Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

Singapore shares inched higher earlier today as investors continue to mull developments relating to City Developments Limited.  The counter fell 7 per cent to hit its lowest level since 2009 after resuming trade, per Bloomberg data.  As at about 11am (11.07am), the Straits Times Index was up 0.30% at 3,907.51 points, with a value turnover of S$727.90M in the broader market.  In terms of companies to watch, we have Haw Par and United Overseas Insurance. That’s because minority shareholders of UOB’s insurance arm proposed resolutions to distribute its holding of 4.27 million shares in healthcare player Haw Par Corporation to shareholders of UOI, among other requests.  Meanwhile, from more on CDL to how US President Donald Trump expects to include five digital assets, including Bitcoin, in a new US strategic reserve of cryptocurrencies – more corporate and international headlines remain in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with US President Donald Trump ended in disaster last Friday before the world’s media at the White House over the war with Russia. The visit by Mr Zelensky was designed to help Ukraine convince the US not to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine three years ago. Instead the Ukrainian leader disagreed sharply with Mr Trump and Vice-President JD Vance over the conflict. Mr Trump quickly took to Truth Social to accuse Mr Zelensky of disrespecting the United States. How does the new administration in Washington undermine Kyiv’s attempts to maintain Western support for its war effort? With the public fallout from this meeting, how might US-Ukraine relations be impacted in the future? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Cedomir Nestorovic, Professor of Geopolitics, ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific to find out more. Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Nadiah Koh (nadkoh@sph.com.sg) Want to get featured on our MONEY MATTERS? Drop me an email today!

History beckons for the Lion City Sailors this week, as the Singaporean outfit travel to Japan to take on Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the ACL Two Quarter finals. As the ONLY south-east asian team representative left in the competition, how will they fare? What are the key battles and can the Sailors keep themselves alive heading into the second leg? Deepanraj Ganesan dives in to this and the weekend's Singapore Cup results on Sports Minutes. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

Wubble.ai is an enterprise-grade AI music platform that empowers businesses to create high-quality, royalty-free music in seconds. By leveraging cutting-edge generative AI trained on ethically sourced, royalty-free data, Wubble streamlines the music creation process by eliminating licensing complexities, reducing costs, and unlocking limitless creative possibilities. On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Anand Roy, Founder & CEO, and Shaad Sufi, Co-founder & CPO of Wubble.ai, to find out more.   Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Alexandra Parada (alexparada@sph.com.sg) and Nadiah Koh Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!

Singapore's nightlife scene has always been the heart of entertainment for adults wanting to relax after a long day of work.  Soaring rents, strict regulations, and changing social habits are forcing many bars and clubs to call it quits. The pandemic dealt a major blow, but is it the only culprit? With reports coming out that Gen Zs and millennials are losing interest, are they really the reason why or are they just part of the bigger problem? On The Hot Seat, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Xinde Yap, Founder of Chug Chug and Wadi, Social media influencer to find out whether Singapore's nightlife scene is phasing out or not.    Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and edited by: Naz, Alexandra and Nadiah Feel free to reach out to me via email (nazirulasrar@sph.com.sg), for collaborations and radio interviews!

Singapore stocks were lower at about 2.20pm today as investors digested more earnings from notable names including Olam, ComfortDelGro and Sheng Siong.  The Straits Times Index fell 0.7 per cent to 3,893.81 points then, with a value of S$1.10 billion in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch today, we have Olam, after the agribusiness giant today reported a net profit of S$38.4 million for the second half ended Dec 31, down 83.4 per cent from the previous corresponding period.  Elsewhere, from Beijing opposing US President Donald Trump’s latest threat to slap an extra 10% duty on Chinese imports, to ByteDance’s TikTok investing US$8.8 billion in data centres in Thailand over five years – more international and corporate headlines remain in focus.  Also on deck – more on the ongoing saga surrounding CDL - and what to note from a statement by its Group CEO Sherman Kwek out last night.  But first, here’s a quick snippet of our conversation on CDL. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

When you think of the Women’s Premier League in Singapore, the Lion City Sailors probably come to mind—and for good reason. As the 3-time reigning champions the Sailors often dominate the headlines, and their opposition. But in 2024, two standout individuals from Geylang International stole the spotlight at the WPL Awards. Ratna Suffian was named Coach of the Year, while Farah Nurzahirah picked up Young Player of the Year honours. So, how did they defy expectations? And will they be able to close the gap on reigning champions LCS in 2025? We’ve hear from the both of them on Sports Minutes! READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/albirex-niigatas-manami-fukuzawa-named-womens-premier-league-player-of-the-year Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

Bitcoin dropped to a three-month low of $84,900 on February 27, breaking below $85,000 for the first time since early January. Bitcoin exchange-traded funds saw more than $1 billion pulled in just one day earlier this week. This marked the largest one-day outflow since Bitcoin ETFs debuted last year. What are the driving factors behind this massive withdrawal? What are the broader implications for Bitcoin’s future? Meanwhile, Dogecoin, originally a parody of Bitcoin, became a major player in the cryptocurrency market due to its meme-driven appeal and a valuation reaching billions. Now, Dawgz AI is shaping up to be the next crypto to hit $1, is it just hype? Or does it have serious profit potential? On The Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Jason French, Executive Director, Clients, Sygnum to find out more. 

The Codette Project is a pioneering non-profit organization dedicated to empowering minority and Muslim women and girls by providing them with the skills, resources, and opportunities to succeed in the tech industry. Founded in 2015 by Nurul Jihadah Hussain, The Codette Project was created in response to the significant underrepresentation of women from minority backgrounds in technology fields. On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Nurul Hussain, Founder, The Codette Project, to find out more.   Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Alexandra Parada (alexparada@sph.com.sg) and Naz Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!

On February 24, 2024, Mr. Koh Seng Choon, founder of Dignity Kitchen, was named The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year for his incredible work in empowering individuals with disabilities. Since founding Dignity Kitchen in 2010, Mr. Koh has created meaningful employment opportunities for people who face social and economic challenges, including those with disabilities, former inmates, and single parents. And despite facing significant struggles, such as running the foodcourt at a loss in its early years and a devastating fire in 2024, Mr. Koh’s commitment to inclusivity and social change has touched the lives of hundreds. On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Mr. Koh Seng Choon, Founder of Dignity Kitchen, to share more about his story and what this award means to him.   Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Alexandra Parada (alexparada@sph.com.sg) and Naz Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!