Live Well with Michelle

Asia-Pacific markets are flashing mixed signals - from softer bank profits to roaring equity rallies, so where is the opportunity for investors? DBS’ Q4 earnings remind investors that even best-in-class banks aren’t immune to margin pressure as interest rate tailwinds fade, even as wealth and fee income show resilience. Japan’s markets surge as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secur...

Gold and silver just gave investors a brutal reminder: safe havens can still whipsaw. After blistering rallies into early 2026, both metals have plunged as a stronger U.S. dollar, ETF unwinds and crowded positioning collide. Silver’s extreme swings  highlight how fragile liquidity can be when sentiment turns. Gold has fared better, but even it is facing its sharpest pullback in years as...

What if the real risk in buying a home isn’t interest rates - but your job? In early 2026, AI disruption, shifting HDB policies and volatile careers are forcing buyers to rethink what “affordable” really means. Shorter BTO waiting times promise relief for young couples, but could trigger unexpected ripple effects across resale. At the same time, the long-standing price gap betwee...

Amazon which posted solid headline profits, but saw a market recoil as expectations collide with a US$200bn AI spending plan. So why did Wall Street blink? AWS shines with robust margins and growth, underscoring where Amazon’s real engine lies — the cloud and AI arms race. Meanwhile, Bitcoin sinks deeper into correction territory and silver struggles to stabilise after sharp volatility...

Many Singaporeans treat SRS as a “set it and forget it” tax tool, leaving cash idle at 0.05% while inflation does the damage. Hosted by Michelle Martin , this episode explores why investors are waking up - with ETF holdings in SRS accounts surging 380% to over S$800 million. We break down how SGX-listed ETFs can transform SRS from dormant savings into a long-term growth engine. From lo...

Alphabet’s blockbuster quarter puts AI back in the spotlight as the tech giant delivers surging profits and resilient ad growth, even as markets turn jittery. Hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang , this episode unpacks what’s powering Alphabet’s earnings and why its results still sparked a sell-off. We explore how AI spending is lifting hardware winners like Nvidia and Broad...

China’s investment narrative is shifting from old economy giants to new-generation growth engines. Michelle Martin speaks with Dr Wealth cofounder Alvin Chow, to explore whether the new CSI A500 index could replace the CSI 300 as investors’ core China exposure. We unpack why CSOP’s new SGX-listed ETF makes it easier for Singaporeans to “buy China” in one trade. Then,...

Big Pharma’s report cards just rewrote the market mood. Market View dives into why Pfizer slipped into a quarterly loss, why Novo Nordisk plunged double digits, and how Merck managed to buck the trend. We also unpack Singtel’s rally on acquisition chatter and what it signals for Singapore’s telco strategy. Across the Pacific, tech stocks drag Wall Street lower as Nvidia and Micro...

Danielle Lim, author of The Sound of S-C-H , joins READ with Michelle Martin to discuss the newly reissued edition of her Singapore literature prize-winning book that chronicled her uncle’s life with schizophrenia and her mother’s years of caregiving. She reflects on who Uncle Seng was beyond his illness, the memories that stayed with her across decades, and how stigma in 1960s and 70s...

Money and Me unpacks why global investors may be hedging U.S. exposure rather than fleeing it outright, even as the dollar weakens and trade tensions simmer. Our guest, John Sidawi, Senior Portfolio Manager for Global Fixed Income at Federated Hermes explains how currency hedging has become a core strategy after years of unhedged U.S. outperformance. We explore what a softer dollar could mean for...

Disney beats earnings but warns of falling tourist demand, sending its shares sharply lower. Costs are eating into some of the Disney magic. Meanwhile, Elon Musk is building a super stock story. Elon Musk has stunned investors by merging his AI and space ventures ahead of a blockbuster IPO. Wall Street swings higher as gold and silver slump after their recent wild ride. We look closely at trade de...

Markets are flashing warning lights - and investors are wondering if the rules have changed. Gold and silver tumble after a near-vertical rally as politics collides with monetary policy. We unpack why Microsoft fell despite beating earnings and whether its OpenAI bet is turning from moat into risk. Japan’s bond yields surge to multi-decade highs, reviving fears of a yen carry trade unwind. S...

