This week, markets saw a mix of policy shifts and corporate milestones.
The Fed signalled caution with a rate cut, Nvidia’s value crossed US$5 trillion, and Amazon began one of its biggest workforce reductions yet.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s Coliwoo readies its mainboard debut, and SGX RegCo took bold steps to make listings more flexible and future-ready.
Welcome to this week’s edition of top stock market highlights.
Fed cuts rates amid softer job market
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points on 29 October, bringing the federal funds rate to a range of 3.75% to 4%.
The decision reflected the central bank’s concerns about elevated unemployment and uncertainty in the economic outlook.
While inflation remains somewhat elevated, the committee judged that downside risks to employment had increased in recent months.
The Fed also announced it would conclude its securities holdings reduction programme by 1 December 2025, signalling a shift in its monetary policy stance as it navigates competing economic pressures.
Nvidia hits US$5 trillion market cap
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) achieved a historic milestone on 29 October, becoming the first publicly traded company to reach US$5 trillion in market capitalisation.
The chipmaker’s shares surged more than 5% to close at US$207.04, driven by continued artificial intelligence momentum and speculation about potential chip sales to China.
CEO Jensen Huang’s announcement that the company expects US$500 billion in AI chip sales, coupled with plans to build seven new supercomputers for the US government, further boosted investor confidence.
The achievement comes just three months after Nvidia crossed the US$4 trillion threshold, with the stock up approximately 50% year-to-date.
The company has also announced strategic investments including US$1 billion in Nokia and partnerships with major tech firms.
Amazon slashes 30,000 jobs
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) announced it will cut 14,000 corporate positions on 28 October, marking the company’s largest corporate workforce reduction in recent years.
The e-commerce giant cited the need to become “leaner and less bureaucratic” as it pivots towards artificial intelligence investments.
CEO Andy Jassy’s restructuring affects multiple divisions including cloud computing, advertising, Prime Video, and human resources.
Employees will have 90 days to seek internal positions before receiving severance packages.
Reuters reports the total cuts could eventually reach 30,000 positions.
The layoffs represent approximately 4% of Amazon’s 350,000-strong corporate workforce and come as the company plans US$118 billion in capital investments this year, primarily focused on AI capabilities and cloud infrastructure expansion.
Coliwoo launches S$101 million IPO
Singapore co-living operator Coliwoo Holdings launched its initial public offering on 29 October, offering 80.3 million shares at S$0.60 each to raise approximately S$101 million.
The mainboard listing comprises 75 million placement shares and 5.3 million public offer shares, with trading expected to commence on 6 November 2025.
Major cornerstone investors including UOB Asset Management, Value Partners Hong Kong, and Maybank Asset Management have committed S$52.8 million.
The company, spun off from LHN Limited (SGX: 41O), operates nearly 3,000 co-living rooms across Singapore and plans to expand to 4,000 rooms by end-2026.
Post-IPO market capitalisation is expected to reach S$288.5 million.
Coliwoo intends to distribute at least 40% of attributable profits as dividends for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
SGX RegCo eases listing rules
Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX Reg Co) announced sweeping reforms on 29 October to transition towards a disclosure-based regulatory regime.
The changes include lowering the mainboard profit test threshold from S$30 million to S$10 million, removing the Financial Watch-List, and consolidating listing review functions under SGX RegCo.
The regulator will also introduce tailored admission requirements for pre-revenue life sciences companies and limit trading suspensions to cases with clear going-concern issues.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore proposed streamlining the IPO process by having prospective issuers deal only with SGX RegCo rather than both entities.
These reforms aim to enhance Singapore’s competitiveness as an international capital markets hub while maintaining investor protection.
The public consultation period runs until 29 November 2025.
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