The pound hit a fresh five-month low versus the euro on Monday, even as it rose against a weakening dollar, as recent economic data and comments from a Bank of England (BOE) official led investors to increase their bets on future BOE rate cuts.

Sterling hits five-month low versus euro on rates outlook

Singapore’s currency weakness is likely to endure amid expectations that its central bank pivots to easing and US tariffs ripple through the global economy.

Singapore dollar set to weaken as monetary authority pivot comes into focus

Argentina’s central bank said payment intermediaries will have to enable debit card transactions in US currency by Feb 28, marking a key step in President Javier Milei’s pledge to dollarise the economy.

Argentina takes steps to dollarise and holds key rate

Maybank’s foreign exchange (FX) research team estimates that the ringgit is undervalued against the US dollar by 12.2%, signalling potential long-term upside for the local currency.

Ringgit undervalued against US dollar by 12% — Maybank researchers

China’s cash squeeze extended with some signs of disruption to trading, as a liquidity infusion from Beijing failed to counteract a spike in demand for funds.

China cash squeeze rolls on even after central bank’s infusions

(Jan 15): The exchange rate matters for the euro-area economy over time, though monthly movements in currency are typically absorbed by companies, European Central Bank (ECB) chief economist Philip Lane said.

ECB’s Lane says FX matters even if firms absorb initial swings

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) emphasised its goal to keep the yuan stable, as the currency hovers near a record low in offshore trading, amid headwinds from a slowing economy. 

The central bank has confidence that it can achieve the mission of maintaining a stable currency, Xuan Changneng, the deputy governor of the PBOC, said in a Tuesday press briefing in Beijing. The yuan has shown resilience against the dollar, and China will use monetary tools such as interest rates and the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) to keep liquidity ample, Xuan added.

China reiterates goal to keep yuan stable as pressure grows

The ringgit is expected to come under pressure against the US dollar, following Donald Trump's return to the White House and a slowdown in China's economy, according to Maybank Investment Bank.

Ringgit to weaken to 4.7 against USD before recovering by year end, says Maybank IB

The dollar fell against almost every major currency and US Treasury yields dropped after Bloomberg News reported that Donald Trump’s incoming economic team is considering gradual hikes in tariffs.

Dollar falls on report Trump Team is mulling gradual tariffs

The Taiwan dollar is on the verge of overtaking the yuan as Asia’s best carry-trade target given its lower risk of interest-rate and currency volatility.

A strategy of borrowing the island’s currency to invest in higher-yielding alternatives has generated the second-highest return over the past month among Asian currencies behind the yuan, based on the Sharpe ratio that measures risk-adjusted relative returns.

Taiwan dollar set to replace yuan as Asia’s top funding currency

India’s new central bank governor has shown a willingness to allow the rupee to move more freely in tandem with peers in the region while still intervening in the foreign-exchange market to curb excessive moves, according to people familiar with the regulator’s thinking.

India’s RBI governor signals he’s open to more flexible rupee

The Malaysian ringgit will likely appreciate and outperform regional currencies "slightly" in the near term thanks to its supportive fundamentals that allay downside risks, Standard Chartered said.

Ringgit may continue to 'slightly' outperform regional currencies — StanChart

A weaker yuan against the dollar may only give China’s exports a modest boost, and Beijing will push to moderate the currency’s decline, according to UBS Group AG.

The yuan is under pressure due to US tariff threats and a strong dollar on the back of upbeat economic data, Wang Tao, the bank’s chief China economist, told Bloomberg Television on Tuesday. A weaker yuan may drive China’s competitors to depreciate their own currencies, she said, moves that would offset attempts to make Chinese exports cheaper.

China will ‘try very hard’ to slow yuan’s fall, says UBS

Traders in the options market are preparing for the pound to tumble as much as 8% more as fiscal woes that prompted a painful selloff across UK markets last week weigh on the currency.

Pound traders are ready for another 8% slump after selloff

President-elect Donald Trump has selected junior CFTC Commissioner Caroline Pham as acting chair of the swaps and derivatives regulator, according to people familiar with the matter.
 
