This week, the markets are full of twists. Precious metals lost some of their shine after months of record-breaking gains, while BTO hopefuls flocked to Bukit Merah’s latest Prime projects in droves. Over in retail, Grab’s adorable Sanrio collab is turning pickleball into Singapore’s cutest new craze. On the economic front, inflation crept up slightly—just as COE premiums took a welcome breather. Whether you’re tracking gold prices, flat applications or car bids, here’s your quick and easy round-up of what’s been making headlines this week.
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Gold and silver plunge as investors cash out after record highs
Gold and silver prices continued to tumble this week after one of the biggest sell-offs in over a decade. Investors rushed to lock in profits following months of sharp gains that many now see as overheated.
Key highlights:
- Spot gold: Down 0.8% to US$4,091.33 an ounce on Oct 22, after plunging 6.3% a day earlier—its steepest intraday drop in 12 years.
- Spot silver: Slipped 0.4% to US$48.48 an ounce, after an 8.7% loss on Oct 21.
- Singapore-listed CNMC Goldmine: Fell as much as 12.4% to $1.06 before closing at $1.15, though still up nearly 394% year-to-date.
Analysts say the pullback marks a healthy correction after a nine-week rally driven by:
- Central-bank buying and inflows into ETFs
- Demand for safe-haven assets amid geopolitical tensions
- Bets on US Federal Reserve rate cuts
Citigroup has since trimmed its bullish stance, expecting gold to consolidate near US$4,000 in the short term. Despite the correction, prices remain more than 55% higher in 2025, showing the rally’s remarkable run.
ALSO READ: Gold Prices Smash New Record—Here’s How to Invest in Gold in Singapore (2025)
Flats in Bukit Merah’s Prime projects draw top demand in Oct 2025 BTO
Flats in Bukit Merah’s Prime developments—Berlayar Residences and Redhill Peaks—topped the charts in October’s Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise. By 5 pm on Oct 22, the 2 projects had pulled in 8,376 applications, making up 55% of all Prime flat applications.
Highlights from the Oct 2025 exercise:
- Overall applications: 31,095 across 10 projects (≈3 applicants per flat) as of 5 pm on 22 Oct 2025
- Prime projects:
- Berlayar Residences (880 units)
- Redhill Peaks (1,021 units)
- Combined application rate: 4.4 times
- Price range (without grants):
- 2-room flexi: $218,000–$369,000
- 3-room: $420,000–$562,000
- 4-room: $578,000–$788,000
- Subsidy clawback: 14% (highest so far)
Demand was fuelled by the projects’ prime locations near MRT stations and their status as the first HDB developments in the Greater Southern Waterfront.
Elsewhere, Bishan Terraces also performed strongly with a 3.8 times application rate, while interest in the Plus project in Ang Mo Kio was muted at 1.4 times, likely due to its distance from amenities and transport links.
You can view the final flat supply and applications received online, based on HDB’s final update at 2pm on 23 Oct 2025.
ALSO READ: The Ultimate 2025 Guide: How to Increase Your BTO Chances in Singapore
Grab x Sanrio collab serves up pickleball fun
Heard that satisfying pop of a pickleball rally? Singapore’s new favourite racquet sport just got a cute upgrade thanks to Grab’s latest collaboration with Sanrio.
From 22 Oct to 2 Nov 2025, you can snag a free limited-edition Grab Signatures pickleball set—complete with 1 racquet and 2 balls—when you complete 2 orders from any Grab Signatures merchant.
How to qualify:
- GrabFood: Spend at least $40 per order
- GrabMart: Spend at least $65 per order
What you’ll get:
- One random design from Hello Kitty, Kuromi, or Cinnamoroll
- Up to 3 redemptions per user, while stocks last
Redeeming your set is simple—just follow the steps on the GrabRewards page in your app (tap your profile → GrabRewards → My rewards).
It’s the perfect excuse to rally your friends for some weekend fun and collect adorable Sanrio gear at the same time.
Singapore’s core inflation ticks up to 0.4% in September, driven by retail prices
Singapore’s core inflation edged up to 0.4% year-on-year in September, slightly above August’s 0.3% and higher than economists’ forecast of 0.2%. The rise was mainly due to higher prices of retail and other goods, according to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI).
At a glance:
- Core inflation: 0.4% (↑ from 0.3% in August)
- Overall CPI-All Items inflation: 0.7% (↑ from 0.5%)
- Month-on-month core inflation: +0.3%
- Key price movements:
- Private transport: +3.7% (↑ from 2.4%)
- Retail & other goods: +0.3% (↑ from -0.2%)
- Food: +1.1%, unchanged
- Electricity & gas: -5.8%, slightly lower
MAS and MTI expect imported costs to keep easing—though more slowly—while domestic cost pressures may build as labour costs rise.
Forecasts:
- 2025 core inflation: ~0.5%
- 2026 core inflation: 0.5–1.5%
- CPI-All Items: 0.5–1% (2025); 0.5–1.5% (2026)
Officials cautioned that geopolitical risks and volatile oil prices could still push inflation higher in the short term.
COE premiums dip across most categories, Category A at $122,000
Car buyers got some relief this week as Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums fell across most categories in the latest bidding exercise on 23 Oct 2025.
Here’s the breakdown:
COE Category | Vehicle Type | Latest Premium | Previous | % Change |
A | Cars ≤1,600cc, ≤130bhp | $122,000 | $128,105 | ↓ 4.8% |
B | Cars >1,600cc or >130bhp | $131,889 | $141,000 | ↓ 6.5% |
Open | Any vehicle (mainly large cars) | $136,000 | $140,009 | ↓ 2.9% |
Commercial | Goods vehicles & buses | $76,801 | $74,301 | ↑ 3.4% |
Motorcycle | Two-wheelers | $9,389 | $9,810 | ↓ 4.3% |
A total of 4,384 bids were received for 3,149 available COEs.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) noted that while Category A supply has risen by 29% year-on-year, prices remain high amid sustained demand. It also urged buyers and dealers to stay prudent in their bidding strategies as premiums continue to fluctuate.
ALSO READ: Cheap Parking in Orchard 2025—Where to Park for Free, Tips to Save More
That’s it for this week! Stay tuned for next week’s What’s Happening This Week to keep up with the latest in finance, business, and beyond.
This article was first drafted with the help of AI and later reviewed and refined by the author.
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