With December so far delivering Scrooge-like returns in an otherwise stellar year for US stocks, investors hope the tail end of 2024 offers some holiday cheer, but warn of potential headwinds.

Investors hope for 'Santa Claus' rally as stocks lose steam

A banner year for US stocks gets one of its last big tests with the coming week’s Federal Reserve meeting, as investors await the central bank's guidance on interest rate cuts.

Fed rate view in focus as robust stocks year draws to close

The health of the US consumer and the retail sector will be in focus in the coming week, as Black Friday kicks off a holiday shopping season that could shed light on how buyers are grappling with higher prices.

Black Friday puts consumer spending in market's glare with stocks near records

Nvidia Corp's results in the coming week could guide the US stock market on its next path, as investors turn their focus to the technology sector and artificial intelligence trade after an election-fueled rally stalled.

Nvidia results in focus as stock market's election boost stalls

A double dose of potentially market-moving events arrives in the coming week as Americans vote on their next president and the Federal Reserve (Fed) offers more insight on the path of interest rates at its monetary policy meeting.

US election, Fed meeting loom in big week for markets

The health of the US consumer moves into the spotlight next week, with investors watching corporate earnings reports and retail sales data for further confirmation of the economic resilience that has boosted equity markets this month.

Health of US consumer in focus next week as earnings season heats up

A high-stakes corporate earnings season kicks into gear next week, with bullish investors hoping results will justify increasingly rich valuations in a US stock market near record highs.

Investors look to earnings to support record-high US stock prices

Investors fixated on earnings and monetary policy are starting to factor in another variable that could sway markets this year: the 2024 US presidential election.

Battle for White House comes into sharper focus for Wall Street

U.S. chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc on Tuesday posted revenue that beat Wall Street targets and said it expected business to improve in the second half, enthusing investors who saw the company gaining on rival Intel.

AMD revenue beats targets, Wall St relieved after Intel's grim outlook

NEW YORK (April 10): America First may be a main policy of the White House and fuel to the stock market rally but U.S. investors are looking overseas for stronger earnings as S&P 500 companies are set to report their first quarter of double-digit profi...

Investors look to global growth for earnings power

NEW YORK (April 1): Forget the jobs report. The most interesting bit of U.S. economic data next week is Monday's auto sales release, which will offer a measure of the middle-class consumer and a sector of the stock market that has had a rough ride so far in 2017.

Economists are looking ...

Beyond jobs, car sales to give insight on consumer health

NEW YORK (March 20): Small-cap stocks benefited from a dovish lining to the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates this past week, but strategists warn it will take more to make these pricey stocks ...

Fed boost for small-cap stocks may be limited

Gateway Development Alliance (GDA), the consortium proposing to privatise Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) (KL:AIRPORT), said it is maintaining its offer of RM11 per share, after the airport operator’s independent directors reommended shareholders to reject the offer.

GDA maintains RM11 offer for MAHB, challenges independent directors’ rejection

(Dec 20): It’s been a challenging couple of years for real estate stocks since the Federal Reserve started raising interest rates in 2022, as borrowing costs soared and the property market collapsed. And despite a healthy rebound in the middle of 2024, the outlook for 2025 isn’t particularly...

Office rebound expected in 2025 while other real estate stocks to see trouble

ECA Integrated Solution Bhd (KL:ECA) has proposed to expand its presence in China by investing in automated equipment manufacturer Suzhou Thryda Co Ltd (Thryda).

ECA Integrated invests in automated equipment manufacturer to expand presence in China

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq dipped on Friday as fears over high interest rates next year loomed, although a cooler-than-expected inflation report kept losses in check.

S&P 500, Nasdaq dip as rate cut fears linger despite easing inflation

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

MAHB, Top Glove, Catcha Digital, Johor Plantations, Kawan Renergy, Mega First, PLB Engineering, Bahvest, Smile-Link 

The workers' union representing over 10,000 baristas at Starbucks said its members will strike at stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle for five days starting Friday, citing unresolved issues over wages, staffing and schedules.

Starbucks workers' union set to strike in US cities as bargaining talks hit impasse

A Madrid court has sentenced former International Monetary Fund chief Rodrigo Rato to almost five years in prison for various crimes related to corruption, the court said on Friday.

Ex-IMF chief Rato sentenced to new prison term over corruption

Auditing firm HLB Ler Lum Chew said on Friday that a special notice for a resolution to remove the firm as the external auditor of Smile-Link Healthcare Global Bhd (KL:SMILE) had been immediately retracted, and that is the reason why the firm had not made any written representation on the matter

Smile-Link's auditor says removal notice retracted, threatens legal action over ‘untrue’ statement

The US$10.4 trillion (RM46.82 trillion) US exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry’s blockbuster year comes with an asterisk: even amid record inflows and launches, funds are shuttering at a nearly unprecedented clip.

Twin boom-and-bust hits US$10 tril ETF industry in overdrive

US consumer spending increased in November, underscoring the economy's enduring strength, which prompted the Federal Reserve this week to project fewer interest rate cuts in 2025 than it had three months ago.

