Some 600,000 Colorado households were slated Wednesday to receive their monthly payment through the federal expanded child tax credit program. But those families should not count on this program continuing. Unless Congress acts to extend the program — and that doesn’t appear likely in this calendar year — there’s no promise of any payments beyond those that go out Dec. […]

SINGAPORE – Housing Board flat owners are four times more likely to make partial repayments on the mortgage of their home to reduce the interest they pay if they are made aware of the benefits of doing so. This was the finding of a behavioural study by the Ministry of National Development (MND) and HDB economists to gauge how HDB […]

Metro Denver consumer prices are inflating at the fastest rate since 1983, putting a squeeze on household budgets that will be harder to escape, according to a bimonthly update from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. The Consumer Price Index for the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area rose 6.5% over the past year in November, which is up from a 4.5% […]

SINGAPORE – Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK) have substantially concluded negotiations on the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (UKSDEA) on Thursday. The agreement covers key areas of the digital economy, such as data, as well as a wide range of emerging and innovative areas such as artificial intelligence, fintech, digital identities and legal technology,  according to a statement jointly issued by  […]

SINGAPORE – Singapore companies and the banking sector are less vulnerable to financial risks and potential shocks now than they were at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The vulnerability of Singapore companies came down from an elevated level a year ago as their earnings improved, enabling them to build up cash buffers and better service their debt, the Monetary Authority […]

BEIJING (REUTERS) – China’s property downturn is expected to continue into the first half of 2022, with home prices and sales falling as tight credit policies and a looming property tax dampen demand, a Reuters poll showed. The property sector, a key driver of growth in the world’s second-largest economy, has slowed sharply in recent months, with sentiment shaken by […]

SINGAPORE (THE BUSINESS TIMES) – PSA International has agreed to acquire BDP International, a United States-based company providing supply chain, transportation and logistics solutions, both companies said on Wednesday (Dec 1). The port operator will acquire privately-held BDP International from New York-based private equity firm Greenbriar Equity Group LP, subject to formal approvals by the relevant authorities and other customary […]

NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) – A growing cohort of smaller companies that survived the cold depths of the Covid-19 pandemic say now they’re in danger because the economy is too hot. Mattress sellers, flooring manufacturers and makers of clean energy equipment are warning that stretched supply chains and runaway freight bills have pushed them to the brink of ruin. Unlike global […]

BENGALURU (REUTERS) – United States retailers’ online sales likely slowed this Cyber Monday (Nov 29), as fewer discounts and limited choices due to global supply-chain disruptions deterred shoppers, but other data points suggested American consumers are in pretty good health. Retailers had also spread out promotional deals across more weeks to protect profit margins from surging supply chain costs and […]

BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) – China’s factory activity improved in November as the impact of a power crunch subsided and more working days in the month helped to boost output. The official manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) rose to 50.1, the first time in three months it exceed the 50 mark that signals an expansion in production. The non-manufacturing gauge, which measures […]