Capital markets news | Wed 12 Aug 2026

Do you know?

eFishery scandal
KWAP’s ongoing monitoring of its eFishery investment appears not to have been structured to detect anomalies proactively, a gap it has implicitly acknowledged by later strengthening its private‑markets approach with enhanced post‑investment monitoring and closer oversight of material developments. For a large, concentrated direct stake in a high‑risk private company, KWAP should have enforced stronger covenants and information rights, closely tracked KPIs against cash flows, and escalated any reporting inconsistencies to board‑level risk committees, but the fact that the fraud only surfaced via whistleblowers and forensic audit rather than investor controls suggests its oversight resembled a passive limited partnership (LP) stance more than an actively governed direct‑investment framework.

Equity

Label maker CLB plans ACE Market listing to fund expansion Edge
Asdion now has till 31 Oct to replace GN3 sponsor or face delisting Edge
Handal Energy targets annual report issuance by 15 Oct Edge
No extension granted to Handal Energy on annual report submission, Bursa clarifies Edge
Putting cash to work in cash-rich, foreign-controlled companies on Bursa Edge
Malaysia-Hong Kong dual IPO listing framework to take effect next month Edge NST Star
Singapore stocks hit record high on AI-backed growth update; oil weighs on FX Edge Star
Singapore-based data centre operator confidentially filed for USD5b IPO in US Edge
Shein plans to launch Hong Kong IPO as soon as 19 Aug Edge Star
Hong Kong may expand tax breaks to trading firms Edge
Taiwan, South Korea drive Asian equity outflows in Jul as AI worries bite Edge
India’s small traders lose USD9.6b in options despite curbs Edge
Morgan Stanley sees more upside in these stocks as ‘chipflation’ worsens Yahoo
Intel raises USD20b in upsized share sale for AI plans Edge
Research firm says one signal hints the bull market is on its last legs Yahoo
Crypto-friendly bank Erebor in talks to raise USD1.5b at USD9.5b valuation Coindesk
OpenAI buys back USD7b of employee shares in tender offer Edge
White House says Trump gets final call on how long they keep Intel stake Yahoo
Barrick’s breakup faces fierce pushback from major shareholders Star
German funds break through EUR5t in assets amid ETF boom Edge

Debt

Maybank completes sukuk issuance Star
Bank Rakyat’s ratings unaffected by proposed Takaful Ikhlas acquisition RAM
Maybank’s full ownership of Ageas is ratings neutral on Maybank and insurer RAM
Indera Persada’s rated bonds AA1 rating affirmed RAM
Govt never defaults on public debts despite Tabung Haji’s financial woes Edge
Syed Saddiq questions whether Tabung Haji ‘saved’ after RM11.5b sukuk refinancing Edge
State Bank of India returns to dollar debt market, bankers see strong demand Edge
US Treasury is paying USD3b a day in interest on national debt, says the CBO Yahoo
Colburn in large private school muni bond deal Star
Apollo inks USD2.6b financing deal with NY Yankees Yahoo
Bitcoin-backed lending is entering its institutional era Coindesk
The ingredients are coming together for a US financial crisis Yahoo

Commodities

SD Guthrie sees CPO at RM4,600-RM5,000 in 2026, RM5,200 in 1Q2027 Edge NST
Analysts raise CPO price target for the rest of 2026 on rising supply risks Edge NST
Indonesia launches first gold ETF Star
Oil firm as US-Iran impasse drags on; stocks edge up Edge NST Star
Oil climbs 2%, extending gains on dimming US-Iran peace hopes Edge Mail Yahoo
Hopes for Hormuz deal fade as Trump demands Iranian reparations Edge Star Yahoo
Iran adviser says no Trump deal until America votes him out in 2028 Yahoo

Digital assets

Thailand’s 0% crypto tax Cointelegraph
South Korea drops Travel Rule threshold for crypto transfers Cointelegraph
Coinbase picks Abu Dhabi for its global tokenised asset push Coindesk
ADI Chain, Shipfinex partner to tokenize USD500m vessel pipeline Cointelegraph
Coinbase-backed Flowdesk secures full broker-dealer license in Dubai Cointelegraph
ARP Digital secures Dubai VARA broker-dealer license Cointelegraph
Bitcoin stuck as ETF inflows offset selling, but inflation data could spark a move Coindesk
Strategy CEO says company will resume Bitcoin accumulation this year Cointelegraph
Ravencoin, a blockchain built from Bitcoin’s code, could roll back transactions Coindesk
MoneyGram expands on Solana with global crypto-to-cash service Coindesk Cointelegraph
CFTC orders Kalshi to continue offering in New York after state lawsuit Coindesk
SEC, CFTC sue Goliath Ventures over USD400m crypto Ponzi scheme Cointelegraph
Brazil’s largest lender Itaú is stepping deeper into the tokenisation Coindesk Cointelegraph
UK lawmakers question lenders over lack of banking for the country’s crypto firms Coindesk

