Capital markets news | Thu 1 Oct 2026

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Open Finance
Open Finance can give customers a more complete view of their financial position, enable more personalised services, simplify product comparisons, speed up loan assessments, and increase competition among financial providers. However, it also increases the importance of privacy, cybersecurity, and consent management because financial information may flow between more institutions and technology providers. Customers should understand what information is being shared, with whom, for what purpose and for how long.

Equity

Cashku, Kenanga Investors offer funds from RM10 with no sales charge Edge Star
Bursa Malaysia to suspend trading in MKH shares after takeover offer Star
Procedure for simultaneous IPO listing in Malaysia and Hong Kong takes effect Edge
Jakarta to inject USD1b into BPJS Kesehatan to cover deficit Star
Coca-Cola is said to consider Dec filing for India unit’s USD1b IPO Edge
Temasek-backed Mapletree mulls India REIT listing Star
Indian shares set for weak Oct as foreign investors ramp up shorts Edge
AI infra firm Accelevation, shareholders raise USD540m in US IPO Edge Reuters
Bill Ackman calls Anthropic the greatest business story Yahoo
Anthropic’s IPO pitch embraces AI’s promise and peril Reuters
Robinhood to allow 24-hour weekend trading of US stocks Reuters
ElevenLabs’ valuation doubles to USD22b on surging AI voice-agent demand Reuters
Wall St regulator unveils new retail investor proposals for private assets Reuters
SEC charges private fund adviser for allegedly defrauding retail investors Reuters
Google alumni raise USD11.3m to back AI startups Yahoo

Debt

1H2026 corporate default and rating transition: Portfolio credit trends stable RAM
2 ex-investment bank employees charged over USD16m standby-letter-of-credit fraud Edge
GX Bank calls for expansion of government-backed credit guarantees to digital lenders NST
Higher LPPSA financing ceiling seen supporting homeownership, property market Star
Philippines’ Skyro gets approval to offer online moneylending in Malaysia Edge
Indonesia’s central bank raises bond buying in Sep Edge NST
Japanese yields fall after PM Takaichi vows nimble response to markets Star
Ross Gerber sounds alarm as Treasury yields hit decades-high levels Yahoo
Can the US grow its way out of debt? Don’t bet on it Edge
Paramount said to draw USD109b of demand for high-grade bond deal Edge
US mortgage rates rise to almost 3-year high of 7.3% Edge
Are AI credit cracks a warning, or a ‘buy’ signal? Edge
Global cash funding US AI boom despite fears of hidden debt Edge
AI borrowers face tough sell in risky corners of US credit market Reuters
Bonds suffer bruising Sep, but stocks remain resilient Edge NST Star Reuters
Basel chief says risks becoming interconnected as international cooperation wanes Reuters

Commodities

Petronas exploring ways to produce cheaper advanced fuel Edge Star
Germany says the order to store more gas is a signal to companies Star
Russia extends diesel export ban until end of Oct Star
Opec+ oil producers set to keep output targets steady at Sun meeting Edge Reuters
Oil gains as stalled US-Iran talks trump supply recovery Edge Star Reuters
Why is oil at USD100 if Donald Trump is winning in Hormuz? Star
Analysts raise 2026 oil forecasts on prolonged Gulf disruption Reuters

Digital assets

Singapore crypto activity grows 55% as broader region contracts Telegraph
Bloomberg brings onchain stablecoin data to its Terminal Telegraph
Standard Chartered sees Ethena’s USDe reaching USD40b, ENA hitting USD2 Telegraph
Open USD, a different stablecoin model that’s ‘building money’ Desk
Base completes Cobalt upgrade, adds new tools for tokenised assets Telegraph
US CFTC seeks event contract definitions that may defy states’ gambling claims Desk
XRP Ledger starts carrying fund records from Brazil operator overseeing USD4t Desk
Polymarket introduces deposit limits, lock-outs to combat trading addiction Reuters
Crypto hardware wallets compared for 2026 Telegraph
Bitget hackers move USD4m into Zcash’s private pool, making funds harder to trace Desk
UK’s crypto regulatory application window opens with Feb deadline Desk Telegraph
How European investors can now buy bitcoin without taking on US dollar risk Desk
European stablecoin issuer AllUnity launches USD stablecoin USDAU Telegraph
A single market worth protecting: Getting the MiCA review right Telegraph

