By Marcus Devlin
Two decades covering equity markets. Writes on single stocks, sectors, valuations and the trades behind the tape.
Rubber futures slip as Malaysia's June output jumps 31.5%
Osaka rubber futures slipped 1.08% on Friday after Malaysia reported a 31.5% month-on-month surge in June output. Higher oil prices helped c
Aviva's first-half profit jumps 24% on Direct Line deal and wealth growth
Aviva's first-half operating profit climbed 24% to £1.33 billion, helped by its Direct Line acquisition and a stronger wealth arm. The insur
European stocks hold steady as oil and metals slip
The STOXX 600 finished little changed as investors waited for eurozone employment data. Energy and mining stocks slipped as oil and metals p
AI chip demand lifts Taiwan dollar, South Korea won as tech shares rally
Taiwan's currency strengthened to a more than one-month high near 31.991 per US dollar, and South Korea's won also rose, as AI-chip demand f
Centuria's sovereign AI bet: big costs now, payoff later
Centuria Capital's sovereign AI push will absorb cash in fiscal 2027, with Jefferies expecting the real payoff only in fiscal 2028 and beyon
El Niño Mentions Hit Post-2019 High as Companies Flag Risks
El Niño is climbing corporate risk lists. Reuters found mentions hit a post-2019 high in filings and earnings calls, with food, chemicals, a
Anthropic targets $2 trillion October IPO; UK economy gets World Cup boost
Anthropic is reportedly eyeing an October IPO at a staggering $2 trillion valuation, signaling the AI boom's next phase. Meanwhile, the UK e
Palm oil futures edge higher for second week as crude firms
Palm oil futures in Malaysia edged higher on Friday, heading for a second weekly gain. Firmer crude oil and gains in China's vegetable oil m
ZUS Coffee weighs Malaysia IPO that could raise $1 billion ringgit
ZUS Coffee is reportedly exploring a Malaysia IPO that could raise at least 1 billion ringgit and value the chain at about 4 billion ringgit
ASX 200 and NZX 50 heavyweights kick off a packed earnings week
Australia and New Zealand enter a busy earnings week as ASX 200 and NZX 50 heavyweights like BHP, CSL, Cochlear, and Goodman report full-yea
AI chip rally lifts KOSPI for fifth day, breaking seven-week slump
South Korean stocks extended gains for a fifth session, led by chipmakers, as AI optimism returned. Foreign investors bought a net 780.2 bil
Gold pulls back from two-month high as profit-taking meets cooler Fed bets
Gold pulled back from a two-month high as profit-taking and softer US inflation data cooled expectations for a September Fed rate hike. Cent