Oil prices rallied on Monday, a day after President Donald Trump said Iran’s response to a U.S. proposal was "unacceptable," raising supply fears as the Strait of Hormuz stayed largely closed, which kept the global market tight.
Most Asian stocks firmed past heightened tensions in the Middle East on Monday, with gains in chipmakers and optimism over a U.S.-China summit helping markets weather a surge in oil prices.
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said Malaysia’s latest economic indicators point towards continued growth momentum in the first quarter of 2026 (1Q 2026), driven by sustained domestic demand and strong export performance.
Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) decision to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent for a sixth consecutive Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting reflects growing confidence in the resilience of Malaysia’s domestic economy despite mounting global uncertainties, economists said.
The European Central Bank may need to raise interest rates if the Iran war has a lasting effect on inflation, Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel said Thursday.
China’s new bank lending likely plummeted to 300 billion yuan ($44.09 billion) in April, a Reuters poll showed on Friday, underscoring persistent weakness in credit demand despite policy support for the world’s second-largest economy.