Daily Debrief: What Happened Today

Singapore employment growth down sharply in Q3

"Cumulatively for the first three quarters of this year, total employment grew by 16,200, which is the lowest growth since 2009," the Ministry of Manpower said in a press release on the Labour Market Report, Third Quarter 2015.

CDL and Keppel's Alpha Investment in S$1.1b Singapore office venture

City Developments (CDL) has entered into a deal with Alpha Investment Partners, Keppel Land's property fund management arm, to create a joint office investment platform via its second Profit Participation Securities (PPS) transaction. This platform will acquire three of CDL's prime office assets with a total value of about S$1.1 billion. The three assets are: Central Mall (Office Tower) for S$218 million; 7 & 9 Tampines Grande for S$366 million; and Manulife Centre for S$487.5 million.

Developers' sales mark 39% uptick in November to 759 private homes

Developers sold a total of 759 private residential units in November, a 39 per cent uptick from 548 units sold in October and representing a 79 per cent jump from a year ago.

StanChart axes top bankers in energy M&A team, mostly in Singapore: sources

Standard Chartered has axed at least half a dozen oil and gas advisory banking roles in recent weeks, ending an eight-year attempt to build a global energy M&A team, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Singapore's Oct retail sales up 2.7% year on year, boosted by vehicle sales

Singapore retail sales got a leg up from motor vehicle sales in October, rising 2.7 per cent year on year. Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales actually fell 4.6 per cent.

What's so important about the Federal Reserve's interest rate?

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve, the US central bank, is expected to raise its federal funds interest rate for the first time in nearly 10 years. These are the things to know.

The STI Today

Singapore shares close flat ahead of key FOMC meeting

The Straits Times Index drifted within a narrow band before ending a net 0.48 of a point higher at 2,815.52 on Tuesday, ahead of the US Federal Reserve's Open Markets Committee (FOMC) meeting this week at which an interest rate hike is expected to be announced. Turnover was a thin 870.2 million units worth S$860 million and excluding warrants there were 184 rises versus 203 falls.