Global fabless semiconductor companies and foundries rely on their production and assembly facilities in East Asia and Southeast Asia to manufacture 73% of their chips and semiconductor equipment. East Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan have developed a mature chip ecosy...

Condivergence: Chip packaging’s place in Malaysia’s semiconductor strategy

Chip design and fabrication companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia and TSMC are the major drivers of the US tech stock market. TSMC market cap size alone is 43 times larger than the leading Taiwanese packaging company with US listing, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE), which has a mark...

Condivergence: The rising tide of advanced chip packaging

On Sept 16, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger wrote to his staff on how to meet the headwinds facing Intel, including specific comments on Intel Malaysia operations. The key moves involved: (a) spinning off its foundry business which incurred losses of US$2.8 billion (RM11.8 billion) in the second quarter ...

Condivergence: Intel’s headwinds amid a buoyant semiconductor industry

Intel is one of the most famous semiconductor chip producers. Founded in 1968, it was the legendary chip foundry that had its “Intel Inside” almost every personal computer and server in the 1980s and 1990s. But its success in that sector missed the rise of DRAM (dynamic random access memory) and ...

Condivergence: Intel faces big headwinds

“If you are looking for a career where your services will be in high demand, you should find something where you provide a scarce, complementary service to something that is getting ubiquitous and cheap. So, what’s getting ubiquitous and cheap? Data. And what is complementary to...

Condivergence: Why talent skills are so important in the tech industry

Innovation relies on making risky investments in assets like property, machinery, equipment and software, but these must be funded either by internally generated cash flow or external sources such as debt or equity in order to bring products from design concepts to market.

In a competit...

Condivergence: How top tech companies compare in value-added returns

The tech business is investment-intensive and also cyclical in nature, requiring large investments in expensive equipment, as well as high-cost talent to produce products or software that may or may not achieve commercial success.

As former McKinsey analyst Eric Beinhocker observed in h...

Condivergence: How tech companies should finance their operations

Asean countries have become very attractive locations for chip companies in the US, Europe and Japan. Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam generated 57% of the region’s total manufacturing gross domestic product, which amounted to US$767 billion. Each of them, including Singapore and Thailand, has amb...

Condivergence: Realities behind Asean’s tech industry ambitions

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a game changer that is exponentially enhancing human/machine capability, which raises dynamic competitive pressure on both the supply and demand side of market services and products. The market is digesting which hardware and software companies are likely to benefit most from the biggest revolution since the arrival of the internet. The largest US tech companies, Nvidia and Apple on the hardware side and Microsoft and Google on the software side, have become trillion-dollar companies since the arrival of ChatGPT.

Condivergence: How AI impacts the chip industry

On Aug 9, 2022, US President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act, which provided US$76 billion (RM358 billion) over a five-year period to boost onshore semiconductor production. The US manufactures only 12% of the world’s semiconductors, even though it designs 47% of semiconductors sold wo...

Condivergence: How the CHIPS Act affects the semiconductor industry

Shopping malls under Pavilion Real Estate Investment Trust (KL:PAVREIT) and KLCC Stapled Group (KL:KLCC) still reign supreme in the luxury market even after The Exchange TRX Mall opened to much fanfare, said Kenanga Investment Bank.

Pavilion, KLCC still reign supreme in luxury shopping as TRX Mall fails to stir market — Kenanga

The glove industry is poised for a positive outlook despite cost pressures brought on by measures in Budget 2025, said CIMB Securities in a statement on Wednesday.

CIMB positive glove industry can pass on cost increases to consumers

The government is in the process of finalising sustainable development guidelines for data centres, which will become one of the conditions for applying for government incentives.

Guidelines on data centres' usage of power and water to become a requirement for incentives — Zafrul

Thailand’s central bank chief Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput signalled policymakers won’t be rushing to follow up on last week’s interest-rate cut and defended the current inflation target amid government calls to ease policy further and lift the price goal.

Thai central bank chief sees ‘high’ bar to another rate cut

Goldman Sachs Group Inc tactically lowered Indian equities to neutral from overweight as slowing economic growth dents the outlook for corporate earnings.

“While we believe the structural positive case for India remains intact, economic growth is cyclically slowing down across many pockets,” strategists including Sunil Koul wrote in a note on Tuesday.

Goldman Sachs cuts Indian stocks to neutral on slowing growth

Singapore is prepared to grant 30-year import licences to companies investing billions of dollars in low-carbon electricity projects, the head of its energy regulator said on Wednesday, in a move aimed at helping the firms recoup their initial investments.

Singapore prepared to grant 30-year licences for low-carbon power imports

China should issue 2 trillion yuan (US$281 billion) of special government bonds to help create a market stabilization fund, according to a top government-linked think tank.

The fund would promote market stability through the buying and selling of blue-chip stocks and exchange-traded funds, Chinese media outlet the Paper reported, citing a release from the Institute of Finance & Banking at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. That think tank is affiliated with the State Council, China’s cabinet.

China think tank urges US$281 billion for market stabilization

Analysts have raised their earnings forecasts and target prices (TPs) after Gamuda Bhd (KL:GAMUDA) grew its order book to RM28.7 billion after securing a NT$32 billion (RM4.3 billion) contract for the Xizhi Donghu Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project in Taiwan.

Gamuda boosts order book to RM28.7b with Taiwan MRT win, analysts raise earnings forecasts

A group of investors and creditors led by a businesswoman have applied to the High Court here for a stay of a court mandated meeting for ACE Credit Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of ACE Holdings Bhd.

