Capital markets news | Mon 20 Jul 2026

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National politics
BN should treat Melaka as the next pressure point and try to turn it into a public test of whether PH can still hold its ground. If BN continues to win in Melaka, it can argue that momentum is building and that PH’s best option is to dissolve Parliament while it still has some control over the timing. BN should also keep framing the unity government as electorally awkward for PH’s own base, because the more PH voters see compromise as weakness, the more dangerous it becomes for PH to wait for conditions to improve.

Equity

Rakuten Trade assigns RM1.56 fair value to Stratus Global NST
SC approves Sorento Capital’s transfer to Main Market Edge Star
F&B IPO buffet + What’s happening at MMC Port Holdings? Edge
Guocoland shares to be suspended on 30 Jul NST
Value Up needs bigger buy-in Star
Thai stocks go from worst to best as funds eye further gains Edge
Philippine bourse seeks to boost retail trading with new reforms Edge
Institutional demand for CXMT’s USD8.6b Shanghai IPO dented by chip stock selloff Edge
Shein secures nod from Hong Kong listing committee for IPO Edge Star
Innolight gets nod for USD8b Hong Kong listing Star
LDP warns of suspected collusion between activist investors and private equity Edge
Temasek-backed Manipal Hospitals said to cut valuation to USD8.3b in IPO Edge
US corporate insiders selling stocks at near record pace Edge
Databricks secures funding round at USD188b valuation Edge
King Street restricts hedge fund withdrawals Star
Global stocks drop on growing semiconductor rout Edge
New age AI investment Star

Debt

PLSUKE’s A+(s) and AAAIS(bg) ratings affirmed MARC
VS Capital Management’s AA (cg) rating affirmed MARC
MBSB Bank, NCER unveil RM1b financing for northern corridor NST Star
RAM Ratings and V Systems collaborate to support digital trade finance RAM
Agrobank expands Agro Penjaja-i’s reach NST
A limited retirement solution Star
The student loan conundrum Star
SoftBank plans new JPY60b bond after retail, overseas deals Edge
India’s private lenders bet on corporate loan revival for growth Edge
Foreign inflows in Asian bonds surge to 7-month high in Jun Star
Bond traders take Warsh at word, see inflation fight continuing Yahoo
Big tech tests bond market capacity Star
Foreclosures hit highest level since 2019, sparking interest from bargain hunters Yahoo

Commodities

Geoeconomic fragmentation prompts Malaysia to rethink energy security NST
Petroleum reserve should be part of a broader economic security strategy NST
AmBank flags depleting oil reserves as biggest global threat NST
Iran renews Gulf attacks after night of US strikes; oil prices highest in a month Edge
US blockade forcing Iran’s energy tankers to zig-zag and U-turn Edge
Oil rises on renewed US-Iran hostilities and threat of Red Sea closure Edge NST Star
Brent oil tops USD90 as US, Iran intensify attacks in Middle East Yahoo
What are the implications of a renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz? Yahoo
World looks ahead toward post-Iran oil market that offsets most Hormuz volumes Yahoo

Digital assets

Japan’s SBI Group is building Asia’s first cross-border digital asset empire Coindesk
South Korea probed 40 cases of crypto manipulation over 2 years Cointelegraph
Upbit parent Dunamu faces South Korean regulator sanctions process Cointelegraph
Michael Saylor, says new plan to clean up the blockchain is ‘a bad idea’ Coindesk
Bitcoin’s quantum problem gets a recovery tool, but not for Satoshi’s 1.1m coins Coindesk
Massive USD1.6b in crypto liquidity is sitting idle and wasting away Coindesk
Kraken says simpler options can unlock crypto’s next derivatives market Coindesk
Tokenisation has become a strategic priority for 84% of financial firms Coindesk
Crypto executives say digital native generations may never need a bank account Coindesk
Kaspersky identifies malware framework targeting crypto investors Cointelegraph
FTX to distribute USD900m to creditors in fifth payment round Cointelegraph
British Virgin Islands are a top crypto hub no one ever talks about Cointelegraph
Trump targets Brazil’s payments system Coindesk
France orders internet service providers to block Polymarket Coindesk Cointelegraph

