Market Watch

US equities continue to climb despite elevated Treasury yields, persistent inflation and geopolitical tensions keeping oil above US$100 a barrel. With major US banks kicking off earnings season and fresh inflation data due, investors face another test of whether current valuations can be justified. Meanwhile, Australia's weakening labour market is complicating the outlook for interest rates, while...

With Budget 2027 tabled on the 9th Oct, what will investors need to see to stay confident in Malaysia, especially after foreign funds turned net sellers of Malaysian government bonds in September? Globally, AI-related debt issuance has passed US$575 billion this year, while TSMC’s record quarterly revenue strengthens the case for the AI boom. Meanwhile, Brent crude is back above US$100 a barrel on...

Goldman Sachs and Citi now see the S&P 500 ending the year somewhere between 7,400 and 8,100, and analysts expect third-quarter earnings to grow by more than 30%. Underneath that optimism, there are warning signs. Distressed loans are at their highest level since March 2020, with tech making up more than a third of them, and Treasury yields keep rising. We speak to Tony Nash, CEO of Complete I...

Faced with severe supply disruptions across the Middle East and Russia, G7 nations have agreed to release 100 million barrels of crude and diesel reserves. But is this enough? Zameer Yusuf, Lead Analyst for Clean Products at Kpler, joins The Morning Run to break down the global diesel crunch. He dives into the impact of the G7 intervention, how trade rerouting could push up pump prices in Asia, an...

Weak US jobs data has reduced expectations of another immediate Federal Reserve rate hike, yet long-term Treasury yields remain close to multi-decade highs, creating a difficult backdrop for markets across Asia. Investors are also weighing possible further tightening in Japan and India, continued efforts to revive China’s economy, and whether the extraordinary rally in South Korean equities can co...

Wall Street reached fresh heights as the Nasdaq hit a new record, yet beneath the surface, investors are navigating rising US Treasury yields, stubborn diesel fuel supply constraints, and sovereign debt jitters across Europe. Joe Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist at US Trust - Bank of America Private Wealth Management, joins The Morning Run to unpack global market dynamics. He breaks down why tech...

US equities remain close to record highs despite a surprisingly weak September jobs report, Treasury yields reaching levels not seen in decades and expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise rates again. With the S&P 500 up nearly 13% this year, investors are increasingly confronting a stark divergence between resilient stocks and a bruising bond sell-off. Can equities keep climbing as...

The S&P 500 ended the third quarter higher, but the equal-weighted index fell about 4% in September, so the gains came from a small group of stocks. With AI borrowing being tested in the credit market, the dollar at a three-month high and close to US$8 trillion sitting in money-market funds, investors have to decide whether this rally can spread to more stocks or whether it's getting fragile....

Global equities closed the quarter near record highs, even with oil up 40% and the US 10-year Treasury yield above 5.2%. US PCE inflation came in cooler than expected at 3.4%, but rising oil is pulling yields up with it, and Australia is already hiking into 4% inflation. So is the bond market warning about something stock investors don't want to hear? We speak to Vishnu Varathan, Head of Economics...

Investors head into the fourth quarter facing oil above US$100, elevated bond yields and another crucial round of US inflation and employment data that could shape the Federal Reserve’s next move. Meanwhile, Nvidia’s enormous US$150 billion share-buyback programme is highlighting just how much cash the AI boom is generating at its biggest beneficiaries. With bonds offering increasingly attractive...

After four brutal years near one-year lows, could China’s mainland stock market finally be quietly carving out a bottom? While the benchmark CSI 300 remains in the red, subtle signs of momentum are beginning to emerge under the surface. Eric Khaw, Senior Portfolio Manager at Amova Asset Management, joins Market Watch to explore whether a true turning point is taking shape for mainland equities. Er...

Higher oil prices, rising Treasury yields and the prospect of further Fed rate hikes are putting pressure on US markets. Joe Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist at US Trust-BOA Private Wealth Management, discusses the risks to corporate earnings, US-China trade and what the latest moves in gold and silver are telling investors. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Despite a temporary US-China agreement on reciprocal tariff reductions and 10-year Treasury yields reaching 5.23%, global markets face mounting pressure from sticky inflation and rising geopolitical tensions. Laurent Lequeu, Independent Market Analyst and Writer of The Macro Butler newsletter, joins The Morning Run to discuss how capital is reacting and why the current trade truce may break down a...

