Let's Talk, Singapore

What’re you having for lunch? What’re you wearing to work today? Should you take the MRT, or get a car? We make quite a lot of choices everyday. So you may not be as surprised by this stat: but according to researchers, the average adult makes about 35,000 decisions a day. And that’s just the remotely conscious ones!  There’s a name to that feeling… It is choice...

Sonu Varghese, Vice President & Global Macro Strategist at the Carson Group shares his insights on the headwind of tariffs and uncertainty related to even more tariffs down the line, potential safe haven sectors, whether tariffs might derail the tentative rebound in US manufacturing and what the market's next concern might be. Presented by: Emaad Akhtar Produced by: Yeo Kai Ting ( ykaiting@sph...

What does a fractured world look like? That’s one of the economic scenarios painted by Oxford Economics in its latest study as it looks into the crystal ball for Key trends Shaping the Future. Innes McFee, Managing Director of Macro and Investor Services at Oxford Economics, discusses how these scenarios help businesses understand how they are affected by the long-term effects of key st...

They say, the only constant is change. That might be true in some cases for businesses looking to radically improve their future prospects while reducing financial and operational risks. But did you know that according to a study by CB insights, approximately 10 percent of failed startup entrepreneurs surveyed attributed their failure at least partially to a "pivot gone bad"? Hazel Yap, Chief Oper...

Today, we chat about a dilemma on the job front that some people are facing - having to reapply for the same job they have now, or quit! Why is this happening, and what do you do if you find yourself in this position? Audrey, Ryan and Emaad chat about tips, and what they’d do.   Presented by Audrey Siek, Emaad Akhtar & Ryan Huang Produced and edited by Audrey Siek Photo and music cr...

US President Donald Trump says that he doesn’t think a proposed investment deal to secure access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals is dead. This follows a heated argument between the Ukrainian leader, Trump and US Vice-President JD Vance, in front of the media in the Oval Office over the weekend. Trump’s comments come as his national security officials hold meetings this week to d...

It’s a local name synonymous with the aerospace, smart city as well as defence and public security sectors. What started out as a company specializing in the science of defence engineering has now grown into one of Asia's largest defence and engineering groups for commercial and defence organisations across multiple industries. Dan Koh and Ryan Huang explore what’s fueling optimism int...

US stocks slid today as investors braced for US President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China to go into effect by the midnight deadline.  Dave Sekera, Chief US Market Strategist, Morningstar Research Services weighs in on whether we could see a last minute deal on that front, how long they might be in place, whether investors should be expecting retaliatory tari...

Shane Oliver, Head of Investment Strategy & Chief Economist, AMP Capital discusses the spike in cryptocurrency prices as US President Donald Trump pushes ahead with plans for a cryptocurrency strategic reserve. He also looks at whether impending additional tariffs against China will spur more urgency for a "bazooka" set of stimulus measures.  Produced/Presented: Ryan Huang See omnyst...

On World Tennis Day, Emaad, Ryan and Audrey discuss the origins of this beautiful sport, some of the loudest grunters (or shriekers) that have graced the courts, and the longest tennis match ever!!   Presented by Emaad Akhtar, Ryan Huang & Audrey Siek  Produced and edited by Emaad Akhtar Photo and music credits: Pixabay & its talented community of contributors See omnystudio.com/...

Having a purposeful and strategic communication approach is essential for a business as it helps shape its perception, build trust, and drive engagement. But when not executed effectively, may present catastrophic ramifications to a company’s reputation. So what goes behind the making of a clear and intentional communications foundation? Charu Srivastava, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Office...

Even though median salaries rose last year, more fresh graduates remained unemployed six months after leaving school. Among those who found employment in 2024, 79.5 per cent secured a full-time job, a dip from 84.1 per cent the year before. Freelancers, meanwhile, accounted for 1.6 per cent of those in the labour force, up from 1.5 per cent in 2023. Are graduates & employers both expecting mor...

