Capital markets news | Tue 22 Sep 2026

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Blockchain
Layer 2 (L2) refers to secondary protocols or chains built on top of a Layer 1 blockchain to improve scalability, speed and cost, while inheriting security from the underlying L1. L2s typically batch or process many transactions off the main chain and then post compressed data or proofs back to Layer 1 for settlement, reducing congestion and fees on the base layer. Common examples are Ethereum L2s such as Arbitrum, Optimism, and StarkNet, as well as Bitcoin’s Lightning Network, which enable higher throughput and cheaper transactions while relying on the L1 for finality and security guarantees.

Equity

TNG Digital sounds out banks as GCash operator nears listing Edge
Excel Force proposes RM11m placement for working capital after TS Wong sell-off Edge
Malaysian REIT managers call for return of withholding tax relief in Budget 2027 Edge
Plantation, utilities, healthcare sectors attracted RM299.6m foreign inflows Edge NST Star
Vietnam joins FTSE Russell emerging market benchmark Edge
New World Development gets Shanghai bourse nod for USD570m REIT listing Edge NST
China slows humanoid robot IPO rush as hype outruns reality Edge Reuters
4 Chinese firms seek to raise up to USD1.83b in Hong Kong offerings Edge
Hong Kong Stock Exchange seeks further listing rule easing to help deals, spin-offs Edge
Australia’s Firmus to launch USD5b IPO on 6 Oct, term sheet shows Edge
Oura publicly files for initial public offering, looks to raise USD2.2b Yahoo Reuters
Nvidia, QIA-backed Iambic Therapeutics files for US IPO as biotech boom rolls on Reuters
Drug developer ADARx seeks USD1.74b valuation in US IPO Reuters
Palantir’s Alex Karp says AI’s biggest names prefer nationalisation, may never IPO Yahoo
Coinbase stock surges on plans to offer retail investors early IPO access Yahoo
Kairos Power gets USD100m from Samsung to build nuclear reactor for Google Yahoo

Debt

Johor Plantations’ AA1, P1 ratings affirmed RAM
Tanjung Bin Energy’s RM4.5b sukuk AA3 rating affirmed RAM
China’s AAA sovereign rating affirmed MARC
Winstar Capital plans RM300m sukuk Edge Reserve Star
Proton sets up its own automotive financing arm Edge
Singapore cinema gets more time for debt restructuring Star
EM investors are favouring local bonds as dollar debt lags Edge
HK eyes climate finance disclosure rules for banks Star
SoftBank said to seek over USD11b in junk bonds for OpenAI bet Edge NST Star Reuters
Goolsbee rejects idea of Fed cutting rates to help US finance its debt Reuters
Bond scheme not debt management tool, showed what makes Bessent flinch Yahoo
Trump administration sued over withheld federal grants for US community lenders Reuters
US Fed, BOE step up scrutiny of bank exposure to trading firms after Jane Street loss Edge
IDB drafts 2-year Venezuela plan, says electricity and social needs are key Reuters
Swiss business groups pressure parliament over UBS capital rules before vote Reuters

Commodities

Dialog gets Petronas approval for USD81m Raja Cluster Edge Reserve NST Star
Indonesia grants Bayan Resources 15-20m metric tons of coal mining quota Edge
Thailand considering oil tax cut, finance minister says Edge NST
Trump-Xi talks could mean USD6b of US natural gas for China Edge
Bangladesh raises fuel prices as Middle East conflict drives up costs Edge NST
India to buy less crude from Russia in wake of US threats Edge
QatarEnergy says Hormuz crisis may delay LNG expansion projects Edge
Oil prices slide to 11-day low over US-Iran diplomacy, Saudi exports Edge Star Reuters
US diesel tops USD6.50 a gallon as wars worsen global fuels crunch Edge
Global diesel shortage likely to last into 2027 as storage tanks drain Reuters
LNG buyers and sellers seek greater supply diversity amid Iran war Reuters

