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Singapore has once again been ranked as the most expensive city to live in, sharing the top spot with New York City this year, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).  This is the eighth time in 10 years that Singapore topped the list. Both Singapore and New York City knocked last year's leader, Tel Aviv, down to third place thanks to higher inflation and stronger currencies, the EIU reported in its new Worldwide Cost of Living survey of 172 cities. According to the survey, the average price of goods in local currency terms surged by 8.1% this year, citing a poll that the firm conducted between Aug. 16 and Sept. 16. That's up from the 3.5% rise in prices reported by the EIU's 2021 survey. Supply chain disruptions from China's zero-Covid policy and the Russia

Zoom (ZM): The company cut its fourth quarter and full-year revenue guidance, sending shares lower by more than 4% in extended trading. Zoom sees fourth-quarter revenue $1.10 billion to $1.11 billion, short of Wall Street’s estimate of $1.12 billion. Zoom sees full-year revenue of $4.37 billion to $4.38 billion, lower than its prior view of $4.39 billion to $4.40 billion. For the third quarter, Zoom reported adjusted earnings of $1.07 per share on revenue of $1.10 billion.Urban Outfitters (URBN): The retailer’s third-quarter sales beat estimates, sending shares higher in after hours trading. Sales for the three month period rose 3.9% from a year ago to a record $1.18 billion. Comparable retail segment sales rose 4%, double analyst estimates of 2% growth. CEO Richard Hay

Over the first two weeks of November, crypto exchange FTX went from leading crypto exchange to a $16 billion bankruptcy - this year's largest so far. Insiders, customers, the press, and regulators are still piecing together what caused the largest corporate failure in crypto's 14-year history and what such a fallout means as it ripples across the digital assets market. So far the fallout has meant the loss, freeze, or write down of at least $1.8 billion in funds comprising mostly equity investors from past funding rounds and firms who held money with FTX. It also accounts for the hundreds of millions of dollars in credit, loans, and acquisition financing between FTX, its U.S. subsidiary, Alameda Research, and outside parties. Here's the damage so far. Equity Investors Equity investors stan

Temasek Holdings Investment firm Temasek Holdings has been affected by the implosion of popular cryptocurrency trading firm FTX. FTX was one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges before it sought bankruptcy protection last week. Its CEO and founder, Sam-Bankman Fried, has also resigned. Temasek has released a statement confirming that it will write down its entire US$275 million investment in FTX, regardless of the outcome of the latter’s bankruptcy filing. The US$275 million investment was made in two separate tranches between October 2021 to January 2022 for a 2.5% stake in the cryptocurrency outfit. It also clarified that it did not invest directly in cryptocurrencies. The due diligence process for FTX was extensive and lasted approximately eight months, during which Temasek r

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has been urging the Federal Reserve to get serious on inflation since late last year. Now, he has doubts about the U.S. central bank’s ability to bring price stability down to its target. And thinks stock prices could remain under pressure as rates stay high amid this new environment. The Pershing Square Capital founder and CEO said Thursday in a quarterly call with investors that interest rates are "meaningfully below where they are going to go." "We think that is, of course, a risk for equities," Ackman said. "And part of our thesis is we think inflation is going to be structurally higher." "We do not believe that it is likely the Federal Reserve is going to be able to get inflation back to a consistent 2% level," Ackman added. Ackman'

Retail and institutional investors weren’t the only ones to get rug pulled by FTX’s swift and stunning collapse last week. In addition to losing their jobs at the now-bankrupt exchange, many of FTX’s employees also appear to have significant amounts of personal wealth locked in the platform – wealth that is likely gone after being sucked into the black hole of the FTX disaster. FTX’s deficit was allegedly created, according to a Wall Street Journal report last week, by former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s penchant for playing fast and loose with customer funds, using them to cover the debts of his quant trading firm, Alameda Research, violating the exchange’s own terms and conditions. Former FTX Head of Marketing Nathaniel Whittemore, who is also a CoinDesk podcaster, said th