M&A

Govt not aware of major foreign shareholding change in MMC Port Edge
Lotus Circular proposes to exit leather retail business at a loss Edge Star
Astro to sell non-core asset in Cyberjaya for RM92m Edge Star
Ambest unit purchases Penang shophouse for RM1.95m Star
Developers turn selective on land buys Star
ThaiBev said to consider selling KFC franchise business Edge
Tycoon’s prime Vietnam real estate up for sale in fraud recovery Edge
Mitsubishi Electric eyes power-chip merger with Rohm and Toshiba Edge
Coles ends talks with TPG Capital over Greencross buy Edge
PayPal board sees Stripe-Advent offer as inadequate Edge
China disapproves of British Steel nationalisation decision by UK Edge Mail
China vows strong action over UK’s nationalisation of British Steel Edge
Saudi PIF set to win EU nod for Electronic Arts deal under subsidy rules Edge
Telecom Italia board endorses EUR10.8b Poste bid as fair Edge

Malaysia

Malaysia’s inflation eases marginally in Jun 2026 Edge NST Star
Economists maintain 2026 inflation forecast at 2.1% Edge Star
Malaysia’s economy expands faster than expected at 5.8% in 2Q Edge NST Star
Malaysia’s economy powers ahead with stronger 2Q despite global headwinds NST
OCBC lifts Malaysia’s 2026 GDP forecast after strong 2Q showing NST
Domestic demand to drive second-half growth: Kenanga Research NST
Strong domestic demand key Star
AmBank lifts Malaysia’s 2026 GDP growth forecast to 4.8% NST
Malaysia may outperform growth forecasts but risks abound, economists warn Edge
Sustainable GDP growth matters, but … Star
Malaysia well positioned to lead Asean EV growth, says Fitch Solutions unit Edge
Malaysia AI ambitions resilient despite tighter US chip curbs NST
Malaysia’s big firms are embracing AI, but fear of missing out drives investment Edge
Latest large-scale solar programme to unlock RM9b in EPCC jobs by 2H2027 Edge
LSS6 set to drive next phase of Malaysia’s solar sector growth Star
Policy, not politics, will keep Malaysia on its growth path, says AmBank economist Edge
MOF: National Trust Fund Bill 2026 strengthens nation’s intergenerational savings Edge
RM2.5b savings placed in Versa’s app funds since 2021 Mail
Anwar to address KWAP eFishery losses in Dewan Negara tomorrow Edge
MACC probing KWAP’s RM200m eFishery investment loss Edge
KWAP details response to eFishery fallout, RM163.4m hit by fraud NST
KWAP pursuing avenues to maximise recovery of its eFishery investment Edge Star
Allow ‘corporate mafia’ probe to proceed independently, transparently, says Azalina Edge
Muhyiddin graft trial: Company MD says unsure why RM1m cheque issued to Bersatu Edge

Other markets

Singapore’s Jun exports rise by 20.7%, lower than expected Edge NST
Singapore weighs hedge fund tax cuts to be more competitive Edge
China set to leave benchmark lending rates unchanged for 14th month in Jul NST
China to levy consumption tax on lithium-ion batteries and solar cells Edge
China’s Moonshot unveils world’s largest open AI model, closing in on US rivals Edge Mail
US lifts some Hong Kong sanctions imposed by Trump, autonomy status unchanged Edge
Japan to leave monetary policy tools to BOJ in economic blueprint Edge NST
Warsh goes hawkish as inflation debate heats up Star
Warren Buffet delivers powerful 2-word judgment on Fed’s Warsh Yahoo
Fed may need to hike rates if inflation does not ease soon, Jefferson says Star
US manufacturing output stalls, held back by durable goods Edge
US consumer sentiment climbs on cheaper gas, tops forecasts Edge
US import prices unexpectedly rise in Jun Edge
US headed for universal basic income as AI revolutionises work Yahoo
Europe rethinks capital rules after US retreat Star
Germany and France to draw up roadmap on China trade imbalances Edge
IMF strategy chief calls for price stability, credibility Star