Big Pharma goes global, precious metals go vertical - then crash, and Wall Street braces for a new Fed era. Market View tracks AstraZeneca’s New York debut and what it signals about the race between the US and China for drug innovation. Gold and silver suffer their worst rout in decades after news of Kevin Warsh as Donald Trump’s pick for Fed chair. US stocks wobble as investors reasse...

It used to be the good old reliable way to grow wealth, but is it time to look away from this old favourite?  As concentration risk hits record highs, one dividend investor says the S&P 500 is no longer the “safe default.” Willie Keng of Dividend Titan explains why valuations look disconnected from reality - and what he uses instead to judge fair value. We explore three unexpe...

Apple and Marina Bay Sands just delivered blowout results - but not all markets are celebrating. Apple posts its best iPhone quarter in years as China demand rebounds and services face pressure. Marina Bay Sands clocks the strongest quarter in casino history, even as its parent struggles with Macau exposure. Copper surges to record highs and oil jumps above US$70 as geopolitics and China optimism...

Big Tech earnings are splitting the market right down the middle - Meta soars, Microsoft stumbles, and investors are asking whether AI spending is starting to bite. Big Tech earnings dominate today’s Market View as Meta and Microsoft head in sharply different directions. Meta delivers blockbuster results, with fourth-quarter revenue jumping 24% and investors cheering its confidence to ramp u...

You think you’re diversified… but what if you’re just betting on the same seven tech stocks again and again? The so-called Magnificent Seven now dominate both US and global indices, quietly shaping returns for anyone holding “broad” ETFs. We examine whether global diversification is becoming important again as big institutional players like Vanguard cut back on UK ex...

Bad news is piling up, yet markets keep climbing - so which signal should investors trust? Gold surges past US$5,000 an ounce as investors hedge against trade wars, political risk and warnings of a looming “capital war” from Ray Dalio. Elon Musk claims robots will outnumber humans and could make up most of Tesla’s long-term value, even as the car business faces slowing deliveries...

From aircraft crises to AI cables and a surprise trade pact, markets are being pulled in very different directions at once. Boeing’s earnings revive hopes of a turnaround as deliveries improve after years of safety and production failures, though investors remain cautious. We size up corporate winners and losers in an UP or DOWN round, with General Motors and UPS showing resilience while Uni...

Michelle Martin asks if falling interest rates are changing the maths for Singapore’s savers who love hoarding cash. With billions still parked in T-Bills and money-market funds, investors now face a new risk: opportunity cost. Michelle speaks with Afdhal Rahman of OCBC about what could trigger a shift from cash into equities, bonds and gold. They unpack why Asia ex-Japan may look more attra...

A brutal US winter storm knocks out power, freezes gas production and sends energy prices - and energy stocks - sharply higher. Gold smashes through US$5,000 an ounce as the US dollar weakens, pushing investors toward precious metals and currency hedges. Unexpected winners emerge on the SGX, with pawnshop operator MoneyMax riding the gold rally. In corporate news, Nvidia edges closer to overtaking...

Today Michelle picks up a thought-provoking book by a serial British entrepreneur Gary Ashworth. The book unpacks a simple framework; what if becoming rich wasn’t about genius or luck - but about repeating one maths movement, ten times?  Michelle Martin speaks with self-made multi-millionaire and author Gary Ashworth about his “Double Up” wealth framework. The conversation e...

United Overseas Bank has surged back into favour as investors reassess Singapore’s banking sector after months of caution. Michelle Martin and Ryan Huang unpack why UOB’s provisioning fears have eased and what rising target prices signal for bank valuations. They examine JPMorgan’s “sell list” and what it reveals about pockets of risk in an otherwise resilient market....

Markets are rattled by geopolitics - but panic is rarely a strategy. From US military action in Venezuela to tensions over Greenland, investors are questioning whether uncertainty now warrants a shift in portfolios. We examine how US equities have actually behaved through geopolitical shocks - and what history suggests about staying invested. The Magnificent 7  start the year unevenly, raisin...

Intel beats earnings - but supply bottlenecks spook markets. We unpack why Intel  sold off despite stronger revenue, and what supply constraints signal for the chip cycle. From semiconductors to staples, Procter & Gamble bets on premium pricing with luxury diapers - is pricing power holding up? US inflation stays sticky at 2.8%, reshaping expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts and equ...