Capital markets news | Thu 18 Jun 2026
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GE16 in 2026?
The likelihood of GE16 being held in 2026 is moderate to fairly high, but not certain. Preparations for a possible 2H2026 election are underway, with a realistic window in late 2026 if the government wants to combine general and state polls. The case for an early election is supported by the unity government’s potential advantage from opposition infighting and a still-solid economy, but the main constraint is that the prime minister has publicly ruled out a snap poll before, so the final decision likely depends on coalition stability and whether economic and political conditions stay favourable.
Equity
- Elsa closes nearly 20% higher in ACE Market debut Edge NST Star
- PublicInvest assigns Liftech fair value of 31% above IPO price Edge
- Vending massage chair operator RNG Tech opens IPO applications at 13 sen Edge NST Star
- Teraju transfer to PM’s Department boosts transformation plan Edge NST
- Bursa approves Vantris Energy’s application to uplift PN17 status Edge NST Star
- Affin Hwang unveils equity-linked investments to help navigate market volatility Edge NST
- Vietnam stocks see biggest foreign inflows in nearly 6 years Edge
- General Atlantic in talks to lead funding for China’s Kling AI Edge
- China renewables IPO plugs into upsides of a glut Edge
- China’s DeepSeek closes over USD7b funding with unusual deal structure Edge Mail NST
- AI optical parts maker Zhongji Innolight eyes up to USD7b Hong Kong listing NST
- Glencore, Trafigura said set to invest in Merdeka’s HK listing Edge
- 6 companies seek up to USD2.5b in Hong Kong offerings NST
- The controversial plan behind an AI wealth fund Yahoo
Debt
- Cagamas MBS’s CMBS 2007-1-i AAA rating affirmed RAM
- MARC gears up for DC bond shift Star
- Affin, KHK Land ink MoU to offer flexible property financing solutions NST
- Indonesian exporters face rising credit risks, Fitch warns Star
- Stricter rules for corporate bond issuance Star
- Adani Green seeks USD1b loan after US settlement Star
- Nvidia joins AI borrowing frenzy with USD25b bond sale Edge NST
- GIC nears deal to offload USD2b in private credit stakes Edge
- Moody’s rolls out credit ratings on Solana in tokenised asset push Coindesk
- G7 leaders pledge to enhance efforts to address global debt vulnerabilities Edge
Commodities
- Strait of Hormuz transit will take ‘weeks’ to resume Edge NST Star
- US-Iran deal takes effect as focus turns to Strait of Hormuz Yahoo
- Strait of Hormuz reopens, but the Gulf energy industry will never be the same Mail NST
- Energy firms brace for ‘new era’ despite Hormuz deal NST
- Opening Hormuz will be ‘massive step forward’: NATO chief NST
- US oil reserve hits 43-year low as Trump aims to tame prices Edge
- IEA says ‘unconditionally’ reopening Hormuz vital to ending energy crisis Edge
- Oil steadies as investors weigh peace deal, IEA forecasts 2027 glut Edge NST Star
- IMF hails US‑Iran ceasefire in Washington, warns energy recovery will take time Mail
- ECB: Iran deal isn’t enough to fix energy shock Star
- Brent crude to ease toward USD70 as supply stability supports downside risk NST
Digital assets
- How realistic is tokenised real estate in Malaysia? Star
- Bybit lands on Singapore MAS investor alert list Cointelegraph
- China signs up 26 FIs to digital yuan cross-border payment platform Edge NST
- Kanoo group member is moving a USD6t trade market onto blockchain rails Coindesk
- Bitcoin’s Jun downturn leaves USD8.6b in options out of the money Coindesk
- Crypto industry aghast at Illinois’ new tax on holding or transferring digital assets Coindesk
- US lawmakers warn against presidential pardon for Sam Bankman-Fried Cointelegraph
- Binance set to lose EU licence bid, permission to offer services in the bloc Edge
M&A
- KPJ won’t rush M&A deals amid high healthcare valuations, says MD Edge NST
- TMK Chemical’s plans to acquire CCM a boon for the group Star
- Beshom Holdings to sell 14.6 acres of land in Klang for RM86m Edge NST Star