With Brent crude holding above $100 a barrel and 10-year US Treasury yields pressing past 5.19%, global markets are navigating a complex mix of rising inflation expectations, rate hike pressures, and corporate debt strain. Tony Nash, CEO of Complete Intelligence, joins The Morning Run to unpack where international markets are heading next. Tony addresses the direct correlation between elevated ene...

The Fed has raised rates and says they'll stay high for longer, and Treasury yields are at levels not seen in years. So is that bad news for stocks, and does the AI growth story still hold up? We speak to Patrick Chang, Chief Investment Officer, Segments & Propositions at CIMB, about what's changed in his outlook, how he's thinking about diversification and hedging, and the indicators he's wat...

The Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan have both raised interest rates, putting renewed pressure on Asian central banks as the US dollar remains strong. Meanwhile, China is grappling with weak domestic demand and record-low loan growth even as the yuan strengthens ahead of Xi Jinping’s meeting with Donald Trump, while South Korean equities continue their extraordinary rally. How vulnerable is Asia...

Wall Street's enthusiasm for the Magnificent Seven seems to be back as the Nasdaq closed at a new record high, but questions remain over AI valuations, infrastructure spending and the concentration of market gains. Joe Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist, US Trust-BOA Private Wealth Management, shares his perspectives on if investors should lean back into AI. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio...

Malaysia’s healthcare sector delivered strong earnings growth in the second quarter, supported by higher patient volumes, rising revenue per patient and growing medical tourism. Yet share-price performance has been mixed, with several major hospital operators underperforming the broader market despite improving fundamentals. Have investors already priced in the sector’s growth prospects, and which...

US equities remain remarkably resilient despite Treasury yields around 5%, oil above US$100 and the Federal Reserve raising interest rates again. Elsewhere, the Bank of Japan and Reserve Bank of Australia are also tightening policy, while investors await a potentially consequential meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. With gold pushing back towards US$4,400 an ounce despite a stronger doll...

Singapore REITs came out of the June quarter with stable occupancy, positive rental reversions and disciplined balance sheets. Share prices tell a different story. The REIT Index is still in negative territory year-to-date while the broader STI is up more than 10 per cent, with high interest rates and rising bond yields keeping the sector under pressure. We ask what's holding it back, whether pure...

The Federal Reserve raised rates for the first time in three years, and Wall Street went up anyway. The Nasdaq climbed 1.7% as easing oil prices and softer Treasury yields pulled technology stocks higher, but crude is still above US$100 a barrel and the 10-year is hovering near 4.9%. We ask whether that was genuine comfort with tightening or just a relief rally, which parts of the market are most...

Following the Federal Reserve's decision to raise its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points, marking the central bank's first rate increase since July 2023, Vishnu Varathan, Head of Economics & Strategy at Mizuho Bank, joins The Morning Run to analyse the broader market fallout. Vishnu evaluates what drove Fed Chair Kevin Warsh to act and assessing whether the unanimous decision establish...

Money is pouring into data centres across Southeast Asia, with more than US$11.5 billion invested so far, according to a new report by Tracxn. Most of that money has gone to just five companies based in Singapore, while the actual data centres are going up in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. With sovereign funds, pension funds and borrowed money all piling in, it's worth asking how long this boom...

Japan's first-quarter corporate earnings season delivered a broad-based beat, with over 70% of companies exceeding market expectations against a typical 55% hit rate. The Nikkei, which peaked up roughly 44% before pulling back, still sits around 27% higher year-to-date. James Ying, Client Portfolio Manager at Eastspring Investments in Singapore, covers sector winners and laggards, including autos,...

US Treasury yields have crossed the psychologically important 5% level as markets brace for another Federal Reserve rate hike, while persistent inflation, heavy government borrowing and US$100-plus oil add to the pressure. Yet US equities have remained surprisingly resilient despite the increasingly difficult backdrop. Can corporate earnings continue supporting stocks as borrowing costs climb, and...