
Tanker Stocks Surge on Trump's Pledge to Tighten Curbs on Iran
Shipping stocks received a lift as US President Donald Trump's plans to squeeze Iran raised the specter of tighter tanker supply, further boosting a market that's been squeezed by sanctions against Russia.
Among gainers, US-listed Teekay Tankers Ltd. surged more than 6% on Tuesday before ending 4.9% higher, while Scorpio Tankers Inc. was up about 4%. Frontline Plc, which is listed in the US and Europe, also rallied, and in Asia, Tokyo-listed Mistui OSK Lines Ltd. rose on Wednesday.
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Forbes
15 minutes ago
- Forbes
Southeast Asia's Largest Companies 2025: The Region Makes Its Mark On The Global 2000 With Banks Leading The Way
DBS is the top-ranked company in Southeast Asia on the Global 2000. Southeast Asian countries reaped a windfall after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on China in his first term that redirected foreign investment to the region. But the threat of broader tariffs from Trump 2.0 could undo those gains. The region is represented by a total of 63 companies from half a dozen countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam—on this year's Forbes Global 2000 ranking of the world's largest public corporations, up from 57 in 2024. More than 40% of them are banks with a regional list weighs market value, revenue, profit and assets equally, using the latest 12 months of data as of April 25. The biggest contingent of companies is from Thailand with 16, a number that's unchanged from last year. The country's top-ranked company is state-owned oil and gas giant PTT, though it fell 41 spots to No. 284 after its net profit dropped by more than a fifth to $2.6 billion due to the weaker performance of its petrochemical and refining business. Meanwhile, PTT's smaller rival, Bangchak, debuted at No. 1,923 on a 39% jump in sales to nearly $17 billion. The oil refiner got a boost from acquiring a majority stake in Esso Thailand from U.S. energy major Exxon Mobil for roughly 26 billion baht ($800 million). Notable gainers in Thailand include billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont's food giant Charoen Pokphand Foods, which climbed 155 spots to No. 1,296 thanks to robust overseas sales, which helped reverse a $60 million loss in the previous year into a $523 million net profit. Airports of Thailand fell the most among Thai companies, sliding 200 spots to No. 1,843. 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The 11 companies from Singapore on the list—up from ten last year—are led by the city-state's biggest banks: DBS (No. 113), Oversea-Chinese Banking (No. 213) and United Overseas Bank (No. 227). Profiting hugely from a continuing wealth influx, they are also the top three among all Southeast Asian companies on the list. Singapore saw two new entrants, including defense company ST Engineering and jet fuel supplier China Aviation Oil. ST Engineering, which manufactures aerospace parts and defense systems, debuted at No. 1,487 after its stock shot up 71% over the past year on robust earnings. Meanwhile, China Aviation Oil landed at No. 1,997 after net profit rose by a third to $78.4 million, thanks to the rebound in air travel. Real estate heavyweight CapitaLand Investment dropped off the ranking due to its exposure to China's struggling property market. The Malaysian contingent of nine companies is led by Maybank, which climbed 25 spots to No. 438 after reporting record profit, driven partly by its wealth management business. The only Malaysian company to drop in the ranking is Sime Darby, which fell 433 spots to No. 1,966. The conglomerate, with interests from automobiles to heavy equipment, saw its net profit plummet nearly 60% to $335 million, partly due to sluggish car sales. All of the eight Vietnamese companies on the list—up from last year's seven—are banks, except for the country's sole new entrant, Vingroup, a conglomerate with interests in real estate, hospitality and electric vehicles. Controlled by Vietnam's richest person, Pham Nhat Vuong, Vingroup debuted at No. 1,504 after its shares rose 43% over the past year on strong earnings. 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Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Inflation slows to 3.4% but no Bank of England rate cut expected
Inflation eased to an annual rate of 3.4% in May, according to official figures just released, but the Bank of England is widely expected to leave interest rates on hold despite that. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that the consumer prices index measure eased from 3.5% the previous month. It said that despite upwards pressure on prices from food and clothing, the decline was driven by falls in airfare prices following Easter. Money latest: The headline figure also reflected a small downwards correction to ONS inflation data ahead of April related to vehicle excise duty calculations. ONS acting chief economist Richard Heys said: "A variety of counteracting price movements meant inflation was little changed in May. "Air fares fell this month, compared with a large rise at the same time last year, as the timing of Easter and school holidays affected pricing. Meanwhile, motor fuel costs also saw a drop. "These were partially offset by rising food prices, particularly items such as chocolates and meat products. The cost of furniture and household goods, including fridge freezers and vacuum cleaners, also increased." Forecasts suggest that inflation will tick up over the second half of the year - with effects from Donald Trump's trade war and rising commodity costs amid events in the Middle East among the concerns ahead for the Bank of England. It has adopted a "careful" and "gradual" approach to interest rate cuts as a result. That is despite weakening employment data, reported earlier this month, which showed a tick up in the official jobless rate and a 109,000 reduction in payrolled employment. The Bank is widely expected to leave Bank rate on hold on Thursday following the June meeting of its rate-setting committee. LSEG data showed, ahead of the inflation data, that financial markets currently see two more interest rate cuts by the year's end. Risks to prices ahead will come from a sustained Israel-Iran war pushing up oil and gas prices but there have been different views among policymakers over whether the trade war will result in inflation or not. As such, the minutes of the Bank's meeting will be closely scrutinised for hints on whether rate cut caution is easing.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Asian shares mixed and oil prices stay high over Iran-Israel crisis
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