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Earnings results are still underway. This week, we saw Singapore Airlines post their results. And while it achieved a record operating and net profit for the first nine months, the carrier saw a mixed financial result for Q3. Investors were not pleased. Shares of SIA tumbled as much as 9.4 per cent during early trading after the announcement, despite hitting a six-month high the day prior. On Mone...

Earnings season is well underway here in Singapore. UOB delivered robust profits in 2023 and increased its final dividend payout for the year, but investors weren’t pleased. Shares of UOB tumbled after the announcement. Singapore Airlines and Genting Singapore also missed earnings estimates. But iFast Corp was a brightspot with its Q4 net profit surging more than 900%. On The Afternoon Update, Hon...

On The Afternoon Update, Hongbin Jeong is joined by Sean Cheong on the Financial Hit to discuss the recent deal Elon Musk’s X has recently announced with World Wrestling Entertainment that could change how fans watch sports. Like other recent sports media deals, X and WWE’s tie-up will be streamed. What will this mean for X? What about for Live television? On a separate note, a ticket to a sports...

The crypto space ended 2023 on a high, and the stellar rally has continued into this year, with Bitcoin more than tripling to $52,000 since November 2022. Investors have returned to the market in recent weeks, pushing the asset market capitalization above $1 trillion for the first time since 2021. So it’s all high and boom for Bitcoin and the crypto market in the year ahead? On Money in the Market...

On What’s Trending, an auction is being held for Elton John’s personal items at Christie’s New York. Another artist up our radar, Beyoncé, who has become the first Black woman to top Billboard's country music chart. And lastly, Starbucks China released their Lunar New Year menu, giving people ‘pig’ reactions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian ringgit has continued its slide, with most recently hitting its lowest level since 1998. The recent weakness in the ringgit was partly due to the soft economic expansion reported last week, whereby annual gross domestic product growth for 2023 missed the official forecast, also driven by China’s sluggish economy hurting exports in the country. But some say it is doubtful that it will...

The escalation of attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea is making itself felt not only in transport and logistics, but also in consumer goods supply chains - including sporting goods and luxury brands. In fact, this earnings season, more companies have highlighted the Red Sea flashpoint as a watch factor into the months ahead. So which sectors should investors watch out for? And how con...

On What’s Trending, Ed Sheeran receives a personalised watch strap from Delugs, a local watch accessory company. And still in line with something British, the British Museum is urged to return a huge moai statue to Easter Island by Chilean activists. And lastly, a local young chess player was able to beat a grandmaster in classical chess. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investors in Indonesia had much to cheer as stocks saw their biggest increase in two months a day after Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto declared victory in the nation’s presidential election. The Jakarta Composite Index finished 1.3 per cent higher - that’s the most since December 14, and was nearing a record high. So to find out what this election means for domestic and international investors...

Singapore's Budget 2024 was announced in Parliament last Friday by DPM and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong. And from workers to seniors, individuals to households, there was something for everyone to help ease the pressures of the high cost of living. Here are the key highlights from Budget 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air travel is back to a thing of a norm. The airline industry, which tends to be cyclical, is subject to overall economic activity. And with some expecting airline capacity to finally exceed the pre-pandemic levels this year, what’s the outlook on the airline market? Plus, with many of the Southeast Asian countries’ tourism performance hinging on the return of Chinese travellers, how much impact w...

On The Afternoon Update, Hongbin Jeong is joined by  Geoff Howie, Market Strategist at the SGX , for a market wrap of the week. They discuss how the STI fared in the past week, the biggest movers on the STI, and several economic news released this week including the latest GDP numbers and NODX data. They also look ahead to Singapore’s Budget 2024 ahead of DPM Lawrence Wong’s speech later in the da...

A key theme this year is the prospect of US Fed rate cuts in the year ahead. But with the latest data showing that inflation is still stickier than expected, a May rate cut seems to be off the table. The latest inflation numbers also erased the last remnants of a global bond rally that started in December with the hope that the Federal Reserve had finally pivoted to favour interest-rate cuts. So w...

