MONEY MASTER

Singapore equities opened higher on Tuesday, tracking gains on Wall Street, while investors turn cautious ahead of a potential  monetary policy tightening by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)  amid rising oil-driven inflation pressures. STI Opens Higher Amid Positive Market Breadth The  FTSE Straits Times Index  rose  0.48% to 5,008.28  in early trade, supported by broad-based buying. Market internals were positive, with  110 advancers versus 23 decliners , as trading activity reached  99.36 million shares worth S$67.26 million . Wall Street Rally Driven by AI and Chip Stocks Overnight, US markets advanced, led by technology stocks: Nasdaq Composite  +1.2% S&P 500  +1.0% Dow Jones Industrial Average  +0.6% Gains were fueled by  AI and semiconductor names , including  Intel  and  Nokia . Investor sentiment improved after  Donald Trump signaled that Iran may be open to negotiations , easing some ge...

Microsoft  is reportedly considering legal action against  Amazon  and  OpenAI  over a  US$50 billion cloud agreement , escalating tensions in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure race. Dispute Centres on Cloud Exclusivity At the core of the dispute is whether  Amazon Web Services (AWS)  can host OpenAI’s new commercial offering,  “Frontier,”  without breaching Microsoft’s  exclusive cloud partnership  with the AI firm. Microsoft’s agreement requires that  access to OpenAI models be delivered via its Azure cloud platform , making any potential AWS involvement a  possible contractual violation . The reported deal could significantly reshape the  competitive landscape in cloud computing and AI services , where exclusivity and infrastructure control are key strategic advantages. High Stakes in the AI Infrastructure Race The potential legal challenge underscores intensifying competition am...

Market Snapshot (Feb 26, 2026) FBM KLCI:  1,740.94 ( -0.39% ) FBM Mid 70:  -0.40% FBM Small Cap:  -0.90% FBM ACE:  -0.78% Total gainers:  367 Total losers:  746 Total trading value:  RM4.07 billion Market breadth was negative , with losers more than double gainers. Key Index Performance Despite the daily dip, the FBM KLCI remains up  3.62% year-to-date , while: FBM Mid 70:  +5.33% YTD FBM Small Cap:  +0.59% YTD FBM ACE:  -2.22% YTD Top Movers (FBM KLCI) Gainers Sunway Bhd  +1.88% AMMB Holdings Bhd  +1.68% Gamuda Bhd  +1.67% PETRONAS Dagangan Bhd  +1.46% Decliners Malayan Banking Bhd  -2.91% Telekom Malaysia Bhd  -3.74% MR D.I.Y. Group (M) Bhd  -4.35% YTL Corp Bhd  -2.04% Most Active Stocks Malayan Banking Bhd  – 68.6 million shares traded Aquawalk Group – 75.9 million shares Public Bank – 57.4 million shares Top Gainers by Value Sunway Construction Group Bhd  +RM0.35 PETRONAS Daganga...

Quick Summary 4QFY2025 net profit rose 5.7% YoY to RM2.68b Declared  33 sen dividend FY2025 net profit climbed  4.2% to RM10.51b CET1 ratio improved to  15.1% , signalling strong capital buffer Stronger Quarter Backed by Higher Interest Income Malaysia’s largest lender,  Malayan Banking Bhd  (Maybank) , posted a solid finish to 2025, driven by lower provisions and higher interest income. 4QFY2025 Highlights Net profit:  RM2.68 billion ( +5.7% YoY ) Net interest income:  RM5.8 billion ( +7.6% YoY ) Other operating income:  RM1.5 billion ( -23% YoY ) Dividend declared:   33 sen per share Lower impairment charges helped lift bottom-line growth despite weaker fee and trading income. Full-Year FY2025 Performance Net profit:  RM10.51 billion ( +4.2% YoY ) Net interest income:  RM20.23 billion ( +2.7% YoY ) Non-interest income:  RM10.15 billion ( +2.7% YoY ) Operating expenses:  RM14.84 billion ( +2.6% YoY ) Cost discipline impro...

Market Snapshot (Feb 25, 2026) FBM KLCI:  1,747.81 ( -0.35% ) FBM 70:  17,769.08 ( +0.11% ) FBM Small Cap:  +0.10% FBM Emas Index:  -0.22% Blue chips softened, while mid- and small-cap stocks held firmer. FBM KLCI Movers Top Gainer Petronas Dagangan Bhd  (PETDAG) RM21.96 +2.62% Energy-linked counters led gains, with PETDAG topping the benchmark. Top Loser Telekom Malaysia Bhd  (TM) RM7.75 -4.79% TM was the biggest drag on the index and also the most actively traded stock of the day. Other notable gainers: Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd  (PCHEM)  +2.58% Axiata Group Bhd  (AXIATA)  +2.20% Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd  (PMETAL)  +1.48% YTL Corp Bhd  (YTL)  +1.03% FBM 70 Movers Top Gainer Scientex Bhd  (SCIENTX) RM3.87 +3.48% Top Loser Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd  (ASTRO) RM0.075 -16.67% Mid-cap volatility stood out, particularly with ASTRO’s sharp sell-off. Malaysia REIT Movers Top Gainer AmFirst Real Estat...

