Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Singapore shares rose in the first trading session of 2026 today.  The Straits Times Index was up 0.4% at 4,664.97 points at 12.31pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$418.45M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Nio, after the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker said it had new record-high monthly and quarterly deliveries. Meanwhile, from how Singapore’s economy expanded 4.8 per cent year on year in 2025 to how Samsung Electronics said its customers have praised the differentiated competitiveness of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, or HBM4, more economic and corporate headlines remained in focus.  Also on deck, how US markets are expected to kickstart the year in the first trading session of 2026. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

On What’s Trending with Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada, it’s a mix of endings, unexpected wins, and changing trends, from the highly anticipated Stranger Things finale that divided fans with its emotional highs, lingering plot holes, and unanswered questions, to a heart-warming real-life story of a Singapore dad who picked up Monopoly just to teach his daughter, only to become the nation’s Monopoly champion years later. And as pop culture continues to shape real life, even baby names aren’t spared, with 2026 parents ditching traditional picks in favour of fantasy, anime, literary, ancient-civilisation and showgirl-inspired names, proving that whether it’s TV finales, board games or naming the next generation, people are more willing than ever to take bold, unconventional turns.

A brand new year offers brand new possibilities - especially when it comes to sport, and particularly Singapore football. So what did the rollercoaster that was 2025 teach us? And what is on the wish list for 2026? Deepanraj Ganesan is back in the Sports Minutes hotseat alongside Zia-ul Raushan to tell us. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

2025 was a defining year for the silver market, marked by record prices and heightened investor interest. As the market enters 2026, attention is now turning to whether those gains can be sustained. On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Gregor Gregersen, Founder, Silver Bullion Group, to take a step back to look at how silver performed in 2025, what drove the big moves, and what investors were watching through the year.

Singapore shares dipped today in the last trading day of 2025. The Straits Times Index was down 0.2% at 4,646.27 points at 10.29am Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$199.83M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have SUTL Enterprise, after the marina developer and operator said yesterday that it will acquire Marina at Keppel Bay from Keppel Bay for S$40 million, with the acquisition to be completed in the second half of 2026.  Elsewhere, from how China's manufacturing activity unexpectedly grew in December, to how Taiwanese tech titan TSMC has started mass producing its cutting-edge 2-nanometre semiconductor chips, more international and corporate headlines remained in focus.    On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Audrey Ho, Investment Counselor, Citigold Private Client, Citibank Singapore.

To wrap up 2025, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada revisit the viral moments that truly defined the year online on What’s Trending.  Pop culture went into overdrive when Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce got engaged, a crossover romance so big it united Swifties, sports fans and the internet at large; a seemingly harmless Coldplay kiss-cam moment spiralled into a global scandal when two uncomfortable concertgoers were identified as a married tech CEO and his company’s HR head, sparking resignations and debates over privacy, power and public shaming; the world’s most famous museum was rocked by a bold daylight heist at the Louvre, with crown jewels worth over US$100 million still missing even as new security measures were rushed in; and back home, Singapore’s GE2025 proved that politics and memes now go hand in hand, as campaign moments were remixed into viral songs, TikToks and WhatsApp forwards that sometimes travelled faster than the actual policy debates.

With just two days left of 2025, attention now turns to how we’re getting ready to ring in the New Year, and what you need to know before heading out. From countdown celebrations and fireworks to road closures and enhanced security measures, we’ll walk you through what to expect as Singapore gears up for New Year’s festivities, so you can plan ahead and celebrate safely. Whether you’re heading out, staying in, or still deciding, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada discuss the details on The Big Story. 

We’re taking a step back to look at the property market as 2025 draws to a close. How did the market perform this year? What surprised buyers and investors, and what trends are likely to carry into 2026? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Nicholas Mak, Chief Research Officer at MOGUL SG, as we take stock of where the property market stands heading into the new year.

Singapore shares inched higher today in the last full trading day of 2025. The Straits Times Index was up 0.51% at 4,657.14 points at 2.39pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$499.98M seen in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch today, we have ST Engineering, after the group today said that it expects to report a positive net profit for the second half of 2025, after taking into account all the one-off effects for the period.  Meanwhile, from how Meta Platforms has agreed to acquire Singapore-based startup Manus, to how the US government has reportedly granted an annual licence to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to bring in chip manufacturing equipment to their facilities in China for 2026, more corporate and international headlines remained in focus.   On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Dan Chang, Investment Specialist and Trading Representative, PhillipCapital.

As we head into the new year, on What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada talk about stories that got us thinking about both everyday habits and the future ahead.  With shoppers still buying millions of plastic bags despite a five-cent charge, an NUS professor has suggested raising the fee to 10 cents, reigniting the debate over convenience versus sustainability. And zooming out even further, as listeners shared their predictions of life 27 years from now, we looked back at how people in 1998 imagined 2025, getting some things right like online shopping, remote work and even a deadly new disease, but missing others, reminding us that when we predict the future, we may be revealing more about our hopes and anxieties today than what tomorrow will actually bring.