Digital assets

Hana Bank issues digital bond using Euroclear’s blockchain Desk Telegraph
North Korean fake recruiters infect 30k devices, steal USD10.7m in crypto Telegraph
Why banks and offshore hubs like Dubai are winners of Clarity Act failure Desk
Saudi Arabia exits China-backed mBridge CBDC project Telegraph
Bitcoin jumps to over USD84,800 after ETF flows turn positive Edge
Bitcoin could test USD90k after shorts get squeezed, but leverage is building Desk
Ondo lets institutions convert stocks directly into tokenised shares Telegraph
Circle launches bitcoin-backed USDC borrowing for institutional clients Telegraph
Treasury Secretary champions dollar dominance across global markets and stablecoins Desk
ECB launches key link between blockchain and euro payment system Edge Desk Telegraph
ECB plans to buy tokenised bonds with its own funds Desk

M&A

AmFirst REIT unit holders approve RM331m Menara Ambank sale NST Star
Cititel Penang on the market for RM163m Edge
Pekat leases 190ha Kedah land for renewable energy project NST Star
Frontken unit buys industrial land, factory buildings in Taiwan for RM118m NST Star
Australia’s Ingenia rebuffs revised USD1.5b takeover bid from Warburg Pincus Edge
Paramount said to settle lawsuits, paving way for Warner Bros merger Edge Reuters
Critics say California got too little in deal to let Paramount buy Warner Bros Reuters
Silver Lake sues Carl Icahn and hedge funds over Endeavor buyout Reuters
US spirits maker Sazerac launches takeover bid for Germany’s Berentzen Edge Reuters

Malaysia

Bank Negara to keep OPR at 2.75% in Nov meeting: Apex Securities NST
Why we must invest in the next semiconductor frontier Edge
Why Malaysia will not get anywhere without world-class talent Star
Nearly two-thirds of Malaysians made RM2,200 or less a month in 2025 Edge
Average monthly salary up 4% to RM3,803 in 2025 — DOSM Edge Reserve NST
A tax system built for how Malaysians work today Star
The State of the Nation: Taking the pulse of the economy Edge
How Malaysia is creating strategic space in a fragmenting world Edge
Malaysia needs stronger incentives to capture AI chip boom Edge
The USD7.2t shift — What the Global South means for Malaysian business Edge
Exports expected to sustain momentum Star
Data centre expansion could unlock RM36b renewable energy opportunity NST
Sabah power reserve margin projected to reach 26% by year-end Edge
How Agrobank lost RM203.8m through unauthorised payment instructions Edge
Court orders return of RM1.5m in first recovery from Agrobank’s RM203.8m fraud case Edge

Asian markets

Singapore’s retrenchment rate at highest level since 2020 in 2Q this year Edge Star
Questions raised as tech giant Sea tells staff where to credit salaries Star
Bank Indonesia to intervene in forex, bond markets to stabilise rupiah, official says Star
Indonesia’s budget stays on course despite spending push Star
Better capital mobilisation vital to back Hanoi’s growth Star
China-Asean ties move beyond trade into capital markets Edge
South Korea starts trial run of 24-hour won settlement system Edge Telegraph
South Korea’s early exports maintain strong momentum on chip boom Edge NST
South Korea to brief lawmakers on US investment package Reuters
Qatar reshapes wealth fund strategy with new local platform Edge
Qatar’s wealth fund, JP Morgan Asset Management to launch USD20b partnership Reuters

Other markets

Australian regulator sues retailer’s ex-CEO over alleged office romance Star
Federal Reserve official says inflation persistence led her to support interest rate hike Yahoo
Fed’s Musalem says more rate hikes likely needed to quell inflation Yahoo Reuters
Fed’s Goolsbee says road to 2% inflation may not be painless Edge Reuters
Raymond James hires several senior investment bankers from Jefferies Reuters
New data centres worth USD68b disrupted in US, data show Edge
AI could boost LatAm, Caribbean economy 5.1% but wages may fall, IDB says Reuters
US investments in Spain surge 84% despite political tensions Edge
Turkiye freezes fund executives’ assets in redemption crisis Edge
IMF chief says world economy faces multiple risks despite resilience NST
AI adoption is driving hiring, but mostly for senior roles Edge
Ex-banker eyeing top WHO job says agency can tap outside money Edge