Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Singapore shares dipped today as investors focused on a high profile meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea. The Straits Times Index was down 0.21% at 4,430.67 points at 11.46am Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$717.13M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Mapletree Industrial Trust, after the Reit reported a distribution per unit (DPU) of S$0.0318 for the second fiscal quarter ended Sep 30, 2025.  Elsewhere, from the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point as expected, to US big tech earnings from Meta, Microsoft and Alphabet, more international and corporate headlines remained in focus.  Also on deck – the Bank of Japan’s rate decision, the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Nvidia’s US$5 trillion market valuation.  Plus, how OpenAI is reportedly laying the groundwork for an initial public offering that could value the firm at up to US$1 trillion.  On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with David Chow, Director, Azure Capital. 

All eyes are on Seoul. As US President Donald Trump arrives for the final stop of his Asia tour, anticipation is building ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a summit that could reshape the dynamics of trade and power in the region. What are the possible outcomes of this meeting? What can and cannot be solved?  On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Dr Chong Ja Ian, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the National University of Singapore, to find out more.

Asia-Pacific’s real estate private credit market is on the rise. With US$11.2 billion raised between 2020 and 2024 and projections of up to US$110 billion growth by 2028, developers and investors are increasingly turning to non-bank lenders for speed, flexibility, and higher returns. From Australia to India, private credit is reshaping the region’s real estate financing landscape, and investors are taking notice. On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Simon Mathews, Director, Capital Advisory, Global Capital Markets, Knight Frank, to find out more.

CClarity is an AI-powered writing assistant built for one purpose to help professionals sound like themselves on LinkedIn. Founded by Keith Teo, a former Grab product lead turned startup founder and agency owner, CClarity was born out of a simple but painful truth: building a great product or service isn’t enough if no one knows about it. After years of chasing leads, managing unpredictable revenue, and spending countless hours crafting posts that went nowhere, Keith realised that most professionals struggle not with what to say, but how to say it with clarity, confidence, and authenticity. The platform helps founders, sales leaders, and creators turn raw ideas into scroll-stopping thought leadership posts that feel human, not robotic. On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Keith Teo, Founder, CClarity, to find out more.

Singapore shares dipped today even as most Asian markets traded in the green. The Straits Times Index was down 0.34% at 4,435.25 points at 12.10pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$521.12M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Keppel REIT, after the manager of the Reit posted a 0.6 per cent lower distributable income of S$159.6 million for the first nine months of its financial year. Elsewhere, from Toyota Motor’s comments that it did not explicitly promise a new US$10 billion investment in the United States, to one last look at the expectations ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s next monetary policy move, more corporate and international headlines remained in focus.  Plus – how Amazon is setting aside another US$5 billion for investment in South Korean data centres. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Thilan Wickramasinghe, Head of Equity Research, Maybank Securities.

Singapore’s goalkeeper crisis takes centre stage - with Zharfan struggling, Syazwan slipping, and Izwan sidelined, who can Gavin Lee trust between the sticks? Sports Minutes breaks down the Lions’ last line of defence, the Spence-to-Singapore rumours and all the key takeaways from Matchweek 5 of the SPL and the Singapore Cup format that has caused much furore. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

Tokenisation – or the process of turning real-world assets into digital tokens – has moved from concept to reality in recent years.  According to DBS Research, the tokenisation of real-world assets is at an inflection point towards exponential growth, with the market capitalisation of real-world asset tokens growing from virtually nothing five years ago to over US$25 billion as of August 2025.  That figure is expected to rise further, with McKinsey estimating that the total tokenised market capitalisation could hit about US$2 trillion by the end of the decade.  Trends driving the numbers include growing institutional adoption of digital assets, as well as increased regulatory clarity globally.  Back home, the first Singapore dollar-backed stablecoin was also launched in September 2025, with reserves held with DBS Bank and Standard Chartered Bank.  But what are the growth opportunities for the tokenisation of real-world assets and what does it mean for financial institutions like DBS? In this “On the Go” Special episode of “Under the Radar”, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian headed down to DBS’ Headquarters at Marina Bay Financial Centre to find out what’s next for the industry and how the bank is capitalising on the trend from David Hui, Chief Commercial Officer, DBS Digital Exchange.

China and ASEAN have just taken their trade partnership to the next level with the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area 3.0.  Two decades in the making, this upgraded pact now reaches into digital trade, green energy, and supply chain connectivity. Is it a bold step toward regional resilience and openness, or a deepening reliance on China amid rising global tensions? The big questions: Who really benefits, and how will this shape ASEAN’s role on the global stage? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs, to find out more.

Digital currencies are moving beyond the fringes and into the heart of financial markets. Banks and asset managers are starting to explore their potential, yet adoption comes with questions around regulation, infrastructure, and risk. How ready are institutions to embrace this new landscape? What hurdles lie ahead? And what could the mainstreaming of stablecoins mean for the future of finance in Asia? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to William Lau, Head of Markets and Account Management, APAC, FIS, to find out more.

StaffAny is a workforce management platform purpose-built for businesses that rely on hourly and shift-based teams. Designed to bridge the gap between operations and HR, StaffAny helps companies streamline scheduling, time tracking, attendance, and payroll processes, all in one integrated solution. By combining real-time data, smart automation, and a mobile-first experience, StaffAny empowers teams across industries like F&B, retail, and logistics to reduce admin work, lower labor costs, and focus on what truly matters. On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Eugene Ng, Co-Founder & CRO, StaffAny, to find out more.