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Quick Summary Wall Street tech stocks rebounded , led by Nvidia optimism Bursa Malaysia slipped for a second day , lagging regional peers Sunway’s Q4 net profit surged 50% despite revenue decline Ringgit strength seen as  manageable for export competitiveness Wall Street Recap: Tech Leads the Comeback US markets extended gains as tech stocks recovered from earlier AI-driven fears. Nasdaq:  +1.26% S&P 500:  +0.81% Dow Jones:  +0.63% The rally was driven by: Strength in enterprise software names like  Salesforce ,  IBM  and  Oracle Strong after-hours reaction to results from  NVIDIA   Investors are treating Nvidia’s demand guidance as the key signal for 2026 market direction. Bursa Malaysia: Still on the Back Foot FBM KLCI:  1,747.81 ( -0.35% ) Top Gainer:  PETDAG (+2.62%) Top Loser:  TM (-4.79%) USD/MYR:  3.891 Bursa ended lower for a second straight session as: US tariff uncertainties weighed on sentiment Regional...

Quick Summary Wall Street rebounded , led by AMD’s 8.8% surge on a major AI chip deal with Meta FBM KLCI slipped 0.23% , ending a four-day winning streak Malaysia’s reserves hit US$127.9 billion , highest since 2014 PM Anwar says Malaysia  won’t rush decisions  after US tariff reversal Wall Street Recap: AI Optimism Returns US markets bounced back as investors viewed Monday’s AI selloff as overdone. Nasdaq:  +1.04% S&P 500:  +0.77% Dow Jones:  +0.76% The rally was driven by: Advanced Micro Devices  (AMD)  +8.8% Following a massive AI GPU order from  Meta Platforms Intel  +5.7% After investing US$350 million in AI chip startup SambaNova IBM  and  Salesforce  also rebounded Precious metals were mixed amid tariff and geopolitical tensions: Gold futures:  -0.7% to US$5,186 Silver futures:  +1% Bursa Malaysia: Mild Profit-Taking FBM KLCI:  1,754.01 (-0.23%) Top gainer:   Petronas Dagangan Bhd  (PETDAG) ...

Microsoft reported strong fiscal Q4 2025 earnings, with results topping Wall Street forecasts and driving the stock up more than 6% in after-hours trading. The surge was fueled by exceptional growth in its cloud business. Key Results: Total Revenue:  $76.4 billion, up 18% year-on-year Operating Income:  $34.3 billion, up 23% EPS:  $3.65, up 24% Intelligent Cloud Revenue:  $29.9 billion, up 26% Azure & Cloud Services:  +39%, exceeding expectations Productivity & Business Processes:  $33.1 billion, up 16% More Personal Computing:  $13.5 billion, up 9% CEO Commentary: Satya Nadella highlighted cloud and AI as key growth drivers, saying: “Cloud and AI are driving business transformation across every industry. Azure surpassed $75 billion in annual revenue, up 34%, driven by growth across all workloads.” Analyst View: Morgan Stanley noted that Microsoft remains well-positioned in the generative AI space, calling its risk/reward profile “attractive” w...

Wall Street's main indexes surged on Wednesday, driven by a dovish shift from Japan's top policymaker following last week's unexpected interest rate hike, which had triggered significant volatility in global markets. Key Highlights: Global Market Sentiment: Global equity markets rebounded after Bank of Japan (BOJ) Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida assured that the central bank would not raise interest rates during financial instability, leading to a weaker yen and improved market sentiment. Previous Volatility: The BOJ's surprise rate hike on July 31, the first in 15 years, caused a surge in the yen and a global stock market selloff as investors exited sharp currency carry trade positions. "Many trades become 'crowded,' and people exploit them as an easy money-making route, which often ends poorly," said JJ Kinahan, CEO of IG Group North America. "Things got overdone quickly, and now, cooler heads are prevailing." Market Movements: The CBOE V...

Japan's government is committed to monitoring and analyzing financial market movements in collaboration with relevant authorities, including the Bank of Japan (BOJ), Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki stated on Tuesday. This comes in the wake of significant market volatility and economic challenges. Key Statements from Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki Monitoring Financial Markets: Suzuki emphasized that Japan will continue to keep a close eye on financial market developments and work closely with the BOJ to assess the situation. The government aims to manage the economy and finance effectively, making calm judgments in collaboration with the BOJ. Economic Management: "Japan will do its utmost to manage the economy and finance, while cooperating with the Bank of Japan, and make judgments on the current situation calmly," Suzuki stated at a meeting with regional finance bureau chiefs. Recent Market Movements Nikkei Stock Index: The Nikkei index experienced a significant rebou...

The founder of SoftBank Group Corp, Masayoshi Son, has seen his fortune shrink by US$2.5 billion (RM11.35 billion) following a significant two-day decline in the company’s stock price. This drop comes as the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) unexpected interest-rate hike sends shockwaves through financial markets. Market Reaction SoftBank's Stock Performance: Shares fell 6.7% during morning trading in Tokyo. Over two days, the stock has declined by roughly 13% . Despite the setback, Son’s net worth has increased by about US$3 billion from the US$11.3 billion he started with at the beginning of the year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Factors Contributing to the Decline Bank of Japan’s Interest Rate Hike: The BOJ’s earlier-than-expected rate increase has rattled investors, leading to a swift reversal in Japanese stocks. This decision has particularly impacted tech companies like SoftBank, which had been among the top performers in the market. SoftBank’s Previous Performance: ...

