Capital markets news | Thu 16 Apr 2026
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Goldman’s AI report
The report highlights that entry-level and junior roles often involve routine, structured tasks that are highly susceptible to automation. Because these jobs traditionally serve as training grounds for future professionals, their decline risks weakening the pipeline of skilled workers. If fewer early-career positions exist, younger workers may struggle to gain the experience needed to progress into higher-skill roles, creating longer-term skill shortages even as automation increases productivity.
Equity
- 5E Resources ends ACE Market debut slightly above IPO price Edge NST
- Censuria Capital to participate in Golden Destinations’ IPO Star
- Foreign worker recruitment firm Manforce sets ACE Market IPO at 38 sen Edge NST Star
- ACE-Market bound HSS signs underwriting deal with M&A Securities for IPO NST Star
- Bus Cap signs underwriting agreement with TA Securities for ACE Market listing Edge Star
- Only one rights issue so far, under 1% of last year’s RM2.2b total NST
- IOI Properties scales new high on REIT plan, analysts say watch Singapore next Edge Star
- Printed circuit board maker Victory Giant set to price Hong Kong listing at top of range Edge
- Air India asks Tata, Singapore Air for funds after USD2.4b loss Edge
- Indonesian sovereign wealth fund to step up Middle East, energy security investments Edge
- Australia’s USD71b pension fund snaps up global stocks in Iran war rout Edge
- SpaceX plans site visits for large investors as mega-IPO nears Yahoo
- TeraWulf stock declines on USD900m share sale to fund AI data centre expansion Coindesk
- US SEC approves plan removing day-trading limit for investors Edge
- Anthropic attracts investor offers at USD800b valuation Edge
- Uber commits USD10b to robotaxis in strategy shift NST
- Thames Water rescue deal falters with Ofwat split over approval Edge
- Global firms delay IPOs and scrap dividends as Middle East conflict rattles markets Mail
Debt
- Tropicana redeems another RM133.2m under RM1.5b sukuk programme Edge NST Star
- Bank Islam offers assistance to customers amid global uncertainty NST
- OCBC Bank, OCBC Al-Amin offer relief for customers amid global uncertainty NST
- Singapore bonds surge past Treasuries on liquidity, haven demand Edge
- OJK to exclude small loans from credit score database Star
- Vietnam bank credit supports 1Q GDP growth Star
- Japan to provide USD10b to Southeast Asia to secure oil Edge Mail NST
- China plans largest yuan bond issuance since 2023 in Hong Kong Edge
- Saudi Arabia backstop Pakistan with USD3b as UAE debt looms Edge
- SoftBank lenders ask more banks to join USD40b OpenAI loan Edge
- Allbirds gets USD50m convertible financing facility for AI compute infrastructure Coindesk
- UK pays highest yield for 10-year gilt sale since 2008 Edge
- World Bank could provide up to USD100b in funds for countries hit by war NST
Commodities
- Petronas says nationwide fuel supply now secured until end-Jun Edge Mail Star
- Biodiesel B100 has potential to be strategic alternative for nation’s energy supply Edge
- Biodiesel mandate hike marginally positive for CPO prices NST Star
- CPO prices expected to be strengthened by global biodiesel demand Edge
- Philippines’ Marcos urges Asean to activate fuel-sharing pact Edge
- China’s aluminium exports to surge as Mideast disruptions persist Edge
- Russia delivers second post-sanctions LNG cargo from Portovaya to China, data shows Edge
- Bessent says China has been unreliable partner by hoarding oil during war NST
- South Korea says secured 273m barrels of crude via routes outside Strait of Hormuz Edge
- India gets fertiliser offers near USD1k as war stokes costs Edge
- Sanctioned Chinese-owned tanker returns to Strait of Hormuz, day after Gulf exit Edge
- US crude, fuel stocks fall on strong export demand as Iran war tightens global supplies Edge
- Norway’s crude exports hit record value as oil price soared Edge
- Oil prices fall on expectations US-Iran peace talks may resume Edge
- Phillips 66 CEO says oil supply won’t just snap back after Iran conflict Yahoo
Digital assets
- Pakistan lifts 7-year ban, allowing banks to service crypto providers Coindesk
- Bitcoin traders cash out 63k BTC profit as price rallied above USD76k Cointelegraph
- Bitcoin capped at USD75k as Nasdaq and S&P 500 fly to new record highs Coindesk
- Bitcoin will not hit USD1m by 2030 Cointelegraph
- Bitcoin developer says better to freeze 5.6m BTC than let hackers have them Coindesk
- Tom Lee says ‘mini crypto winter’ is over, sees Ether above USD60k Cointelegraph
- WLFI moves to unlock 62b tokens after USD75m loan controversy Coindesk
- Morgan Stanley’s CFO sees tokenisation as next step for wealth business Coindesk
- Crypto’s new USD11m PAC booked ads Coindesk Cointelegraph
- UK asset manager puts USD68b of funds on-chain via Calastone token network Coindesk
- Only 4% of Danish citizens hold crypto, far below other European countries Cointelegraph
Malaysia
- IMF raises real GDP growth forecasts to 4.7% for 2026, 4.3% in 2027 Edge Star
- Broader ecosystem yet to fully benefit from AI adoption, says McKinsey Edge NST Star
- Provide employees with direction in upskilling to reduce AI anxiety Edge
- Flood losses drop to RM636.9m in 2025 from RM933.4m in 2024 — DOSM Edge NST
- CIDB, DOSM assess impact of rising building costs amid West Asia conflict Edge
- Japanese software firm Cybozu bets on Malaysia, Thailand for growth Edge
- Malaysia, Singapore expediting JS-SEZ initiative, exploring green tech cooperation Edge
Other markets
- Start-up founder faces decade in jail after USD300m meltdown Edge
- China’s growth seen rebounding despite Iran war Star
- Private bankers entice wealth managers with fat pay in fight for Taiwan’s rich Edge Star
- More Japanese firms say no to rate hikes as Iran war clouds outlook Yahoo
- Japan finance chief says agreed with US to intensify FX communication Yahoo
- India’s green fuel plans trigger protests over water loss and land diversion Mail
- US, Iran seek further talks as Hormuz standoff intensifies Yahoo
- Trump says Iran war ‘close to over’; army chief of mediator Pakistan arrives in Tehran Edge
- Middle East conflict’s damage to energy infrastructure can reach USD58b NST
- Chicago Fed president says rate cut gets pushed off if war goes on longer Yahoo
- Former US Treasury Secretary Yellen says one Fed rate cut possible this year Edge Star
- Trump threatens to fire Powell if he doesn’t leave Fed board; probe to continue Edge Yahoo
- US Treasury warns financial institutions as Iran oil waiver nears expiry NST
- US probes suspicious oil trades made before Trump Iran pivots, source says Yahoo
- Trump’s waiver of Jones Act fails to cool oil prices Yahoo
- Treasury chief says US growth may exceed 3% or 3.5% this year despite Iran war Yahoo
- US import prices increase below expectations; sharp rise anticipated due to Iran war Edge
- New York factory activity rises in Apr, though outlook worsens Edge
- Pentagon approaches automakers, manufacturers to boost weapons production Yahoo
- D-Wave CEO says quantum computing is already past its ChatGPT moment Yahoo
- Bessent says Trump’s tariff rates could be restored by Jul Edge Star
- Trump threatens to revise UK trade accord Mail
- China told Maersk and MSC to drop Panama port operations, FT reports Edge
- Russia shuts down USD13b tax fraud Edge
- Legendary fund manager issues blunt warning over Strait of Hormuz Yahoo
- IMF cautions countries against broad fuel subsidies to deal with energy shock Edge
- IMF chief warns of ‘tough times’ if oil prices stay high Yahoo
- Firms race into AI but data access and quality lag Mail