(Jan 21): Base metals declined after US President Donald Trump said he would likely enact tariffs on Mexico and Canada by Feb 1, hurting market sentiment even as he held off from imposing levies on China.

Metals drop as US President Trump plans tariffs on Canada, Mexico

The Selangor government is conducting a comprehensive review of potential mechanisms, to address the declining paddy purchase prices in the state.

Selangor conducting comprehensive review to address paddy purchase price issue, says MB

The London Metal Exchange (LME) has approved Hong Kong as a warehouse location for the first time as the bourse seeks a stronger link to mainland China — the world’s biggest metals market.

The Hong Kong storage site will be permitted to hold the LME’s main base metals, including copper, zinc and aluminium, the LME said in an emailed statement.

London Metal Exchange approves Hong Kong as warehouse location to attract China

(Jan 20): China is still producing too much steel, setting up the industry for more pain as domestic consumption drops and unprofitable mills reach a tipping point.

China steelmakers head for more production cuts as demand sags

Copper headed for an eighth day of gains, its longest winning streak since 2017, as fresh economic data from China brightened the demand outlook in the top metals-consuming nation.

Copper in longest winning streak since 2017 on China demand hopes

Cocoa grindings in Europe and Asia fell in the last three months of 2024, the strongest signal yet that chocolate makers are struggling with record prices and low inventories.

Chocolatiers process least cocoa since 2020 as record prices hit

Crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives extended its downtrend on Wednesday on weaker demand from key market destinations, namely India, China and the European Union.

CPO futures extend downtrend on weaker demand

The London Metal Exchange (LME) has approved Bank of Montreal (BMO) as a Category 2 member, the exchange said on Tuesday.

London Metal Exchange approves Bank of Montreal as member

(Jan 15): Aluminum ticked higher, with the European Union (EU) considering import restrictions on Russian metal and Chinese production growth expected to slow.

Aluminum rises on EU’s possible Russia ban, China supply trends

The European Union is considering import restrictions on Russian aluminium and phasing out liquefied natural gas from the nation as part of a new package of sanctions targeting Moscow for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter.

EU considers gradual ban on Russian LNG and aluminium — Bloomberg

Egypt’s overhaul of the way it buys wheat is making it much harder to follow a key chunk of global grain trade.

Egypt’s wheat revamp clouds insight into key part of world trade

(Jan 14): Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi Corp plans to shutter its Chinese metal trading business, after suspected fraud by one of its copper traders led to a more than US$90 million (RM405.13 million) loss.

Mitsubishi Corp quits China metal trading after copper fraud — Bloomberg

(Jan 14): Sugar production in India, the second-biggest grower, is trailing expectations as the toll of disease and last year’s dry weather curbs the supply reaching mills.

Output in the 2024-25 year that ends in September may total about 27.6 million tons after diversions to make ethan...

India’s sugar crop hit by disease dashes traders’ export hopes

(Jan 13): Benchmark corn futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) hit their highest in a year on Monday, and soybean futures notched a three-month top on follow-through buying after the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week cut its estimates of the size of the US 2024 crops, analysts said.

US corn futures hit one-year high after USDA tightens supply view

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): Mah Sing Group Bhd’s (KL:MAHSING) proposed acquisition of land in Sentul, its first deal of the year, is being done at fair and “attractive” valuations, analysts said.

Mah Sing's first land deal in 2025 is fair and attractive, analysts say

Bank of Japan (BOJ) governor Kazuo Ueda is on track to raise interest rates to the highest level since 2008 on Friday, after global financial markets responded with relative calm to US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

BOJ heading towards rate hike as markets take Trump in stride — Bloomberg

theedgemalaysia.com highlighted three stocks with momentum at Bursa Malaysia’s afternoon close on Wednesday. Two stocks showed negative momentum, while only one stock showed positive momentum.

Stocks with momentum on Jan 22, 2025: FSBM, Perak Transit, Keyfield International

A fugitive banker accused of orchestrating a US$1 billion (RM4.45 billion) fraud in Moldova appears to be helping Russian lenders and businesses to continue conducting foreign trade amid payment problems caused by sanctions.

Fugitive banker may be helping Russian firms beat US sanctions

Shares of SoftBank Group Corp jumped 12% on Wednesday, after the company announced it is teaming up with OpenAI, Oracle Corp and Abu Dhabi-backed MGX on a US$500 billion (RM2.22 trillion) project to build data centres and infrastructure in the US for the ChatGPT creator.

SoftBank shares soar as founder's AI vision coalesces

Google is making a fresh investment of more than US$1 billion (RM4.5 billion) into AI startup Anthropic, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

Google to invest fresh US$1b in OpenAI rival Anthropic — report

Billionaire Li Ka-shing’s port business in Panama said it is committed to operating in the country, after local authorities launched an audit of the company, amid concerns raised by US President Donald Trump.

Li Ka-shing’s port firm ‘committed’ to Panama amid Trump threats

Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he did not interfere with the attorney general’s (AG) prosecutorial discretion while he was prime minister.

Najib claims he was mindful not to interfere in AG's prosecutions 

Stocks in India look set for further declines as foreign investors resumed selling shares, amid persistent worries over company earnings growth and sluggish consumption.

Indian stock exodus balloons to US$5b on downbeat profits

THIS time last year, I wrote about how I saw the US stock market performing in 2024, after its spectacular 26.3% total return in 2023. Given the strong earnings growth in the US, robust capital expenditure around artificial intelligence (AI) and anticipated interest rate cuts, my view was that th...

