Posts by Swedan Margen
China’s Temu and Shein want to crack Europe, but the US is too big to quit
HUANG Lun was one of the original architects of his Guangzhou-based company’s push into the US market, helping it to sell underwear and yoga pants via the online commerce platforms Amazon, Temu and Shein. The American market now makes up 70 per cent of the company’s total sales, but in March, with US President Donald…
Read MoreAsia: Markets rise as traders eye possible Trump-Xi talks
[HONG KONG] Asian stocks rallied on Tuesday as investors kept tabs on developments in the China-US trade war amid speculation the countries’ leaders will hold talks soon. After a period of relative calm on the tariff front, Donald Trump at the weekend accused Beijing of violating last month’s deal to slash huge tit-for-tat levies and…
Read MoreFrasers unit to buy S$48 million Yishun cinema complex from Golden Village
[SINGAPORE] A wholly owned subsidiary of Frasers Property has agreed to buy a cinema complex in Yishun Central from Golden Village Multiplex and lease back the property to the cinema chain. Under a sales and purchase agreement inked on Monday (Jun 2), Frasers unit Lion (Singapore) conditionally agreed to purchase the cinema complex for S$48…
Read MoreAustralia central bank pondered outsized rate cut in May, decided to be predictable
[SYDNEY] Australia’s central bank considered cutting interest rates by an outsized 50 basis points last month as “insurance” against global trade risks, but decided to go the predictable route with a cautious easing. Minutes of its May 20 policy meeting, showed the Reserve Bank of Australia board also debated holding rates unchanged at 4.10 per…
Read MoreToyota to take key supplier private in US$33 billion deal
[TOKYO] Toyota Motor will take forklift-maker Toyota Industries private in a US$33 billion deal, the companies said on Tuesday (Jun 3), a landmark unwinding of cross-shareholding that is likely to strengthen the influence of the group’s founding Toyoda family. Going private will allow Toyota Industries to take a longer-term business perspective, the companies said. Japanese…
Read MoreElectric trucks are the latest threat to oil demand in China
MORE and more Chinese trucks are being powered by batteries, another sign that oil-based fuels are getting shoved to the sidelines in an increasingly electrified economy. Government incentives are boosting sales of electric trucks in a sector that has traditionally run on diesel, a fuel that makes up over a quarter of Chinese oil demand.…
Read MoreAsia’s top-rated bonds lifted by pullback from US Treasuries
[MELBOURNE] Bonds in Australia and Singapore are getting a lift from rising questions about the appeal of Treasuries, as fears that a proposed US tax bill may hit foreign investors add to pressure following a recent ratings downgrade. Strategists and portfolio managers are re-examining whether Treasuries are offering enough compensation, a rare challenge to the…
Read MoreVanguard files for new ex-China emerging markets ETF
ASSET management giant Vanguard Group plans to launch a new exchange-traded fund (ETF) that will target emerging markets while excluding China, joining a growing niche shaped by investor debate over China’s role in global portfolios. The Vanguard Emerging Markets ex-China ETF will make its debut later this summer. Many investors have been unsettled by turmoil…
Read MoreMicrosoft cuts hundreds more jobs after firing 6,000 last month
The AI boom has roiled the tech labour market because companies are prioritising AI-focused jobs and harnessing the technology to save money Published Tue, Jun 3, 2025 · 06:46 AM [NEW YORK] Microsoft cut hundreds more jobs just weeks after its largest layoff in years, underscoring the tech industry’s efforts to trim costs even as…
Read MoreUS aluminium and steel prices surge as Trump doubles tariffs
[LONDON] Futures tracking aluminium and steel prices in the US surged after President Donald Trump said he will double tariffs on the metals this week. Contracts linked to the prices that manufacturers pay to get aluminium delivered to the US Midwest jumped 54 per cent to the highest since 2013 on the Comex exchange in…
Read MoreImmigration official defends tactics against criticism of a heavy hand as arrests rise nationwide
The head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday defended his tactics against criticism that authorities are being too heavy-handed as they ramp up arrests toward President Donald Trump’s promises of mass deportations. Source link
Read MoreEurope: Shares stumble on Trump’s new tariff threat
EUROPEAN shares began June on a dour note as markets grappled with US President Donald Trump’s new tariff plans that threatened to reignite a fresh wave of global trade tensions. The continent-wide Stoxx 600 slipped 0.14 per cent to 547.92 on Monday, after recording about a 4 per cent gain in May. Late on Friday, Trump…
Read More