Business

Timely rains cushion El Niño blow to Malaysian palm oil output

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's palm oil output is likely to escape the worst of El Niño, for now, as better-than-expected rainfall limits crop losses, offering a measure of relief from a global cereal and vegetable oil supply squeeze that has fuelled food inflation.

Economy

Design sharpens edge for Chinese exports

GUANGZHOU: Stainless steel has long endured a rather understated existence. It can be found in kitchen sinks, saucepans and rubbish bins, having proved durable and practical but unglamorous.

Corporate News

US-owned startup plans US$600mil Malaysia rare-earth refinery

A US majority-owned startup plans to invest US$600 million in a rare-earth refinery in Malaysia, seeking to develop a new source of the critical minerals as Washington pushes to reduce its reliance on China.

Commodities

Gold slips as higher oil, US inflation data bolster Fed hike bets

Gold prices slipped on Friday as higher oil prices and robust US inflation data strengthened the case for another Federal Reserve interest rate hike later this year.

Economy

Invest Johor identifies five potential sectors at Nexus Sedenak

JOHOR BAHRU: Invest Johor has identified five key potential sectors for development at Nexus Sedenak, which is set to become a new industrial and supply chain hub under the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

Corporate News

Bursa issues UMA query to Ni Hsin, Mega Fortris

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd has issued an unusual market activity (UMA) query to Ni Hsin Group Bhd and Mega Fortis Bhd following the sharp fall in the price of their shares today. 

Corporate News

Dialog targets additional RM3bil investment in Pengerang Deepwater Terminals

JOHOR BAHRU: Dialog Group Bhd plans an additional investment of RM3 billion between 2027 and 2030 to support the continued development of the Pengerang Deepwater Terminals (PDT).

Markets

Bursa Malaysia's key index rebounds to end morning sessions higher

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia's key index rebounded from earlier losses to end the morning session higher, outperforming regional peers as continued buying in plantation heavyweight stocks supported market sentiment.  

Telcos

CelcomDigi receives spectrum assignments for 2600MHz and 900MHz frequency bands

KUALA LUMPUR: CelcomDigi Bhd via its unit, CelcomDigi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (CDTel), has received the spectrum assignments for the 2x20MHz in the 2600MHz and 2x5MHz in the 900MHz spectrum frequency bands from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

Corporate News

TH chairman Abdul Rashid Hussain receives lifetime achievement award

KUALA LUMPUR: Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Hussain has received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Business Today Industry Choice Awards 2026, in recognition of his distinguished career in Malaysia's financial services industry.

Economy

HSBC upgrades Malaysia's 2026 GDP growth to 5.5%

KUALA LUMPUR: HSBC has upgraded Malaysia's 2026 economic growth to 5.5 per cent from 5.2 per cent, the third consecutive year above the five per cent threshold, according to HSBC. 

Corporate News

Mestron unit gains Seda approval to expand Gua Musang plant capacity

KUALA LUMPUR: Mestron Holdings Bhd's wholly-owned subisidiary Liziz Biogas Sdn Bhd has secured a new Feed-in Approval (FiA) from the Sustainable Energy Development Authority Malaysia (Seda) to expand its biogas power generation facility in Gua Musang, Kelantan.

Banking

Bank Negara appoints new Shariah Advisory Council member

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara has appointed Sahibus Samahah Ahmad Fauwaz Fadzil as a new member of the Shariah Advisory Council (SAC) for a two-year term, beginning Nov 1, 2026.

Commodities

Oil set for fourth monthly gain as Hormuz tanker attack highlights supply risks from war

SINGAPORE: Oil prices rose on Friday - set for a fourth monthly gain - as an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz highlighted the continuing supply risks from the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has entered its eighth month.

Stock on the Move

Axis REIT shares up in early trade on stronger 3Q performance

KUALA LUMPUR: Axis Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) shares rose in early trade following a stronger performance in the third quarter (3Q) ended Sept 30, 2026.

Markets

Stocks slump, bonds leap as AI giants' spending spooks investors

SINGAPORE: Tech shares slumped in Asia on Friday, the yen rose and bonds surged toward their biggest monthly gain in nearly three years as investors scurried to safety against worries that huge and rising AI spending may not deliver sufficient returns.

Markets

FBM KLCI stays little changed amid heightened uncertainty

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian stock prices were slow to move off the starting line on Friday as traders digested recent developments, while awaiting a tide of corporate results that will be released next month.

Forex

Ringgit opens higher against US$ for 10th consecutive day

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened higher against the US dollar for the 10th consecutive trading day on Friday, reflecting sustained positive sentiment towards the local currency at the start of trading.

Cryptocurrency

Binance says US$2.54bil in assets frozen as it probes security incident

BINANCE, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, said on Thursday that $2.54 billion in crypto assets had been frozen as it investigated a potential security breach, with stablecoin issuers Circle and Tether freezing related assets.

Corporate News

Intel shares tumble after hours, hit by chip supply constraints, big cash burn 

INTEL shares plunged 23% after hours on Thursday after the chip maker warned it would burn cash this year due to the faltering PC market, bottlenecks in manufacturing and heavy spending on expanding production.