Family feuds at the heart of big companies is something that we’re all so familiar with. And if you haven’t already heard, City Developments Limited is the latest drama brewing back at home. From accusations of a boardroom coup attempt, to corporate governance lapses and a lawsuit between a father and a son, join Dan Koh and Ryan Huang as they unpack the everything you need to know abo...

James Leong, CEO of Grasshopper Asia, discusses what more can be done to help raise retail interest in Singapore stocks, including issues around liquidity, lot sizes, market structure, new products and etc. Produced/Presented: Ryan Huang See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent years, the rise of green bonds has provided a promising financing mechanism in climate change mitigation efforts, and studies investigating this market have revealed the notion of a 'green premium' or 'greenium' within green bond pricing. But, how prevalent is the existence of a green premium in the green bond market and how do ESG factors influence investor behavior and the pricing of g...

Data is the new gold. In fact, a breach or loss of this valuable asset in a company can potentially drag them into bankruptcy or in the worst case, put them out of business altogether. So how can businesses strengthen their cyber resilience while navigating a world where data is the new currency? Sanjay Poonen, CEO, Cohesity joins the Breakfast Show to discuss what you need to understand about the...

If there’s one company that has almost everyone glued on their screens this earnings season, it has to be Nvidia. Having eked out phenomenal gains in the past couple of years, did it live up to expectations in its latest report card? Find out with Dan Koh and Ryan Huang as they dive deep into the world’s most valuable company financial statements and if the AI boom is enough to keep th...

It’s time to gear up for Friday’s breakfast show quiz! It’s the final day of the month - many things have happened in Singapore (ahem, BUDGET 2025!) and around the world, with world leaders making waves. Audrey quizzes Ryan and Emaad on how much they remember about some of February’s top stories. Let’s see how much you know about these headlines of the past month! &nb...

Fungi represent an entire kingdom of life on Earth. In fact, millions of species of fungi share our space on this planet. And since soil contains more than three times as much carbon as the atmosphere, what fungi do in the soil could dramatically affect climate change. One group of fungi in particular - the mycorrhizal fungi - are quietly, but surely, doing us a huge climate favour behind-the-scen...

On Anosmia (the loss of the sense of smell) Awareness Day, the Breakfast crew talk about scent marketing, a technique that utilises specific fragrances to influence customer behaviour and enhance the overall customer experience!   Presented by Emaad Akhtar, Ryan Huang & Audrey Siek  Produced and edited by Emaad Akhtar Photo and music credits: Pixabay & its talented community of c...

Abhilash Narayan, Investment Strategist, HSBC Global Private Banking and Wealth shares how markets are pricing in news developments including US President Donald Trump threatening to slap 25% tariffs on the European Union, claiming the 27-country bloc was “formed to screw the United States”. He also discusses some of the latest takeaways from the saga around City Developments, where ex...

In this rapidly evolving digital landscape, software maintenance costs are a crucial consideration for any organization that relies on software systems to support its operations. But with the sky high prices that vendors are quoting, are you really getting exceptional, unparalleled support and maintenance? Seth Ravin, CEO, Rimini Street joins the Breakfast Show to share how he is redefining enterp...

Todd Rabold, Investment Management Partner at the Callan Family Office shares his insights on latest market drivers on the back of Trump's tariffs, Nvidia's earnings beating expectations and its attractiveness to investors at this point, as well as sentiments surrounding AI, small caps and value stocks.  Presented by: Ryan Huang Produced by: Yeo Kai Ting ( ykaiting@sph.com.sg ) Photo credits:...

It’s the last of the 3 biggest local banks that will be concluding the widely watched Q4 earnings of this season! And it certainly looks promising with OCBC continuing the trend of rewarding investors after Singapore’s second largest bank pledged to return $2.5 billion of capital to shareholders over two years via special dividends and share buybacks! Join Dan Koh and Ryan Huang on thi...

Singapore will be injecting an extra $60 million to boost its space tech industry and research ecosystem, as part of the Space Technology Development Programme, which was first launched in 2022. This expands the total amount of government funding in the programme to over $200 million, following an initial investment of $150 million three years ago. This was announced at the 17th Global Space Techn...