Stocks

THINKING ALOUD

If everything is an AI crisis, then nothing is

Beware the absurd tyranny of what-if scenarios

Iran accounts for about 2% of global oil output and the Strait of Hormuz facilitates 31% of the Middle East’s crude exports.

From ST Engineering, SIA to shipping: What stands to gain or lose from the Iran conflict?

Investors are differentiating between sectors facing immediate operational headwinds and those finding structural support in the flight to safety

Are the market gains seen in February built on durable fundamentals or, to borrow a famous phrase from former US Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, on “irrational exuberance"?
THINKING ALOUD

Dow at 50,000, STI at 5,000, Singtel at S$5 – what’s next?

Bullish investors beware: record highs and the breaching of psychological barriers tend to lead to an underpricing of risk

The US’ benchmark S&P 500 index is now slightly negative on the year, bobbing tediously higher and lower in an unusually tight range since late December 2025.
THE BOTTOM LINE

The death of the Trump trade

Investor backlash against US markets appears to be real

The country’s benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Composite Index rallied on Feb 11 to hit 6,543.35 points, from a six-year low of 5,584.34 in November last year.

Philippine equities start the year hot, but can they overcome scandal and slump?

The undervalued benchmark index could rebound from a five-year low to hit 7,100 this year, says analyst

The Securities and Exchange Board of India has also asked the exchanges to upgrade their technology before entering the equity segment.

India regulator stalls new exchanges’ entry into options market

The board will not grant permission to launch derivatives until there is a satisfactory underlying liquid cash market

The benchmark Jakarta Composite Index fell over 4 per cent in early trading on Monday after sliding nearly 7 per cent last week, its steepest drop in a year.

Indonesian stocks fall 5% after last week’s dramatic shake-up, US$80 billion rout

Foreigners have sold around US$736 million worth of shares since Wednesday

The STI is market cap-weighted and therefore heavily influenced by the largest components, namely the three banks, Singtel and property heavyweights.
THINKING ALOUD

Fundamentally weighted indices are worth considering

The EQDP’s focus has been on incentives, listings and disclosure, but index construction deserves some attention

If the Wall Street forecasters are correct in 2026, stocks are heading for their longest stretch of annual gains since the lead-up to the global financial crisis.

Every Wall Street analyst is predicting a stock rally in 2026

Sell-side strategists are marching in lockstep optimism, with the average year-end S&P 500 forecast implying a 9% gain this year

Across the broader market, advancers outnumber decliners 249 to 209, as 824.1 million securities worth S$660.5 million change hands.

Singapore shares slip 0.2% on final trading day of the year; STI up 22.7% in 2025

The iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index sheds 0.1% or 1.36 points to end at 1,450.13