Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

Recently a few gyms and fitness centres have all been in the news for the wrong reasons as members found themselves caught out with sudden closures. The blame has been cast on the impact of Covid-19 and rising business costs. But even with the current landscape of the fitness business undergoing significant transformation, our guest has somehow managed to sustain his business. Sasidharan Unnithan, Founder & Managing Director, FightZone shares his story. 

From China’s initial restrained silence on Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel to China's President Xi Jinping ordering the biggest military reorganisation since 2015.  Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

Singapore stocks opened stronger today following overnight gains on global markets as easing tensions in the Middle East boosted investor confidence. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) rose 1 per cent to 3,258.07 points after 76.6 million securities changed hands in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have CapitaLand Ascendas Reit. Its manager yesterday reported a higher average rental rate of 16.9 per cent for leases renewed in the first quarter of 2024, up from 15.2 per cent in the previous quarter.  Elsewhere, from a media report on how China acquired recently banned Nvidia chips in Super Micro and Dell servers, to bubble tea brand Chabaidao’s trading debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, more corporate and international headlines remain in focus. On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Kelvin Wong, Senior Analyst, OANDA.

It’s all about sentiment within financial markets today as we speak to one of the earliest fintech companies in the world. .  Founded in 1992, our guest Saxo is an international investment firm for investors and traders under the supervision of the Danish FSA, with a reach of over 2,500 professionals around the world including in key financial hubs such as Singapore. Its investment platform provides users access to global capital markets across asset classes, while its open banking technology powers over 200 financial institutions to enhance their investment experience. Why are we talking to Saxo you might ask? Well, with economic data out of the US coming in hot in the early months of the year, putting into question the Federal Reserve’s rate cut timeline, a property slump in China, and ongoing geopolitical tensions around the world – we want to find out how if investors’ are indeed on a risk-off mode right now, and if that has influenced demand for investment products investment platform.  The firm also revamped its pricing structure to lower trading costs for customers in March this year – but how far has that got to do with the wider business environment and the competitive landscape of the global online trading platform market?  More recently, the firm was reportedly said to be exploring a possible sale after talks to go public through a SPAC merger fell through. But what were the reasons behind the move and what can we expect from here?  On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Kim Fournais, Founder and CEO of Saxo.

As the world celebrates Earth Day on April 22, it is important to reflect on the role that fashion plays in shaping the future of our planet. With sustainable fashion and mindful shopping on the rise, more individuals are turning to thrift shops in Singapore to give old clothes new life. But how do you go thrift shopping efficiently? Sustainable fashion influencer, Nicole, @chinchilla.vintage shares with us the best thrifting tips to shop sustainably.

A second consecutive FA Cup final will see a Manchester Derby take centre stage, as United survived a scare from Coventry to book their place in the showpiece event while City edged out Chelsea the day before. But is time's up for ten Hag at the helm despite a third cup final berth in two years? We hear from our man on the ground, The Straits Times sports reporter Deepanraj Ganesan, who was at Wembley for both the semi-finals. Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

New research from Twilio highlights that while businesses are successfully using AI to power more personalised, intelligent customer interactions, brands continue to grapple with challenges around transparency and lack of customer data. So what are these challenges and how much trust do consumers have on brands to keep their data safe?  Nicholas Kontopoulos, Vice President of Marketing, Asia Pacific & Japan, Twilio shares more. 

US House of Representatives passed US$61 billion in fresh aid for Ukraine on Saturday, ending a six-month political impasse during which Kyiv’s stockpiles dwindled in its war against Russia. The Ukraine aid will be combined with funding for Israel and Taiwan, for a foreign assistance package totalling US$95 billion. Will this help end the war in Ukraine? Why are  US lawmakers now tying TikTok to foreign aid? Emeritus Professor Joseph Camilleri, La Trobe University, Melbourne and Fellow, The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia weighs in. 

Singapore shares inched up at the opening bell this morning, eking out a gain despite subdued performance in global markets. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) rose 0.1 per cent to 3,180.07 points after 38 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  In terms of companies to watch, we have DBS. The bank has put up for sale a portfolio of 46 HDB shop and shophouse units, and private strata retail units with a total guide price of about S$210 million. Elsewhere, from a lookahead to the latest earnings season in Singapore and the US, to Tencent Holdings staging their biggest rally since February – more corporate headlines remain in focus. On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

With rumours continuing to swirl regarding Erik ten Hag's future at Manchester United, the team head into a "make or break" weekend with a semi-final clash against Coventry City in the FA Cup. Riddled by injuries and ridiculed for a lacked of identity, what next for the once mighty Manchester United? We caught up with Wes Brown, a treble-winner and two-time UEFA Champions League winner with Manchester United, who was speaking to Sports Minutes on the sidelines of the Starhub Football Festival. Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg