The Business Times Podcasts

Headline news for March 26, 2026: Iran reviews America's peace plan but refuses talks. President Trump reschedules his China summit. Oil climbs on conflicting war signals. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT Podcasts,...

Market news for March 25, 2026: Stocks rise and oil retreats on possible ceasefire, driven by reports of a US 15-point peace plan for Iran. Crude prices slide 5 per cent while Asian markets recoup some losses, yet investor caution remains 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...

Headline news for March 25, 2026: The US sends Iran a fifteen-point peace plan. Tehran opens Hormuz to non-hostile vessels. Oil drops six per cent. Tiger Beer leaving Singapore. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT Podc...

Market news for March 24, 2026: Stocks were volatile and oil rose as the Middle East conflict raged, while Japan's low inflation complicated BOJ rate hike efforts, and a firm US dollar pressured gold. 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...

Headline news for March 24, 2026: Markets rebound after Trump delays threatened strikes on Iran, easing energy fears, as Tehran denies talks and Italian voters reject a key reform in a setback for Prime Minister Meloni. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa...

Examine the state of play with Chinese consumers, retailers, mall owners and tourists. Host Leslie Yee chats with seasoned China hand Cecilia Tan, former CEO of the manager of Sassuer Reit. Are things looking up for China’s troubled housing market? What are the prospects for physical retail spaces in China? Are there opportunities for Singapore players in the Chinese real estate market? Also...

Market news for March 23, 2026: Inflation fears mounted as global stocks and bonds plunged, while US bond yields hit eight-month peaks. Escalating Middle East war threats drove oil volatility and lifted the dollar amid a scramble for safe-haven assets. 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...

Headline news for March 23, 2026: The US and Iran threaten each other's civilian infrastructure. Asian markets slide. Gold posts its worst week since 1983. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Tim...

Is your portfolio trapped by comfort? Familiarity masks hidden risks, turning winners into dangerous concentrations. Discover the subtle signs of shared risk drivers—beyond sector labels—and learn measured, panic-free strategies to trim concentrated positions. Stop chasing the herd. Howie Lim gets true diversification tools from the experts. Synopsis: Every Monday, The Business Times b...

Oil shock, rate repricing, and a hawkish dilemma. The Middle East conflict has thrown global markets into turmoil, sparking rate hike speculation even as G4 central banks hold steady. Will the 'transitory' argument survive soaring crude prices? What’s up with the firm dollar, bullish gold, and stagflation fears being premature.? Howie Lim speaks to Ray Heung from Standard Chartered Bank to f...

Headline news for March 20, 2026: Trump orders Israel to halt strikes on Iranian energy sites as tit-for-tat attacks on Gulf infrastructure send oil toward $119. G7 central banks warn they are ready to act on inflation. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa...

Market news for March 19, 2026: Stocks slid and oil prices rose sharply today after a major escalation in the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran rattled investors, fuelling stagflation fears as central banks worldwide grapple with surging energy costs. 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 an...

Headline news for March 19, 2026: Israel strikes Iran's South Pars gas field, triggering retaliatory attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure. Oil surges past $107. The Fed holds rates steady amid rising inflation fears from the widening war. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and...

Market news for March 18, 2026: Asian shares rallied as oil prices eased on an Iraq-Turkey deal, shifting focus to the Fed's balance of growth and inflation risks amid escalating Middle East conflict and Iran's defiant strikes. 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...

Headline news for March 18, 2026: Iran confirms the killing of security chief Ali Larijani as its new supreme leader rejects peace overtures. Trump clashes with NATO over the Strait of Hormuz. Oil pulls back on rising US stockpiles. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited...

Market news for March 17, 2026: Stocks climbed on rate hopes despite Middle East conflict, led by Asia-Pacific gains. Australia hiked rates amid sticky inflation, setting a cautious tone for major central banks weighing the Iran war's impact. 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 r...

Headline news for March 17, 2026: War in the Gulf reshapes global energy as allies rebuff Trump's call for warships. AI drives Wall Street higher amid Meta layoffs. Singapore exports slow as regional disruption deepens. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa...

Market news for March 16, 2026: Asian markets were wary as Gulf tensions kept oil high, complicating inflation outlooks and leading central banks to pause or, in one case, hike rates. 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...

Headline news for March 16, 2026: The US-Israeli war on Iran, now in its third week, has largely choked the Strait of Hormuz, rattling global energy markets and prompting Trump to rally allies to help reopen the vital waterway. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: C...

Technology alpha: myth or opportunity? Can tech fortunes be found in adoption and R&D? Apparently, author Igor Pejic thinks so. Howie Lim gets him to decode Big Tech risk, spot the real game-changers from the hype, and navigate the volatile waves of AI, geopolitics, and regulation. Synopsis: Every Monday, The Business Times breaks down useful financial tips. Highlights: 01:22 Technology alpha...

Oil shock stalls stocks—but is this market panic justified? As crude prices soar towards $100, the narrative of a massive sell-off should be challenged. Howie Lim speaks to Steve Sosnick from Interactive Brokers to discover why the historical context of Middle East conflicts suggests a quick rebound, what a closure of the Strait of Hormuz really models for crude and equities, and the hidden...

Headline news for March 13, 2026: Nearly two weeks into the Middle East conflict, Iran vows to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, oil climbs above $100, markets wobble and Singapore thanks regional partners for helping evacuate citizens. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edi...

What should investors watch for in Thailand’s critical shift, as it moves beyond political stability to deep structural reform? From streamlining regulations and addressing household debt to diversifying agriculture and accelerating new high-value industries like EVs and biotech, Simon Tay speaks to the vice minister of Thailand's Ministry of Commerce, Dr Kirida Bhaopichitr in his Political...

Market news for March 12, 2026: Global shares fell as escalating Middle East conflict drove oil past $100, fuelling inflation fears and triggering a worldwide spike in borrowing costs despite a record IEA reserve release plan. 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 b...

Headline news for March 12, 2026: The US opens a trade probe into major partners as tensions with Iran tighten energy markets, lifting oil prices, unsettling equities and adding fresh uncertainty for global trade and inflation. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: C...