ASEAN Speaks by Maybank presents conversations with market analysts and thought leaders across Southeast Asia on topics covering equities, fixed income, forex, economics, sustainability, and current affairs that impact regional markets.
In this episode, our host Ong Seng Yeow examines how MAS’s first policy tightening since 2022, persistent oil-driven inflation risks and a resilient Singapore dollar are reshaping the investment landscape. We begin with Head of FX Research, Saktiandi Supaat, on why MAS opted to steepen the SGDNEER slope, the outlook for USDSGD, and why SGD basket longs may still be attractive.
We then turn to our REITs Analyst, Krishna, who discusses how higher bond yields and volatility affect S-REITs, which subsectors are best placed in a stagflationary backdrop, and what to expect from the upcoming Q1 results season, including his read on Keppel DC REIT.
Our Internet and Telco Analyst, Hussaini, also joins the show to unpack Grab’s 1Q26 outlook, the impact of higher fuel prices, its EV transition, financial services losses, and acquisition synergies.
Finally, Head of Research, Thilan Wickramasinghe, closes with his views on the Singapore banks sector and how oil-shock uncertainty is shaping the outlook for the sector.