Capital markets news | Mon 21 Sep 2026

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Blockchain
Layer 1 (L1) is the base blockchain network that provides the core infrastructure for recording transactions, achieving consensus, and securing the ledger without relying on another chain. It defines the protocol rules, runs the consensus mechanism (e.g., proof‑of‑work or proof‑of‑stake), and is ultimately the source of truth and final settlement for its ecosystem. Examples include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Cardano, each operating as an independent network with its own native token, security model, and on‑chain applications.

Equity

Logistics firm Evocom’s ACEMarket IPO oversubscribed 3.6 times Edge Reserve NST Star
PublicInvest sees 16% upside for GB Bond ahead of ACE Market debut NST
Critical plans private placement to raise up to RM72m Reserve
Bigger index, selective impact Star
GCash owner gets approval for up to USD1.5b Philippine IPO Edge Star
Vietnam stocks see early foreign flows as FTSE upgrade nears Edge
Blackstone sees India nearing capital tipping point Star
Gulf IPO boom fizzles Star
Orion180 Insurance valued at USD1.14b as shares fall in debut Reuters
ProEnergy eyes USD50b IPO valuation Star
Nvidia-backed DC firm Nscale files for listing Star Reuters
Investors borrowing USD1.45t to buy stocks could trigger margin-call avalanche Yahoo
Global equity fund outflows hit 9-month high on inflation fears Edge Reuters
AI doomsday warnings unlikely to slow IPOs but questions linger NST

Debt

TIME dotCom’s AA1 sukuk rating affirmed RAM
Heliosel’s RM145m Guaranteed IMTN AA3(bg) rating affirmed RAM
Starken AAC’s RM30m investment note facility assigned R4 rating RAM
Zetrix AI’s rating placed on MARCWatch Developing MARC Edge Star
Tony Fernandes: Good interest from many banks NST
Banks risk losing SME business as open finance takes hold NST
Banking sector tailwinds forecast to fade past 2027 Star
Indonesia’s new finance chief to keep USD17b in state banks Edge Star
Fitch revises Thailand’s outlook to ‘stable’ on debt stabilisation Edge
SoftBank adds USD21b to AI firepower in new debt deals Edge
South Korea-US investment arm mulls debut bond for USD350b pledge Edge
Oracle’s USD18b data centre debt under pressure Reuters
Short-term Treasuries emerge as popular bet on Fed inflation win Yahoo
Fed’s Bowman says overhaul of bank stress test will make process more transparent Reuters
The bond conundrum Star
Bond market rattled could be a warning signal to investors Yahoo

Commodities

Economy Ministry: Fuel supply secure until end 2026 amid global supply risks Reserve
Petronas LNG portfolio positioned to capture Asia’s growing gas demand Reserve NST
Coal price surge jolts power costs, economy minister warns of direct impact Mail Star
China’s Aug oil imports from Russia rise as Middle East flows slump NST
Hormuz oil shipments hit 6-month high, US commander says Edge
Qatar’s energy chief sees LNG expansion startup in 2027 Edge
Aramco to boost Gulf exports to 60m barrels in Sep, Oct Edge
Oil prices fall 2% on easing fears over Saudi supply disruption Edge
Oil rises after Houthi attack on Saudi capital Reuters
Chevron CEO sends a strong message on oil price and the economy Yahoo
Venezuela, TotalEnergies pave way for oil company’s return Edge Reuters
North Sea oil premiums soar to records as Saudis cut sales Edge
Europe’s winter power surge is biggest since energy crisis Edge
Europe faces Q4 jet fuel supply deficit even as South Korea becomes supplier Reuters

Digital assets

Hong Kong jails ex-banker over USD1.6b false credit, cryptocurrency bribes Telegraph
US sanctions Iran’s BitBank, saying it processes ‘Hormuz Safe’ Bitcoin payments Telegraph
Crypto pioneer warns AI could trigger systemic banking and infrastructure shocks Desk
Wall Street giants build tokenisation money for institutions, not regular consumers Desk
HYPE hits record above USD90 as Hyperliquid launches manual borrowing Telegraph
Coinbase files to bring single-stock perpetual futures to US market Telegraph
Kalshi joins Coinbase with own filing for US stock perpetual futures Telegraph
Bastion wins conditional OCC approval for national trust bank charter Telegraph
Crypto tech provider Haruko hit by cyberattack affecting 15 clients, some funds lost Desk
ECB President Christine Lagarde intervened to block Binance’s EU MiCA license Desk
Binance brushes off Lagarde MiCA speculation, reaffirms Europe commitment Telegraph
Banks double on EU MiCA crypto provider list as share hits 23% Telegraph

