French luxury group Hermes HRMS.PA reported fourth-quarter results well above analyst expectations on Friday, showing robust appetite from wealthy consumers for its most expensive items including Birkin bags, which cost upwards of US$10,000 (RM44,362).

Birkin bag maker Hermes extends lead over rivals with end-of-year sales surge

The Consumer Credit Oversight Board (CCOB) Task Force aims to gazette the Consumer Credit Bill 2025 by year end, said Bank Negara Malaysia assistant governor Abu Hassan Alshari Yahaya.

Task force aiming to gazette Consumer Credit Bill 2025 by year end — BNM

Asean economies, particularly Vietnam, Malaysia, and India, have benefited from China's supply chain diversification, primarily in textiles and electronics, according to Moody's Ratings.

Asean, including Malaysia, benefits from China's supply chain diversification, says Moody's

The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) has established two rapid action teams in Johor, to be mobilised for operations if the flood situation in the state worsens.

Fire and Rescue Dept forms rapid action teams for emergency deployment in Johor

US President Donald Trump has denied a New York Times report that his close ally, billionaire Elon Musk, was due to be briefed by the Pentagon on Friday about the US military's plan for any war that might break out with China.

Trump denies Musk to be briefed on top-secret plan for potential war with China

Genting Bhd (KL:GENTING) has agreed to pay a fine of US$10.5 million (RM46.41 million) to the Nevada Gaming Commission as part of a settlement for a complaint against its Las Vegas resort operations.

Genting agrees to RM46m fine as part of settlement for complaint against its Las Vegas resort

Ding Yumei, the ex-wife of China Evergrande Group chairman Hui Ka Yan, faced off with liquidators in a Hong Kong court Friday, with lawyers arguing that she wasn’t sophisticated enough to understand the defaulted builder’s finances.

Evergrande chairman’s ex-wife was ‘just a housewife’, court told

The government will commence disbursing Phase 2 of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) or Rahmah Cash Contribution next Monday (March 24), with an allocation of RM1.7 billion, up from RM1.5 billion last year.

8.5 million to receive Rahmah Cash Contribution Phase 2 payment from March 24 — MOF

All road maintenance work that requires lane closures on highways will be halted from March 24 to April 7, in conjunction with the Aidilfitri celebrations, said Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

Aidilfitri: No highway lane closures for road maintenance from March 24 to April 7, says minister

DRB-Hicom Bhd (KL:DRBHCOM) has been spared from a potential RM246.25 million tax bill after the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) ruled in favour of the automotive-to-banking conglomerate’s appeal, reversing its decision to classify the gain from the disposal of its long-held stake in Alam Flora Sdn Bhd as income.

DRB-Hicom spared RM246 mil tax bill after IRB rules in favour of appeal

French aeronautic services company Elior Group will set up its Asia headquarters for aircraft parts dismantling, recycling and trading in Hong Kong, which could elevate the city's status as a regional aviation hub.

France's Elior Group to set up Asia's first aircraft parts hub in Hong Kong

Shares of Lim Seong Hai Capital Bhd (KL:LSH) fell 17% on its first-ever trades on the ACE Market after the construction firm raised RM168.08 million as part of its transfer from the LEAP Market.

Lim Seong Hai Capital opens 17% lower on ACE Market debut

Top Glove Corporation Bhd (KL:TOPGLOV) will likely turn in smaller-than-expected profits for fiscal 2025, analysts said while flagging rising risk from Chinese rivals.

Top Glove faces rising risks from Chinese rivals, analysts flag after weaker-than-expected 2Q

Malaysia Airlines’ parent Malaysia Aviation Group Bhd (MAG) is acquiring another&nbsp;30 new Boeing aircraft&nbsp;for the second stage of its fleet renewal strategy.

Malaysia Airlines’ parent opts for 30 new Boeing aircraft for second stage of fleet renewal

The Bank of Thailand, which has long resisted interest-rate cuts despite immense political pressure, may end up having to embark on the region’s most aggressive easing cycle as a sluggish economy takes a turn for the worse, according to analysts.