M&A

Boustead set to raise aerospace stake to 81% Star
Axiata set for Edotco monetisation Star
SD Guthrie to sell 557 acres in Kulai to Sime Darby Property for RM418.5m Edge NST Star
RM10b Tabung Haji bailout to restore finances; no assets sold to non-Muslims Edge
Air taxi firm Joby acquires defence tech company for USD500m Yahoo
Nasdaq to acquire LeveL Markets in push toward ‘always-on’ markets Cointelegraph
EToro to buy TradeZero as Q2 crypto revenue falls 30% Cointelegraph
Shipbuilder Austal gets USD1.2b offer for US operations from Hanwha Edge
GM said to plan sale of Indiana battery venture to Samsung SDI Edge
Sargeant said to exit Venezuela oil stake amid pressure campaign Edge
BP to sell 20% stake in Manakin gas field to Trinidad’s NGC Edge

Malaysia

Emerging-market capital flows to remain volatile, says UOB NST
Malaysia’s low costs, talent draw investors NST
Over half of PPA members remain dormant from 2020 to 2025 Edge
Bank Islam shifts focus from asset growth to returns Edge
Manufacturing sales hit RM177b in Jun, up 9.8% NST Star
Industrial output up 6.5% in Jun, weaker than expected Edge NST Star
Industrial growth to moderate in 2H Star
Unemployment rate stays low despite rise in jobless numbers NST
The importance of doing better Star
Outdated fiscal system fuels Putrajaya-state rift Star
RM85.24b in energy savings by 2035 under 10-year plan Edge Mail NST Star
Govt awards 331MW green energy projects under feed-in-tariff programme Edge NST Star
Aratas invests RM259m in advanced manufacturing facility Edge NST
No Middle East data centre windfall, but Malaysia eyes next wave NST
The major factors behind TH’s financial distress Edge
TH’s troubled investments Edge
Failures wiped out 7 Tabung Haji investments, Al-Rawda the biggest loss Edge
Investment in Putrajaya Perdana dragged TH into 1MDB deal, incurred RM145.3m loss Edge
TH impairment policy changed twice in a day for 2017 profit levels Star
Govt faced RM74.5b liability risk if bank run had occurred in 2018 Edge
Lessons from the Tabung Haji saga Edge
BNM issued 5 warnings on TH’s financial standing Edge
Jho Low associate, not Najib, instructed return of infamous Saudi ‘donation Edge

Other markets

Singapore raises 2026 growth forecast on AI boom after robust 2Q GDP Edge Star
Bank Indonesia’s new chief faces test balancing growth, autonomy Edge
Thailand seeks ways to narrow China trade deficit Star
BOK deputy governor signals more rate hikes on inflation risk Edge
Goldman Sachs taps JPMorgan banker as investment banking co-head Edge
JPMorgan to keep Asia hiring pace after corporate bank growth tops 20% Edge Star
Australia’s central bank warns further hike possible after holding rates steady Edge Star
Australian business confidence drops on Middle East uncertainty Edge
Inflation is the biggest problem, Fed’s Goolsbee says Yahoo
Jul inflation is expected to ease, despite recent energy shocks Yahoo
Jamie Dimon has a warning for investors: Inflation may not be coming down Yahoo
US officials work to close supply chain gaps as foreign investment grows Edge
Nvidia, Wall Street partner to raise USD500b for AI buildout Edge NST Star Coindesk
AI’s hunger for power sparks US private gas plant boom Mail
US judge dismisses criminal case against Indian billionaire Adani Edge
US small-business optimism rises to an almost 1-year high Edge
More Americans are having a harder time with their home and car payments Yahoo
Older Americans drop out of the workforce due to the soaring stock market Yahoo
Deutsche Bank named clearing bank for China’s renminbi Edge
Economic losses from natural disasters fall to USD100b in 1H2026: Swiss Re NST