Monday Wrap: Telco strain, hiring squeeze, and merger shifts

Education led part-time job market despite an overall sector decline.

Last week in Singapore Business Review, the failed Simba-M1 deal kept pressure on the crowded telco market, wealth managers grappled with rising costs to recruit senior bankers, and education topped the share of part-time job postings.

Analysts said industry consolidation should still emerge despite the collapse of Simba Telecom’s M1 acquisition after regulatory conditions were unmet, with both mobile and fixed broadband markets remaining heavily saturated.

A BCG report revealed how wealth managers are facing higher hiring costs as senior bankers become harder to recruit, adding to broader cost pressures across financial institutions.

On the other hand, senior banking hires are now going through as many as nine interview rounds, with lenders slowing decisions, tightening budgets, and extending their approval processes. 

Finance also recorded the lowest share of part-time job postings, in contrast to education, which led the sector. Overall, postings declined over the past two years despite continued pockets of flexible work.

Revised merger review rules are expected to speed up deal approvals and give firms greater certainty on competition concerns, as regulators shorten review timelines and ease filing requirements.

Late-stage deals dominated startup funding, accounting for $157.8m, or 73.9%, of the $214m raised between 1 April and 31 May.

Lastly, a report showed organisations are rapidly increasing investment in artificial intelligence, but many are doing so without clear measurement of returns.