Short Position

LYC – from Nasdaq dreams to GN3

LYC Healthcare Bhd, an operator of confinement centres and aesthetic clinics, appears to be facing significant challenges after years of losses.

Insight

Mentor, coach or supervise

Dear captains, if we observe carefully across organisations, a consistent pattern emerges.

Star Biz7

Blooming Chinese beauty sector

China's beauty market is witnessing an increase in domestic brands that are consolidating their positions and driving sector growth, according to industry reports.

Star Biz7

China leads global EV race

Automakers are increasingly turning to China to revive legacy brands and accelerate their transition to electrification, marking a structural shift in the global auto industry.

Star Biz7

Dubai Chocolate faces pistachio crunch

So much depends upon a tiny green seed, bathed in sun and air, grown on a bushy tree.

Star Biz7

Shanghai eyes asset hub status

Shanghai has recently unveiled an ambitious plan to cement its status as a leading global asset management centre, targeting 55 trillion yuan (US$8.1 trillion) in assets under management by 2030 – roughly one-third of China's projected national total.

Star Biz7

Money-market funds are retail’s hot trade

The stock market keeps setting records. Bitcoin has minted millionaires. Gold has peaked at new levels.

Star Biz7

Betting on boom – and bust

According to a Bloomberg report, some of the biggest names in global credit investing are quietly positioning themselves for a very specific outcome in the artificial intelligence (AI) boom: not whether it succeeds, but what happens when the financing cycle eventually gets messy.

Short Position

A good deal for AmBank, but AmFirst?

AmBank (M) Bhd's proposed acquisition of Menara AmBank and related assets from AmFirst Real Estate Investment Trust (AmFirst-REIT) for RM331mil may make strategic sense for the bank, but the bigger question is whether the deal leaves AmFirst-REIT worse off.

Star Biz7

Stay invested, stay selective

Malaysia's equity market is likely to remain resilient through the rest of 2026 despite a softer first-quarter (1Q26) earnings season, with analysts expecting domestic liquidity, infrastructure spending and election-related catalysts to provide support even as geopolitical tensions and political uncertainty keep investors on edge.

Insight

New sauce in assets

In its heyday, the asset management business of banks was a much valued one.

Star Biz7

S-REIT appeal builds up

Singapore real estate investment trusts (S-REITs) are set to remain a preferred income play as low domestic interest rates, resilient cash flows and improving operating fundamentals continue to support the sector despite heightened geopolitical uncertainty and ongoing market volatility.

Insight

Beautiful game, and beauty sleep 

Every four years, companies and bosses will brace for the drop in productivity.

Insight

The price of permanence

WHEN MISC Bhd announced that it had signed a long-term tenancy agreement with parent company Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS) to remain at Menara Dayabumi for up to 15 years, the reaction from investors was likely indifference.

Insight

Muted 1Q26, weaker growth ahead

THE recently concluded first-quarter (1Q26) reporting season for 2026 was undeniably weak, led by a surprisingly poor set of results from the banking sector as well as the consumer sector, except for a few that managed to either meet or beat market forecasts.

Star Biz7

Steering the future of school buses

Modern life affords us remarkable conveniences and benefits that are often taken for granted.

Insight

Are banks truly helping MSMEs?

The turmoil in the oil market due to the Iran war has disrupted supply chains across many economies around the world.

Star Biz7

The economics of rooftop solar power

The idea of placing solar panels on rooftops is hardly new. Malaysia has spent more than a decade rolling out programmes to encourage households and businesses to generate their own electricity, making rooftop solar a key pillar of the country's renewable energy (RE) initiatives.

Short Position

El Nino to add fuel to coal rally

Most of the talks surrounding the El Nino weather phenomenon have been centred on its impact on Malaysia's agricultural sector, particularly palm oil production and food supply.

Markets

Danantara raises US$1.5bil in global bond offering debut

JAKARTA: Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund Danantara Indonesia has raised US$1.5 billion (US$1 = RM4.05) through its inaugural international bond offering, attracting about US$4.6 billion in orders, more than three times the size of the issuance.