Sea’s chairman and group CEO Li says the company is seeking to achieve “self-sufficiency and profitability as soon as possible”. NYSE-listed Sea Limited has reported a total net loss of US$569.3 million ($781.7 million) for the 3QFY2022 ended Sept 30, down 0.3% from the total net loss of US$571.0 million in the corresponding quarter before. On a q-o-q basis, the quarter’s net loss improved by 38.9%. Excluding share-based compensation, Sea reported a total net loss of US$373.5 million for the 3QFY2022, improving by 16.6% y-o-y and 34.4% q-o-q. Sea’s chairman and group CEO Forrest Li said that the company has “entirely shifted [its] mindset and focus from growth to achieving self-sufficiency and profitability as soon as possible, without relying on any external funding” given the “significan

General Motors (GM): Shares of the automaker fell after Berkshire Hathaway’s 13F filing disclosed it decreased its stake in the company to 50 million shares. Warren Buffett’s firm also trimmed its stake in US Bancorp and Bank of New York Mellon (BK).Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM): The stock rose 6% in extended trading after Berkshire Hathaway revealed it has a $4.1 billion stake in the semiconductor company.Jefferies Financial Group (JEF): Shares jumped in after-hours trading after Berkshire disclosed a $12.79 million stake in the investment bank.thredUP (TDUP): The online resale platform cut its fourth quarter and full-year revenue guidance. It now sees fourth-quarter sales of $62 million to $64 million, down from its prior range of $70 to $72

Whatever the market condition, there may be great value to be found if you do your homework. Markets are constantly changing, with ebbs and flows, good and bad times. So it’s a useful skill to be able to identify stocks that might be worth investing in, no matter what the current market conditions look like. While it’s common sense to stay away from companies that have a hard-to-comprehend business model, it is very easy to get carried away. When there’s a lot of excitement and everyone seems to be investing in that opportunity, “herd mentality” can cloud your judgment and lead you to put your money into a company that operates in an area about which you have no idea. Before investing, learn what the company does, understand its business, its operations and its financials before you take t

Despite the fall in revenue, the company has declared a dividend of 1.5 cents per share. Boustead Singapore has reported a 27% fall in revenue for its 1HFY2023 ended Sept 30, but total profit and net profit were 8% and 6% higher year-on-year at $27.8 million and $22.6 million respectively. This was mainly due to increased interest income and significant currency exchange gains, and reduced overheads and income tax expense. However, in its release,  the company says after adjusting for other gains and losses, impairments and the Jobs Support Scheme, net of non-controlling interests, net profit for 1HFY2023 would have been 28% lower year-on-year. Boustead’s energy engineering division’s revenue was 44% lower y-o-y at $38.3 million, due to the division’s significantly lower order backlog

Whether it is school examinations, work performance reviews or health check-ups, most of us are used to assessments in our daily lives. Yet, few of us are so conscientious about our financial health. Yes, we may have good financial habits like paying off our bills on time and saving a portion of our pay check every month but do we really have a full picture of our financial health?Why Review Our Personal Finances?  Everyone has their own individual financial situation and different motivation to review their financial health. For parents, it may be the birth of a baby; for seniors, the passing of a close friend that reminds us of our mortality; for young people, it may be the first job and the first significant income from their annual and performance bonus; or for couples, it may be

In line with the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions and the reopening of the economy, Japan Foods Holding is seeing a significant improvement in its 1HFY2023 ended September results.For one, its has reversed back into profitability with earnings of $2.3 million, compared to a loss of $1.6 million in the same period a year ago. In tandem with its improved earnings, Japan Foods’ earnings per share in 1HFY2023 rose to 1.34 Singapore cents per share compared to a loss per share of 0.94 Singapore cents in 1HFY2022. Similarly, revenue was 79.0% higher y-o-y at $38.0 million from $21.2 million a year ago, with improvement experienced across all of the group’s brands. In particular, the group saw a positive response to its new Halal segment, which was further boosted by the lifting of Covid-19 re

