While Asia is vulnerable, China, Malaysia are buffered from oil shocks - JP Morgan analyst
KUALA LUMPUR: A senior JP Morgan analyst says China and Malaysia stand out in Asia as markets that have some buffer from oil shocks due to their relative low reliance on oil imports.
HSBC remains encouraging on Malaysia’s steady growth
PETALING JAYA: HSBC Private Bank is optimistic that Malaysia will see a solid but moderated growth this year within the Asia region.
Malaysia’s February trade totals RM245.2bil with exports rising 10.8%
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's February 2026 trade totalled RM245.2 billion with exports and imports of RM131 billion and RM114.2 billion, respectively.
Thai factory output unexpectedly dips in February, could rise in March
BANGKOK: Thailand's manufacturing production index dropped 0.04% in February from a year earlier, the industry ministry said on Friday, weaker than analysts' forecasts.
Malaysia’s PPI contracts 3.4% in February amid broad-based declines
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's producer price index (PPI) fell 3.4% year-on-year in February 2026, extending the 2.9% decline recorded in January, reflecting continued weakness across key sectors.
China's industrial profit growth accelerates in early 2026
BEIJING: China's industrial firms reported stronger profit growth early in the year, reinforcing recovery signals in the world's second-largest economy even as the Middle East war threatens global growth.
Malaysia’s 2026 fiscal deficit seen at 3.6% as fuel subsidy reforms support consolidation
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's fiscal deficit is projected at 3.6% in 2026, with the latest targeted fuel subsidy adjustments supporting ongoing fiscal consolidation efforts, according to TA Securities.
Trump pauses attacks on Iran's energy plants, says talks 'going well'
WASHINGTON/DUBAI/TEL AVIV: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would pause attacks on Iran's energy plants for 10 days at Tehran's request and said talks with Iran were going "very well," although an Iranian official dismissed a U.S. proposal for ending nearly four weeks of fighting as "one-sided and unfair."
Helium, bromine risks threaten technology sector
The Iran conflict is widely read as an oil price event but for technology investors, the risk comes in the form of a targeted disruption to two specialty inputs (helium and bromine) that are non-substitutable in semiconductor manufacturing and cannot be stockpiled indefinitely.
IMF runs scenarios on which nations may need aid due to Iran war
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is running scenarios on countries to gauge which economies could be in need of fresh financing if the Iran war drags on, according to people familiar with the matter.