The five members of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) voted on Monday to confirm Pham as acting chair, said the people, who asked not to be identified since the appointment hadn’t yet been publicly announced.

Trump picks Caroline Pham to serve as acting CFTC chair

President Vladimir Putin said Russia’s ready for talks with the US on the war in Ukraine as he offered congratulations to incoming President Donald Trump on his inauguration.

“We congratulate the US president-elect on taking office,” Putin said on Monday at a televised meeting of his security council ahead of the inauguration in Washington.

Putin says Russia is open to dialogue on Ukraine with Trump

Malaysia and the European Union (EU) have not set any time frame to conclude their negotiations for the Malaysia-EU Free Trade Agreement (MEUFTA).

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, however, said both parties agreed to accelerate the negotiations.

No time frame set to conclude Malaysia-EU free trade talks — PM

In a significant call to action, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim urged the European Union (EU) to deepen its support for Southeast Asia through increased climate financing, green investments, technical assistance, and capacity-building initiatives. 

Like the EU, Malaysia recognises that the climate crisis is a defining challenge of our time.

Malaysia calls on EU for enhanced support in climate financing, green initiatives

US President Joe Biden granted preemptive pardons to leading government officials that president-elect Donald Trump has threatened to punish, fending off potential retribution by his successor against those he has labelled as political enemies.

Biden pardons Milley, Fauci, Cheney and other Trump targets

Germany met Nato's target to spend 2% of its gross domestic product on defence in 2024, the government said on Monday, though well short of incoming US President Donald Trump's call for as much as 5%.

Under Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left government, Germany has ramped up military spending since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both to supply weapons to Kyiv and revamp its own armed forces.

Germany says it met Nato 2% defence spending target in 2024, short of Trump's demand

Southeast Asian cell tower firm EdgePoint Infrastructure is looking to expand its portfolio to over 20,000 towers in two to three years from around 15,000 currently, its chief executive told Reuters.

CEO and co-founder Suresh Sidhu said on Monday that the company, which is backed by US-listed DigitalBridge, would expand in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, markets where it already has a presence.

DigitalBridge-backed EdgePoint aiming to add more than 5,000 telco towers

Donald Trump’s tariff threats stand to hurt American economic interests because they would disturb automotive supply chains where the US is strong and drive up consumer prices, said the head of General Motors Co’s Canadian unit.

Trump tariffs would harm major US auto buyer, says GM Canada chief 

Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Monday.

MAHB, 7-Eleven, Fajarbaru, Datasonic, Scanwolf, UUE, SkyWorld, Mieco, Maxland 

It is a “matter of time” before the privatisation of the country's biggest airport operator, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd or MAHB (KL:AIRPORT), is completed after multiple delays, Khazanah Nasional Bhd managing director Datuk Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir said.

Khazanah MD says MAHB buyout completion a ‘matter of time’

It is a “matter of time” before the privatisation of the country's biggest airport operator, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd or MAHB (KL:AIRPORT), is completed after multiple delays, Khazanah Nasional Bhd managing director Datuk Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir said.

A vehicle linked to Scanwolf Corp Bhd (KL:SCNWOLF) managing director Eddy Seah Ley Hong has triggered a mandatory takeover offer to acquire all the remaining shares it does not own in the plastic extrusion maker at 54 sen per share.

Scanwolf MD-linked vehicle triggers mandatory takeover offer, intends to maintain listing

The federal government and five others have filed a prohibitory and gag order barring the public from discussing openly&nbsp;the purported addendum seeking to allow former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his six years' jail sentence&nbsp;under house arrest.

Govt files application for a gag and prohibitory order on purported addendum for Najib's house arrest

SkyWorld Development Bhd (KL:SKYWLD) has proposed to diversify into manufacturing prefabricated and prefinished modular systems, which it plans to employ in its affordable housing project in Penang. &nbsp;

The new business, which the group says could potentially contribute a quarter of its net profit, will be undertaken via a collaboration with Singapore-based prefabricated and prefinished modular systems maker Teambuild Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, according to the property developer’s bourse filing on Monday.

