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Star Biz7

The rise of ‘senior toys’

China's rapidly ageing population is fuelling a new consumer trend for "senior toys".

Insight

Asia rally holds despite foreign selling

Foreigners are selling Asian equities at a record pace despite the region's fervid rally. Ordinarily, that would signal trouble ahead – but this time around, it might be merely a speed bump.

Short Position

End of the RM1 fee tests cashless Malaysia

The banking industry's decision to abolish the RM1 interbank ATM withdrawal fee from July 1 offers immediate relief to consumers, but it also raises questions about Malaysia's long-term push towards a cashless economy.

Star Biz7

Adding value to stocks

The strong performance of the SpaceX initial public offering or IPO on Nasdaq is a sign that the US exceptionalism trade is starting to reappear.

Insight

Cheap labour is not cheap

A Bangladeshi man was recently sent home after spending 27 years in Malaysia in legal limbo.

Star Biz7

Beds, bets and India travel

Major global hotel chains including Marriott, IHG and Hilton are aggressively expanding in India, betting that a domestic tourism boom can withstand a broader consumer spending slowdown and stock market slump.

Insight

The AI layoff trap

"We're just replacing lower-value human capital with a different investment capital." Such remarks from a chief executive officer (CEO) are unfortunately not uncommon today.

Star Biz7

China tests Asean industry

Malaysia looks set to strengthen its position as one of South-East Asia's more resilient manufacturing hubs over the coming decade, even as a new wave of competitive pressure from China reshapes industrial dynamics across the region.

Star Biz7

Plantation stocks heat up

Malaysia's plantation sector looks set to remain in focus as stronger biofuel demand, supportive crude palm oil (CPO) prices and weather-related supply concerns keep investors watching for opportunities in the months ahead.

Star Biz7

Hedge funds reopen pre-war playbook

An eclectic mix of shorter-maturity Treasuries, beaten-up Asian currencies and even instant-noodle stocks look set to be among the early beneficiaries of the US-Iran agreement, according to global hedge fund managers.

Insight

New energy contest of the century 

Having accepted that control over energy reinforces superpower status, China and the United States are now in a new "Contest of the Century" – China as an electrostate and the United States as the world's hydrocarbon hegemon.

Star Biz7

Ordered uncertainty in markets

Global volatility and resilient domestic growth have shaped the first half of 2026 (1H26), even as Malaysia delivered 5.4% gross domestic product growth in the first quarter (1Q26).

Short Position

A tough job at troubled Country Heights

It is rare for the chief executive officer (CEO) of a public-listed company to resign shortly after taking on the job.

Insight

Subsidies - need for a relook

SINCE the unity government took office, subsidy rationalisation has been one of its top priorities. The government took the view that a more targeted approach was necessary, as top income earners, despite being the major contributors to taxes in the country, do not deserve to be subsidised when it came to fuel purchases, especially the most widely consumed grade – the RON95.

Star Biz7

EasternBrick rebuilds the game

For generations, LEGO bricks have served as a bridge for creativity, enabling builders of all ages to close the gap between imagination and tangible creation.

Star Biz7

Quiet exodus from UK market

The United Kingdom's stock market has suffered a series of setbacks in recent years, as a growing number of major companies have abandoned the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Some have downgraded their presence in the UK market or chosen overseas exchanges for new listings.

Insight

The bottom-end problem on Bursa

There is a segment of Bursa Malaysia that most institutional investors, fund managers and financial journalists simply ignore.

Insight

Look within first

IN the movie The Matrix, humans who had been freed from control of the machines survived on a nutrient and protein rich porridge-like substance.

Short Position

After the ceasefire

Before we break out the champagne and celebrate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz following the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran, let us take a good hard look at when things can get back to pre-conflict normal.

Insight

Airborne ambitions, grounded reality

When AirBorneo took over MASWings at the start of this year, the move was celebrated as a milestone for Sarawak.