 Lyft (LYFT): Lyft shares fell more than 8% in extended trading after the ride-hailing giant’s active riders for the third quarter missed estimates. Active riders totaled 20.31 million, short of the street’s estimate of 21.1 million. Revenue of $1.05 billion also came in just shy of expectations. On an upbeat note, revenue per active user rose to $51.88, up 13.7% from a year ago.Activision Blizzard (ATVI): Results from the video game maker pushed shares slightly higher in after hours trading. Profit and sales were lower from a year ago but beat the street’s expectations. The company announced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II crossed $1 billion iin worldwide sell-through in the first 10 days of its release, making it the fastest selling title in franchise history. Activision B

Apple expects lower shipments of its latest iPhones after China lockdowns affected operations at its supplier's factory. Apple said it expects lower shipments of its newest iPhones than previously expected after China lockdowns affected operations at a supplier’s factory. The company continues to see strong demand for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models but the lockdowns mean “customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products,” Apple said in a statement on Nov 6. The abrupt move by the Chinese government on Nov 2 to lock down the plant operated by Hon Hai Precision Industry until Nov 9 is expected to further disrupt a factory already grappling with an on-site coronavirus outbreak, worker exodus and enforced quarantine. While local officials said

Is now the right time to invest? This writer weighs in. Fair warning though: it's not for the faint-hearted.At first glance, the question above seems simple enough. However, answering it is more convoluted than one can imagine. In the first instance, why should the answer be any different if the above question was reversed to sound like the following: “How to invest in a bull market?”Before I begin, investors would do well to remember that the share market is not a casino nor should it be treated as one by speculating about the best times to enter the market.What is a bear market and what causes these wild market fluctuations?These days, with share prices dropping, media publications have come up with headline after headline that we are now officially in a bear market.This phenomenon

With interest rates rising rapidly, savers are finally seeing better days. The latest Singapore Savings Bond (SSB) is offering an all-time high interest for its December 2022 tranche. Investors can enjoy the first-year interest of 3.26% with a 10-year average return of 3.47%. This rate is higher than November’s tranche, which offered a first-year interest rate of 3.08% and a 10-year average return of 3.21%. SSBs are guaranteed by the government and offer a haven for investors to park their money amid the volatile stock market. Notably, the December 2022 SSB’s 10-year average return is nearly double the 1.78% offered by the January 2022 tranche. The applications for the SSB close on 25 November and allotment for the December 2022 tranche is S$1 billion. US Federal Reserve In recen

U.S. stocks fell lower Thursday as Wall Street reeled from assertions by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell that hopes for a policy pivot were “premature” after the central bank delivered a fourth consecutive interest rate hike of 75 basis points. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) sank 1.1% after the index plunged 2.5% in the previous session, its worst loss on a Fed day since January 2021, per Bloomberg data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) shed 150 points, or 0.5%, and the technology-focused Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) was off by 1.7%. Meanwhile, Treasury yields ascended, with the key 10-year note inching toward 4.2%, and the rate-sensitive 2-year yield above 4.7%. The U.S. dollar index also moved higher. U.S. investors also had their attention on action across the Atlantic,&n

DBS has declared a quarterly dividend of 36 cents per share, bringing its total dividend for the 9MFY2022 to $1.08 per share. For the 3QFY2022 ended Sept 30, DBS Group Holdings reported earnings of $2.24 billion, which is a new high for the group. The quarter’s earnings, which were up by 32% y-o-y and 23% q-o-q, were attributed to the higher net interest margin (NIM) and sustained business momentum. Return on equity (ROE) also reached a new high of 16.3% During the period, DBS’s net interest income (NII) increased by 44% y-o-y to $3.02 billion, as its NIM surged by 47 basis points (bps) to 1.90% and loan growth grew 6% y-o-y. Net fee and commission income, however, fell 13% y-o-y to $771 million, due to lower wealth management and investment banking fees and offset by higher card- and loan