Global tensions briefly put spotlight on Latin America
The US’ intervention in Venezuela was its first step in reshaping the global energy markets. This may present a silver lining in accelerating foreign investment towards oil-rich economies in Latin America. Last January, US President Donald Trump ordered a military strike on Venezuelan soil to capture its president, Nicolás Maduro. Washington’s interference in Venezuelan affairs... Read More →
Are Japanese small-cap stocks making hay while prices rise?
Japan’s stock market story is usually about exporters, mega-caps, and macro shocks. This time, smaller domestic firms could be the quiet winners if inflation stays firm and fiscal support continues. Discussions about Japan’s equity market have largely revolved around big exporters, the largest benchmark names, and the direction of bond yields. This makes sense since... Read More →
Malaysia’s tech push for digital banking
Digital banks in Malaysia have been accelerating upgrades to its systems, a move expected to attract new users and increase profits. During the tail end of the global pandemic in 2022, Malaysia came up with the Financial Sector Blueprint 2022-2026 to prepare the banking sector in keeping up with the rising usage of digital banking... Read More →
Investing in Thailand’s digital transformation with data centres
Thailand continues to invest in building data centres as it seeks to become Southeast Asia’s main digital hub. The race to establish Southeast Asia’s central hub for data centres has been accelerating. Delays on Singapore’s new data centres in 2019 led tech companies to look towards Malaysia instead, solidifying the latter’s dominance in the industry.... Read More →
The failings of the German education system
The last few years have shown the decline of German proficiency based on standardised student tests. If the country can address this problem within its education system, it may unlock massive economic growth over time. When talking about the state of the German education system, one can almost exchange the talking points from 2001 for... Read More →
Brazil’s upcoming elections and the return of political uncertainty
With Brazil in the middle of a polarising political scenario, investors face a challenging environment in the markets that currently favour more defensive strategies. Brazil is gearing up towards its presidential elections in October 2026 in which President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva seeks re-election. However, the country’s main right-wing party has announced Flávio Bolsonaro,... Read More →
Japan’s expansionary fiscal push is testing the market’s patience
They say that “a bird in hand is worth two in the bush”, but Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appears to believe the opposite: free the bird from its cage and trust that people will reward the gesture – and they did. On 23 January, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved Japan’s lower house and called... Read More →
Indonesia’s lofty plans with Danantara
The launch of Indonesia’s new sovereign wealth fund, Danantara, has sparked debate as it draws funding from state-owned enterprises. Subianto’s government is painting it as a high-risk, high-reward fund to attract global investors and drive domestic growth. A year has passed since President Prabowo Subianto introduced a new sovereign wealth fund (SWF) for Indonesia, the... Read More →
How to deal with a deindustrialising Germany
Germany’s manufacturing sector is in a decline, but this might not be the country’s biggest problem. Internationally known for its large manufacturing sector with its reputation as a manufacturing powerhouse, Germany’s industrial base has provided stable incomes for households and corporates for decades. With it came the much-prided German export surplus, strong collaboration between workers... Read More →
Hitting the right timing for Malaysia’s property and construction markets
Recent changes to Malaysia’s Sales and Service Tax framework has affected the domestic property and construction sectors, resulting in some pessimism. Still, the government remains optimistic that both markets will thrive. In December, the Malaysian parliament postponed the discussion for the Urban Renewal Act 2025 once again. Despite the controversy surrounding the law, we see... Read More →