Technology for good: Challenges and progress
Ravi Menon, Singapore’s central bank chief, said fintechs must serve a larger good and create a better, greener world.
Central Banks
Fintech innovators and central banks: Frenemies on regulation
Where do you draw the line between regulation and innovation? Central banks are grappling with this issue in the face of rapidly changing technology.
Why giving the poor smartphones doesn’t boost their access to banking
Smartphones may be hailed as the game-changer in efforts to bring more people into the formal banking system, but it’s not living up to the hype.
Nothing but blue skies in November, BofA-ML fund managers survey finds
All it took was another rate cut: Economic growth expectations surged and risk-taking took off in November, according to the Bofa-ML fund managers survey.
Sustainability will be the top topic at Singapore’s Fintech Festival
Sustainability appears set to lead discussions at Singapore’s Fintech Festival this year, as attendees look for ways to cash in on going green.
Why interest rates are heading toward zero (even in the US)
The ECB’s decision to cut rates is a “game changer,” set to force the hand of the Fed, Markus Schomer, chief economist at PineBridge, said Monday.
Fund managers grow more depressive on trade war outlook, October BofA-ML survey finds
Fund managers are more dispirited about the potential for a trade war resolution, according to the October BofA-ML fund manager survey, released Wednesday.
UPDATE: Monetary Authority of Singapore eases policy less than some analysts expected
The MAS reduced the Singapore dollar’s rate of appreciation slightly Monday, taking a more prudent approach to easing policy than some analysts expected.
Singapore Deputy PM Heng: Asia remains committed to free trade
The U.S. trade war with China may be drawing unstable lines in the sand, but Singapore’s Deputy PM Heng said Thursday Asia remained committed to free trade.
Fund managers’ recession fears grow, BofA-ML September survey finds
Fund managers’ recession expectations have hit levels last seen during the Global Financial Crisis, according to the BofA-ML September survey Tuesday.
BofA-ML survey: Fund managers grow more jittery in August, turning to protection
Global fund managers are still nervous in August, pulling away from equities and turning to “insurance,” the BofA-ML fund manager survey said Tuesday.
BofA-ML survey: Fund managers step back from bearish brink, but jitters persist
Global fund managers were a tad less pessimistic, but they continued to fret over economic risks, the BofA-ML fund manager survey for July found.
DBS: This is who will benefit from new digital banking licences
Small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are likely to benefit from Singapore’s move to allow digital banks into the market, DBS said in a note Monday.
Singapore central bank to issue up to five new digital bank licences
The Monetary Authority of Singapore said Friday it would issue up to five new digital bank licences, opening the banking sector to non-bank players.
Fund managers turn most bearish since financial crisis, June BofA-ML survey finds
Global fund managers are at their most pessimistic since the Global Financial Crisis amid trade war concerns, the BofA-ML survey for June found.
BofA-ML: Fund managers well-hedged amid trade war fears
More than a third of fund managers have taken out hedges to protect against a sharp market fall over the next three months, the May BofA-ML fund manager survey found.
BofA-ML April survey: Fund managers add equity allocations as economic view turns less bearish
Global fund managers turned slightly less bearish in their economic outlook, spurring additions to their equity allocations, BofA-ML’s April survey found.
Singapore central bank keeps policy unchanged amid a lower inflation forecast
The Monetary Authority of Singapore, kept policy unchanged Friday and lowered its inflation forecast, pointing to slowing economic growth in the city-state.
DBS: Time to add more gold to portfolios
Markets may have recovered from their fourth quarter ructions, but DBS is advising adding more gold to portfolios to stave off the effects of continued volatility.
Fed’s Rosengren: Inverted yield curve is different this time
The yield curve inversion in the U.S. may have set off a fresh round of market jitters, but Eric Rosengren, president of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, said on Tuesday that it’s no longer a reliable recession signal.
