Let's Talk, Singapore

Jakarta has officially launched a new long-term visa, which offers residency to wealthy investors, retirees and professionals with desired talents and skills. The five-year "Golden Visa" requires individual investors to set up a company worth US$2.5 million, while a 10-year visa requires a US$5 million investment. Following a trial last year, about 300 golden visas have been given out so far, with...

Investors are seeking for shelter overnight, and it seems that there is little place to hide. We have a set of weaker-than-expected US economic data giving rise to hard landing fears. Plus, there was a sell-off in megacap tech stocks overnight, as treasury yields weaken across the board. Yeap Junrong spoke to Francyne Mu, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst, Franklin Equity Group. Presented by...

Are you a fan of spicy food? We here in Singapore generally like spicy foods of all kinds, and we don’t think that much when we tuck into all these spicy dishes. But now, questions have been raised on how good or bad spicy food is for us, after a well-loved South Korean instant noodle brand Buldak was banned in Denmark. Audrey did some research and gets to the bottom of whether or not it's good fo...

Nadine Terman, CEO & CIO, Solstein Capital shares her takeaways on the latest earnings revolving mega cap tech giants, Apple and Amazon, whether the economy is leaving elevated inflation blues behind, if she foresees debt further easing in 2025, and whether we'll be seeing further weakness in the US labour market moving forward. Presented by: Yeap Junrong Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting...

Back in historical times, volcanoes played a crucial role in the evolution of the planet and early life, and are constantly reshaping the morphology of Planet Earth.  Today, about 500 active volcanoes presently exist on the Earth’s surface, with some 50 erupting each year, and more than 800 million people living within 100 kilometres (60 miles) of an active volcano. As populations continue to grow...

Mitul Kotecha, Head of Asia FX and Rates Strategy, Barclays discusses what the FOMC's latest meeting means for Asian markets, how it will impact the Yen and other Asian currencies, and whether we can expect a soft landing in the US. Presented by Yeap Junrong Edited by Audrey Siek See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We celebrate World Wide Web Day today! Every August 1st, we commemorate its impact on the world, and how most of us rely heavily on the web to browse, access and upload content. Audrey goes through some fun facts about the web - like the most searched thing on Google, the most watched thing on the internet, and the most searched person of all time! Presented by Audrey Siek  Produced and Edited by...

What makes a good brand? There are, of course, many definitions to that. But today, we talk about brands for good - that is, organisations with business models that promote long-term societal benefits. 38 businesses were recognised at this year’s Brands For Good Awards, which recognises outstanding ethical business practices, sustainability, and community engagement. The awards is organised by non...

The Federal Reserve did not lower interest rates today, but its statement did tee up the possibility of a September cut. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell laid the groundwork for a September move to lower interest rates but has left himself some room to divert if the data doesn’t go according to plan.  Frank Cappelleri, Founder and President, CappThesis shares his insights on the impending rate...

Michael Nicolas, Portfolio Manager and U.S. Investment Analyst at Harris Associates discusses how investors can identify which companies to invest in with fundamentals for better long term returns. Produced/Presented: Ryan Huang See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brenda Vingiello, Chief Investment Officer, Sand Hill Global Advisors shares her insights on AI monetisation, what investors should be thinking about when considering whether now is the right time to cash into the AI sector, expectations for the FOMC meeting later this week, as well as how earnings from companies that are seeing a shift in consumer spending might play out for the US economy.  Pres...

South and North Korea ties are at one of their lowest points in years. In recent weeks, South Korea resumed its round-the-clock loudspeaker broadcast campaign in response to North Korea’s trash balloons.  Since May, North Korea has been floating thousands of balloons with bags of trash attached to them, a new source of tension between the two Koreas. On this episode of Morning Shot, Oh...

For decades, scientists and public health experts have raised questions about the safety of artificial sweeteners. The research is still evolving, and the findings are sometimes contradictory, making it tough to weigh the pros and cons. So let’s get to the bottom of this on today’s breakfast bites with Audrey and Ryan: how bad is it, really? Are all sweeteners the same? And, is there one that's be...

Martin Hennecke, Head of Asia Investment Advisory, St. James’s Place  discusses how the recent strengthening of the Japanese yen is affecting the popular USDJPY carry trade. He also looks at how attractive Chinese markets are against a backdrop of mixed economic data. Produced/Presented: Ryan Huang See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Across the world, there are different cultures and habits when it comes to tipping. From offensive, to appreciated, to downright necessary: how aware are you of different countries' stance on tipping, and is there a new etiquette for tipping in Singapore? Audrey and Ryan discuss how they view tipping, and talk about their experiences with "tip guilt" and not knowing how much to give.   Presented b...

David Martin, Founder & Chief Investment Officer at Martin Fund Management shares his insights on the latest trader sentiments around the equity market, direction of the oil sector currently, as well as names on the market to look out for. Presented by: Ryan Huang Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Assistant Producer: Simone Chuah Photo credits: pixabay & its tale...

People who have been through traumatic experiences in their childhood, such as emotional neglect or parental death or separation - could potentially cost Singapore about $1.18 billion a year in absenteeism, reduced productivity and use of healthcare resources. A recent study by the Institute of Mental Health and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital found that the impact of such events which happen d...

Matt Taylor, Senior Director, FTI Consulting discusses what to look out for in the FOMC's July meeting, why the Bank of Japan might hike, as well as encouraging signs from China's latest round of industrial profits data. Produced/Presented: Ryan Huang See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A software update for Microsoft Windows operating systems issued by the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike was the root cause of the recent global tech outage that hit many parts of the world. The incident, which affected 8.5 million Microsoft Windows devices, led to widespread disruptions of airlines, banks, broadcasters, healthcare providers, retail payment terminals and cash machines globally, with...

A new Tiktok trend is picking up steam as people think about how to prioritise themselves! "Saving the day" is the idea of doing something simple (and quick) to help you get back in touch with yourself, as days blur and stress levels rise. As people lose sight of living life beyond what we need to get done, the idea is to do one small thing just for yourself everyday. Audrey, Ryan and Emaad chat a...

For the first time in a century, Paris is playing host once again to the most watched elite sporting extravaganza on the planet - the Olympic Games. As thousands of athletes prepare to give it their all for a place in the history books, Emaad, Ryan and Audrey take a trip down memory lane to pore over some eye-popping Olympics facts that will certainly take you by surprise. Sit back, relax and list...

Charu Chanana, Head of FX Strategy and Global Market Strategist at Saxo shares if host countries always benefit from running the Olympics, and who the main beneficiaries are in the latest edition in France.  Produced/Presented: Ryan Huang See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kristina Hooper, Chief Global Market Strategist, Invesco shares his insights on the potential rate cut timeline, cracks forming in the markets currently and how investors should position themselves as the earnings season continues, ahead of the FOMC meeting next week. Presented by: Ryan Huang Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Photo credits: pixabay & its talented com...

“It's about sowing the right seeds. Seeds which will sprout, which will take root. And so how do we do that? We can't have change overnight, but we need to create a pipeline of the next generation of inventors, thinkers. Though we’re a little dot in this globe, we have that opportunity to nurture them. Many times, I go back to Lee Kuan Yew. He dreamt big. We’ve enjoyed the bounty, how do we take i...

Jason Britton, Founder & CIO at Reflection Asset Management shares his insights on on the latest sea of red in the markets coming on the back of Tesla and Alphabet's earnings release, sentiments and expectations surrounding AI, and if this is the time to be contrarian. He also shares his current industry picks. Presented by: Ryan Huang Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.s...