After eight consecutive days of gains, the SSE Composite Index narrowly missed 3,700 points on 14 August 2025, marking its highest level since December 2021. Despite a slight afternoon dip that ended the streak, brokers remain optimistic about a “slow bull” market in A-shares, with potential to reach 3,800 points. SMU Associate Professor of Finance Fu Fangjian noted that short-term pullbacks may be driven by profit-taking, but the market has been on an upward trajectory since September 2023.
Malaysian authorities proposed starting cross-border bus services at 4am to ease checkpoint congestion. While this could benefit Malaysian workers commuting to Singapore, concerns include higher operating costs, potential fare increases, manpower needs, and lack of early connecting transport. SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan noted Malaysian workers would benefit most, but operators must cover costs, making fare hikes likely.
Commenting on Johor’s proposed Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link for Iskandar Puteri and Tuas, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan highlighted the need for stronger connections between Singapore and Johor but noted that limited public transportation on the Iskandar Puteri side remains a concern. He is unsure if it would be commercially viable to be constructed.
China's July Producer Price Index (PPI) fell 3.6% y-o-y, a larger decline than expected, while the Consumer Price Index (CPI) remained flat y-o-y. SMU Associate Professor of Finance Fu Fangjian said that the latest CPI figures remain low, indicating that the Chinese economy has not yet completely escaped deflationary pressures, and that policies to boost domestic demand still have room for improvement.
Commenting on the revival of cryptocurrency, SMU Associate Professor of Finance Emiliano Pagnotta noted how stablecoins have emerged as the dominant use of crypto and how the recent passage of the Genius Act in the US helped with its broader adoption. Assoc Prof Pagnotta added that since the launch of US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded products in 2024, integration with traditional finance has accelerated, drawing over US$54 billion in inflows.
SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan commented on BlueSG's wind-down on 8 August 2025, citing possible factors such as high maintenance cost, "lukewarm" revenue, and COVID-19 impacts. He noted that Singapore's car sharing market is expanding, but BlueSg's ageing fleet may need upgrades. Suspending operations until 2026 risks losing customers to rivals, through promotions could win them back. He added that no new players are likely to emerge soon, as car-sharing is a perishable service.
On 3 August 2025, Land Transport Authority (LTA) stated that the cross-border taxi scheme is under-utilised while the illegal operators have been endangering the earnings of the licensed taxi drivers, with some of these operators brazenly poaching passengers near the two pick-up points in Singapore and Johor Bahru. SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan highlighted the many illegal options available on Google that might not seem suspicious to an average consumer.
Commenting on the recent five-hour East-West MRT disruption, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said reliability improvements take time, as some lines are older. He noted that greater reliability comes with higher costs and manpower needs and urged commuters to allow more travel time. He highlighted the trade-off between reliability and longer operating hours and stressed that the Land Transport Authority and operators must work closely to serve commuters effectively.
In an interview with CNA938, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said cross-border on-demand transport could be feasible with strong regulatory oversight, though this remains a big assumption. He proposed expanding permitted pick-up and drop-off points and allowing more flexibility. While flexible transport may ease congestion, he stressed the need to control vehicle numbers.
On 1 August 2025, The Projector announced its departure from its Golden Village (GV) collaboration at Cineleisure, resuming its screenings at Golden Mile Tower. While The Projector has touted the move as a return to its roots, observers argued that its niche focus may also be an obstacle to its success. SMU Lee Kong Chian Professor of Operation Management Shantanu Bhattacharya inferred that The Projector sees lower customer volumes and has a higher fixed cost per offering as an arthouse cinema.
