The dollar has fallen to an all time low, around the world. The dollar has struggled against the Euro for some time now, but is now at a record low against this currency. In addition, the economic troubles the US is facing have dropped the value of the dollar against many currencies which it is traditionally stronger than. What does the falling value of the American dollar mean to those looking for loans...
Finance
People's attitudes towards loans are changing, according to a survey conducted by consumer finance firm, GE Money, last month. With the Singapore economy expected to moderate this year, two thirds of 365 consumers polled said they were more cautious about taking up loans. A total of 95 percent of respondents said flexibility was very important when applying for a loan. Almost half said they wanted...
United Overseas Bank (UOB), Singapore's second-biggest lender by assets, posted a 5.7 percent fall in its fourth-quarter profit, as turmoil in credit markets led to more write-downs. The bank reported net profit of S$506 million for the October-December period, down from S$537 million a year ago. UOB, which had a smaller exposure to risky debt compared to local industry leader DBS, made fresh provisions...
Citibank is gunning for more high net worth clients with a new S$3.5 million high-tech centre in Singapore.The centre will have private conference rooms, video conferencing facilities and a plush ambience akin to a five-star hotel catering to high net worth clients. Citibank believes such clients form a growing market, which will help it compete in the lucrative banking segment. Such individuals typically...
Singapore is stepping up efforts to position itself as a hub for Islamic banking. In the recent Budget, a 5 percent concessionary tax rate was announced for income derived from qualifying Shariah-compliant products. Industry watchers said this would help to draw in key global players. The global Islamic banking sector is estimated to be worth around US$500 billion. And Singapore is making yet another...
Singapore's third largest lender OCBC Bank has reported flat profits for the full year at S$2.07 billion, marginally higher than S$2 billion profit in 2006. Excluding divestment gains from non-core assets and tax refunds, OCBC's core net profit beat expectations by growing 30% to S$1.88 billion on the back of strong loans growth. OCBC is seeing broad-based revenue growth across its key markets and...
Singapore's Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC) said Thursday its fourth quarter net profit fell 16 percent from a year ago in the absence of one-time gains and higher expenses offsetting strong revenues. Net profit was S$428 million compared with S$510 million a year ago when it was bloated by divestment gains. Revenue totalled S$1.08 billion, up 19 percent from the same period last year, the bank said...
DBS Group, Southeast Asia's biggest bank, said on Friday its fourth quarter net profit fell 18 percent from the previous year as it set aside heavy provisions to cover its exposure to risky US mortgages. Net profit for the three months to December 2007 came in at S$491 million (US$347.15 million), down from S$596 million in the same period in 2006, the bank said in a statement. DBS set aside an...
With global interest rates trending downwards, some Singapore homeowners are hoping to see a similar move in mortgage rates. This is especially after the Singapore Interbank Offered Rate (SIBOR) hit its lowest level in almost four years in late December - at 1.5 percent. However, some analysts have said that the banks may not be willing to lower rates, in light of the current volatility in global...
With rising inflation and escalating asset prices, prospective homebuyers should take advantage of relatively low interest rates to finance their purchases, according to UOB’s head of loans Kevin Lam.Mr Lam said the economy had developed into a “negative interest-rate situation”, where asset prices rise very quickly while interest rates remained low.“With interest rates at 3 to 4 per cent,...