𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞t 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 *27/10/26*
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STI: 5415 (-5) | HSI: 23211 (+118) | Dow: 52,362 (+146) | S&P: 7,677 (+53) | Nasdaq: 26,169 (+214)
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*US Markets Overnight*
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*AI Is Back… But At What Cost?*
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After two weeks of selling in the Nasdaq, it was nice to see tech stocks bouncing back. But what was worth noting wasn’t just the rebound. It was the news behind it. *Anthropic*, the company behind Claude AI, has filed for a Nasdaq IPO. Exciting news for the AI industry, no doubt. But the company also reported some pretty eye-watering losses. Quite a reminder that building AI isn’t cheap! 😅
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Wall Street started the week on a positive note. The Nasdaq gained 0.8%, S&P 500 rose 0.7% and Dow added 0.3%.
AI and semiconductor stocks were back in favour, with *Tesla* jumped 5% after Barclays upgraded the stock. Microsoft also gained 1.5%. But not everyone joined the party. *Meta* fell almost 2% after announcing plans to raise up to US$95 billion to fund its AI ambitions.
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And that’s where I think its funny. Investors clearly still believe in AI’s growth potential. But they are also starting to ask how much all this growth is going to cost, and more importantly, when the returns will come. Anthropic’s IPO news and Meta’s fundraising plans are good examples of the two sides of the AI story.
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Meanwhile, oil finally eased a little after last week’s sharp rise. WTI fell 1.8% to around US$101.40, while Brent slipped to US$115.35. Still very expensive, though. I don’t think the inflation worries are going away just because oil fell for one day. The 10-year Treasury yield also eased slightly to just below 5%.
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For now, Monday’s rebound is encouraging. But with the Fed and big tech earnings just around the corner, I suspect investors won’t have to wait long for the next market-moving headline. 😅Stay nimble, guys!
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*What’s Brewing Today*
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*iFAST, Growing FAST!*
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Some encouraging numbers from *iFAST ( $IFAST(AIY.SI))*! 3Q net profit rose 24.5% to S$32.4 million, while assets under administration hit a record S$36.76 billion. But what was really impressive to me was iFAST Global Bank, where pretax profit jumped almost tenfold to S$3.3 million. Still a relatively small contributor, but it’s gaining traction. The group also raised its full-year dividend guidance. Not bad at all! The question now is whether the share price, which has been rather sluggish lately, will start catching up with the improving fundamentals. Worth watching!
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*Sembcorp: Down But Not Out?*
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Quite a rollercoaster for *Sembcorp ( $Sembcorp Ind(U96.SI))* yesterday! The stock came under selling pressure following news that Indonesia was cutting piped gas supplies to Singapore, falling as low as S$5.62 before recovering to close at S$5.84, down 2.8%. What was worth noting was the recovery from the day’s low, suggesting some buying interest at lower levels. Meanwhile, there’s also news that Sembcorp is exploring a potential IPO of its Indian renewable energy subsidiary, which could raise up to US$394 million. Could this provide some reprieve for the stock after the recent selling? Still early days, but certainly worth watching.
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Also look out for *KIT*, *KORE*, *ESR REIT*, *Capland Ascott REIT* as all four released business updates. See below for more info.
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*Happening Today*
SG Corporate action:
— AIMS APAC REIT: Dividend S$0.02571
— LMS Compliance: BONUS : OFFER OF 1 FOR 5
SG Earnings:
— Capland Ascott^, KIT^, MIT, Digicore REIT, Aztech, UI Boustead REIT, First Resources
CN:
— Industrial Profits (YoY)
EU:
— French Consumer Confidence
US:
— CB Consumer Confidence / New Home Sales / Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index
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*SG Stock News*
👍 — *iFAST Corporation* 3Q2026 net profit rose 24.5% YoY to S$32.37 million, with assets under administration hitting a record S$36.76 billion (+20%) and iFAST Global Bank’s pretax profit surging 964.7% to S$3.29 million.
👍 — *Sembcorp Industries* is reportedly gauging investor demand for a proposed IPO of its Indian renewable energy subsidiary, Sembcorp Green Infra, potentially raising up to US$394 million (S$504 million), with a listing possible as early as December 2026, subject to regulatory approval.
https://www.theedgesingapore.com/news/ipo/sembcorp-gauges-demand-us394-mil-india-unit-ipo--bloomberg
👍 — *Info-Tech Systems* 9M2026 revenue grew 20% YoY to S$42.6 million, driven by 11% growth in recurring software subscriptions and an 82% surge in services revenue from strong demand for AI-related training.
👍 — *Keppel Infrastructure Trust* 9M2026 distributable income excluding divestment gains rose 12.3% YoY to S$140.1 million, supported by recent acquisitions, with all FY2026 debt maturities successfully refinanced.
— *ESR-REIT* 9M2026 distributable income rose 1.0% YoY to S$136 million despite net property income falling 4.2% to S$237.5 million, with occupancy at 91.7%, positive rental reversion of 9.3% and gearing at 44.1%.
— *CapitaLand Ascott Trust* reported 3Q2026 portfolio revenue per available unit of S$164, with 84% occupancy and 4% same-store growth excluding selected divestments and renovations, supported by stronger US hotel performance.
— *Keppel Pacific Oak US REIT* recorded 245,836 sq ft of leasing activity in 3Q2026, equivalent to 5.1% of net lettable area, with leasing momentum supported by the completion of The Post and three of six new office suites at The Plaza Buildings pre-leased before completion.
👍 — *Yangzijiang Maritime* signed contracts to sell six newbuild tankers for US$308 million, bringing total contracted vessel sales to US$805 million across 18 vessels over the past 10 months.
👍 — *Soilbuild Construction* secured S$103 million in new contracts, including an industrial facility and HDB precast works, lifting its order book to approximately S$809 million and providing stronger revenue visibility.
👍 — *Ley Choon Group* secured S$39.1 million in new contracts for underground utility works, with projects expected to be completed over the next 24 to 36 months.
— *TeleChoice International* secured a S$1.3 billion contract renewal from Malaysia's U Mobile for supply chain services, covering three years from February 2027 with an option to extend for another two years.
— *ProsperCap Corporation* achieved Green Key sustainability certification across all 17 hotels in its UK portfolio, covering properties operated under Hilton, IHG and Marriott brands.
— *Yamada Green Resources* secured approval for a JPY130 million loan over 24 years to finance its Osaka property acquisition, which is expected to be completed on 30 October 2026.
— *First Sponsor Group* 3Q2026 European property net operating income rose 14.8% YoY to €17.2 million, driven by stronger hotel contributions, while its financial position was bolstered by S$341.7 million in additional equity funding.
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*Earnings calendar:*
27/10 - MIT, Digicore REIT, Aztech, UI Boustead REIT, First Resources
28/10 - Capland India^, Wilmar, Landmark REIT, MLT
29/10 - Ultragreen^, CICT^, CDLHT^, FEH^, Capland Ascendas, Starhill
30/10 - MPACT^, LREIT
2/11 - Elite UK REIT^, GE^
3/11 - ParkwayLife REIT^, SIA Engg
4/11 - UOB^, CLI^, ACROPHYTE HT^, Manulife US REIT^, CAREIT
5/11 - DBS^, UOI, AVEPoint
6/11 - OCBC^, Singpost^, FLCT^
11/11 - Valuetronic^, SATS, SIA, NTTDC
12 Nov - Sasseur REIT^, Asian Pay TV, GoldenAgri, SERT
13/11 - UHREIT^, Frasers Property
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Rgds, Dan
https://www.phillip.com.sg/talktophillip/danccs/
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