Malaysia’s ringgit is poised to restart a rally, potentially hitting its strongest level against the US dollar in almost a year, as analysts see a dovish central bank and fiscal pledges boosting sentiment.

A US$10,000 investment in the S&P 500 Index a decade ago would now have more than tripled in value, while the same amount in China’s CSI 300 benchmark would have added just around US$3,000.

The credit rating company has affirmed its AA+ long-term rating for the US, in part because it thinks tariff revenues will reduce the fiscal hit of a recent tax and spending Bill.

US Treasury Secretary told Bloomberg TV that rates should likely be 150-175 basis points lower. “We could go into a series of rate cuts here, starting with a 50 basis-point rate cut in September,” he said.

THE US government’s budget deficit grew nearly 20 per cent in July to US$291 billion despite a nearly US$21 billion jump in customs duty collections from President Donald Trump’s tariffs

Australia’s central bank cut interest rates on Tuesday (Aug 12) for a third time this year (by a quarter point to 3.6%) and signalled further policy easing might be needed to meet its inflation,

But the July data showed more businesses reaching a tipping point, left with little option but to raise prices following June’s notable uptick.

“Funds with a high risk appetite are gradually increasing their allocations to stocks, against the backdrop of low interest rates, a lack of good investment options and a surplus of liquidity,”