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KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended higher today as buying on selected blue chips continued, said a brokerage.   At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 8.85 points or 0.51 per cent to 1,756.39 from Tuesday’s close of 1,747.54. The barometer index opened 3.69 points higher at 1,751.23 before moving as low as 1,745.51 in early trade to as high as 1,757.15 during the mid-afternoon session.  Market breadth was positive with gainers leading losers 575 to 474, while 549 counters were unchanged, 1,087 untraded and 11 suspended. Turnover expanded to 2.55 billion units valued at RM3.06 billion from yesterday’s 2.19 billion units valued at RM2.35 billion.

Singapore’s financial sector has reached a milestone:  100% of major financial institutions are deploying, piloting, or researching AI , with zero firms reporting no adoption plans. That’s according to Finastra’s  Financial Services State of the Nation 2026  survey — positioning Singapore as one of the  most AI-ready banking ecosystems globally . Key Survey Highlights AI Adoption 0% holdouts Majority actively deploying AI across business functions Remaining institutions piloting or researching Singapore’s financial sector is now fully committed to AI integration. Technology Infrastructure 71% say core infrastructure is ahead of peers 71% rate security and reliability above peers 84% report readiness for tech and cultural change This reflects strong digital foundations built over the past decade. Cloud Penetration 55% mostly or fully cloud-based 30% hybrid environments 13% primarily on-premise Cloud is now the dominant operating model. Customer Experience Focus 69% sa...

China’s producer price deflation softened in January, helped largely by a  global metals rally , though economists warn that a sustained reflation remains elusive without stronger domestic demand. Key Inflation Data (January 2026) Producer Price Index (PPI): -1.4% YoY Smallest decline since July 2024 Improved from -2.1% previously Consumer Price Index (CPI): +0.2% YoY Slowed from +0.8% in December Core CPI: +0.8% (six-month low) Headline improvement masks fragile underlying demand. What’s Driving the PPI Rebound? The improvement was concentrated in  upstream sectors , particularly metals: Non-ferrous metal materials: +16.1% YoY Mining & processing prices: +22.7% The rally in global commodities — especially gold and industrial metals — provided external support. However,  downstream consumer goods prices worsened , with declines widening to  -1.7% , highlighting weak household demand. Morgan Stanley economist  Robin Xing  noted that there is  “no de...

Heineken NV  will eliminate  5,000 to 6,000 jobs over the next two years  as the world’s second-largest brewer battles declining beer consumption in key markets. Why the Cuts? Total volumes fell 1.2% in 2025 Weak demand in  US and Europe Consumers cutting alcohol intake for: Health reasons Cost-of-living pressures Heineken, which produces brands such as  Tecate  and  Amstel , said the job reductions are part of a broader  cost-cutting effort . The restructuring reflects structural shifts in drinking habits, not just cyclical weakness. Industry Pressure Mounting Brewers globally are facing: A long-term trend toward  lower alcohol consumption Growth in  non-alcoholic alternatives Inflation squeezing discretionary spending For Heineken, this comes amid a leadership transition. CEO  Dolf van den Brink  recently announced he will step down after six years in the role. Market Takeaway Cost discipline becomes central as volume growth ...

CelcomDigi  delivered a strong finish to 2025, with  fourth-quarter net profit more than doubling  and dividend payouts maintained as integration efforts near completion. 4QFY2025 Highlights Net Profit:  RM349.6 million (vs RM158.3 million a year ago) Revenue:  RM3.45 billion +5% YoY Dividend:   3.60 sen per share Payable March 30, 2026 Profit growth was driven mainly by lower depreciation, amortisation and impairment charges. Full-Year FY2025 Performance Net Profit:  RM1.51 billion +10% YoY Revenue:  RM12.96 billion +2% YoY Service Revenue:  RM10.91 billion +1.1% YoY EBIT:  RM2.67 billion +16% YoY Capex:  RM1.57 billion Total 2025 Dividends:  14.70 sen per share (vs 14.30 sen in 2024) Subscriber & Integration Update Subscribers:  20.6 million Net addition:  196,000 users Network modernisation:  90%+ complete Retail transformation: 60+ own stores refreshed 300+ partner stores ~⅔ refurbished CEO Albern Murty s...

