Capital markets news | Wed 15 Apr 2026

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Goldman’s AI report
Historical data analysed in the report indicates that workers displaced by automation tend to suffer persistent wage penalties, even years after re-employment. Over long periods, their wage growth lags behind peers who were not displaced, reflecting lost experience in higher-productivity roles and reduced bargaining power when re-entering the workforce. This suggests that the long-term economic impact of AI displacement may show up more in stagnant earnings than in headline unemployment figures.

Equity

AMS Advanced Material’s ACE Market IPO oversubscribed by 9.03 times Edge NST Star
Sum Technology signs Malacca Securities as underwriter for ACE Market IPO Edge Star
Designer toy firm Milolo gets nod from Bursa for LEAP Market listing Edge NST Star
NWE Resources plans ACE Market listing for health food, personal care products Edge Star
Sentoria shares to be suspended on 21 Apr after being wound-up Edge Mail NST Star
Reneuco appeals against possible suspension, delisting after Bursa rejects extension Edge
Deloitte resigns as Careplus auditor amid going concern uncertainty NST
Singapore IPO proceeds hit USD967m in 1Q despite global slowdown: EY report NST
Moomoo Malaysia enables Hong Kong options trading NST
China’s Huaqin seeks to raise nearly USD581m in HK listing amid market volatility Yahoo
BlackRock pulls in USD130b of client cash as ETFs surge Edge
OpenAI’s USD852b valuation faces investor scrutiny amid strategy shift Edge
Anthropic draws offers from VCs to invest at up to USD800b valuation Yahoo
Wells Fargo wants investors to take money out of the energy sector Yahoo

Debt

Encorp Systembilt’s sukuk outlook revised to positive, AA1 rating affirmed RAM
Sunway Treasury Sukuk’s RM10b sukuk programme ratings withdrawn MARC NST
S&P expects Malaysia’s sovereign credit rating to weather Middle East conflict Edge
Hong Leong Bank ready to support customers affected by West Asia conflict Edge Star
Paos Holdings unit submits RM16m proof of debt Edge Star
Hong Kong dollar bond sales boom as issuers tap into haven flows Edge
Japan’s 20-year bond sale sees strongest demand since 2019 Edge
Asian firms rush to sell bonds in busiest day in 3 months Edge
Creditors seek 90% of Raizen in debt swap Star
Stegra gets EUR1.4b rescue from Wallenberg-led group Edge

Commodities

Tok Mat urges US to reconsider Hormuz blockade; world should not be held to ransom Edge
Indonesia plans to buy Russian oil, Pertamina to follow government directives NST
Philippines seeks US nod to expand Russian oil imports as shortages bite Mail
China said to relax curbs on some BHP iron ore cargoes Edge
China’s Mar crude oil imports unscathed by Iran war, gas imports hit a multi-year low Edge
US, Iran seek more ceasefire talks as blockade stops ships Yahoo
US, Iran pursue new talks as Tehran weighs pause in Hormuz shipments Yahoo
Strait of Hormuz traffic barely affected on first day of US blockade, data shows Edge
US blockade against Iran triggers energy shock fears; China denounces move Mail
Iran war wipes out global oil demand growth this year, IEA says Edge Mail Yahoo
Who’s blockading whom? How the US lockdown of Iranian oil affects global markets Mail
IEA, IMF, World Bank warn fuel, fertiliser prices could stay elevated Mail NST Yahoo
Largest energy security threat in history to push oil prices further up, IEA warns Yahoo
Cocoa price crash spurs hopes for demand recovery, cheaper candy Edge

Digital assets

Bitcoin nears USD75k as Iran deal hopes spark USD400m short squeeze Cointelegraph
Bitcoin’s USD76k breakout fails but a rare signal is hinting at major market bottom Coindesk
Goldman Sachs files for its first bitcoin ETF product Yahoo Coindesk
JPMorgan CFO warns stablecoins risk becoming ‘regulatory arbitrage’ play Coindesk
Visa and Zodia Custody join Stripe’s new blockchain for machine payments Coindesk
Visa deepens blockchain push with Tempo validator node launch Cointelegraph
OneCoin victims get a USD40m lifeline more than a decade after the scam began Coindesk
Popular DeFi platform warns users to stay away from its site after security breach Coindesk

M&A

Evergrande liquidators in exclusive talks to sell majority stake in property services arm Edge
China’s Yancoal buys 80% stake in Australia mine for up to USD2.4b Edge
United-American mega deal could raise fares and face antitrust roadblock Edge NST Star
Amazon signs USD11.57b deal for satellite firm Globalstar Edge NST Yahoo
Nvidia denies acquisition rumour that sparked Dell-HP rally Edge

Malaysia

Ryt Bank says AI chatbot has twice more returning users as accounts top 1.2m Edge Star
Government urged to resolve MSME payout crisis NST
IMF raises Malaysia’s real GDP growth forecast to 4.7% for 2026, 4.3% in 2027 Star
Tax tools like double deductions ease cash flow amid crisis, says expert NST
Medical claims hit RM9.4bil, a new high for Malaysia’s life insurers NST
Gen Z workers report lower happiness, higher stress NST
Most Malaysians happy at work, but stress remains concern NST
Govt to increase mandated biodiesel blend Edge Star
MACC detains statutory body CEO for accepting bribes to build squash court Edge
Four 1MDB-linked artwork brought back to Malaysia, says MACC Edge
Hydroshoppe, director seek to transfer bribery case to High Court Edge
Appellate court upholds no jurisdiction decision on Red Bull Thailand, JV firm in China Edge
Mida Singapore sees growing investment interest into Johor Edge NST Star

Other markets

Singapore leads Asia in tightening policy on oil-price shock Edge NST Star
Explainer: How Singapore’s unique monetary policy works NST
Singapore GDP growth slows to 4.6% in 1Q2026 Star
Vietnam interbank rates stay elevated on tight liquidity Star
Southeast Asian conglomerates: Reinvent or risk falling further behind Edge
China’s exports stumble, imports soar in first month of Iran war Edge Star
China Evergrande’s billionaire founder pleads guilty to fraud Edge Mail Star
Bessent says Fed should ‘wait and see’ before lowering rates, Semafor reports Edge
Bessent says US will quickly cycle through higher prices Yahoo
Trump has a blunt message on gas prices for the rest of 2026 Yahoo
US producer prices increase less than expected in Mar Edge
US small business sentiment falls to 11-month low in Mar Edge
Restaurants closures are coming if inflation doesn’t get under control Yahoo
JP Morgan’s Dimon says a complex set of risks threatens a strong US economy Yahoo
Venezuela courts investment as Chevron expands oil footprint Mail
EU doubles steel tariffs to 50pc to curb flood of Chinese exports, protect industry Mail
Lagarde says Europe’s economy has slipped below ECB baseline Edge
IMF cuts growth outlook, warns of potential global recession if Iran war worsens Edge Yahoo