TOP STORIES
Moving hawkers up the food chain
IN SINGAPORE'S competitive hawker trade, where the unsuccessful throw in the towel and...
Singapore tightens rules on household visits ahead of Chinese New Year
SINGAPORE has tightened its rules on household visits ahead of Chinese New Year as a "pre-emptive move", even as the national vaccination drive continues despite a shipment delay.
Central-region condos drive Singapore's private home prices to all-time high
PRICES of new private homes in Singapore rose 2.1 per cent in Q4 2020 from Q3, marking their steepest quarterly increase in over two years.
No CNY gatherings for firms as current measures against Covid-19 remain in place
CHINESE New Year (CNY) company gatherings will not be allowed this year as workplace safe management measures (SMMs) remain unchanged for the time being.
Property consultants upbeat about Singapore office market in second half
PROPERTY consultants are cautiously optimistic about prospects for the Singapore office market, at least in the second half of this year.
Retail rents fell 14.7% in 2020; market will remain challenging, say analysts
THE decline in retail rents gathered pace in the fourth quarter, taking the full-year drop in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's rental index of retail space in the central region to 14.7 per cent - in contrast with the increase of 2.9 per cent in 2019.
RTS Link brings significant economic, social benefits; to ease load on Causeway: Ong Ye Kung
THE Rapid Transit System (RTS) linking Singapore and Johor Baru may be a short service with only two stations, but its economic and social benefits are significant, Singapore's Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Friday.
Singapore to build ecosystem of venture studios: DPM Heng
THE Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has parked its latest corporate venture campus in Singapore, in part of the city-state's efforts to "build up an ecosystem of venture studios" for corporate innovation, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat at the launch of BCG Digital Ventures' new campus on Friday.
Hong Kong to order first lockdown in Kowloon area, media says
HONG Kong for the first time will lock down tens of thousands of residents in a bid to contain a worsening outbreak of the coronavirus, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, citing unidentified people.
Yellen leaves door open to tax increase on wealthy Americans
TREASURY Secretary-designate Janet Yellen said she would work with lawmakers to fast-track a series of tax increases on corporations and wealthy Americans as the Biden administration tries to pass spending on infrastructure and expanding the social safety net.
SGX H1 net profit up 12.4% on higher revenue
THE Singapore Exchange (SGX) on Friday posted a net profit of S$239.8 million for the half year ended Dec 31, 2020, up 12.4 per cent from S$213.3 million a year ago.
CapitaLand issues profit warning, expects full-year loss
CAPITALAND announced in its profit guidance on Friday that it is expecting to report a loss for the full year ended Dec 31, 2020 as a result of the impact from revaluations and impairments.
Fu Yu founders 'deliberated at length' before sale of shares
FU YU Corp's co-founders had "deliberated at length" before giving up their 29.8 per cent stake to a buyer who would "appreciate the value and strengths" of the group's business, said the firm in a bourse filing on Friday.
Look out for privatisations in small-cap space, says CGS-CIMB
THE spate of corporate transactions this year is set to continue, and certain companies in the small-cap space - particularly those in the industrial and offshore and marine (O&M) sectors with attractive valuations - could be the ones to look out for, according to CGS-CIMB.
Analysts raise target price on CICT on recovery expectations
FOUR brokerages have raised their target price on CapitaLand Commercial Integrated Trust (CICT), as most are expecting the recently-merged entity's earnings to recover in the following financial year.
Hong Kong Life Insurance owners revive sale after failed deal
THE owners of Hong Kong Life Insurance Ltd are reviving a sale of the business after a deal was scrapped more than two years ago, according to people familiar with the matter.
Sabana's manager wants to leave failed merger behind; will work on improving portfolio and performance
THE chief executive officer (CEO) of Sabana Shari'ah Compliant Industrial Reit's manager Donald Han has made it clear that he wants to leave behind the failed merger with ESR-Reit and work on improving the real estate investment trust's (Reit) portfolio and performance.
Isetan explores options for property investment at Wisma Atria
JAPANESE department store operator Isetan (Singapore) announced on Friday that it is currently "exploring its options" regarding its strata area at Wisma Atria building along Orchard Road.
Citicode, Artivision shareholders approve backdoor listings
CITICODE shareholders on Friday approved the reverse takeover of healthcare specialist Livingstone Health, thus transferring its listing status from the mainboard to the Catalist board on the Singapore Exchange (SGX), the company said in a press statement.
