Market View: Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady despite hawkish split; Asian shares down, oil up as investors mull geopolitical maelstrom in the Middle East; Meta reportedly preparing to unwind acquisition of Manus after China blocks deal; Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust to watch

Singapore shares dipped today, in line with regional markets. The Straits Times Index was 0.03% below the flatline at 4,891.12 points at 2.35pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$1.16B seen in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust, after the manager today posted a 2.6 per cent fall in distribution per unit to S$0.019 for the fourth quarter ended March 2026, from S$0.0195 in the same year-ago period. Elsewhere, from movements in the Japanese Yen after the Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady despite a hawkish split, to how investors weigh the geopolitical maelstrom in the Middle East, more international headlines remained in focus. Also on deck, how Meta is reportedly preparing to unwind its acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Manus after China blocked the deal on national security grounds, and what the US-China tech rivalry could mean for the US tech sector going forward. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Jeff Ng, Head of Asia Macro Strategy, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.