Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Singapore shares remained relatively unchanged at the opening bell this morning, the first trading day following Singapore’s Budget announcement on Friday. The latest Budget focused on rolling out the first instalment of the Forward Singapore programme. Singapore’s Budget 2024 set aside top-ups for cost-of-living support, businesses and housing support for young families. It also included the introduction of a new SkillsFuture programme and Refundable Investment Credit scheme for companies.  Local companies are in focus today as we deep dive into the 13 blue-chip stocks that could benefit from the measures announced.  Aside from that, we also have Olam Group after a review concluded by the food and agri-business giant has turned up no evidence that its Nigerian unit was involved in a multibillion-dollar fraud as reported by media outlets in 2023.  On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

Today we’re going to talk about a company that makes scaffolds – not for buildings, but scaffolds that can be implanted into the human body for bones and tissues to grow.  Started in 1992, our guest is Osteopore, an Australian and Singapore based medical technology company commercialising a range of products specifically engineered to facilitate natural bone healing across multiple therapeutic areas.  One of the firm’s products included the Osteomesh, which is a mesh-like polymer scaffold that can be implanted into patients’ skulls to help them regenerate bone tissues that were taken out in surgical procedures.  Other products include those that can be used for rhinoplasty or a nose implant surgery, as well as those that can be used for jaw surgeries to help people eat and speak normally after injuries.  The firm was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in September 2019 and had achieved a milestone of 80,000 implants across all major continents in 2022.  But how does Osteopore commercialise its products, and are its patients using its implants also its customers? How does it then assess its relationship with insurers?  Speaking of insurers, Osteopore announced in May last year that the most prominent medical scheme in South Africa, the Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS) has approved the reimbursement of its Osteomesh product. But how big is the South African market to Osteopore and how important is this to the firm’s top and bottom lines?  Meanwhile, the firm had in September 2023 signed an agreement with Temasek-linked InnoVentures to commercialise Osteopore’s orthopaedic products in China, but how much money does this represent for the company? On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Dr Lim Jing, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer at Osteopore.

From workers to seniors, individuals to households, Budget 2024 has something for all Singaporeans to cope with cost-of-living pressures. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong on Feb 16 unveiled a suite of support measures to tackle immediate cost-of-living worries for households and businesses, while laying out plans to strengthen economic competitiveness, support young families, and help workers stay relevant. The Evening Runway's Elliot Danker and Finance Presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Alvin Liew, Senior Economist, UOB, Terence Ho, Associate Professor in Practice, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore and Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University to unpack the goodies from Budget 2024, and find out how it advances the shared national vision.

The Singapore National Netball team takes on cross-border rival Malaysia in a three-match test series scheduled for 15, 17 and 18 February 2024. Bragging rights are up for stake as the causeway rivals clash, so how is the host nation getting ready? We caught up with Aqilah Andin, vice-captain & K Mishalenee, to find out! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

Singapore stocks rose this morning following news that gross domestic product growth in 2023 was 1.1 per cent, marginally down from advance estimates. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) gained 0.3 per cent to 3,147.35 points after 48.7 million securities changed hands across the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have Keppel Pacific Oak US Reit, which declared no distribution for the second half year ended December, as part of its recapitalisation plan that suspends distribution for two years.  Meanwhile from more on Singapore’s GDP growth to its NODX numbers – local headlines are in focus today.  Also on deck – Airbus earnings and also how a surge in TSMC shares pushed Taiwan’s Taiex to a record high.  On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with David Chow, Director Azure Capital.

In his annual Lunar New Year message, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loon urged young couples to have more babies in the Year of the Dragon, as Singapore continues to battle a declining birth rate. However, Singaporeans have cited several factors for having no or fewer babies such as high costs of living and raising children. But could there be medical reasons that could cause our low birth rate, such as endometriosis? Dr Harvard Lin, Consultant Obstetrics-Gynaecologist and Urogynaecologist, from the Asian Obstetrics and Gynaecologic Centre weighs in.

It’s all about salmon and trout today as we talk to one of the suppliers of land-based fish farming facilities.  Founded in 2017, Assentoft Aqua is a Danish aquaculture engineering company.  It provides fish farmers with what’s known as RAS or Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems that save space, pipes and minimises carbon footprint and the amount of investment needed per produced ton of fish.  The firm has worked on about ten projects in Denmark, Norway, Canada, Ireland and Poland since the business started about seven years ago, with an annual production capacity of about 400 tonnes each. Assentoft Aqua set foot in Singapore in July 2020, and was also behind a US$33m high-tech trout farm in Neo Tiew that could produce about 1,200 tonnes of rainbow trout every year. That’s about 25% of local farmed fish production in 2022.  But why did the firm decide to move into a relatively smaller market in Singapore, given how it was previously focusing on European and Nordic markets? Meanwhile, with food supply chain resiliency thrust into the spotlight amid the pandemic, and countries around the world focusing on self-sufficiency, what does that mean for Assentoft when it comes to demand for modern farming facilities and systems?  On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Matthew Tan, Chief Executive Officer, Assentoft Aqua Asia.

With two Deloitte Women’s Premier League titles for the Lion City Sailors' in the bag, Venetia Lim is no stranger to success. Buoyed by her exploits on home soil, the 20-year old is now embarking on a brave new adventure to Australia -  to join Boroondara-Carey Eagles FC for the 2024 National Premier League Women’s Victoria (NPLW) season. How did the move down under come about, and how is she feeling ahead of the biggest challenge of her career to date? We caught up with her to find out! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

Alliance Française de Singapour invites you to immerse in the world of fashion at “La Veste” exhibition, a part of the French Excellence programme, Couture. Explore the artistry of the male blazer by renowned France-based and inspired fashion houses from the likes of Dior, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, and more.  Showcasing 42 men’s blazers from law professor and fashion photographer David Tan’s collection, La Veste offers a captivating exploration into the evolution of masculine fashion throughout French history. Fabian Forni, Executive Director of Alliance Française de Singapour and Leonard Choo, Director of Industry Development, Singapore Fashion Council and Curator, La Veste shares more. 

Poor manners and talking too much about oneself are Singaporeans biggest dating icks, according to recent surveys by global consumer research platform GWI.  Is that really true, or are we just too picky? Matt Smith, Trends Manager, GWI explains how people in Singapore and Asia Pacific approach love and dating,  from dating preferences to the use of AI on dating apps.