Oil hits seven-week highs as Yen slides to forty-year low

Market news for July 22, 2026:  Asian shares traded mixed today amid caution ahead of the major tech earnings this week. Yen slides to its weakest level in almost four decades. Oil extends its rally to reach seven-week highs. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business T…

Iran War Costs Tops US$37.5B, Houthis Threaten Red Sea Shipping , SGX Debuts First U.S. SDRs

Headline news for July 22, 2026:  Oil prices surged to a five-week high today, as two oil tankers carrying Saudi crude to Asia reversed course in the Red Sea. U.S. President Donald Trump announced that U.S. imported generic drugs will face a 100% tariff in August 2028. SGX will launch 3 SDRs for U.…

Asian stocks bounce back, Oil slips despite escalating Houthi threats

Market news for July 21, 2026:  Asian shares climbed today, led by gains in Japan and South Korea. Oil prices edged lower on hopes of diplomatic progress in the Gulf. Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have threatened a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia. Indonesia's parliament approved generous tax incentiv…

Houthis Blockade Saudi Arabia, Mediators Propose a Ten-Day Iran Ceasefire and Burnham Takes Power in Britain 

Headline news for July 21, 2026: Yemen's Houthis declare a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia effective immediately threatening to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and cut a further seven per cent of global oil supply. Mediators have put a ten-day ceasefire proposal to Iran in a bid to salvage the interi…

Oil tops US$90 as conflict intensifies, South Korean chip sell-off accelerates

Market news for July 20, 2026: Asian shares traded mixed today as the conflict in the Middle East has pushed oil prices higher, reaching above US$90 a barrel for the first time in more than a month. South Korea’s Kospi fell another 4.5 per cent lower today as the semiconductor sell off extended int…

US Death Toll Hits Seventeen, Brent Crosses Ninety Dollars and Hormuz Traffic Falls to Four Ships 

Headline news for July 20, 2026: A third US service member is confirmed killed in the Iran conflict, bringing the total death toll to seventeen since February. Brent crude crosses ninety U.S. dollars a barrel as fighting enters its ninth consecutive night. The Strait of Hormuz traffic crashes to ju…

Loss of income, not identity: navigating the psychology of retrenchment

Retrenchment isn't just a career setback; it's a financial and psychological earthquake. Howie Lim speaks with financial psychologist Dr Annabelle Chow about navigating the initial shock. What is the single biggest financial mistake most make in the first 48 hours and how to stop panic from driving…

Chip stocks falling, oil rising and India's US$30 trillion opportunity: M&G's Vikas Pershad on where to look now

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, coupled with growing concerns that AI spending may have become too exuberant, have fuelled volatility in stock markets globally. On a positive note, the equity fundraising boom shows little sign of slowing, with Malaysia leading the way in South-east Asia. …

Singapore Electronics Surge, Iran Fighting Enters Sixth Night and Gold Falls Below Four Thousand Dollars 

Headline news for July 17, 2026: Singapore's electronics exports surge one hundred and five per cent in June on AI-driven demand even as overall export growth moderates. US and Iranian forces exchange fire for a sixth consecutive night as the June truce continues to unravel. Gold falls below four t…

TSMC's record profit fails to lift Asian chip stocks; Oil eases amid elevated risks

Market news for July 16, 2026: Asian shares fell today, led by the sell-off in semiconductor, even as chipmaking giant TSMC announced its’ record earnings beat. Meanwhile, oil prices retreated slightly after the US completed its latest round of strikes on Iran. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a cl…