Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

Singapore shares inched higher today amid a bruising day for Asian equities. The Straits Times Index nudged 0.14% higher at 4,905.20 points at 2.31pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$1.22B seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have DBS, given how the group has entered India’s buoyant equity capital market, marking a push into one of the world’s busiest venues for share sales.  Elsewhere, from how Japan stepped up yen intervention threats and signalled that further falls in the currency could justify a near-term interest rate hike, to what to watch ahead of remarks from US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the head of New York Fed John Williams, more international headlines remained in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

After seeing his football career curtailed by injury, Shannon Stephen found himself searching for purpose. On Sports Minutes, he opens up about rediscovering that identity through Hyrox, and how the finish line has become his new final whistle. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

Today we’re going to revisit a guest whose mission is to increase the GDP of not a country, but the internet.  If it rings a bell, yes, we are indeed talking about Stripe, the payments processing company whose aim is to build the economic infrastructure for the internet.  For starters, the San Francisco and Dublin headquartered firm assists customers from the world’s largest enterprises to budding startups in accepting payments, growing their revenue and tapping new business opportunities.  More specifically, its service offerings cut across functions such as pricing, billing, checkouts, payment links, revenue recognition to invoicing and marketplace solutions.  We are speaking to Stripe once again because a lot has happened since our last interview with the company in 2024.    Per the firm’s latest annual letter, Stripe reached a valuation of a whopping US$159 billion as of 2026, climbing up from US$106.7 billion achieved in September 2025. So what are the key drivers of growth bolstering the numbers? Also – how is the firm preparing for a world enabled by artificial intelligence, with technologies such as agentic commerce set to shake up the online shopping landscape? Meanwhile, Stripe is also big on stablecoins, having in February 2025 acquired stablecoin orchestration platform Bridge for US$1.1 billion. But how has the firm tapped on the speed and cost advantages of stablecoins in its business thus far? On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Paul Harapin, Chief Revenue Officer, Asia Pacific & Japan, Stripe.

Airfares are rising across Asia as jet fuel prices surge amid the Middle East conflict, putting pressure on airlines already operating on thin margins. And with costs climbing and supply disruptions hitting the region harder, carriers are being forced to balance fare hikes, cost absorption, and potential flight cuts. On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Brendan Sobie, an independent aviation analyst at Sobie Aviation, to unpack how severe the impact could be and what it means for airlines and travellers if the crisis drags on.  

On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada first dive into the surprising sale of Abiqua Falls, a 92-foot waterfall in Oregon that was listed online with no fixed price, sparking concern that the beloved natural site could be closed off. Then, they unpack actress Brenda Song’s viral airline experience, after she claimed her family’s pre-booked first-class seats were reassigned, leaving her separated from her young children.

As the Singapore dollar strengthens, its impact is beginning to extend beyond traditional markets and into the fast-evolving world of digital finance. How will a stronger SGD influence the rise of regulated stablecoins and what does that mean for investors, institutions and cross-border payments? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Anthony Koo, Head of Payments at StraitsX, to break down how digital Singapore dollars like XSGD are being used today, and how Singapore’s approach could shape stablecoin adoption across the region.

Singapore shares inched higher today despite early losses seen in the region. The Straits Times Index was up 0.3% at 4,902.27 points at 10.36am Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$569.09M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Keppel, after the group and Simba Telecom have mutually agreed to extend the long-stop date for the proposed M1 deal to May 21.  Elsewhere, from how Asian stock markets were swept up in a global rout today, to how OpenAI's ChatGPT ads pilot in the US crossed the US$100 million annualised revenue mark within six weeks of launch, more international and corporate headlines remained in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

Back scoring, back smiling and back on Sports Minutes. Ikhsan Fandi sits down to talk form, confidence, and hitting 50 goals for BG Pathum. With the Lions building momentum and a clash against Bangladesh looming, Ikhsan opens up on competition for the No.9 role, staying grounded through faith, and why this might just be his prime. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

Singapore shares inched higher today even as Asian markets traded mostly lower. The Straits Times Index rose 0.35% at 4,921.88 points at 12.01pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$737.19M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Stoneweg Europe Stapled Trust. That’s as the trust invested 50 million euros (S$74.1 million) in AiOnX, its sponsor SWI Group’s data centre development fund, via a mandatory convertible loan. Elsewhere, from how Singapore’s factory output unexpectedly dipped 0.1 per cent year on year in February, a sharp reversal from January’s downwardly revised 12.9 per cent growth, to how Gap plans to open 50 new stores in mainland China in 2026 after breaking even for the first time last quarter, more economic and corporate headlines remained in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with David Chow, Director, Azure Capital. 

Singapore shares inched higher today to track regional movements The Straits Times Index was up 0.57% at 4,890.15 points at 2.29pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$1.15B seen in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have Singapore Airlines. SIA said yesterday that the flag carrier will fly to Sydney’s new 24-hour airport. The new airport allows SIA to offer red-eye flights from Sydney, enabling it to bypass the 11 pm to 6 am curfew at the existing Sydney airport, with such flights preferred by corporate travellers.  Elsewhere, from how Pop Mart International reported full-year revenue and net income broadly in line with analyst expectations, to how South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix announced today that it made a confidential filing for a US listing in 2026, more corporate and international headlines remained in focus.   On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Thilan Wickramasinghe, Head of Equity Research, Maybank Securities.