Economy

Foreign investments must bring benefits, address the shrinking trade surplus

TANJONG MALIM: Foreign investments brought into Malaysia must deliver tangible benefits to the national economy, including helping to strengthen the trade surplus, said Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.

Economy

Malaysia's economic outlook remains steady as growth momentum continues

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's economic outlook is expected to remain broadly steady, supported by resilient domestic demand and the economy's ability to adapt to global changes and technological advancements, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia's (DOSM) latest Malaysia Economic Statistics Review (MESR), Volume 7/2026

Banking

BOJ keeps rates steady, delivers hawkish signal as government props up yen

TOKYO: The Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady on Friday but warned for the first time that underlying inflation could exceed its target, signalling further rate hikes in the wake of the government's yen-buying intervention.

Markets

Emerging Asia stock gauges soar on boost from Seoul, Taipei

EMERGING Asian equity market gauges logged their biggest one-day gain in more than 17 years on Friday, buoyed by a rally in South Korean and Taiwanese equities as scepticism around AI-related spending eased.

Economy

Malaysia's June inflation slows, banking sector remains resilient

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's headline and core inflation both eased to 1.9% in June from 2.0% in May, supported by lower retail fuel prices and softer inflation across several core items, according to Bank Negara Malaysia's latest Monthly Highlights report.

Auto

Proton-Geely collaboration strengthens Malaysia's automotive industry competitiveness

TANJONG MALIM: The strategic cooperation between Proton Holdings Bhd and Geely Holding Group continues to strengthen the position of the national car manufacturer in the automotive industry through technology transfer, intellectual property (IP) development, increased local content and a strengthened local vendor ecosystem.

Aviation

Riyadh Air launches first direct Kuala Lumpur-Riyadh flights

KUALA LUMPUR: Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia's new national carrier, has officially launched its inaugural direct service connecting Riyadh and Kuala Lumpur, establishing its first gateway into South-East Asia.

Retail

Chinese beauty brands enjoy a surge in popularity

FROM Xiaohongshu to TikTok, and from bloggers to everyday users, a growing number of foreign faces are sharing their stories of discovering C-beauty, also known as guohuo meizhuang, or made-in-China beauty.

Corporate News

PAAB issues RM720mil Blue Sukuk for national water infrastructure projects

KUALA LUMPUR: Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad (PAAB) has successfully issued RM720mil in Blue Sukuk through its special purpose vehicle, Pengurusan Air SPV Bhd, under the company's existing RM2bil Islamic Commercial Papers Programme.

Corporate News

Unisem registers improved 2Q net profit of RM9.91mil

KUALA LUMPUR: Unisem (M) Bhd is optimistic about its prospects as it moves ahead with efficiency enhancements and cost mitigation measures.

Markets

Tech shares lead Bursa higher at midday

KUALA LUMPUR: A broad-based rally lifted Bursa Malaysia in morning trade as equities prices were spurred on by a strong rebound in global technology valuations.

Economy

Malaysia's international reserves assets at US$132.56bil as of end-June

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's international reserve assets amounted to US$132.56 billion (US$1= RM4.08), while other foreign currency assets stood at US$1.54 billion as of end-June 2026, said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).

Commodities

Oil falls more than US$1 on greater flows despite US-Iran war

OIL prices fell on Friday but kept on track for a monthly rise of about a fifth, as more supplies flowed through crucial maritime chokepoints, despite a lack of major breakthroughs in talks between the United States and Iran.

Economy

China's factory activity shrinks in July as demand falters, fuelling slowdown concerns

BEIJING: China's factory activity unexpectedly slipped into contraction in July, pressured by shrinking new orders that reinforced concerns over slowing economic growth, weak demand at home and elevated production costs.

Markets

Asia stocks surge, yen steals spotlight after suspected intervention

SINGAPORE: Asian markets rallied hard with Wall Street on Friday as South Korea's battered market made a record comeback, stirring hopes that the recent selloff in AI-linked assets may be near an end.

Economy

Malaysia tourism sector to rev up for F1 Bahrain GP

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's tourist arrivals are expected to shift into high gear with the arrival of Formula One (F1) racing fans from all across the globe to attend the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 (Bahrain GP), to be held at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) on Oct 2-4.

Forex

Ringgit opens higher as weaker US data weighs on dollar

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened higher against the US dollar on Friday as the greenback weakened following softer United States (US) economic data, an analyst said.

Markets

Semicon stocks climb amid regional tech rally

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's semiconductor stocks surged on Friday, on the heels of a regional rally sparked by Microsoft's outsized earnings announcement, which helped to alleviate fears of a tech bubble.

Markets

Japan's Nikkei jumps 4% after Wall Street rally, BOJ decision awaited

TOKYO: Japan's Nikkei share average jumped more than 4% on Friday, buoyed by a rally on Wall Street as Microsoft led a rebound in tech shares after delivering forecasts that eased fears about the industry's massive AI infrastructure spending.

Corporate News

Trading ideas: ViTrox, Bursa, BAT, Axis REIT, EcoFirst, YTL Hospitality, Texchem

KUALA LUMPUR: Here is a recap of the announcements that made headlines in Corporate Malaysia.