Most STI constituents down as index ends week lower
SINGAPORE shares declined after a few days of gains, with the Straits Times Index (STI) closing 0.85 per cent or
Corporate digest
CATALIST-LISTED food and beverage operator Chaswood Resources Holdings announced on Friday that the group will continue to operate its restaurant business in Malaysia via take-away and delivery services during the extended movement control order to Feb 4 to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Sales of HDB resale flats hit 8-year high in 2020 as prices climb 5%
THE Housing Board (HDB) resale market ended 2020 on a strong note, with flat prices edging up in many locations and buyer demand remaining buoyant despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
199-year Boat Quay shophouse up for sale for S$27m
A 199-YEAR leasehold conservation shophouse located at 31 South Bridge Road and 88 Circular Road in Boat Quay is up for sale via private treaty at S$27 million, exclusive marketing agent ERA Realty said on Friday.
China cracks down on fake divorces that let people buy more properties
A RESURGENCE in real estate prices in Shanghai and Shenzhen has prompted authorities to rein in speculation, in line with the Chinese government's resolve to keep the property market in check.
I grew up witnessing forced labour. US companies must step up
FORCED labour has been a central part of China's campaign against the Uighurs for as long as I can remember. I was born in a re-education camp at the height of China's infamous Cultural Revolution. My father was sent to a separate forced labour camp. I grew up witnessing Uighur villagers forced by Chinese authorities to build irrigation systems and pick cotton.
Even with fewer courses to play on, golf is very much alive
THE game of golf has been played in Singapore for well over a century, with the likes of Keppel Club (founded in 1904) and Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) bearing full testimony to that.
And now we have the 'hawkerpreneur'. Really?!
ONE minute I'm ranting on Facebook about the word "hawkerpreneur". The next minute I'm wranting in the pages of The Business Times. Is there such a word as "wrante"? I don't see why there can't be if we are already clownking around with words like "hawkerpreneur"!
To be like Fran Lebowitz
IT IS true, what she says. The New York subway will break your spirit, and crush your soul.
Flights of fancy
BEYOND Neon Pigeon's unreadable floor-to-ceiling facade of dark glass, broken only by the neon-pink outline of its eponymous bird, lies a "fantastic commotion", as bar manager Andy Griffiths puts it.
Should I worry about the pain in my chest?
SHOULD you worry about the chest discomfort you have been having lately? Every so often, when you are jogging, playing your game of tennis or while you are enjoying your game of golf, you may have felt that discomfort in the chest and wondered whether to dismiss it or take it as a warning of underlying heart disease. This is a common dilemma.
The law's middleman
AT the attic unit of a nondescript shophouse along Duxton Hill, the floors are neatly but furiously lined with stacks of legal documents and news printouts, with only a sporadic empty spot.
Demystifying universal life policies
IN MY previous article dated Nov 28, 2020, I wrote about universal life policies (ULPs) being touted as good instruments that allow the affluent to free up more cash for their retirement while still leaving a significant legacy.
Don't let stocks' big dogs crowd out the small ones
THERE are roughly 3,700 public companies in the US, and most stock investors ignore all but the biggest ones, which is a bit odd. If, as investors routinely claim, their goal is to broadly diversify their portfolios, or assemble a mix of stocks that promises the best risk-return tradeoff, or find the best businesses, then overlooking broad swaths of the market makes little sense.
Bitcoin is no market hedge, say JPMorgan strategists
JPMorgan Chase & Co cross-asset strategists have bad news for anyone on Wall Street betting that Bitcoin is the hottest way to diversify portfolios in a world short on hedges but big on valuation risk.
Biden's presidency looks promising for gold, yet rising Treasury yields may limit gains
GOLD rallied this week on the back of Janet Yellen's testimony to the US Senate and Joe Biden's inauguration as the 46th President of the United States. Dr Yellen in her confirmation hearing as the new Treasury Secretary forwarded the case for more fiscal stimulus to relieve the pandemic-battered US economy, indicating that she favoured much of President Biden's US$1.9 trillion package.
We're living in a golden age of ignorance
HAS there been a moment in modern history when so many people in free societies have believed such damaging lies?
BREAKING NEWS
Sri Lankan health minister tests positive for Covid-19 after endorsing sorcery
[COLOMBO] Sri Lanka's health minister, who publicly endorsed sorcery and magic potions to stop surging coronavirus...
Australia's PM reluctant to commit to medium-term climate goals: newspaper
[MELBOURNE] Australia's government is in no rush to sign up to a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050,...
Canada says Trudeau, Biden to have first meeting 'next month'
[OTTAWA] Canadian leader Justin Trudeau and new US President Joe Biden spoke on the phone on Friday on an extensive...
Pride and caution in Wuhan on lockdown anniversary
[WUHAN, China] Exactly one year after it thrust the word "lockdown" into the global conversation, Wuhan passed the...
'I want to feel safe again': Americans lament slow pace of US Covid-19 vaccine rollout
[SACRAMENTO, California] Jerry Shapiro, a 78-year-old pharmacist from Los Angeles, is at the top of the list of...
More than 150 National Guard in Washington for inauguration test positive for coronavirus
[WASHINGTON] Between 150 and 200 National Guard deployed to Washington, DC, to provide security for President Joe...
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