- Capital A says Teleport stake foreclosure capped at arbitration sum owed Edge
- Singapore amends takeover code, changes to take effect 16 Jul Edge
- Yum Brands to sell Pizza Hut for USD2.7b after prolonged demand slump Edge NST
- Australia’s ASX proposes 25% cap on share issuance in M&A without shareholder vote Edge
- SpaceX to buy AI coding start-up Cursor for USD60b in enterprise push Edge
- Goldman Sachs shatters dealmaking records with USD1t in first-half M&A volume Edge
- UK’s Hays sells 6 European units, considers further exits as hiring downturn persists NST
- EU antitrust chief urges EU countries to back cross-border bank deals Edge
- Germany formally rejects UniCredit’s Commerzbank offer Edge NST
Malaysia
- Indian firms invested over USD3b in Malaysia, created 30k jobs Edge NST
- SME Bank sees MSMEs resilient despite weaker sentiment in 1H Edge NST Star
- Customs revenue up 25% to RM23.6b in 1Q Edge
- Malaysians don’t trust AI tools, yet see strong productivity gains – Ipsos poll Edge
- DOSM: Malaysia’s total trade hits RM3.1t in 2025, Penang tops exports Edge NST Star
- 1MDB plunder ‘made Attila the Hun look like a choirboy’, says High Court judge Edge
- Johor’s elevated autonomous rapid transit development via public-private partnership Edge
- Langat 2 flows into second phase Star
Other markets
- Economists cut Singapore 2026 growth forecast, expect policy hold in Jul NST
- Singapore’s May exports rise by 38.4% on year, boosted by AI demand Edge NST Star
- Investor confidence surges in state fund Star
- Thai industrial sentiment falls for the third straight month in May NST
- Thailand eyes 2026 GDP forecast revision as war risks cool Star
- Vietnam says fuel costs widen first-half trade deficit, 2026 GDP target maintained NST
- Brunei expect higher investment levels in coming months – central bank NST
- Asean+3 1Q 2026 fiscal position remains resilient amid Middle East conflict – AMRO Star
- China’s central bank hints at shift to Fed-style rate setting Edge
- China central bank plans offshore finance development in Shanghai NST
- Beijing ramps up efforts to take yuan global Mail NST Star
- Chinese economy stalls as spending, investment drop to Covid-era levels Edge
- Evergrande liquidators seek to quash regulator’s PwC Hong Kong deal Edge
- Bank of Japan raises rate to 31-year high and signals more to come Edge Mail Star
- Japan moves toward first-ever consumption tax cut, adds to fiscal strain Edge
- Japan’s interest rate normalisation seen to have greater impact on Asia than Europe NST Star
- Japan’s exports beat forecast in May on strong chip demand Edge NST Star
- Japan’s trade balance swings to deficit Star
- Bank of Korea vows to respond until inflation eases towards target Edge
- Iran to gain major financial relief under interim deal with US Edge
- Australia central bank warns rate hikes might not be over after holding fire Edge Star
- Fed holds rates steady in first decision under new Chairman Kevin Warsh Coindesk Yahoo
- Almost half of FOMC members project at least 1 interest rate hike this year Yahoo
- Warsh forms task force to review Fed’s USD6.7t balance sheet Yahoo
- US import prices increase more than expected in May Edge
- Worst of US inflation may be over if Iran peace deal sticks Edge
- Half of America feel broke despite good income Yahoo
- Social Security is on a collision course toward insolvency Yahoo
- Big Tech-backed coalition for carbon removal increases funding by USD915m Yahoo
- UK inflation unexpectedly holds at 13-month low before BOE rates decision Edge NST
- EU must tap trillions of euros in private savings to keep up with US and China Edge
- EU lawmakers approve US trade deal ahead of Trump deadline Edge
- SNB to keep rates at 0% this year and probably in 2027 Edge
- Hackers seeks private buyers for Novo Nordisk data after USD25m ransom fails Mail
- AI will lead to labour shortages, Bezos says in optimistic talk Edge
- World’s 500 richest add record USD336b to wealth in one day Edge
- No global economic slowdown in sight, but risks are high – IMF chief NST