Some IP insurers hike premiums of base plans for private hospital and A-class wards

This comes after launch of new, cheaper riders which do not cover deductibles, the latest effort to curb ‘buffet syndrome’

SGX made it compulsory for companies to disclose the exact remuneration of CEOs and directors in their annual reports for financial years ending on and after Dec 31, 2024
HOCK LOCK SIEW

Are CEOs paid too much? An NUS study offers insights that hopefully changes more than rules

Investors should look out for the shortcomings in remuneration practices highlighted by the study in the companies in which they own shares

The Dow may consolidate between 42,100 and 44,400 before developing any new trend behaviour, says the writer.
CHART VIEW

Finding markets’ floor

Markets slosh around with waves of money and can rise far higher or fall further than we can imagine

Mitsubishi Corporation is among the Japanese companies investing a venture-capital fund focusing on African startups.

Japanese investors back new VC fund targeting African startups

This comes as they battle a shrinking market and relatively low interest rates at home

The Fed will struggle to deliver the rate cuts that the market was anticipating before the Iran war. Even if it does, the market may “revolt” against the cuts by pushing up bond yields.

Markets expect global monetary policy to converge amid the Iran war

Central banks are likely to turn cautious and even hawkish as risk of stagflation looms

One of the most important distinctions for credit investors lies between software that is deeply embedded in mission-critical operations and products that perform more standardised tasks with limited differentiation.

Private credit investing in the age of AI

Objective is not to forecast technological winners, but to understand how innovation interacts with leverage, capital structure and cash-flow durability

Private credit has become one of Wall Street’s top worries this year, as several funds have faced billions of dollars in redemptions.

Distressed-debt funds target private credit downturn as ‘greatest opportunity’ since 2008

Investors anticipate a money-making bonanza as the sector comes under strain

MAS will introduce equity counter-cyclical adjustments, designed to reduce procyclical behaviours during sharp market downswings.

Insurers’ search for yield must not compromise policyholder protection, says MAS assistant MD

They must exercise strong risk management and apply robust stress testing, adds the central bank’s assistant MD Marcus Lim

Private credit is sometimes characterised as a post-crisis innovation. In reality, the activity itself is as old as finance.

Private credit and the persistence of credit fundamentals

The strategies that endure will be those grounded in underwriting discipline

The combined moves have put a traditional “60-40” portfolio of 60% equities and 40% bonds on track for the worst month since September 2022.

Iran shock leaves investors ‘nowhere to hide’ as stocks and bonds slump

Even gold has tumbled as investors rush to liquidate previously winning trades