How Asian investors should look at US stocks in 2025

Sunway Bhd (KL:SUNWAY) has started the ball rolling for the initial public offer (IPO) of its healthcare unit, sources told The Edge.

Maybank Investment Bank Bhd and AmInvestment Bank Bhd are said to be the front-runners as principal advisers for the IPO of Sunway Healthcare Group, the sources said.

Sunway shortlists bankers for healthcare unit's IPO 

MIDF Research said&nbsp;the recent selldown of data centre-linked construction stocks&nbsp;may have been overdone as it sees the US’ AI chip export restrictions having minimal impact on data centre operations here.

In a note, MIDF Research said this prompted&nbsp;its upgrade on&nbsp;Sunway Construction Group Berhad (KL:SUNCON) to a “buy”, from “neutral”.

MIDF says selldown on data centre-related stocks overdone, upgrades SunCon

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): Malaysia’s property market is now showing signs of improvement that will lift Malaysian banking stocks under pressure from uncertainties over data-centre outlook, according to CIMB Securities.

CIMB Securities: Malaysian property market now showing signs of improvement that will lift banking stocks

(Jan 22): US&nbsp;President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;on Tuesday announced&nbsp;a&nbsp;private&nbsp;sector&nbsp;investment&nbsp;of up to US$500&nbsp;billion (RM2.23 trillion) to fund&nbsp;infrastructure&nbsp;for artificial intelligence (AI),&nbsp;aiming to outpace rival nations in the business-critical technology.

Trump announces private-sector US$500 bil investment in AI infrastructure

Founders of FashionValet Sdn Bhd Datin Vivy Yusof and her husband Datuk Fadzarudin Shah Anuar have been charged with the misappropriation of RM8 million from Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), belonging to the company.

FashionValet founders claim trial to alternative charges of fund misappropriation

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to hit the European Union with tariffs and said his administration was discussing a 10% punitive duty on Chinese imports because fentanyl is being sent from China to the US via Mexico and Canada.

Trump stirs tariff pot with fresh threats on EU, Feb 1 China deadline

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): TechStore Bhd, which provides hardware and software to businesses, has fixed its initial public offering (IPO) price at 20 sen per share ahead of its listing on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia.

Enterprise hardware and software firm TechStore sets IPO price at 20 sen

President Donald Trump said he would be open to billionaire supporter Elon Musk or Oracle Corp chairman Larry Ellison purchasing social video app TikTok as part of a joint venture with the US government.

Trump says he’s open to Elon Musk or Larry Ellison purchasing TikTok

Global stocks gained on Wednesday as a flurry of new policies from US President Donald Trump combined with robust corporate earnings to bolster investor optimism, while tariff uncertainty kept the dollar near two-week lows.

Stocks bask in Trump glow, tariff uncertainty weighs on dollar

Malaysia's currency hit a six-week high and stocks advanced for a fourth straight session on Wednesday ahead of a central bank policy decision, while a gauge of emerging Asian equities reversed course weighed by China on US tariff plans.

Ringgit hits six-week high ahead of BNM decision

DAVOS, Switzerland (Jan 21): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said digitalisation is a "missing component" in all of Malaysia's previous free trade agreements (FTAs).

PM: Malaysia seeks to upgrade its free trade agreements to cover digitalisation

Over the past two years, the Biden administration struck a careful balance on artificial intelligence. The White House took steps to ensure the US stayed ahead of China in developing the technology while also trying to address some of AI’s many potential risks.

Trump pushes to make US an AI superpower, with fewer guardrails 

Indonesia's antitrust agency on Tuesday ordered Google to pay fines about 202 billion rupiah (US$12.4 million or RM55.3 million) for unfair business practices related to its payment system services for Google Play Store, its software distribution platform.

Indonesia fines Google US$12.4m for unfair business practices

Lawmakers in some of Asia’s key digital-assets markets are warming to the industry as Donald Trump’s pro-crypto agenda in the US ripples through the region.

Crypto fears ease in Asia as officials aim to keep up with Trump

Inflation in Malaysia eased slightly and was marginally slower than expected in December as prices of non-food items and services rose at a more moderate pace, official data released on Wednesday showed.

Malaysia’s inflation in December slows as non-food price pressure eases, official data shows

President Donald Trump faces a host of headwinds that could thwart his ability to generate a boom for the US economy, according to Harvard University professor Ken Rogoff.

Trump’s plan to trigger boom risks coming undone, Rogoff warns

Analysts are positive on Sunway Real Estate Investment Trust’s (KL:SUNREIT) acquisition of AEON Mall Seri Manjung in Perak, prompting revisions of their earnings forecasts.

Analysts raise Sunway REIT earnings forecasts after AEON Mall acquisition in Perak

Microsoft on Tuesday said it has changed some key terms of a deal with OpenAI after the ChatGPT creator announced a joint venture with Oracle and Japan's SoftBank Group to build up to US$500 billion (RM2.2 trillion) of new AI data centres in the United States.

Microsoft relaxes data centre grip on OpenAI amid US$500b joint venture

DAVOS, Switzerland (Jan 21): The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the country’s healthcare system will not only boost efficiency but also help reduce cost wastage, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday.

Anwar: AI in healthcare to boost efficiency, reduce cost wastage

DAVOS, Switzerland (Jan 21):&nbsp; Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that Malaysia&nbsp;is not in “pressing need” to adopt nuclear power, as the country still sees much potential in solar power and the Asean Power Grid (APG).

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