In today’s briefing:
- Singapore and HK Banks – New World Impairments Are Significant, Flow Through to Banks Is Real
- Ohayo Japan | Wall Street Slips as Tech Drags, Trade War Fears Loom
- Prices Drop, Eyes Pop: Mid-Month Insider Buying Activity Update – Part 3
- [Precious Insights 2025/08] Gold’s Momentum Holds: Driven by Investment & Central Banks
- Japan Morning Connection: 2-Days of Tech Weakness to Price in Will Be a Rough Start for Japan
- RBI’s Monetary Policy: Growth Amid Disinflation
Singapore and HK Banks – New World Impairments Are Significant, Flow Through to Banks Is Real
- New World Development is now warning of losses from impairments in HK and China
- We have already seen this some weeks ago from China Vanke, conditions still weakening
- Banks in Hong Kong and China face more bad loans, but also those with exposures in the regions, like HSBC, STAN and Singapore’s banks
Ohayo Japan | Wall Street Slips as Tech Drags, Trade War Fears Loom
- The S&P 500 fell 0.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.2%, extending its decline into negative territory for 2025
- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s cabinet approval rating dropped to 40%
- Berkshire Hathaway plans to increase its holdings in Japan’s five largest trading houses.
Prices Drop, Eyes Pop: Mid-Month Insider Buying Activity Update – Part 3
- Following our mid-month insider-buying report from last week, number of buying transactions has increased further. This is Part-3 of the series,providing an update on insider-buying activity from just last week.
- Given this sharp decline in mid and small-cap Indian listed stocks, there has been a notable increase in insider buying activity in recent weeks.
- As there are many companies with insider-buying this week (50 in total), we have divided this update into two parts for ease of reading.
[Precious Insights 2025/08] Gold’s Momentum Holds: Driven by Investment & Central Banks
- Gold prices rose 8% YTD, supported by investment demand, central bank buying, and inflation concerns, despite weak jewellery sales.
- GLD ETF gained 12.32% YTD, with strong inflows and bullish sentiment, though technical suggest possible short-term pullbacks.
- CME gold options show bullish bets above $3,000, but rising put positions indicate some caution in the market.
Japan Morning Connection: 2-Days of Tech Weakness to Price in Will Be a Rough Start for Japan
- MSFT cancelling leases for AI DC capacity sending semi-cap sharply lower.
- Western Digital dropping after finalizing the split of its HDD and Sandisk businesses.
- Japan trading houses will be a bright spot after Buffet’s letter signals more buying.
RBI’s Monetary Policy: Growth Amid Disinflation
- The RBI MPC shifted its focus to balanced growth by cutting the repo rate by 25 bps to 6.25%, marking the first rate cut in five years.
- This move creates a supportive monetary environment, potentially stimulating private capex, boosting household consumption, and fostering a stronger economic recovery amid moderating inflation.
- Investors should now expect enhanced growth prospects and improved market liquidity, as the RBI’s flexible, data-driven approach signals long-term stability and resilience in the economy.
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