SkyWorld eyes diversfiying into prefabricated manufacturing business

Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Monday.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) expects crude palm oil (CPO) prices to trade between RM4,250 and RM4,550 per tonne in the first quarter of 2025 (1Q2025), underpinned by low inventory, stable demand, and constrained supply of other edible oils.&nbsp;

CPO prices seen at RM4,250-RM4,550 a tonne in 1Q on supply-demand tightness, says MPOC

Gateway Development Alliance Sdn Bhd (GDA), the consortium of three entities offering to take Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd or MAHB (KL:AIRPORT) private at RM11 per share, revised one of the conditions for the offer on Monday.

It dropped the acceptance level to 85%, from the 90% stated in the offer document that was issued on Dec 6, 2024.

What GDA's revision in terms means to MAHB’s privatisation

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EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

The Invest Malaysia 2025 series in London, held on Jan 15, showcased the country’s standing as an attractive hub for global investments, according to CIMB Group Holdings Bhd (KL:CIMB) group chief executive officer Novan Amirudin.

Invest Malaysia London 2025 reinforces global investors’ confidence, says CIMB CEO 

Investors prepared to welcome&nbsp;Donald&nbsp;Trump's&nbsp;second inauguration, anticipating benefits from his pro-business agenda, while remaining wary of his protectionist trade policies, particularly&nbsp;his stance on tariffs.

Markets optimistic as Trump returns to White House

Timber firm Maxland Bhd (KL:MAXLAND) has inked a formal deal to collaborate with data processing services provider GDC Data Sdn Bhd to jointly venture into data centre development in Kulim, Kedah.

Maxland inks deal with GDC Data for data centre development collaboration

Mieco Chipboard Bhd (KL:MIECO) is disposing of two pieces of industrial land in Kuantan, Pahang, for RM40 million to transportation company G-Force Sdn Bhd, in a bid to reduce fixed overhead costs and improve production efficiency. The disposal will result in an estimated net loss of RM2.45 million.

Mieco to sell two pieces of industrial land in Kuantan at RM2.45m loss

Underground utilities engineering solutions provider UUE Holdings Bhd (KL:UUE), via its wholly-owned subsidiary Kum Fatt Engineering Sdn Bhd, has secured two contract renewals worth a total of RM27.5 million from Sutera Utama Sdn Bhd.

UUE secures RM27.5m in contract renewals, boosting total 2025 contract wins to RM64m

Sarawak premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has suggested that Malay associations in the state create a trust fund to manage Malay-owned properties here.

Abang Jo: Set up trust fund to purchase, manage Malay-owned properties within Sarawak

Timber harvester and product maker WTK Holdings Bhd (KL:WTK) said a fire broke out at its unit’s tape manufacturing factory in Perai, Penang, on Jan 17.&nbsp;

Timber outfit WTK reports fire in Penang tape factory, financial impact ‘not expected to be substantial’

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability will investigate allegations by a family who claimed they suffered RM500,000 in losses after unknown parties sold their inherited land, said Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

Govt to probe allegations of illegal inherited land sale, says Nik Nazmi

Chin Teck Plantations Bhd (KL:CHINTEK) posted a 56.66% year-on-year rise in first-quarter net profit, lifted by higher prices and share of results of associates and joint ventures (JVs).

Chin Teck Plantations' 1Q profit up 57% on higher prices, share of JV results

Hong Kong property firm New World Development Co said that it hasn’t been in or started any talks on an overall debt restructuring, as distress deepens across more builders in Greater China.

Hong Kong's New World quashes rumours that it’s in holistic debt restructuring talks

President-elect Donald Trump has selected junior CFTC Commissioner Caroline Pham as acting chair of the swaps and derivatives regulator, according to people familiar with the matter. 
&nbsp; 
The five members of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) voted on Monday to confirm Pham as acting chair, said the people, who asked not to be identified since the appointment hadn’t yet been publicly announced.

Outgoing&nbsp;Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on Monday emphasised the importance of judicial leaders maintaining courage and staying steadfast in their pursuit of justice.&nbsp;

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