Investors, creditors want to halt court-convened meeting of ACE Credit

Apple Inc’s chief executive officer Tim Cook discussed investments, data security and cloud services with a senior Chinese official during his second trip to the nation this year.

Apple’s Tim Cook visits China, talks data security with minister

HSBC Holdings plc’s new chief executive officer just unveiled the biggest overhaul of the company in at least a decade, but it was missing some key details for employees and investors.

HSBC revamp by new CEO Elhedery stumps staffers, investors alike

Gold prices jumped to record high and the dollar was on the rise again on Wednesday, keeping the pressure on the yen and the euro, while stocks in Asia stuttered as investors were reluctant to place major bets ahead of a hotly contested US election.

Stocks stumble, dollar and gold rise as traders weigh US rates, election

Stocks struggled in late hours after downbeat news from some key American companies, with traders also mulling prospects for a slower pace of Federal Reserve rate cuts.

A US$600 billion exchange-traded fund tracking the S&amp;P 500 (SPY) wavered after the close of regular trading.

Stocks struggle in late hours as McDonald’s slumps

Three companies had met all the requirements to participate in the online bidding on June 16, 2024 for a pilot project to supply renewable energy (RE) across borders to Singapore via Energy Exchange Malaysia (ENEGEM).

The Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) said that two Singaporean companies were successful in their bid to secure 100 megawatts (MW) of green electricity, with cross-border supply agreements currently being finalised.

Three companies qualify for online bid to supply renewable energy

Analysts have raised their earnings forecasts and target prices (TPs) after Gamuda Bhd (KL:GAMUDA) grew its order book to RM28.7 billion after securing a NT$32 billion (RM4.3 billion) contract for the Xizhi Donghu Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project in Taiwan.

In April, sovereign fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd announced RM1 billion in ‘national fund-of-funds’ initiatives at the KL20 Summit to support local venture capital funds and attract international managers. With the increased interest from both domestic and foreign investors in Malaysia’s start-up ecosystem, a crucial question arises: Are there enough investment- or IPO-ready private companies in the country?

Are Malaysian private companies investment-ready?

A total of 7,400 companies have adopted the e-invoice system, with 58 million e-invoices issued as of Oct 14, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

This reflects the positive reception among companies in complying with the implementation of e-invoicing, the ministry said.

7,400 companies using e-invoice system, 58 mil e-invoices issued as at Oct 14 — MOF

A group of investors and creditors led by a businesswoman have applied to the High Court here for a stay of a court mandated meeting for ACE Credit Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of ACE Holdings Bhd.

&nbsp;Top financial regulators around the globe are voicing concern about private credit valuations, whether lenders are hiding troubled loans, and the deep entanglement between private markets and insurance money.&nbsp;

“Valuation risks are where we see a core issue,” Andrew Dean, the co-chief of the Division of Enforcement Asset Management at the US Securities and Exchange Commission, said.

Top regulators call out valuation risks in private credit

Shopping malls under Pavilion Real Estate Investment Trust (KL:PAVREIT) and KLCC Stapled Group (KL:KLCC) still reign supreme in the luxury market even after The Exchange TRX Mall opened to much fanfare, said Kenanga Investment Bank.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the US election is creating “high uncertainty” for markets and policymakers, given the sharply divergent trade priorities of the candidates.

US election creates ‘high uncertainty’ for fragile markets, IMF says

Japan’s 40-year government bond yield climbed to its highest level in 16 years amid growing speculation that the nation’s central bank will push ahead with interest rate increases in coming months.

Japan’s 40-year yield rises to highest since 2008 on BOJ outlook

Arm Holdings plc is cancelling a licence that allowed longtime partner Qualcomm Inc to use Arm intellectual property to design chips, escalating a legal dispute over vital smartphone technology.

Arm to cancel Qualcomm chip design licence in escalation of feud

Bankrupt Tupperware Brands agreed on Tuesday to sell its business to a group of lenders for US$23.5 million (RM101.99 million) in cash and over US$63 million in debt relief, cancelling its plans for an open-market auction of its assets.

Tupperware cancels auction, agrees to lender takeover

The government is in the process of finalising sustainable development guidelines for data centres, which will become one of the conditions for applying for government incentives.

The chief executive officer (CEO) of GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISBH) and his wife are among 22 individuals who will be charged in the Selayang Sessions Court on Wednesday.

According to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, all of them will be charged under Section 130V (1) of the Penal Code for being members of an organised crime group.

Top GISBH leader, wife among 22 individuals to be charged on Wednesday

One person died and dozens fell ill from E coli infections linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers in 10 states, led by Colorado, where 26 people were sickened, the US Centers for Disease Control said on Tuesday.

E coli outbreak tied to McDonald's Quarter Pounder kills one, sickens dozens in US

US billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk warned of the risk of the United States going bankrupt if government spending is not cut, reported Sputnik, reported by Bernama-Sputnik.

Musk warns of risks of US going bankrupt — report

Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB) has expressed its commitment to focusing on improving training and recruitment to address the increasing demand and complexity of modern aircraft.

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) said that MAB has also strengthened its competitive salary offerings to attract new workers and retain existing employees while also implementing a recruitment process directly from the market.

MAB focuses on enhancing training, hiring workers to address demand, modern aircraft

Tokyo Metro Co’s stock soared 36% in its trading debut on Wednesday after the initial public offering (IPO) drew strong demand from investors.

Andrew Sheng and Loh Peixin

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