Author: Lucas

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian bond market is set to continue its resiliency in 2026, with foreign investors flocking into ringgit bonds, especially long-tenured government bonds.Experts attributed this positive momentum to favourable domestic and external conditions despite heightened geopolitical risks.Foreign inflows into the ringgit-bond market surged to RM25.6bil in 2025 versus RM4.8bil in 2024, the largest since 2021, with the strongest inflows occurring in early of the second quarter of financial year 2025 (2Q25), when global markets began to price in aggressive US Federal Reserve (Fed) easing.MARC Ratings Bhd chief economist Ray Choy told StarBiz he expects foreign participation in the…

China’s manufacturing sector demonstrated resilience in January, achieving steady factory output and continued growth in the high-tech sector despite a dip in overall activities, official data revealed on Saturday.The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for China’s manufacturing sector fell to 49.3 in January as some industries entered a traditional seasonal lull and effective market demand remained insufficient, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).This figure was down 0.8 percentage points from the previous month. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 reflects contraction.Despite the overall contraction, factory output continued to expand. The sub-index for production stood…

These stocks have grown at an average annual rate of around 24% to 25% over the past decade, with plenty of room to keep growing.We all want our stock portfolios to be full of monster stocks, but that’s not an easy goal to achieve. If we’re lucky, we will own a few, and their massive gains will help offset some inevitable losses. Here are a few stocks that have been monster stocks — and are likely to continue as such for the foreseeable future. Image source: Getty Images. 1. Microsoft Microsoft (MSFT 0.83%) is huge, encompassing the dominant Office 365…

Key PointsAmid a spike in global uncertainty, silver prices have gone parabolic in recent months.The metal is seen as a safe-haven investment, but may have simply turned into the latest meme.Investors should tread carefully with investments that have risen so much in such a short time frame.The price of silver has gone through the roof, and it’s making the iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT: SLV) an incredibly hot buy. Silver has hit record highs of more than $120 per ounce this year — or 3 times the roughly $40 it was trading at back in September. The metal has gone parabolic,…

Momentum is a critical component in many trading strategies. We can measure in several ways with several indicators and over several timeframes. “Momentum” simply means buy something if it is going up, and sell it if it is going down. There have been several academic surveys showing that applying this principle to all kinds of speculative markets is profitable over time and gives a winning trading “edge”. Another type of Forex momentum strategy is a “best of” momentum trading strategy which buys those assets that are going up the most strongly and sells those going down most strongly. This also…

Pressures on NHS services mean some patients are increasingly looking at private care. Health insurance can help pay for the cost, and the latest industry figures show a rise in the number of people taking out a policy.New data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) shows the total number of people covered by private medical insurance (PMI) rose by 4% between 2023 and 2024, while the number of people making a claim increased by 10% over the same period. But while PMI can help pay for expensive private treatment, it isn’t cheap and doesn’t cover everything. Here, Which? takes a…

New rules mean people could see the DWP take money directly from their bank accounts if they have more than £16,000 saved up.The Government is putting in place a new law to crack down on benefits fraudsters who cheat the system.The bill gives the Department for Work and Pensions tough new powers, including the ability to search properties, seize items, and take money out of people’s bank accounts.Even those not currently on benefits or in PAYE employment could be subject to having money taken by the DWP.Though the Government has yet to outline exactly what kind of benefits fraud will…

Gold and silver dropped sharply after extreme volatility, as markets brace for Trump’s Fed Chair decision and inflation data, while a rebounding U.S. Dollar adds short-term pressure but long-term … Source link

Key PointsTrimble is a maker of mapping and geospatial positioning software and hardware.Billionaires Cathie Wood and Israel Englander have added to their positions recently.2026 is shaping up to be a(nother) great year for artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. Data center infrastructure specialist Vertiv Holdings is already up 17.6%, and AI chipmaker Micron Technology is up a jaw-dropping 50% (!) this year — and it’s barely February.But there are still some hidden gems to be found in the AI world if you know where to look. And some Wall Street insiders have been quietly buying shares of one such company that’s now…

Union Budget 2026: Silver and gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) plunged up to 20 per cent in Sunday’s trade, thanks to a sharp correction in gold and silver futures on MCX, ahead of Budget 2026. In view of the volatility in underlying gold and silver prices, NSE and BSE had prescribed lower price band of 20 per cent today. “In view of the volatility in underlying Gold & Silver prices, Reference Price for Gold & Silver ETFs traded on the Exchange shall be based on the T-1 NAV as published by the respective Mutual Funds / Asset management Companies. Accordingly, the prescribed…