Analysis

2026 would be a pivotal year for electric vehicle (EV)-related foreign direct investments (FDIs) in Malaysia following the expiry of completely built-up (CBU) incentives, Maybank Investment Bank said Tuesday.

Given the breakthroughs in clean energy and green infrastructure, CIMB Securities firmly believes that the pipeline of data center jobs remains intact in Malaysia, which is on track to become ASEAN’s largest sustainable data center hub.

The global push for tokenized money is entering a new, more mature phase. According to a recent UOB report, industry expectations are shifting from isolated pilots toward scalable operating models underpinned by five key drivers, captured in the acronym SCALE: Standards, Compliance, Access, Linked infrastructures, and Ecosystem.

Kenanga Research has on Friday downgraded Malaysia’s technology sector rating to neutral from overweight as external risks have intensified, particularly from global memory tightness, supply-chain fragility and persistent cost pressure across the value chain.

Malaysia’s semiconductor industry, concentrated on assembly, test, and packaging (ATP), is relatively insulated from immediate supply disruptions caused by rising tensions in the Middle East, Maybank Investment Bank said Thursday.

The proposed $600 million acquisition of foodpanda Taiwan gives Grab entry into a structurally attractive on-demand market with meaningful food delivery scale and long-term optionality in adjacent verticals, Maybank Investment Bank said Tuesday.

Asia’s semiconductor supply chain faces rising tail risk from helium tightness as the Iran conflict drags on and Qatar’s natural gas disruption persists, Fitch Ratings said Tuesday.

Malaysia's domestic logistics sector fared better amid Middle East tensions as the country is a beneficiary of booming e-commerce and trade diversion on US-China trade tensions, Kenanga Research said Thursday.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to reshape corporate business models, but Fitch Ratings warned that credit risks linked to AI adoption remain concentrated in specific sectors, particularly technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT).

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are reshaping the global energy landscape and accelerating the shift toward clean energy, according to OCBC Group Research. The disruption of oil and gas markets and supply chains caused by the conflict underscores the vulnerability of energy-dependent economies and highlights the urgency for diversification and…