AI fires up Asian markets as bond yields hit mid-2024 highs

Market news for September 21 2026: AI demand for chips buoyed Asian equities despite thin holiday trade, while crude oil slid on Middle East diplomatic hopes and recovering shipments. Meanwhile, surging Treasury yields and hawkish central bank tightening expectations kept broader global bond market…

Najib Razak Faces US$12.26m Fine, US Bessent Hails Successful China Talks

Headline news for September 20, 2026: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says talks with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng were very successful. Iran warns that it received information of a possible major new attack by the United States and its allies. Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak says…

Ask vs answer: the human edge AI can't replicate

Would you let AI manage your money the way it manages your inbox? Turns out, most of us won't — 76 per cent use AI to crunch the numbers, but only 8 per cent trust it to make the final call. Correspondent Howie Lim sits down with Ishan Sarkar, head of wealth and premier solutions at HSBC Singapore,…

Unpacking macro shifts and AI realities

Sticky inflation and rising rates are pulling global markets in different directions. In this episode of Market Focus Weekly, Nicole Teo speaks with State Street Investment Management’s Ninghui Liu about how higher energy prices and the AI boom are keeping inflation stubborn in many economies — whi…

Saudi-Houthi Strikes Raise Oil Supply Concerns, Trump-Xi Meeting Set and Singapore Air Quality Improves

Headline news for September 18, 2026: Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi forces exchanged strikes, fuelling concerns over global oil supplies. US President Donald Trump will meet President Xi Jinping next week amid tensions over trade, Taiwan, Iran and AI. Singapore’s air quality also improved ove…

Fed rate hike calms global bond rout as Asian markets edge up

Market news for September 17 2026: Asian shares edged up as the Federal Reserve delivered its first rate hike in over three years, calming a global bond selloff. A surging U.S. dollar weighed on commodities, while focus shifted to central bank decisions in London and Tokyo. Synopsis: Market Focus …

Canada Eyes EU Membership, Singapore Rethinks Teacher Workload, US Raises Saudi Travel Alert

Headline news for September 17, 2026:  Fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis escalates, while the US has barred government employees from going near the Yemen border. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposes to make Canada the EU’s first “associate member”. And Singap…

Asian stocks steady ahead of pivotal Fed decision as bond rout pauses

Market news for September 16, 2026: Asian stocks edged higher as a respite in the global bond selloff and falling oil prices steadied market nerves ahead of the pivotal Federal Reserve decision, with traders pricing an implied 93% probability of a 25-basis-point rate hike. Synopsis: Market Focus D…

China Curbs Travel On National Security Concerns, Anthropic Expands In Singapore

Headline news for September 16, 2026: Russia and Ukraine have both continued attacks on one another’s energy infrastructure, despite US President Donald Trump’s claims of a truce. China has tightened curbs on overseas travel over tech security concerns. And AI company Anthropic is opening an office…

Oil, yields, and rate fears collide

Market news for September 15, 2026: Asian markets slide as AI leaders urge caution and traders brace for pivotal Fed and BOJ rate decisions. Treasury yields breach 5% for the first time since 2007, oil climbs, and bitcoin retreats — signalling a tense, pivotal week ahead for global markets. Synops…