Thailand may yet embark on Southeast Asia's most aggressive rate cuts

Asian stocks inched lower on Friday in a subdued end to the week as deepening geopolitical worries and fears over US tariffs and their impact on the global economy curbed investors appetite for risk, keeping safe-haven gold near record highs.

Asian stocks slip as growth, tariff worries weigh

Lembaga Tabung Haji declared a profit distribution rate of 3.25% after zakat for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2024 (FY2024), breaking its previous four-year streak of declaring 3.1%.

Tabung Haji declares 3.25% profit distribution for FY2024

South Korean chemicals companies are racing to tap new markets after racking up hundreds of millions of dollars in losses in the face of a deluge of capacity from China, their biggest market.

South Korean plastics giants struggle as China becomes a rival

Nestlé (Malaysia) Bhd (KL:NESTLE) on Friday broke ground for a RM250 million integrated logistics hub in Port Klang.

The facility is designed to function as a regional hub, facilitating product exports to over 60 countries and sourcing imported raw materials, Nestle Malaysia said in a statement. The hub is expected to be fully operational by the first quarter of 2026 and create over 200 new jobs, it said.

Nestlé Malaysia breaks ground for RM250m regional logistics hub in Port Klang

Read more in the March 24 edition of The Edge Malaysia Weekly.

Trumpianomics: The Art of Coercion

GX Bank Bhd, Malaysia’s first digital bank, commands the largest share of customer deposits among operational digital banks with RM2.16 billion deposits as of September 2024, according to RAM Ratings.

GXBank tops digital banking sector deposits with RM2.16 bil as of September 2024 — RAM Ratings

Oil advanced after the US ramped up measures to hobble Iran’s crude exports, increasing pressure on Tehran amid a push for a new nuclear accord.

Oil advances as US ramps up sanctions against Iranian crude

MSB Global Group Bhd, an aftermarket automotive parts and components distributor, on Friday launched its initial public offering (IPO) that could raise up to RM41.4 million from the ACE Market.

Autopart distributor MSB Global sets ACE Market IPO price at 20 sen per share

Boeing Global president Brendan Nelson has announced that the company will increase its Malaysian workforce by 20% over the next two years, reinforcing its commitment to the country’s aerospace industry.

Boeing to increase Malaysian workforce by 20% as part of expanded partnership with Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia’s headline inflation slowed in February 2025 as food prices stabilised while housing and utilities costs moderated, according to official data released on Friday.

Malaysia's February inflation slows as housing, utilities costs moderate, official data show

For months, President Prabowo Subianto’s moves to chip away at Indonesia’s long-established economic guardrails have stoked anxiety in markets. This week’s sudden rout suggests investor patience is wearing thin.

Prabowo faces investor revolt over Indonesia’s economic path

A fresh bout of instability gripped the stock market as concern around the potential impacts of a trade war outweighed the latest housing and jobs data showing the world’s largest economy is still holding up.

US stocks halt Fed-fuelled rally as trade fear lingers

Chinese consumer giants dominate next week’s earnings after a survey showed consumers are&nbsp;feeling&nbsp;increasingly optimistic and Beijing&nbsp;outlined plans&nbsp;to revive consumption by boosting incomes.

Pop Mart, Haidilao, Nongfu Spring to set tone for China consumption

Trump says people that get caught sabotaging Teslas will stand a very good chance of going to jail for up to 20 years, and that includes the funders — Truth Social post

Trump says people that get caught sabotaging Teslas will stand a very good chance of going to jail for up to 20 years, and that includes the funders — Truth Social post

Micron Technology forecast third-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates on Thursday, signaling strong demand for its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI models, sending its shares up 2% in after-hours trading.

Micron forecasts upbeat quarterly revenue on strong AI memory chip demand

Britain's Heathrow Airport said it would be closed all of Friday after a huge fire at a nearby electrical substation wiped out power, disrupting flight schedules around the world.

The London Fire Brigade said around 70 firefighters were tackling the blaze in the west of London, which caused a mass power outage at Heathrow, Europe's busiest and the world's fifth-busiest airport.

Mimosa Spencer & Tassilo Hummel