On What's Trending today, MRT stations got a whole new tune to chime through your journey. The chimes on the trains and at MRT stations that were recently piloted in selected stations will be progressively implemented on all trains and at more than 70 stations on the North-South, East-West and Circle lines. Also on What's Trending, Katy Perry may be bidding farewell to American Idol after the late...

There may be some strong Valentine’s Day rally in stock markets, as investors may be buying more in anticipation of a positive market sentiment. So how have love-related stocks been faring ahead of Valentine's Day? Was there a boost leading up to the romantic day of the year? And how much would you spend on a first date? On The Afternoon Update's Financial Hit, Hongbin Jeong is joined by Sean Cheo...

Traders are now pushing back on bets that the first US Fed interest rate cut will be from July, instead of May. That’s after data overnight in the US showed inflation was stickier than expected last month. The rally that had been predicated on the belief that the central bank’s imminent pivot to interest-rate cuts slammed into reality, as those bets are being frantically rolled back. So should inv...

For professional fund selectors, uncertainty in financial markets is the main theme for this year when allocating assets. Recession is still a top concern - as global tensions continue to escalate, there’s still a long way to go for economic growth, and interest rates are still here for higher for longer. So can we expect more stock market volatility? How are fund selectors mitigating the risks? W...

On What's Trending, over the weekend, The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl, downing the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in Las Vegas. And Taylor Swift was of course there, supporting her boyfriend Travis Kelce. After the Chief's victory, Kelce mumbled three words to her - "Come here girl". And as Kelce and Swift's love story continues to dominate headlines, Kanye West hits back once aga...

Chinese officials are doing whatever they can to stabilise the stock market… a slew of markets have been announced with the latest - the replacement of the head of the securities regulator. Investors are closely watching Beijing as they await more forceful policy to secure the turnaround. Meanwhile, while China is busy with its stock market rout, global equities are approaching records and even ne...

While shares of Nvidia, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet have continued their climb from last year, two stocks in the Magnificent 7 haven’t pulled their weight - Apple and Tesla. Should they be removed? Should the Magnificent 7 be re-named as the Magnificent 5? On The Afternoon Update's Financial Hit, Hongbin Jeong is joined by Sean Cheong as they discuss some other names that could replace th...

On What's Trending, a dragon emerged at red-themed HDB blocks in Tampines North that made headlines in 2023 for their “creepy” aesthetic. A couple had decorated one of the blocks with a dragon design, but unfortunately got removed before the new year.  Also on What's Trending, what if airlines started weighing your body weight before you on-board your flight?  See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

The US dollar has recently pulled back from a nearly three-month high against major currencies hit at the beginning of the week. The greenback was rallying as much as 1.4 per cent against the euro after unexpectedly strong US jobs data, as well as diminished bets for an early interest rate cut. But while hopes of a March rate cut have been ruled out, is the market still showing some reluctance to...

On What's Trending today, Taylor Swift has kicked of the Asian leg of her Eras Tour starting with Tokyo. Thousands of fans gathered and lined up at Tokyo Dome hours before the show began. Some experts say she can even singlehandedly boost Japan's GDP.  Also on What's Trending, Beyoncé has revealed a new haircare line - called Cécred. Will this new product be the key to her long luxurious hair?  Se...

Colour analysis to produce a palette that best compliaments your skin and hair tone may have become the latest trend, but have you given any thought to how the dyes for your clothes are produced? Colorifix is on a mission to tackle toxic dye pollution caused by the industry and reduce water consumption.  Rachel Kelly speaks to Orr Yarkoni, Founder and CEO of Colorifix to find out more.  See omnyst...

In January, stock markets usually see a seasonal boost due to the so-called “January Effect”. And indeed, January this year was great for stock markets, will Wall Street indexes reaching all-time highs. But for February, it’s not as bright as the previous month. In fact, February is known to be historically one of the rockiest times of the year for markets. So will history repeat itself? On Money...