The Business Times Podcasts

Headline news for May 13, 2026: President Trump declares Americans' financial pain is not even a little bit of a factor in his Iran negotiations — as U.S. inflation hits a three-year high and he flies to Beijing for a two-day summit with Xi Jinping. Asian stocks slip as hot inflation data and the Iran deadlock sour sentiment.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day b...

Market news for May 12, 2026: Dollar and oil rise on continuing Middle East conflict as peace talks continue to not deliver; Asian currencies suffer and markets eye President Trump’s last ditch effort in China. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market movements and news from Singapore and the region. Written by: Howie L...

Headline news for May 12, 2026: President Trump calls the Iran ceasefire on life support and dismisses Tehran's peace proposal as a piece of garbage as the two sides remain deadlocked. Japan's bond yields hit their highest level since nineteen-ninety-seven as the Bank of Japan faces growing pressure to raise rates.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Ti...

The US$6 Trillion Wealth Transfer is here. Are you ready? High-net-worth families are adding Indexed Universal Life (IUL) insurance to their toolkit. Discover how this tool fits into multi-generational wealth planning, what separates a good policy from a bad one, and the risks of policies lapsing. Synopsis: Learn to protect and grow your wealth in this monthly Business Times podcast series for aff...

Market news for May 11, 2026: Safe-haven dollar climbed as deadlocked US-Iran talks kept the Strait of Hormuz closed, choking oil supply and lifting prices, while AI stocks provided a modest lift to Asia's markets. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market movements and news from Singapore and the region. Written by: Howie Lim...

Headline news for May 11, 2026: President Trump calls Iran's latest peace proposal totally unacceptable as the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait all report Iranian drone strikes over the weekend. Two Singaporean hikers are confirmed dead in the Mount Dukono eruption. And Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra walks free this morning on parole after eight months in prison.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines...

Is "buying the dip" dead? The market is volatile, interest rates are up, and the old rules are breaking. Don't be fooled by a flash sale that's actually a fundamental flaw. What are systematic, disciplined strategies for spotting a true bargain—or a bottomless pit? Howie Lim finds out from the experts. Synopsis: Every Monday, The Business Times breaks down useful financial tips. Highlights:...

Is the AI rally a bubble or backed by real earnings? As oil prices spike and the Yen tumbles, we tackle inflation's sticky grip and the future of interest rates. Plus, are South Korea and Taiwan becoming the new undisputed tech leaders? Endowus CIO Hugh Chung joins Howie Lim for a compelling look at the markets' biggest questions this week. Highlights: 01:02 AI hype: rally or bubble? 02:36 Geopoli...

Market news for May 7, 2026: Global stocks pause near highs as investors await US payrolls, while oil stabilises after US-Iran peace hopes drove crude lower this past week. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market movements and news from Singapore and the region. Written by: Howie Lim (howielim@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited...

Episode Title: Iran and the U.S. Close In on a War-Ending Deal, Wall Street Hits Records and Oil Falls    Headline news for May 7, 2026: Iran reviews a U.S. peace proposal as reports emerge that Washington and Tehran are closing in on a one-page deal to end the war including a moratorium on nuclear enrichment. Wall Street hits record highs, AMD surges seventeen per cent on AI chip demand...

Market news for May 6, 2026: Oil peace talks boost Asia tech stocks, lifting Samsung to a $1T valuation. Crude and the dollar fall on hopes for a major US-Iran agreement. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market movements and news from Singapore and the region. Written by: Howie Lim (howielim@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited b...

Headline news for May 6, 2026: President Trump pauses Project Freedom citing great progress toward a final Iran deal but the naval blockade holds as another ship was struck in the Strait overnight. Secretary of State Rubio confirms Operation Epic Fury is formally over. Oil falls for a second day and gold extends its recovery on deal optimism.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start...

Market news for May 5, 2026: Mideast peace hopes fade after Hormuz explosion, pulling Wall Street back from peak records. The resulting oil price surge on Gulf tensions boosts the safe-haven dollar. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market movements and news from Singapore and the region. Written by: Howie Lim (howielim@sph.c...

Headline news for May 5, 2026: Project Freedom triggers a sharp escalation as the U.S. sinks six Iranian boats and Iran fires missiles at a UAE port with the ceasefire hanging by a thread. In Singapore, Parliament opens today with a landmark motion on AI and job disruption as labour chief Ng Chee Meng calls for a guarantee of no jobless growth.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to sta...

CICT’s acquisition of Paragon demonstrates the strength of the Reit sector, while Addvalue Tech’s value unlocking plan highlights the local market’s weakness in the growth space. Senior correspondent Ben Paul looks at how the Singapore market could be strengthened as a hub for both yield and growth. Highlights of the podcast: 03:30 Big Singapore Reits drive sector liquidity 05:43...

Market news for May 4, 2026: AI-led Asia shares rallied despite Mideast conflict keeping oil flat and inflation risks high; Japanese yen jumped on intervention alert. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market movements and news from Singapore and the region. Written by: Howie Lim (howielim@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited by: C...

Headline news for May 4, 2026: President Trump launches Project Freedom to escort stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, even as a tanker is struck by unknown projectiles this morning. In Singapore, Prime Minister Wong meets New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon today to sign a landmark Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your...

Your CPF Special Account (SA) has been your financial security blanket for decades — a rock-solid 4 per cent return, no questions asked. But Singapore's about to shake things up. By 2028, a new life-cycle portfolio scheme changes the game. Is it a long-overdue upgrade or a risk not worth taking? Howie Lim finds out from Christopher Tan, CEO of Providend and Genevieve Cua, wealth editor of Th...

Market news for April 30, 2026: AI and oil prices dominated markets: strong tech earnings lifted Asian shares, but surging crude and hawkish central banks amplified inflation fears amid rising Mideast tensions. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market movements and news from Singapore and the region. Written by: Howie Lim (ho...

Headline news for April 30, 2026: Oil closes at its highest level since 2022 as President Trump says the Iran blockade could last months with no nuclear deal in sight. Jerome Powell ends eight years as Fed chair with four dissents and a defiant pledge to stay on, handing a divided central bank to successor Kevin Warsh.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Busines...

Minister for Manpower, Tan See Leng and Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, Jasmin Lau join Claressa Monteiro on Lens on Singapore to tackle the question many Singaporeans are quietly asking: as the economy transforms, will there still be a place for me? Growth is getting harder, jobs are no longer guaranteed and AI is reshaping work faster than most people feel re...

Market news for April 29, 2026: UAE's OPEC exit and Iran/AI worries clouded markets ahead of the Fed and tech earnings, while Brent crude rose on stalled peace talks. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market movements and news from Singapore and the region. Written by: Howie Lim (howielim@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited by: C...

Headline news for April 29, 2026: The UAE quits OPEC after nearly sixty years, effective Friday, as the Iran war fractures the Gulf's energy order and oil surges back above a hundred dollars a barrel. Iran is preparing a revised peace proposal, but President Trump has already signalled the current terms are unacceptable.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Busin...

Market news for April 28, 2026: Stocks held ground despite the Iran stalemate and big tech earnings test, while hawkish BOJ action on inflation fears from the conflict pushed oil prices to a three-week high. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market movements and news from Singapore and the region. Written by: Howie Lim (howie...

Headline news for April 28, 2026: Electric vehicles cross the fifty per cent threshold in Singapore for the first time, as Trump rejects Iran's latest peace proposal and the Hormuz stalemate drags on. King Charles arrives in Washington for a landmark state visit, and at least five people are killed in a Jakarta train collision.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by Th...