Key Takeaways Renewed US-Iran tensions pushed Brent crude briefly above US$80 , reigniting concerns over global energy supplies. Despite geopolitical uncertainty, Wall Street avoided a sharp sell-off , suggesting investors believe the conflict remains manageable for now. Higher oil prices have revived expectations of a Federal Reserve rate hike , as markets worry about renewed inflation. Technology stocks remained relatively resilient , showing that AI continues to provide underlying support for equities. The next move in oil prices could determine whether market volatility returns. Market Insight When news broke that the US had launched fresh strikes on Iran , investors immediately rushed into the oil market. Brent crude briefly climbed above US$80 a barrel , as fears grew that escalating tensions could disrupt supplies through the Strait of Hormuz , one of the world's busiest energy shipping routes. Yet the reaction in equities was far more measured. Although the S...
KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) international reserves fell RM8.3bil to RM356.4bil (US$94.5bil) over the past two weeks until Aug 14. BNM said on Thursday the international reserves as at Aug 14 was sufficient to finance 7.5 months of retained imports and it was 1.0 time the short-term external debt. The reserves had declined by RM8.3bil from the RM364.7bil (US$96.7bil) as at July 31, 2015. The reserves position then was sufficient to finance 7.6 months of retained imports and was 1.1 times the short-term external debt. The above news was taken from Bank Negara reserves decline to RM356B from The Star. The bad news is the reserves are still dropping, but at slower rate; although the Malaysian Ringgit continue to dive until 4.19 against the US Dollar before gaining back and close at 4.17 for the weekends. The slower rate of the reserves drop would most likely because there is no longer intervention by the Bank Negara against the Malaysian Ringgit devaluation ...