Let's Talk, Singapore

UOB has agreed to pay about S$4.9 billion to buy consumer assets of Citigroup in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. This is a deal that could see UOB almost double its retail customers to about 5.3 million. Andrea Choong, Equity Research Analyst, CGS-CIMB  shares why UOB is confidently scaling up its business in 4 key regional markets at one go and what long-term potential they see in...

In this morning's  The Breakfast Brief,  we discuss OCBC's goodwill payment to all affected customers of the SMS phishing scam impersonating OCBC, MAS and ABS's introduction of new measures to bolster digital-banking security, VTAC public offer tranche which was subscribed 36 times at the close of its initial public offering.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: The Straits Times analyses South-east Asia's top news developments in this weekly podcast. The Straits Times' regional correspondent Leslie Lopez   chats with Money FM's Elliot Danker and Bharati Jagdish. Highlights (click/tap above): 01:10 Canada terminates sourcing contract with Malaysian Supermax Corp. following allegations about forced labour 02:14 Petitions to invalidate son of...

Sudhan Purushothuman, Head of Content Strategy, MoneyWiseSmart discusses what investors should watch out for as Singapore marks a milestone this week with the first round of SPACs making their listing debut on the SGX: Vertex Technology Acquisition Corp and Pegasus Asia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lenskart, a leading omni-channel eyewear retailer with a strong presence in Singapore, recently unveiled its plans to expand its network of physical stores across Southeast Asia by next year. Anantha Nayak, Chief Business Officer, South East Asia, Lenskart  shares more about their expansion plans in the eyewear industry and how technology has helped the company grow in the region.  &nbsp...

Cyber hygiene is enhanced by having the right automation systems in place, giving businesses the right antibodies to fight off attacks carried out on them. Automation serves as a force multiplier for businesses, to address the alert overload by eliminating false positives, prioritising threats and providing actionable notifications.  David Sajoto, Vice-President of Asia Pacific and Japan...

From Canada's termination of its sourcing contract with Malaysian glove maker Supermax Corporation following allegations about forced labour, to President Joko Widodo choosing a new national capital and Thailand developing the country’s first plant-based Covid vaccine, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, Straits Times  gives an analysis of it all.  See omnystudio.com/listene...

In this morning's  The Breakfast Brief , we discuss what business leaders are hoping to see in Singapore Budget 2022, the highlights of the recent pre-Budget roundtable organized by The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA), the expected lifting of Singapore's data centre moratorium, and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shekhar Jaiswal, Head of Equity Research, RHB Singapore, discusses how much more the Straits Times Index can push higher after jumping 5% year-to-date, driven by a rally in bank stocks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: The Straits Times analyses the latest developments in China in this weekly podcast. The Straits Times' China bureau chief Tan Dawn Wei chats with Money FM 89.3's Elliot Danker and Bharati Jagdish. Highlights (click/tap above): 00:38 National Bureau of Statistics releases latest GDP numbers 02:32 Beijing’s first locally-transmitted Omicron infection case 05:00 Chinese President Xi J...

While many industries and sectors have seen their growth hindered by the pandemic, geospatial and location intelligence technologies have seen widespread deployment by governments and public health authorities in combating Covid-19. Rupert Owen, Co-Founder, Geo Connect Asia  shares how the geospatial technology has been helping countries combat Covid-19 and if it is time for the world to real...

While most of the attention and headlines focus on initiatives from large multinationals and industry leaders, SMEs are only sporadically recognised and often neglected as major drivers of economic activity, as well as social and environmental progress around the world.  Dr Rashimah Rajah, Lecturer, NUS Business School  shares more about the new World Economic Forum report, which defines...

in this morning's  The Breakfast Brief,  we discuss Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)'s latest announcement to crypto service providers, bank SMS phishing scams in Singapore, what to expect from the Bank of Japan's meeting, and more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been a busy week for the country with their National Bureau of Statistics releasing their latest GDP numbers, to Beijing’s first locally transmitted Omicron infection case and lastly Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for improved regulation and governance of China's digital economy. Tan Dawn Wei, China Bureau Chief, The Straits Times  gives an analysis of it all.  See omn...

Synopsis: The Straits Times analyses the latest developments in the United States in this weekly podcast.  The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh chats with Money FM 89.3's Elliot Danker and Bharati Jagdish about the following points: Highlights (click/tap above): 00:40 US Supreme Court blocks US President Joe Biden's rule requiring large companies to have a vaccine, mask or tes...

Phan Vee Leung, CIO, Trackrecord Asia, discusses how cryptocurrencies will perform against a backdrop of tightening Central Bank policies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Due to Covid-19 the search for vaccines and therapies has been the most urgent and widespread the world has ever seen. The biopharma industry specifically has a good couple of years after finding itself at the centre of global attention from the pandemic’s outset.  Stewart Campbell, Vice President and General Manager, Asia Pacific, West Pharmaceutical Services  shares how the compa...

Marketing is constantly evolving, and, with so much change in the past year alone, moving forward, what are the winning tools and strategies that will help organisations fire up their marketing initiatives in 2022? Ksenia Newton, Marketing Content Specialist, Brandwatch  shares why marketers have an issue with understanding who their customer is and what knowledge and resource gaps require br...

In this morning's The Breakfast Brief , we discuss the market’s focus toward fourth-quarter earnings, China's release of its its fourth quarter and 2021 full year GDP data, Singapore's first SPAC listing, and more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From former President Donald Trump first rally of 2022 Saturday in Arizona, to hundreds of students in Boston and Chicago walking out of classes in protests demanding a switch to remote learning as a surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the Omicron variant, Nirmal Ghosh, US Bureau Chief, Straits Times  gives an analysis of it all.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The impact of Covid-19 aside, increasing competition from proliferating heartland shopping malls and the rise of e-commerce has significantly decreased footfall to smaller heartland shops.  Estee Lim, General Manager, Bee Choo Origin shares her views on the importance of digitalisation for heartland businesses and how they can push boundaries to preserve the ‘kampung spirit’.&nbsp...

Have you tried one of those meat alternative products, can it potentially replace real meat in the near future? It was recently suggested that 54 percent of Gen Z respondents were already trying to restrict their meat consumption. Gautam  Godhwani, Managing Partner, Good Startup shares his views on how the meat alternative industry can continue to re-define consumer food choices worldwide and reta...

We knew it was coming all along, but the question was when? It looks like we might be seeing a GST hike in 2022, with some saying it might come as early as April. But is this the right time to do so?  Simon Poh, Associate Professor, Accounting Department, NUS Business School shares his views.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caroline Loke, Portfolio Manager for Asia ex Japan Equity, PineBridge Investments  discusses the highlights of her investment strategies in 2021 and her views on where valuations are going in 2022.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this morning's The Breakfast Brief , we discuss China's Evergrande securing payment extension as more developers race to avert defaults and Microsoft board reviewing their sexual harassment, discrimination policies.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.