UPDATE: Evans and Yellen agree, inverted yield curve is a damp squib
The inversion of the U.S. yield curve may have convinced many market participants that the sky is falling, or at least, a recession is looming, but at least two central bankers are unimpressed.
Yellen: This is the root cause of disruptions facing central bankers
The disruptions and uncertainty central bankers have been dealing with over the past few years have one root cause, said Yellen on Monday.
Yellen: Central bankers don’t have enough bullets in their policy guns
Former Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen said on Monday that global central banks don’t have enough bullets in their policy guns to deal with a crisis.
Insider Stories: Bank Indonesia will maintain rupiah stability via regular auctions
Bank Indonesia will move quickly to keep the rupiah stable, said Nanang Hendarsah, an executive director at the central bank, Insider Stories reported.
PineBridge: This is markets’ single most important driver right now
The foremost fundamental change in the markets this year, and the single biggest driver of market moves, is tighter financial conditions, Omar Slim, portfolio manager…
US dollar inches lower as midterm election results trickle in
For all the political heat from the U.S. midterm elections, which were voters’ first big referendum on Donald Trump’s presidency, the U.S. dollar’s reaction during…
UPDATE: Singapore preliminary 3Q GDP growth slows to 2.6 percent, but above forecasts
Singapore’s economic growth in the third quarter slowed to 2.6 percent on-year from 4.1 percent in the second quarter, preliminary data from the Ministry of…
Singapore central bank tightens monetary policy
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) effectively tightened monetary policy, saying on Friday that it would slightly increase the slope of the Singapore dollar nominal…
Nomura: Indonesian rupiah set to depreciate further amid emerging market selloff
Nomura tipped Indonesia’s rupiah could fall further, after touching its weakest levels since the late 1990s Asian Financial Crisis earlier this week, as Bank Indonesia’s…
MAS proposes six cyber-security measures for Singapore financial institutions
The Monetary Authority of Singapore on Thursday proposed six required cyber-security measures for financial institutions in the city-state to protect their technology systems. The six…
SocGen: Expecting US dollar to rise on Fed rate hikes is a ‘fairy tale’
Expecting the U.S. dollar to rise as the Federal Reserve hikes interest rates is a “canard,” that’s unlikely to materialize, said Alvin Tan, foreign exchange…
MAS, SGX tie up with Anquan, Deloitte and Nasdaq on blockchain project
The Monetary Authority of Singapore and Singapore Exchange said on Friday that they entered a tie-up to develop Delivery versus Payment (DvP) services to settle…
Singapore government takes fresh property cooling measures
Singapore’s government announced a fresh round of cooling measures for the property market, in a move that came a day after the central bank chief…
Asian currencies on the defensive as region’s export growth moderates, UOB says
Asian currencies should be on the defensive ahead as Asian export growth moderates and as China’s economic growth may slow in the second half of…
Singapore market trends Monday: North Korea summit and G-7 trade tensions eyed
Singapore shares were likely to struggle to find direction on Monday, with a tough battle for attention as the North Korea-U.S. summit was set to…
Singapore market trends Friday: North Korea, G-7, trade war tensions on simmer
Singapore shares may end the week on the back foot after a technology selloff on Wall Street on Friday and amid signs off risk-off moves…
Singapore market trends Thursday: ECB hints on QE to boost sentiment
Singapore’s shares may open higher on Thursday amid positive cues from Wall Street overnight and from regional markets after the European Central Bank hinted it…
Why the Italy-inspired selloff may be an overreaction
Markets sold off globally in the wake of political uncertainty in Italy, but a Wells Fargo strategist said that ructions could be an over-reaction. Fresh…
Societe Generale: US-North Korea risks to market skewed to the negative
The market is pricing in “negligible” risk from the U.S.-North Korea summit, but there’s an asymmetric risk, Societe Generale said in a note on Friday…
Three reasons a higher oil price affects the global economy less than it used to
Oil price movements have less impact on global demand now than a decade ago, Capital Economics said in a note this week, pointing to three…