M&A

Chin Hin exits commercial vehicle business in RM62m cash deal Edge Reserve NST Star
Batu Kawan’s takeover of MKH crosses 95% Edge Reserve NST
Zetrix AI, IPVG extend MyEG Ventures deal deadline by 3 months Edge Reserve NST
KIP REIT purchases Setapak Central Mall for RM435m, eyes 7.2% yield Edge Star
WTK to divest properties for RM38m Star
PTT Synergy buys industrial land in Klang from Sime Darby Property Edge Reserve NST Star
Singapore’s GIC acquires 16 Marriott-run hotels in Japan amid tourism boom Edge
Hormel Foods to buy family-owned chicken firm Brakebush for USD1.06b Reuters
Paramount gets court green light on Warner Bros deal, names Mattel’s Kreiz co-CEO Reuters
UK’s Channel 4 won’t merge with BBC, but content sharing on table Edge

Malaysia

Shift to lifelong income from lump-sum withdrawals strengthen retirement security NST
Progressive contributions could boost retirement savings, says ex-EPF chief NST
Ex-EPF chief calls for review of retirement age NST
TRX, Labuan IBFC strengthen financial ecosystem connection Reserve
Household financial assets growth slowed in 2025 Edge NST Star
Public Mutual declares distributions of over RM61m for 2 funds Edge Star
MSMEs temporarily exempted from new minimum wage hike Edge Mail NST
Malaysians can expect to live 75.5 years, women nearly 5 years longer than men NST
Preparing for third age Edge
Malaysia must advance its quantum readiness Edge
BNM imposes penalties on 3 companies for non-compliance Edge Reserve NST Star

Asian markets

US fund accuses trader Radiant World of fraud in Swiss complaint Edge
Radiant World cuts more jobs after founder loses control of firm Edge
Thai Aug factory output rises 4.44%, beats forecast Star
China’s biggest stimulus push since 2024 fails to impress market Edge
China’s central bank announces enhanced financial support for economy Star
China services growth hits 3-month high, private PMI shows Star Reuters
Chinese factory activity expands in Sep amid AI boom Edge Star Reuters
China extends 2 trade barrier probes into US till 27 Dec Edge Reuters
Japan Aug factory output unexpectedly falls Edge
South Korea tax revenue to hit fresh record on global chip boom Edge
RBI’s short dollar book surges past USD200b on forex plan Edge
Foreign money flees India again as oil spike undoes policy gains Edge
Sri Lanka central bank holds key rate at 8.75% Edge

Other markets

Australia inflation stubbornly high in Aug, defying run of rate hikes Edge Star
US inflation rises less than expected in Aug; consumer spending surges Edge Yahoo Reuters
Fed’s Kashkari says central bank must lower inflation pressures Yahoo Reuters
Fed’s Cook: inflation has been too high for too long Reuters
Fed seen on pause in Oct after inflation data Reuters
Goldman pushes Fed rate hike to Dec after cooler inflation Yahoo
Fed finalizes bank ‘stress test’ overhaul Reuters
Bank of America to pay USD39m to settle claims over low interest rates on cash Reuters
TSMC evaluating potential Texas investment Edge Reuters
Trump set to tout Korean investment in Alaska LNG, other projects Edge NST Reuters
What is Alaska LNG and why does the project face doubts? Reuters
Caterpillar to invest USD1b in North Carolina manufacturing capacity Reuters
US second-quarter GDP revised higher amid robust consumer spending Edge Reuters
US private payrolls growth picks up in Sep Edge Reuters
Bloom Energy CEO delivers stark warning on America’s power demand Yahoo
US goods trade deficit widens sharply in Aug Edge Reuters
US trade chief to consider trade deal tariff caps in excess capacity probe Edge
US trade court probes Trump’s forced labour tariffs Reuters
Canada has ‘backup plans’ in case Trump bans diesel exports Edge
UK economy grew faster than thought in 2Q, cementing G7 lead Edge
Inflation jumps across eurozone, raising pressure on ECB to hike Edge
European payments groups join forces to challenge US dominance Edge