AT a recent roundtable discussion hosted by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) on the issue of declining domestic direct investment (DDI), it was highlighted that there is a need to boost local small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
THE investment flows of Malaysia’s domestic direct investments (DDIs) have not been very encouraging. This is not an of late occurrence owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, as the data suggests, DDI has been diminishing since 2015.
Bank Negara Malaysia is likely to maintain a gradual pace in the normalisation of the Overnight Policy Rate although the US Federal Reserve (Fed) raised its interest rate by the most in nearly 30 years.
NEWS of Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Bhd (MIDF) possibly merging with MBSB Bank Bhd has reignited interest in consolidation within the local banking industry.
After being low for many years, global key interest rates have started trending higher, goaded on by inflationary pressure. For banks, generally, this is a good thing as higher interest rates tend to translate into higher earnings. However, there is also the issue of a higher cost of funding for lenders as interest rates move north.