Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Singapore shares started trading in negative territory today as the Monetary Authority of Singapore left its monetary policy settings unchanged for the fifth straight meeting, in line with market expectations. The Straits Times Index (STI) opened 0.1 per cent lower at 3,425.78 points after 29.9 million securities changed hands in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch today, we have iFast, after the digital bank and wealth-management platform reported a 346.1 per cent rise in second-quarter earnings to S$16 million, from S$3.6 million in Q2 2023.  Elsewhere from more on the latest showings by S-REITS, to losses seen at Taiwan’s TSMC - more corporate and international headlines remain in focus.  On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Sunny Soh, Lead Technical Analyst (Capital Markets & Investor Education), SIAS.

The meteoric growth of Singapore’s cocktail scene is thanks to the work of bar veterans such as Jay Gray. His creative pursuits led to him emerging as the CEO of Sago House Group, which is responsible for acclaimed bars such as Sago House (which ranked No.32 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023 and No.10 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023) and Low Tide. But at the height of its success, Jay left his position as CEO of Sago House Group. So, why did Jay resign? On R.I.C.H, Hongbin Jeong and Roshan Gidwani sat down with Jay Gray, Owner, Idle Hands and former CEO, Sago House Group to find out. Presented by: Hongbin Jeong and Roshan Gidwani Feature produced and edited by: Nadiah Koh  Do you have a story to tell on The Evening Runway show? Contact nadkoh@sph.com.sg

A self-tape is a pre-recorded video audition that an actor submits to the casting director or creative team. It is generally used as a substitute for an in-person tryout. But for some, self-tapes are more stressful than in-person auditions, since it requires a certain amount of planning and technical know-how. How do you get the best angle? The best lighting? The best quality? On That's How, Hongbin Jeong and Roshan Gidwani dives into all the tips you need to know to create the perfect self-tape so you can be on your way to be the next Hollywood star. They even chat with Poobalan, a local model in Singapore who's been featured on many local advertisements.  Sources: The Notebook (A feature film starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) Riz Ahmed's self-tape for Star Wars www.backstage.com/magazine/article/guide-perfect-self-tape-1758/

Having capped a stellar 2023 with an historic Asian Games gold, you'd think the 2024 Olympic games would see Singapore's Shanti Pereira scale even greater heights. But it hasn't proved to be as straight forward for the Lion City's sprint queen. Sidelined through an injury in the first half of the year, Shanti's preparations for Paris have been hampered. Nonetheless, buoyed by her recent engagement, the 27-year old remains up beat ahead of her second Olympics participation - as revealed on this special episode of Sports Minutes! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg

Singapore-based jewellery brand Eden+Elie aims to showcase modern hand beaded jewellery while supporting artisans with autism. The brand features bangles and pendants inspired by local culture, such as Peranakan and nonya kebaya.  But this brand is focused on creating meaningful jewellery by incorporating the slow fashion element of traditional hand beading. And they partnered with the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) to train and employ artisans from their communities.  On Culture Club, Hongbin Jeong and Roshan Gidwani speaks to Stephanie Choo, Co-founder, Eden + Elie, to share more. Presented by: Hongbin Jeong and Roshan Gidwani Produced and Edited by: Alexandra Parada (alexparada@sph.com.sg) Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!

On What's Trending, an Indian laborer has found a massive diamond in a mine in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, expected to fetch around 8 million rupees in a government auction. The diamond will be sold in the next government auction, and the labourer will receive his compensation after government royalty and taxes are deducted. Also, a TikToker created a video tutorial on how to make a "fluffy coke" using Marshmallow Fluff, Coca-Cola, and ice. Other variations include Diet Coke, Peach Pepsi, Root Beer, coffee, and candied cherries. But despite the negative reviews, the creator believes the popularity of the "fluffy coke" is due to the drink's nature.

There's less than 60 days left to go till the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. They've just released the entertainment line-up with OneRepublic, Kylie Minogue, and Lenny Kravitz to headline each of the three days. But what do we think of the line-up? On Spill the Tea, Hongbin Jeong and Roshan Gidwani is joined by Sports Minutes host Zia-ul Raushan and Anjali Raguraman, The Straits Times correspondent, to spill the juices on this year's entertainment line-up as well as the drama that's been unraveling between the F1 drivers - will Max Verstappen continue to dominate or will Carlos Sainz once again be crowned as Singapore's Grand Prix winner?

Whether you're a startup, an established company, or an e-commerce platform, pricing your products or services effectively can significantly impact your bottom line. On That's How!, Hongbin Jeong and Roshan Gidwani delve into the strategic art of price optimization and how businesses can leverage it to drive higher revenue. So let's find out whether the price is right with the Head of Research from Milieu Insight: Nigel Lin.  Source: www.paddle.com/resources/pricing-optimization

It’s all about taking your beauty into your hands “because you’re worth it”.  Sounds familiar? You might have by now guessed who we’re speaking to for today’s discussion  – yes, it is indeed personal care and cosmetics giant L’Oreal.  On that note – did you know that the tagline was coined in 1971 by a 23-year-old female copywriter at a Manhattan ad agency McCann.  But taglines and branding aside, L’Oreal positions itself as a leader of the beauty tech world, with the century-old firm boasting a workforce of 86,000 employees across 150 countries,  The company has a portfolio of 36 international brands split into four divisions, namely (1) Luxe, (2) Consumer Products, (3) Dermatological Beauty and (4) Professional Products.  Some of the brands include Kiehl’s Lancome, Ralph Lauren, Biotherm, Shu Uemura, Urban Decay, L’Oreal Paris, Prada Beauty, Garnier and Maybelline New York.  At a global level, L’Oreal had in April this year reported a 9.4 per cent increase in Q1 sales on a like-for-like basis, exceeding analysts’ expectations.  Sales for the quarter came in at 11.24 billion euros or US$11.98 billion for the three months to March, easing concerns over an economic slowdown in the world's two largest economies of the US and China. But how far did Singapore contribute to the numbers? The latest showing also comes as the firm’s mass market range and dermatological products compensated for weakness in the luxury segment. But how far is this the case in Singapore, and what does the current economic uncertainty mean for the firm’s push into the luxury sector? Meanwhile, L’Oreal had announced a number of agreements with institutions in Singapore to develop youth-led innovation. But what can we expect on this front? On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Tomas Hruska, Managing Director of L’Oréal Singapore and Malaysia.

Singapore shares started trading in negative territory today, mirroring overnight losses in the global market. The Straits Times Index (STI) opened 0.6 per cent lower at 3,441.94 points after 41.4 million securities worth S$48.3 million changed hands. In terms of companies to watch, we have Mapletree Logistics Trust. The trust’s distribution per unit (DPU) fell 8.9 per cent to S$0.02068 (2.068 Singapore cents) for its first quarter ended June.  Elsewhere, from the tech-fuelled sell-off on Wall Street overnight to SK Hynix posting its highest quarterly profit since 2018,  more international headlines remain in focus.  Also on deck – and what LVMH’s latest earnings mean for founder Bernard Arnault. On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with Terence Wong, CEO, Azure Capital.