Bursa Malaysia Bhd (KL), the stock exchange operator, reported a 5.5% rise in net profit for the second quarter, driven by increased income from the securities market. For the quarter ended June 30, 2024 (2QFY2024), Bursa Malaysia recorded a net profit of RM80.45 million, up from RM76.25 million in the same period last year. The company’s revenue for the quarter saw a significant 28% year-on-year increase, reaching RM199.94 million compared to RM144.6 million. “The exchange is optimistic” about achieving its financial targets for the year ending 2024 (FY2024), the company stated in an exchange filing. Bursa Malaysia declared an interim dividend of 18 sen per share, an increase from 15 sen per share in 2QFY2023. Key Takeaways: Net profit for 2QFY2024 rose 5.5% to RM80.45 million. Revenue increased by 28% year-on-year to RM199.94 million. Bursa Malaysia is confident in meeting its FY2024 financial targets. Interim dividend declared at 18 sen per share, up from 15 sen per share in 2QFY202...

Shares in SK Hynix Inc slid by the most in 20 months following a significant rout in tech stocks, overshadowing the company's strong financial results for the June quarter. Key Financial Highlights: Revenue: SK Hynix reported sales of 16.4 trillion won (US$11.9 billion), more than double the previous period and ahead of analyst estimates. Operating Profit: The company achieved an operating profit of 5.47 trillion won, with an operating margin of 33%. Despite these strong results, SK Hynix’s stock fell as much as 8.9% on Thursday in Seoul, marking the biggest intraday decline since November 2022. This drop followed a broad sell-off in tech stocks in the US, including a 6.8% decline for Nvidia, as investors grew wary of inflated valuations in the AI sector. Samsung Electronics Co, which is also struggling to penetrate the high-end memory market, fell 2.3%. Market Sentiment and Analyst Insights: Investor Concerns: There are growing concerns that spending on AI and data centers may ...

CapitaLand Malaysia Trust (KL: CLMT) reported a 15.2% increase in its second-quarter net property income (NPI), reaching RM65.47 million. This growth was driven by positive rental reversions and higher occupancies across most of its malls. Key Financial Highlights: Net Property Income (2QFY2024): RM65.47 million, up from RM56.83 million in 2QFY2023. Gross Revenue (2QFY2024): Increased by 8.5% to RM113.65 million, aided by RM3 million in compensation income from an early lease termination. Distributable Income: Rose to RM33.27 million from RM28.64 million. Distribution Per Unit (DPU): Announced at 1.17 sen per unit, up from 1.06 sen in the same quarter last year. This brings the DPU for the first half of FY2024 to 2.36 sen, compared with 1.93 sen in the first half of FY2023. Dividend Yield: Stands at 7.02%, based on the last traded unit price of 65.5 sen. First Half of FY2024 Highlights: Net Property Income: Increased by 34.7% to RM129.4 million. Gross Revenue: Grew 23.1% to RM22...

Japan's Nikkei share average ended at a three-week low on Monday, extending its decline to a fourth session, as chip-related stocks tumbled after their Wall Street peers closed sharply lower in the previous session. Key Takeaways: Nikkei Decline : The Nikkei fell 1.16% to 39,599, its lowest close since June 28, marking its longest losing streak since October last year. The broader Topix was also down 1.16% to 2,827.53. Chip Stocks Impact : Chip-equipment maker Tokyo Electron fell 2.57%, chip-testing equipment maker Advantest lost 3.53%, and silicon-wafer maker Shin-Etsu Chemical slipped 2.15%. Global Influence : The Japanese market reflected negative overseas cues, particularly the slump in US stocks on Friday due to a global technical outage caused by a software glitch, which added uncertainty to the market. US Market Impact : Nvidia shares led a sell-off in chip-related stocks, with the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index dropping over 3%. Trump Trade : Heavy industry maker IHI f...

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. recently made headlines with its sale of approximately 34 million shares of Bank of America Corp, totaling $1.48 billion. This strategic move, disclosed in a public filing on Friday, has caught the attention of investors and analysts alike. Berkshire's Remaining Stake Despite this significant sale, Berkshire Hathaway remains a major stakeholder in Bank of America, holding over 998 million shares valued at more than $42 billion. This continued investment underscores Berkshire's confidence in the long-term prospects of the bank. As one of the largest shareholders, Berkshire's decisions regarding Bank of America are closely watched and can have substantial market implications. Bank of America's Recent Performance Bank of America has seen its stock price rise by 7.9% this month, reflecting positive market sentiment and possibly the anticipation of continued strong performance. The bank has been a reliable performer in Berkshire...

Stock markets rebounded on Thursday after a tech-led tumble, as investors turned their attention to the European Central Bank (ECB) and its potential plans for a rate cut in September after maintaining current rates at its latest meeting. Key Points: Stock Market Activity: Wall Street was eyeing a recovery in the Nasdaq after its worst day since December 2022. Europe's STOXX 600 aimed to end a three-session losing streak, driven by a 1.8% rise in carmaker stocks. Tech stocks were only slightly higher after a significant drop on Wednesday due to potential US export curbs on semiconductor technology to China. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan saw a 2.5% drop in IT stocks overnight. Japan's Nikkei fell more than 2% due to yen strength and a sharp drop in chip stocks. ECB and Fed Expectations: BNP Paribas economist Luca Pennarola suggested September as the likely date for the ECB's next rate cut, given the lack of pushback from policymakers. ECB Pre...