Jean Chia

One kilogram gold bars stacked at the Perth Mint Refinery, operated by Gold Corp., in Perth, Australia, on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. Golds advance has been underpinned by central-bank buying, rising holdings in exchange-traded funds, and rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve. Photographer: Matt Jelonek/Bloomberg
CIO CORNER

Gold’s sheen reflects uncertainty

Investors should phase in their gold purchases to hit a portfolio weight in sync with their mid- to long-term investment objectives

The Bank of Singapore has an overweight call on Singapore equities within Asia ex-Japan, on the back of the ongoing review of the market, attractive capital return programs and healthy fundamentals in the large-cap space.
CIO CORNER

The Singapore story: More than a little red dot for Asian investors

Allocation to SGD-denominated assets could be an important investment decision, as a part of globally diversified multi-asset portfolios amid the shifts...

A de-escalation in US-China tariffs after the Geneva meeting in May sparked a risk rally.
CIO CORNER

Reimagining portfolios amid midsummer uncertainty

Expect more volatility as the deadline for the 90-day tariff reprieve approaches

A Vietnamese garment factory. Export-oriented Asia is caught in the crosshairs of the US-China contest for economic hegemony.
CIO CORNER

Tariffs, tensions and turbulence – it’s not business as usual

Long-standing trade relations among major trading nations have been upended, sending financial markets into turmoil from the tit-for-tat, on-again off-again nature of...

Since Trump was inaugurated, there has been a flurry of executive orders and policy maneuvers across immigration, defence and trade policies, with heightened risks for economies and companies.
CIO CORNER

Investing playbook under Trump 2.0: Addressing concerns over tariffs and DeepSeek’s impact

A new approach is required for this multistage ‘infinite game’, as the changing world order disrupts traditional rules of engagement

President-elect Donal Trump's return to the White House sets the stage for resets in globalisation, multilateralism and economic blocs.
CIO CORNER

Investing in 2025 amid a changing world order

There is no better time than now to re-examine, rethink and recalibrate our perspectives about how to reframe investment portfolios to withstand...

China's announcement of stimulus measures set off a rally in Hong Kong and China equities, with most indices recovering to the peak of the reopening rally in 2022-2023.
CIO CORNER

Analysing bulls in China’s shop

In the context of a multi-asset portfolio, it is important to distinguish between a tactical short-term rally and longer-term performance of the...

Against the backdrop of a strong stock market performance in 2024, softer-than-expected July jobs and ISM data have sparked fears that a US recession is imminent.
CIO CORNER

Honing in is what matters amid market volatility

Investors should focus on longer-term outcomes rather than react to short-term dislocations

China announced a comprehensive suite of measures, easing rules on purchases and removing the floor on mortgage rates to address the key issues of weak demand, excess supply and sector liquidity in the real estate sector.
CIO CORNER

Look east: Hong Kong and China equities at inflection point

We believe this market recovery is in its early stages and poised for gains over the medium to long term

Wage negotiations in Japan are likely to show salaries rising by more than 5 per cent
CIO CORNER

Still springtime for Japanese equities

There are positive underpinnings for Japanese stocks, including a conducive macro backdrop and corporate and shareholder reform