The Afternoon Update with Lynlee Foo

It’s red across the screen in markets as Asia kicks off a new trading session this week. And that’s as traders are concerned Israel’s expected ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza could spark a regional war, embroiling other Middle East Nations, including Iran. Now if that happens, it has the potential of fueling another round of inflation pressures. And it could even tip the global economy in a recession. What would that mean for stock markets? What risks should investors be wary of? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Wong Kok Hoong, Head of Equity Sales Trading, Maybank Securities, to find out how markets are faring to kick start the week on the back of the conflict. 

Equity markets drifted lower in September due to higher oil prices, rising Treasury Yields, and a consistently hawkish FED, adding to the seasonal negative technical factors for equities. So how are investors recovering from their losses as the last quarter rolls in? What’s the outlook like for the last quarter? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Laurent Lequeu, Head of Portfolio Management & Research at Lumen Capital Investors, to find out more. 

Singapore shares began the week in the red, as investors took in news of the Israel-Hamas conflict. While global market reaction remains muted so far following the attack, have markets not fully priced in the risks? Should we expect more volatility on the STI going forward? Who are the biggest gainers and losers following the attack?  On The Afternoon Update, Hongbin Jeong is joined by Candace Li, Research Analyst at the SGX, for a market wrap of the week to discuss the impacts of the Israel-Hamas conflict further.  She also weighs in on how the STI fared in the past week; the biggest movers; as well as several economic news out of Singapore today including GDP numbers and MAS’ latest monetary policy decision.

The gains of the US dollar so far have blindsided traders who started the year predicting that the currency would decline as US exceptionalism faded. But now, a gauge of the dollar is seeing its longest run of losses in more than three years. So has the greenback's rally finally come to an end? What about the Japanese yen? It's seeing a continuous decline, so should investors stay away from this currency?  And ahead of the MAS next policy decision, what should we be expecting from the Singapore dollar?  On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Philip Wee, Senior FX Strategist at DBS, to find out more.

Global equities and 10 year US government bonds have both seen a decline in recent weeks. Some experts suggest that equity markets may still face significant headwinds in the near term. Bonds on the other hand may continue to offer good value. Now this begs the question whether this is a good buying opportunity for investors. On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Steve Brice, Chief Investment Officer at Standard Chartered Bank to find out whether this calls for a buying opportunity.  Highlights: 1:00 - What are the current drivers of the market? 4:46 - Will there be an opportunity for US markets to outperform anytime soon?  5:36 - Should investors be going into equities now? Is this as a buying opportunity?  8:00 - Should investors opt to go into bond markets than equity markets 10:21 - What other buying opportunities are there in the current market? 

The bond market is going through a meltdown. In fact, the current rout ranks among the worst asset sell-offs in history. Wall Street veterans warn more pain and volatility are yet to come.  So what’s causing this downturn? Should we be concerned?  On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Carol Lye, Portfolio Manager & Senior Research Analyst, Brandywine Global Investment Management, to find out more. 

After two relatively quiet years, the IPO market is seeing a burst of activity. Sandal company Birkenstock is the latest shoe to drop, but in a tough IPO market. Several companies including Arm, Instacart, and even Klaviyo, which looked like it was going to be the shining star out of this year’s debutants, have seen their share prices slump after their listing.  What’s happening in the IPO market? Why are we seeing a slump? Can the IPO still rebound despite these recent declines?  On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Abhishek Vishnoi, Senior Asia Equities Reporter at Bloomberg, to find out more. 

Amid growing macro risks and elevated interest rates, Singapore lenders face the probability of default across mortgages, unsecured retail and SMEs. But amongst our local banks - which bank’s default risk loan profile proves to be a bright spot? And who’s lagging behind? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Rena Kwok, Credit Analyst, Asian Financials, Bloomberg Intelligence, to find out more. 

On The Afternoon Update, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Geoff Howie, Market Strategist at the SGX, for a market wrap of the week. They take a closer look at how the STI performed in the past week; the biggest movers; Singapore's retail sales data and what that means for the economy; what to expect on Singapore's Q3 GDP next week; as well as whether the MAS will stand pat at its next monetary policy meeting. 

The abnormal sense of calm in volatility may have led some investors to see the market lull as an all-clear sign to buy stocks. But that could spell trouble for investors. There are some risks that have been masked by the low volatility. So what should investors be wary of? And how can investors mitigate these market concerns if there’s a sudden spike in volatility in markets? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Olivier d’Assier, Head of Applied Research, APAC, Axioma, to find out more.