Singapore’s lower- and middle-income households have seen  stronger real income growth than top earners over the past decade , according to the Ministry of Finance’s February 2026 paper on income growth and inequality. Key Findings (2015–2025) Household Income Growth (Real, Annualised) Second income decile:  +3.2% Top decile:  +0.3%   Bottom-tier households grew nearly 10 times faster than the top income group. Compared internationally: Singapore (bottom 20%): +3.1% UK (bottom 20%): +0.4% Higher than Finland over the same period Individual Wage Growth (Full-Time Workers) Bottom 10th percentile:  +2.6% annually Median worker:  +2.1% Top 10th percentile:  +1.3% Income gains were broad-based, but skewed toward lower earners. Labour Market Strength Resident unemployment (2025): 2.8% Below OECD average Retrenched workers finding same/higher wage jobs: 60% in 2024 (vs 52% in 2018) Re-entry rates (6–18 months): Above 79% from 2016–2024 Labour mobility and re-...

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM)  has onboarded  three new projects  under its Digital Asset Innovation Hub (DAIH) to test  ringgit stablecoins and tokenised deposits , marking a major step in Malaysia’s digital payments evolution. What’s Being Tested? Three initiatives have been selected: 1️⃣  Ringgit Stablecoins for B2B Settlement Led by  Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia In partnership with  Capital A 2️⃣  Tokenised Deposits for Payments By  Malayan Banking 3️⃣  Tokenised Deposits for Payments By  CIMB Group Holdings Focus areas: Domestic and cross-border wholesale payments Tokenised asset settlements Why This Matters BNM said the controlled testing environment will help assess: Monetary stability risks Financial system implications Regulatory framework enhancements Importantly, BNM plans to provide  greater clarity on the use of ringgit stablecoins and tokenised deposits by end-2026. This could be a precursor to wholesale CBDC int...

Prime Minister  Lawrence Wong  will deliver  Singapore Budget 2026  on  February 12 at 3:30 PM , marking the first Budget under the 15th Parliament. If Budget 2025 focused on recovery,  Budget 2026 signals a pivot toward high-quality, sustainable growth. Macro Backdrop: Strong Surplus, Stronger Leverage After a resilient 2025: GDP growth:  4.8% (advance estimate) Operating revenue:  S$98.5B (first 9 months) Corporate tax:  +11.6% YoY Key point: Singapore enters Budget 2026 with meaningful fiscal surplus and policy flexibility. This “dry powder” gives policymakers room to: Cushion cost-of-living pressures Accelerate green and digital transformation Strengthen long-term competitiveness 1️⃣ Cost-of-Living Relief — But Targeted Markets expect: Continued  utilities and transport subsidies SME rebates for rentals and utilities Extension of transfer schemes However, broad stimulus is unlikely. Relief will be precise, not expansionary — balancin...

Quick Summary Three stocks flagged with positive momentum Four stocks showed negative momentum signals Signals are based on  volume and price build-up , not buy/sell calls Momentum trades are typically  short-lived Positive Momentum Stocks Advance Information Marketing Bhd  (AIM) Unchanged at 6 sen Flagged due to  volume surge despite flat price Ralco Corporation Bhd  (RALCO) +1 sen (+1%) to RM1.01 Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Keluarga Bhd  (TAKAFUL) +3 sen (+0.88%) to RM3.42 These counters are seeing  stronger-than-usual buying activity . Negative Momentum Stocks APM Automotive Holdings Bhd  (APM) +4 sen (+1.18%) to RM3.43 British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Bhd  (BAT) +67 sen (+12.25%) to RM6.14 Bintai Kinden Corporation Bhd  (BINTAI) +0.5 sen (+5%) to 10.5 sen Milux Corporation Bhd  (MILUX) +3.5 sen (+6.86%) to 54.5 sen Despite price gains in some names, the algorithm detected  volume patterns suggesting weakening momentum . Ho...

