Commentary

July’s payroll decline and sharp downward revisions show a labor market with little hiring momentum, even as unemployment remains low and private demand stays resilient.

Singapore’s economy is growing rapidly as AI demand lifts semiconductors and chipmaking equipment, but weakness elsewhere makes the composition of growth as important as the headline.

A renewed oil shock is lifting bond yields and complicating the path for central banks. Here is where the pressure could surface across portfolios, sectors and corporate balance sheets.

Singapore has raised its 2026 growth forecast to 4.5%–5.5% as AI-linked manufacturing and trade surge. The harder question is whether that strength will spread to consumers, jobs and household purchasing power.

Japan has moved beyond deflation, but the 2026 economy is testing whether wage growth, investment and monetary normalization can withstand an energy-driven squeeze on households.

The Fed is caught between sticky inflation and a softer labor market. Here is why cuts are becoming more likely, hikes remain a risk, and investors should prepare for both.

The U.S.–China trade war is evolving into a long-term contest over AI hardware, energy technology and critical materials. Here is how investors should assess the risks and opportunities.

Beijing’s new five-year plan confirms that capacity growth will remain formidable. The next investment cycle, however, will be defined by pricing reform, storage, transmission and dependable output.

Korea’s semiconductor-led rally rests on strong exports and earnings, but extreme concentration, leverage and elevated expectations have made the KOSPI unusually vulnerable to sharp reversals.

Japan’s equity story remains supported by corporate reform and AI demand, but a weak yen, higher rates and elevated expectations are making the market more selective.