targets. It has also unveiled a new joint venture (JV) to build houses with its largest investor.

Markets

CFTC targets leveraged crypto exchanges

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has unveiled a proposal to regulate digital asset transactions and markets, drawing on the agency's existing authority after crypto market structure legislation was blocked last month.

Economy

A trader’s guide to navigating Budget 2027

Malaysia's consumer and construction stocks may emerge as beneficiaries of next year's spending plan as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim seeks to ease living costs while maintaining fiscal prudence.

Corporate News

SLGC targets more jobs fresh on the heels of its ACE Market listing

Construction services provider SLGC Bhd, which debuted on the ACE Market yesterday, will focus on executing its existing projects effectively while continuing to replenish its order book, managing director Yong Zhen Lin says.

Economy

Vietnam returns to trade surplus in September but deficit lingers

Vietnam has returned to a goods trade surplus in September after nine consecutive months of deficit, but remains in a US$19.42bil deficit for the first nine months of this year, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).

Economy

Manila growth forecast cut

The Philippines' growth prospects for the rest of the year will hinge on how quickly government spending recovers, regional surveillance group Amro has said, forecasting that the economy will lag the regional average this year and the following year.

Economy

Central bank set to flag 2% inflation milestone

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) may signal this month that underlying inflation has roughly hit its 2% target, three sources familiar with its thinking say, highlighting its readiness to raise interest rates again in the coming months.

Economy

Thai price pressures rise on flood risk

Thailand's inflation accelerated for a second straight month in September, moving closer to the central bank's upper limit as severe flooding adds to the risk of higher food prices.

Corporate News

Potential upside for YTL Power

YTL Power International Bhd could see further valuation upside as capacity expansion and new data centre (DC) contracts unlock its potential 2.4GW Johor pipeline, says Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research.

Energy

Vietnam’s LNG power plans face massive delays

Vietnam's push to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) to meet surging electricity demand is well behind schedule, with only one of 18 gas-fired power projects expected to be finished on time.

Plantations

Boosting replanting, cost factors key for planters

Budget 2027 is expected to focus on boosting replanting among independent smallholders, while the plantation industry could also seek relief from rising operating costs through changes to the windfall profit levy (WPL) and a more measured approach to minimum wage increases.

Corporate News

Astra says it doesn’t need a deal for ‘growth beyond 2030’

AstraZeneca Plc has what it needs to keep growing beyond 2030 without a major acquisition, chief executive officer Pascal Soriot has said, weeks after speculation about a potential tie-up with Bristol Myers Squibb Co.