Capital markets news | Thu 23 Jul 2026
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AI selloff
AI shifted from being framed as a productivity boost for incumbents to a direct threat to their revenue. In February 2026 a drawdown wiped nearly USD1 trillion from software and services market caps after new LLM-based tools (e.g. Claude-powered legal and enterprise assistants) demonstrated they could replace high‑margin functions in law, sales, marketing and analytics. The market therefore moved from “AI lifts Salesforce / Microsoft” to “AI erodes their future billings,” forcing a broader repricing of both AI enablers and their formerly reliable customers.
Equity
- Govt aligns investment direction of GLICs, public funds via GEAR-uP, MOF Edge NST
- HLB Private Bank doubles down on private market offerings Edge
- SGX expands Singapore Depository Receipts suite to Nasdaq-listed companies Edge
- Temasek-backed Innolight seeks USD7b in biggest Hong Kong listing in years Edge NST Star
- Hong Kong brokers cling to lunch break exchange wants to scrap Edge Star
- AI investment boom puts Big Tech’s free cash flow under pressure Edge
- AMD to sell Anthropic tens of billions in AI servers, invest up to USD5b in start-up Edge
- DOGE alumni launch military cyber startup with USD1.4b valuation Yahoo
- Revolut hits USD115b valuation in employee share sale Coindesk
- Goldman Sachs creates private markets platform for wealthy clients, memo shows Edge
- Samsung in talks to invest in Mistral at EUR20b valuation Edge
Debt
- Tanjung Bin Power’s AA2 sukuk rating affirmed RAM
- KAB Energy’s RM30m investment note facility assigned R3 rating RAM
- Rating criteria for telecommunication sector updated to reflect sector evolution RAM
- Malaysia set to lead global ESG sukuk issuance in 2H2026: Fitch NST Star
- MBSB Bank approves RM105m financing for Mydin expansion NST
- Searah raises RM25b for upstream growth Star
- Singapore launches up to USD2b green infrastructure bond Edge NST
- Indonesia’s TBS Energi seeks USD100m private loan for unit Edge
- Thai bonds beating Asian peers, analysts predict further gains Edge
- China orders all market players to observe bill re-discount rate floor Edge
- Blackstone tying up USD3b AirTrunk loan as data centre debt binge woes grow Edge Star
- Bond yields rise as elevated oil prices reignite threat of inflation pressure Yahoo
- JPMorgan CEO just issued a stark warning about long-term US bonds Yahoo
- Eurozone banks tighten credit access on war fears Edge
Commodities
- Petros logs first oil near Marudi marking return to onshore oil production Edge NST
- Malaysia voices concern over Houthi threats to Bab el-Mandeb strait Edge
- Oil prices rise slightly after US announces new round of strikes on Iran NST Yahoo
- Oil climbs near 6-week high as conflict threatens key oil transit routes Edge Star Yahoo
- Oil markets brace for second chokepoint crisis as tankers turn around in the Red Sea Yahoo
- More Red Sea shipments disrupted, Rubio says Iran not serious about talks Edge
- Brent crude surges to 1-month high as Iran attacks US radar Mail
- US, Iran suggest peace talks aren’t imminent as attacks widen Yahoo
Digital assets
- Kraken parent expands tokenised stocks to Hong Kong, UK, South Korea equities Coindesk
- Franklin Templeton calls agentic AI next ‘killer’ use case for blockchain Cointelegraph
- S&P launches blockchain fundamentals index for digital assets Cointelegraph
- SEC’s Peirce warns DeFi vaults, onchain lending may fall under securities laws Coindesk
- SecondFi to shut down after USD2.4m ADA wallet theft Coindesk Cointelegraph
- Balance stablecoin collapses 99% after USD1m exploit drains its bitcoin vaults Coindesk
- Democratic lawmakers say crypto Clarity Act ‘falls short’ on ethics, other issues Coindesk
- US seeks forfeiture of USD25m in crypto tied to romance and investment scams Coindesk
- UK digital bond plans hinge on one missing piece: onchain cash Coindesk
- The digital euro: Surveillance money, or a better alternative to cash? Cointelegraph
M&A
- CTOS to sell 10% stake in Juris Technologies for RM50m NST
- Mah Sing gets nod for RM274m land acquisition NST Star
- MyNews acquires 13.5-acre plot in Rawang for RM24.7m Edge Mail NST Star
- OCR to buy 49% in Chester Properties for RM20m Star
- SWS Capital in RM16m property sale Star
- Prestar acquires factory units for RM15.4m Star
- HSBC appoints cross-bank leaders after Hang Seng privatisation Edge
- Will SpaceX buy Tesla? Musk is not revealing his plans Yahoo
- Bezos holds talks with group interested in buying Liverpool stake Edge
- Nestle nears sale of water business stake at close to EUR5b valuation Edge
- JD.com given notice of EU concerns over Ceconomy takeover Edge
Malaysia
- PNB launches Shariah-ESG investment screening model, ASNB rolls out Zakat Khultah Star
- Forex reserves ease to USD131.8b in mid-Jul Edge NST Star
- Economy on right track as Malaysia moves up competitiveness rankings NST
- AI ambitions require skilled ICT workforce NST
- 2Q2026 Vistage CEO Confidence Index: Tentative recovery seen in 5 components Edge
- Data sharing progress held back by secrecy culture, policy gaps – World Bank report Edge
- World Bank to continue supporting Malaysia’s digital govt agenda Star
- Digital adoption soars, but cyber fraud fears remain high NST
- Ex-home minister’s aide sought 5% of RM381m PDRM tender as funding for Bersatu Edge
Other markets
- Hedge fund stars looking to quit Singapore for Hong Kong Edge
- Indonesia’s central bank keeps rates unchanged, defying hike expectations Edge Star
- Southeast Asia must change strategy in new era of foreign investment Edge
- China steps up austerity by cutting spending most since Oct Edge
- BOJ is said open to faster rate hike pace as yen adds risks Edge
- Japan’s policy doom loop sends yen to 40-year low Edge
- Japan ready to take decisive currency action as yen hits 40-year low NST Star
- Japan’s trade deficit widens as yen, Iran war inflate imports Edge
- Japan imports jump to record high on oil price surge, complicating BOJ policy NST
- Seoul ponders regulation on how long bank chiefs can stay Star
- Morgan Stanley breaks from the crowd on the US economy Yahoo
- The IRS gets a cut of Spain’s USD50m World Cup prize Yahoo
- US set to impose new tariffs by Fri with stopgap to expire Edge Mail NST Star
- Trump says generic drugs to face no US tariffs for 2 years, then 100% and 200% tariffs NST
- Chile plans USD100b copper push to find buyers beyond China Edge
- UK inflation at 15-month low in brief respite for consumers Edge
- Anthropic joins UK FCA’s AI regulatory sandbox as second cohort launches Cointelegraph
- BMI flags 25% chance Iran conflict re-escalation could trigger global recession Edge
- Iran war ‘stagflation’ premium quietly mounts Star