Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Singapore stocks fell this morning, after global equities took a hit overnight.  In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) fell 0.9 per cent to 3,156.74 points after 97 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  In terms of companies to watch today, we have restaurant operator No Signboard. Thecounter resumes trading today, more than two years after it voluntarily suspended its trading.  Elsewhere from more on Frasers Logistics and Commercial Trust to TSMC shares surging over 110 percent from an October 2022 low, more corporate 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.

Advances in critical infrastructure technology are improving efficiency and effectiveness, but at the same time, they are opening the door to threat actors and cyberattacks that can have a catastrophic impact on utilities. According to CyberArk’s 2023 Identity Security Threat Landscape, 61% of APAC organisations surveyed say they would not be able to protect against an attack stemming from a successful compromise of a software supply chain provider.  Can you imagine the repercussions if we lost access to power, water or telecommunications? So how do we shore up digital security to protect against critical infrastructure in Singapore? Koh Ssu Han, Solutions Engineering Director, ASEAN, CyberArk weighs in.

No Signboard Holdings has resumed the trading of its shares on March 15 after obtaining concurrence from Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) on March 14.  But shares of No Signboard Holdings slid after opening at 2.7 cents, the stock was down 1.6 cents, or 51.6 percent.  Will such sentiments continue for No Signboard shares? Willie Keng, Founder, Dividend Titan shares his views. 

With a handsome bounty of US$2,500,000, the Porsche Singapore Classic will take centre stage at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club from 21-24 March - featuring the likes of Rasmus Højgaard, Tom McKibbin and Yannik Paul. Returning with a bang after a prolonged hiatus, what will the event offer? We caught up with Patrick Bowers, Executive Championship Director of the Porsche Singapore Classic, to find out more. Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

Celebrate all things Peranakan at Armenian Street Party: Peranakan Pasar, which has returned since 8 March on an extended four-week run till 31 March.  This year, the festival's 8th edition will feature a unique tok panjang experience, kueh-inspired bouncy castle, and the iconic Peranakan afterparty on Armenian Street.  Heryanti Jamal, Manager, Audience, ACM and Peranakan Museum tells us more about what to expect at this year's edition of Armenian Street Party.

Singapore equities climbed this morning, despite the global market closing mixed overnight. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) rose 0.3 per cent to 3,169.68 points after 44.3 million securities changed hands in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have Singtel after it clarified on reports which said that it was intending to sell Optus. Other companies to watch include Singapore Airlines after the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore said SIA and Garuda Indonesia have jointly submitted an application on a proposed cooperation.  Also on deck – the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill that would force ByteDance to divest TikTok or see the platform be banned in the US. On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with David Chow, Director Azure Capital.

Cancer is still very much a threat to the community at large and there are many misconceptions and fear within the public around it. With the advancement of technology, there is hope and at Siemens Healthineers, they aim to address the entire cancer care continuum, from screening and prevention through diagnosis, therapy, and survivorship.  Siow Ai Li, Managing Director, Siemens Healthineers Singapore shares with us more. 

Today we’re going to talk about a two-year old startup invested by Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai. Founded by a team of former Google executives, Arta Finance transforms the way people grow, protect and enjoy wealth by helping people gain the financial superpowers that were previously the domain of ultra-high net worth individuals.  It uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable intelligent investing in public market equities, as well as other alternative asset classes such as private equity, venture capital and real estate.  The platform aims to serve professionals who have a higher net worth but are not yet able to access private bank services or to have their own family offices. Think of Arta Finance like a personal digital family office with lower barriers to entry.  Since coming out of stealth mode in late 2022, the firm has raised over US$90 million from institutional investors such as Peak XV Partners (also formerly known as Sequoia Capital India), Ribbit Capital, Coatue and over 140 luminaries in the tech and finance space – including, again, Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. But what is in it for this group of players to come onboard? Meanwhile, the firm started offering its services in the US through an invite-only model in early 2023 and has since managed over US$100 million on members’ behalf. It plans to open its services in Singapore sometime this year.  But why did the firm choose the US and Singapore as markets to enter into as a start? What can we expect from its Singapore launch?  How far will the firm’s plans to expand aggressively take off from here? And how far away is it from becoming the next fintech unicorn?  On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Caesar Sengupta, Co-Founder and CEO at Arta Finance and Amanda Ong, Country Manager, Arta Finance Singapore.  

Russians will vote in a presidential election from March 15-17, and are all but guaranteed to hand Vladimir Putin a comfortable victory, paving the way for him to remain in power until at least 2030. While autocratic regimes like Russia’s have proved adept at managing the electoral process to squeeze out rivals, elections are still high-stakes events, and offers a glimpse into the Kremlin’s domestic challenges as it continues a war against Ukraine that recently entered its third year. So what should the rest of the world look out for during Russia’s elections? Cedomir Nestorovic, Professor of Geopolitics, ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific weighs in. 

What if you had the opportunity to sit down with a chef and ask them about their journey, inspiration, and experience in the kitchen? Well, ‘Chefs Uncut’ is a documentary series that tells the untold stories of Asia’s best chefs. The series takes viewers on a journey through the culinary lives of six prominent culinary stars, highlighting their creativity, passion, and dedication to their art. Jon Lister, CEO and Co-founder of CreatorsLabshares more.