  Equities hover near record highs while gold suffers its steepest drop in years; traders brace for volatility ahead of Fed meeting After months of steady gains, the  S&P 500’s rally is showing cracks , with investors growing cautious amid buyer exhaustion and a stronger dollar that triggered a historic sell-off in gold and silver. The  S&P 500 ended flat , holding near record territory, while the  Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%  on upbeat guidance from 3M Co. The  Nasdaq 100  was little changed as traders rotated out of tech stocks following  Alphabet’s slide , triggered by OpenAI’s debut of a ChatGPT-powered browser. Analysts say the market is taking a much-needed pause. “Our near-term technical outlook is for equities to consolidate or pull back,” said  Craig Johnson  of Piper Sandler. “We view pullbacks as healthy and necessary.” A Market Running on Momentum Despite fears over trade and credit,  stock exposure am...

  Wall Street Recap Dow Jones: 44,130.98 (-0.74%) S&P 500: 6,339.39 (-0.37%) Nasdaq: 21,122.45 (-0.03%) US markets closed lower as the Federal Reserve held rates steady, reducing hopes for a September cut. After-hours saw Amazon drop nearly 7 percent on weak guidance while Apple gained 2.3 percent on strong revenue. Meta and Microsoft hit record highs. Bursa Malaysia Overview KLCI: 1,513.25 (-0.74%) Top Gainer: Axiata RM2.70 (+2.27%) Top Loser: PChem RM3.88 (-4.67%) USD/MYR: 4.2774 (+0.29%) Bursa posted its biggest daily drop since mid-July as investors awaited tariff news. Turnover was RM3.1 billion with 3.8 billion shares traded. Key Headlines US Imposes 19% Tariff on Malaysian Exports Effective August 8 with a grace period for goods in transit. Malaysia’s rate aligns with regional peers; other nations face 10–41 percent. Trump confirms attendance at the ASEAN Summit in October. 13th Malaysia Plan (2026–2030) GDP growth target: 4.5–5.5 percent annually. RM430 billion allocate...

Asian stocks rose modestly on Thursday, lifted by  Nvidia’s historic rally  to a US$4 trillion valuation, while investors remained largely  unfazed by a fresh round of U.S. tariff announcements  from President Donald Trump. Market Snapshot MSCI Asia-Pacific Index (ex-Japan):  +0.2% Nikkei 225 (Japan):  -0.56% CSI 300 (China):  +0.2% Hang Seng (Hong Kong):  +0.1% EURO STOXX 50 Futures:  +0.18% FTSE Futures:  +0.33% Tariff Moves Brushed Off Trump unveiled plans for  50% tariffs on copper  and  Brazilian exports , along with  notices to seven smaller trading partners . Despite the headlines, market volatility was limited. Jeff Ng, SMBC , noted that  investors have grown “numb”  to tariff threats and remain optimistic about potential negotiations or reversals. “A lot of these announcements start with eye-catching numbers but are not totally final,” said Ng. Nvidia Hits US$4 Trillion Nvidia became the first compa...

Key Takeaway: President Trump’s sweeping new tariffs triggered a  $3.1 trillion market rout , with the  S&P 500 falling 4.8% , marking its  steepest one-day loss since June 2020 . The newly announced tariff regime — including a  10% baseline duty and country-specific levies as high as 54%  — poses the  largest trade shock in U.S. history , according to Macquarie. Market Impact Highlights: Nasdaq Composite  slid nearly  6% , tech stocks led the decline. Russell 2000  entered bear territory, plunging  6.6%  from its Nov 2024 peak. Dow Jones  closed at its lowest since September, down  1,679 points (-4%) . Consumer staples  were the sole sector in the S&P 500 to finish positive. Bond yields dropped  as risk-off sentiment intensified;  10-year UST  yield fell near 4%. Dollar weakened  despite elevated geopolitical risk, as traders sought safe havens. Strategic Context: While investors hoped Apr...

Pre-Market Highlights: Stocks Making Big Moves Gapping Up Poseida Therapeutics (PSTX) : Stock skyrocketed over 200%  after Roche announced its acquisition for  up to $1.5 billion in cash. Novo Nordisk (NVO)  and  Eli Lilly (LLY) : Shares of these  weight-loss drug makers rose 2.1% and 4.9%  respectively after President Joe Biden proposed  expanding Medicare and Medicaid coverage for anti-obesity drugs. Arqit Quantum (ARQQ) : Stock climbed 4% in pre-market trading  following a  37% surge yesterday,  driven by Amazon's new Quantum Embark Program, which aims to integrate  quantum computing with AI. Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS) : Shares jumped  8.2%  after the company raised its full-year outlook. CEO Lauren Hobart credited an  “excellent” back-to-school season  and  better-than-expected Q3 sales  for the positive forecast. Intel (INTC) : Shares rose 0.4%  as the US government confirmed  $7.86 bill...