Quick Summary Earnings beats and upgrades are driving sharp upside gaps Weak guidance and regulatory risk are triggering heavy sell-offs Tech, healthcare and AI-linked names dominate volatility Gapping Up  Quince Therapeutics +81.7% Appointed LifeSci Capital to explore  strategic alternatives and restructuring Credo Technology +14.5% Issued  preliminary Q3 revenue well above guidance Ferrari +10.8% Q4 earnings beat  and order book now stretches to  end-2027 Entegris +9.5% Beat Q4 results and  guided Q1 above consensus Spotify Technology +8.5% Earnings beat , strong premium subscriber growth, and  margin improvement Datadog +7.0% Q4 beat and  Q1 revenue guidance topped estimates Oscar Health +6.6% Issued  strong FY26 revenue and operating earnings outlook Vistra Energy +4.2% Upgraded to  Buy  by Jefferies Unity Software +3.6% Oppenheimer upgrade to  Outperform Astera Labs +3.5% Ahead of earnings and announced  new AI design...

Quick Summary TSMC’s January revenue jumped 37% YoY , beating expectations AI-driven demand  is keeping capacity tight and sales strong Potential US tariff exemptions  could further boost demand from Big Tech Stock is already  up 17% year-to-date What’s Driving TSMC Higher Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co  reported  January revenue of NT$401.6 billion (US$12.7bn) : +20% quarter-on-quarter +37% year-on-year The pace of growth is  ahead of TSMC’s own ~30% full-year growth guidance , reinforcing its central role in the global semiconductor supply chain. AI Demand Keeps Capex Elevated TSMC recently announced: Up to US$56 billion in capex for 2026 , +30% vs last year High investment levels expected for the next three years The spending spree reflects  relentless demand for AI chips , particularly from hyperscalers and data-centre operators. Tariff Relief: A Possible Bonus According to the  Financial Times ,  major US tech firms may be exempt ...

Summary Wall Street investors are increasingly  rotating money out of US equities and into global markets , drawn by  lower valuations, policy stimulus abroad, and a weaker US dollar . While the US remains a core holding, its dominance is no longer seen as unchallenged. What’s Driving the Shift After years of heavy concentration in US mega-cap tech, investors are broadening their horizons as  America’s valuation premium narrows . Key catalysts include: Fiscal stimulus in Japan Surging defence and infrastructure spending in Europe Attractive valuations across emerging markets A weaker US dollar boosting foreign equity returns Keith Lerner of Truist summed it up:  “It’s no longer just a US story.” Global Markets Take the Lead Several international benchmarks have  outperformed US indexes in 2026 so far , including: Stoxx Europe 600 Kospi MSCI Emerging Markets Index Japan’s rally gained further momentum after Prime Minister  Sanae Takaichi  secured a deci...

Quick Summary Spotify Technology  shares surged after the company  beat earnings expectations, delivered stronger margins, and added more premium subscribers than forecast , easing fears after months of stock underperformance. What Drove the Rally Shares jumped ~12% premarket  after results Earnings:  €4.43 per share vs  €2.74 expected Revenue:  €4.53bn,  +7% YoY , slightly above estimates Gross margin:   33.1% , beating forecasts Wall Street reaction:  Profitability matters again — not just growth. Subscriber Growth Still Solid +9 million premium subscribers  added in Q4 Growth  beat analyst expectations  despite recent price hikes Analysts now expect  ~289 million premium users Key takeaway:   Price increases are not (yet) driving users away. Guidance: Confident, Not Flashy For the current quarter, Spotify expects: Revenue:  €4.5bn (slightly below consensus €4.58bn) Gross margin:   32.8% ,  above mark...