Philip Chua Business Blog

Posts Tagged ‘US’

(SINGAPORE) Gold prices continued to head south yesterday, with some analysts predicting more selling pressure in the coming weeks.
The yellow metal retreated after the US dollar rebounded against the euro, while firmer oil prices offered little help as investors turned cautious on bullion after it failed to sustain recent gains.
Gold dropped below a psychological level of US$1,100 an ounce as unc… more

The global recovery trade (aka the reflation trade) took a serious stumble this past week as a spate of disappointing US data suggested the US recovery is in greater jeopardy than previously thought. As the largest national economy, the US setbacks undermine the global outlook, which was already under pressure…

The dollar remains on a firm footing. In spite of attempts by US central bank chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues to dampen rate hike expectations triggered by last week’s increase in the discount rate by repeatedly stating that interest rates would remain “at exceptionally low levels for an extended…

DBS GROUP Holdings is Singapore’s top bank brand, according to a survey of the world’s 500 leading banking names.
The Brand Finance Banking 500 report, which measures strength, risk profile and growth potential to calculate brand value, claimed DBS eclipses rivals United Overseas Bank (UOB) and OCBC Bank.
It put DBS’ brand value at US$1.52 billion (S$2.1 billion) last year – a 12 per cent hike fro… more

The German ZEW economic sentiment could have remained more or less unchanged in February, as the correlated indicators sent mixed signals. The ifo business expectations and the US ISM manufacturing index have both improved. The euro has depreciated and crude oil prices have gone down. However, German yield spreads have…

Financial markets will have to wait until Friday for the data highlight of the week in the US. The advance estimate of Q4 2009 GDP is expected to show economic activity picked up sharply, after belatedly returning to positive territory in Q3. We look for annualised GDP growth of 5%,…

The ifo business climate for Germany will probably have remained unchanged in January. The US ISM manufacturing index has risen, but the German ZEW economic sentiment has deteriorated. German yield spreads widened until early January, only to narrow slightly again thereafter, just like long-term interest rates, whereas short-term rates have…

IF YOU are betting on the local market today, chances are you will be leaning towards the bears.
After all, with a negative Friday close on Wall Street, a market holiday today in the US and lingering concerns over an overheating property market in China, there seems little reason to hope for a positive session here, or across the region.

The Dow Jones tumbled 100.9 points to 10,609.65 last Frida… more

(SINGAPORE) Distressed selling may be a thing of the past, but prospects in the secondary private equity (PE) market are definitely looking up, says Paul Capital, a global alternative investment manager with US$6.6 billion in assets under management.

‘Whether it is fundraising activity, investor interests or exits, we see encouraging signs on all three fronts,’ the company’s regional head, Lucie… more

The German ZEW economic sentiment is likely to have improved in January, just like the ifo business expectations and the US ISM manufacturing index. German yield spreads widened initially, but have now narrowed again slightly, just like long-term interest rates, whereas short-term rates have decreased. After having depreciated initially, the…