New Zealand’s central bank governor struck a dovish tone in his maiden monetary policy statement on Thursday, saying the next move in rates could equally be a cut or a hike, while holding settings at a record low. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s decision to keep settings unchanged was in line with economist expectations, […]

Malaysian bonds tumbled this morning after a surprise win for the opposition unseated a government that has held power for more than six decades. Shortly after the market opened, Malaysia’s U.S. dollar sovereign bonds due 2026 jumped more than 10bp to a spread of 97bp over Treasuries, before easing to Treasuries plus 92bp, still 7bp […]

Najib Razak, Malaysia’s prime minister, delivered an address on Thursday after his ruling coalition lost its firm grip on power in an election. The incumbent leader said he accepted the verdict of the vote, and asserted that there had been no fraud in the election. Najib said no individual party had achieved a simple majority, […]

A historic win at Malaysia’s general election by the opposition alliance led by the country’s former leader, Mahathir Mohamad, will likely send markets on a wild ride, although analysts said long-term prospects appeared encouraging. Mahathir’s Pakatan Harapan scooped up 113 of the 222 available parliament seats, exceeding the 112 seats needed for a simple majority […]

Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad will be sworn in as the world’s oldest elected leader after his opposition alliance pulled off a stunning election win, ending six decades of rule by a coalition he once led. Malaysians celebrated the 92-year-old’s unexpected victory over Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose popularity had plunged over rising living costs and in […]

The Royal Bank of Scotland said on Wednesday it had reached an agreement in principle with the U.S. Department of Justice that includes a $4.9 billion civil penalty to resolve potential claims over mortgage-backed securities issued from 2005 to 2008. The bank said in a statement that $3.46 billion of the proposed penalty will be […]

Top Australian wealth manager AMP said it will defend two class action lawsuits filed against it following damaging revelations from a government-ordered inquiry into the country’s financial industry. AMP confirmed that lawsuits have been filed by global law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Melbourne-based firm Phi Finney McDonald on behalf of some shareholders. […]

Asian markets looked poised for gains on Thursday, tracking Wall Street’s advance as oil prices touched multi-year highs overnight. U.S. stock indexes gained on Wednesday, with energy shares advancing on the move higher in oil prices. The climb in oil prices came on the back of President Donald Trump’s Tuesday announcement that the U.S. would […]

Early results in Malaysia’s general election are trickling in, with Prime Minister Najib Razak taking an early lead. According to Reuters, who cite the local state news agency, Razak’s ruling Barisan Nasional coalition has won 24 parliament seats so far, while the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan has taken 17. Malaysia’s former prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, […]

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that three American prisoners released from North Korea were headed home, a sign of potential good will ahead of Trump’s planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In a tweet, Trump said “the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting” were accompanying Secretary of […]