New report reveals young adults in their early twenties are struggling more with debt, including credit cards, student loans, and mortgages, than Millennials did a decade ago. Gen Z, currently aged 22 to 24, is facing a much tougher financial landscape than Millennials did at the same age, according to a recent report from credit...
Currency Weakness and Macroeconomic Instability Drive Record Gold Purchases in Southeast Asia and Beyond Gold prices have reached record highs in recent months, with the average price hitting an unprecedented US$2,070 per ounce in the first quarter of 2024. Despite these rising prices, the demand for gold continues to surge, with central banks and consumers...
New regulations mandate product size reductions be clearly labeled, with fines for non-compliance South Korea’s antitrust regulator, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), has announced that food manufacturers and suppliers will be required to disclose any reductions in product sizes, a practice commonly referred to as “shrinkflation.” Starting in August 2024, companies that cut the size...
Supply Shortage Drives Record Prices, with Climate Change and Hoarding Exacerbating the Crisis Coffee prices in Vietnam are projected to remain elevated as hoarding by farmers and middlemen, combined with adverse weather conditions, continue to exacerbate the country’s coffee supply shortage. As the world’s largest producer of robusta beans, Vietnam’s current supply crunch is having...
US Dollar Strength Drives Indonesian Rupiah to New Low as Currency Hits 16,000 Level The Indonesian rupiah fell below the 16,000 level against the US dollar on Thursday, April 11, marking a fresh four-year low. At 6:59 PM, the rupiah was trading at 16,002, according to Bloomberg data. This significant depreciation comes as the US...
Minority Shareholders Raise Concerns Over Depressed Share Prices and Governance at Great Eastern In early March 2024, Singapore-listed Great Eastern Holdings (GEH) rejected a request from a minority shareholder, who represented a group of investors, to introduce three ordinary resolutions at the company’s upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for April 25. The proposed resolutions...
Banking, IT, and Media Sectors Hit Hard, While Import/Export and Legal Fields Show Growth Singapore’s online hiring activity faced a significant downturn in February 2024, with the Monster Employment Index showing a 22% year-on-year decline. The index dropped from 138 to 108, reflecting broader economic challenges such as recessions, slowdowns, and uncertainties that have led...
Industrial profits rise 4.3% year-on-year in Q1, a slowdown from earlier months, signaling uneven economic recovery. China’s industrial profits grew at a slower pace in the first quarter of 2024, according to official data released on Saturday (April 27). Profits from industrial firms increased by 4.3% compared to the same period last year, a notable...
Organization’s Early Forecast Signals Continued Oil Consumption Growth for the Next Two Decades On January 17, 2024, OPEC issued its forecast for 2025, predicting robust growth in global oil demand, with an expected increase of 1.85 million barrels per day (bpd), reaching 106.21 million bpd. This forecast aligns with OPEC’s long-term outlook, which expects oil...
Cosco Shipping Leads the Pack with Strong YTD Gains as Oil Prices Remain Low Transportation stocks have experienced significant growth in early 2024, buoyed by favorable market conditions, particularly as Brent Crude Oil prices remained below US$80 per barrel since November 2023. This momentum is expected to continue throughout the year, according to a market...