US consumer spending rises in November; monthly inflation subsides 

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has announced a series of interim measures to address the burden of rising medical insurance premiums on policyholders. These measures include spreading out premium increases over at least&nbsp;three years, effective until the end of 2026, and pausing certain premium adjustments for individuals aged 60 and above.

Medical insurance premium hike to be staggered and kept below 10% yearly, says BNM

There will be no increase in electricity tariff for all users in Peninsular Malaysia from Jan 1 to June 30, 2025, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation announced on Friday.&nbsp;

Electricity tariff unchanged in 1H2025, but new tariff structure from 2H onwards — energy ministry

Top Glove Corp Bhd (KL:TOPGLOV) expects further sales recovery and projects its glove sales volume in FY2025 to grow 60% to 43 billion pieces, on industry stock replenishment and increase in sales flow from the US as a result of the 50% tariff on China-made gloves set to start on Jan 1, 2025.

Top Glove flags 'start of comeback' as sales volume seen growing 60% in FY2025

Bank Negara Malaysia announced that the government, together with insurers, takaful operators (ITOs) and private hospitals, will contribute a total of RM60 million to speed up health reforms in the country.

BNM announces RM60 mil boost for healthcare reforms, including rollout of new payment model for private hospitals

The ringgit is expected to remain under pressure against the US dollar as the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) less dovish monetary stance continues to support the greenback, said Kenanga Research.

Ringgit to stay above 4.50 against US dollar going into 2025 — Kenanga

CBH Engineering Holding Bhd (KL:CBHB), which is set to be listed on the ACE Market on Jan 16, is gearing up to expand its portfolio, with a focus on high-scale projects, particularly data centres.

ACE Market-bound CBH Engineering eyes larger projects, data centre jobs

Mega First Corp Bhd (KL:MFCB) announced that its executive director, Goh Nan Yang, will step down from his position effective Dec 31, upon the expiry of his employment contract.

Goh Nan Kioh's brother resigns as Mega First executive director after two decades 

Bursa Malaysia (KL:BURSA) saw a total of 55 initial public offerings (IPOs) this year, &nbsp;up 72% from the 32 IPOs listed last year.

Bursa wraps up 2024 with 55 IPO listings, highest in nearly two decades

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

A Bitcoin slide from a record high earlier this week extended to more than 10%, as reduced scope for looser US monetary policy dampened speculative zeal.

Bitcoin pullback deepens as US ETFs suffer record daily outflow

Johor Plantations Group Bh (KL:JPG) has appointed Tg Langsat Development Sdn Bhd (TLD) as an earthwork and main infrastructure contractor for its Integrated Sustainable Palm Oil Complex (iSPOC) project in Johor for RM39.04 million.

Johor Plantations appoints JCorp unit as main infra contractor for Kota Tinggi palm oil project

PLB Engineering Bhd’s (KL:PLB) external auditors, Grant Thornton Malaysia PLT, have expressed an unmodified audit opinion with material uncertainty regarding the group's ability to continue as a going concern.

PLB Engineering’s auditor flags material uncertainty over group’s ability to continue as going concern

Auditing firm HLB Ler Lum Chew said on Friday that a special notice for a resolution to remove the firm as the external auditor of Smile-Link Healthcare Global Bhd (KL:SMILE) had been immediately retracted, and that is the reason why the firm had not made any written representation on the matter

ACE Market-listed Kawan Renergy Bhd (KL:KENERGY) reported an all-time high earnings for its financial year ended Oct 31, 2024 (FY2024) as full year net profit surged 44.5% to an all-time high of RM19.22 million, compared with RM13.3 million in FY2023.

Kawan Renergy posts all-time high earnings in FY2024 

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Below is a summary of how key Bursa Malaysia indices and the ringgit performed on Friday.

FBM KLCI slips 0.54% to 1,591.41 on Dec 20, 2024

Here’s a quick look at some of the stories that made headlines today.

EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, the Taiwan-based manufacturer of iPhones known as Foxconn, is putting its interest in pursuing Nissan Motor Co on hold while the Japanese automaker is in negotiations for a potential merger with Honda Motor Co, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Foxconn interest in Nissan said on hold amid Honda merger talks

Bahvest Resources Bhd (KL:BAHVEST) has proposed to buy mining equipment from China-based Chengdu Mining Maintenance Technology Co Ltd for RM22.82 million, to be used to build a new gold mining processing plant.

Bahvest buys mining equipment from Chinese firm to build new plant

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20):&nbsp; The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) has received 26 reports related to the Nicshare and CommonApps investment schemes, linked to a fraudulent syndicate led by a Malaysian national who was arrested by Thai authorities on Monday.

Inspector General of Police (IGP...

IGP: Malaysian man nabbed in Thailand under probe for leading investment scam syndicate

The prosecution has filed an appeal against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's full acquittal in her money-laundering and tax evasion case.

Wall Street Weekahead

‌
‌

Wall Street Weekahead

‌‌

‌
‌