M&A

TMK Chemical to buy CCM from Batu Kawan for RM939.9m Edge NST Star
KYM expand into healthcare with 70% stake buy of Regen Healthcare Edge Star
Batu Kawan’s MKH Oil Palm offer closes at 79.58% NST
Capital A proposes to divest BigPay, Tune Protect stakes Edge Reserve NST Star
EcoWorld wins tender for Singapore residential site for RM668m Reserve NST Star
China Rare Earth Group in talks to buy Shenghe Resources Reuters
Fortis Healthcare forensic audit could keep IHH in limbo for up to 9 months Reserve
Indonesian tycoon close to Prabowo creates coal mining giant Edge
PE firms said to consider fresh bids for China Evergrande unit Edge
Weil, Gotshal & Manges eyes merger options after rainmakers exit Reuters
Crypto platform Gemini’s stock down 80% from IPO revives takeover speculation Desk
Paramount settlement talks include promise to stay in California Edge Star Reuters
FedEx, Advent-led consortium secures over 89% of InPost shares in takeover offer Reuters
Russia grabs Nestle assets in biggest seizure since 2024 Edge Mail Reuters

Malaysia

Stronger governance key to public trust Star
TRX City, Labuan IBFC join forces to strengthen financial ecosystem Reserve
SC to ask publicly-traded firms for El Niño plans, eyes deeper Middle East ties Edge NST
Inflation speeds up in Aug, underlying price growth slows Edge Mail NST Star
Inflation to remain manageable but upside risks linger, say economists Edge
Benign inflation keeps OPR outlook intact: CIMB Securities NST
OPR could rise by 25 bps in 2027 — MBSB Research Edge Star
DOSM: Trade up 43.4% to RM354b in Aug Reserve Mail NST
Export growth accelerates in Aug on electronics, natural gas Edge Reserve Star
Economists see further upside to 2026 exports after Aug performance Edge
Caught in the Fed’s crossfire Star
PMI sees Malaysia as strategic hub NST
BNM flags rising costs, liquidity pressure on SMEs Reserve
Smaller firms face uphill climb to RM3k minimum wage by 2030 NST
Budget 2027 may bring SST exemptions, income tax relief Edge Star
Job losses rise by over 15k as manufacturing, retail face pressure Reserve
Peak electricity demand rises 4.7% to 21,949MW but supply remains sufficient Reserve
YTL Power lines up 5.2 GW gas build, US firms among potential off-takers NST
1MDB case status unchanged following Najib’s conditional pardon — MACC Edge
Op Fella probe: MACC records Isa Samad’s statement Edge

Asian markets

UOB to add 50 private bankers a year in USD627m wealth push Star
Inside Jefferies’ months-long tussle with Glencore over Radiant World Edge
China keeps benchmark lending rates unchanged for 16th month in Sep NST Reuters
China’s CXMT says new memory-chip platform enters mass production Edge
Japan’s central bank hikes rates in split decision after US pressure Edge NST Star Reuters
A difficult balancing act looms for Bank of Japan Star
Investors react to BOJ raising interest rates to 31-year high Edge Reuters
Japan’s core inflation holds near central bank’s target Edge
South Korea takes fresh step towards won internationalisation Star

Other markets

Australia’s central bank chief warns inflation risks appear to be materialising NST Star
Federal Reserve rate hike reflects new world of sticky inflation and faster growth Yahoo
Minneapolis Fed’s Kashkari says inflation remains too high Yahoo Reuters
Wall Street braces for more Fed rate hikes Yahoo
Billionaires abound in California. Why not tax their wealth? Reuters
US factory output unexpectedly falls for first time this year Edge Reuters
‘Green hushing’ grows as US companies retreat from climate promises Mail
DoubleLine’s Gundlach warns of fiscal crisis in next recession Edge
Trump signs Russia sanctions law that could slap 100% tariffs on China, India Mail Reuters
Vujcic cools oil-fuelled bets on rate hikes Reuters
ECB’s Lagarde keeps door open to early exit Edge
EU ministers to discuss taxing windfall profits of energy companies as oil prices surge Edge
IMF tells EU ministers AI could boost growth but increase economic strains Edge
Germany’s IW institute triples growth forecast for 2026 NST
Turkiye revokes Iran’s Bank Mellat licence amid US pressure on Tehran Mail
Global rate-hike cycle expected to be muted Star
Bracing for AI tidal wave disrupting jobs market Edge
Anthropic says AI systems moving towards building themselves Edge