Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

From President Xi Jinping’s latest solution to boost China’s economy to the possibility of a big shift in China’s policy with regards to Taiwan depending on whoever wins. Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

Today we’re going to bring you an inside look into a mainboard-listed tourism company that bought over the troubled Singapore Flyer back in 2014.  Bingo if you’ve guessed Straco Corporation. Listed on the SGX, Straco Corporation is a local developer and operator of aquatic related facilities and tourism related assets.  Aside from the Singapore Flyer, the firm’s other main operating assets include the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium next to the city’s landmark Oriental Pearl Tower, the Lixing cable car service at Mount Lishan, and the Underwater World Xiamen on the scenic Gulangyu Island.  But  why are the majority of Straco Corporation’s assets situated in China and how has the reliance on a single market weighed on the firm during the pandemic amid the lockdowns we saw in China?  And with the Chinese economy recovers post-pandemic, how are things looking like for Straco Corporation right now? Also – what is on the top of Straco’s to-do-list right now to make up for lost revenues over the past three years or so?  On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to  Amos Ng, Group Chief Financial Officer and Sean Wu, Senior Vice President (Corporate Development & Risk Management), Straco Corporation.

With the transfer window open, we discuss the potential ins and outs in the Premier League. Will Arsenal get the additional firepower they crave? And will we see the INEOS takeover take effect at Manchester United? Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

Are you looking to make a career move in 2024 but not quite sure if it's the right choice?  José Jeuland, an individual whose journey from a professional triathlete to the founder and director of COCO Creative Studio in Singapore is nothing short of inspirational. What's the inspiration behind José's unique journey from pro sportsmans to establishing himself as a prominent figure in Singapore's creative scene? 

The US Congress reached a deal on how much to spend for 2024 ahead of a possible government shutdown. The deal would establish an overall spending level of US$1.59 trillion in fiscal year 2024.  Does this move bring Congress closer to avoiding of a potential government shutdown? How will government spending define the 2024 US election? In this episode of Washington Report,Dr John Donaldson, Associate Professor of Political Science,  School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University explains it all. 

AI marketing has become unavoidable for businesses these days because it facilitates ad targeting optimization, develops customer journey mapping, content creation, and more. But have marketers in Southeast Asia embraced AI the way they should be? How have the perception of AI marketing changed over the years? Kate Liew, Senior Marketing Director, APAC, Vonage explains. 

Singapore stocks opened stronger today,  tracking overnight gains in the European market. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) rose 0.1 per cent to 3,176.59 points  after 65.6 million securities changed hands in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch today, we have Dyna-Mac. The offshore oil-and-gas contractor has proposed a bonus issue of up to 207.4 million warrants on the basis of one warrant for every five existing shares to raise up to S$31.1 million.  Elsewhere from more Bank of Japan watchers pushing back their predictions for the end of negative rates, to the outlook for oil prices in the year of 2024, more international headlines remain in focus. On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments withSunny Soh, Lead Technical Analyst (Capital Markets & Investor Education), SIAS.

It’s already Friday and what better way to end the afternoon than with a good cup of coffee or Kopi. Speaking of coffee, you might have seen quite a number of new coffee chains sprouting in sunny Singapore, including several chains who have made their names in other parts of the world such as Indonesia and China.  And we’re going to speak to one such entrant today. Founded in 2017, Kopi Kenangan is a non-franchise tech-enabled coffee chain, where it focuses on serving coffee priced between the higher priced international brands versus the cheaper alternative sold by street vendors.  Fast forward to today, the firm is also one of the fastest growing grab-and-go coffee chains in Indonesia with around 800 stores across over 60 cities in Indonesia.  For one thing, the Sequoia Capital-backed startup served 30 million cups of coffee in the year of 2020 alone.  It also became the first F&B Unicorn in South East Asia in December 2021, following a US$96 million Series C round to help it expand internationally.  True enough, the firm entered into Malaysia and thereafter to Singapore last September. But how will the firm’s positioning strategy in Singapore differ from that in Indonesia given the differences in cost structures?  Also – how does the firm assess the Singapore market, as well as the recent exits of players such as Flash Coffee and Spinelli?  On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to James Prananto, Co-founder and CEO, Kenangan Coffee.

Singapore stocks opened muted today after global markets continued to retreat in the second trading day of the year. In early trade, the Straits Times Index edged up 0.03 per cent to 3,200.24 points after 55.7 million securities changed hands in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have Seatrium, after its contract for a 1,260 megawatt offshore substation platform, valued at over S$250 million was cancelled.  Elsewhere, from minutes of the Federal Reserve’s December meeting to China’s fiscal spending and the Japanese market’s performance on its first day of trade this year, more international headlines remain in focus.  On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with David Chow, Director, Azure Capital.

Today we’re going to talk about helping patients with their rehabilitation through exoskeletons and even humanoid robots. Founded in 2015, our guest for today Fourier Intelligence aims to redefine rehabilitation robotics solutions by integrating inter-connectable intelligent robotics technology with creativity.  So far, the firm provides over 30 products and 200 solutions that can assist patients with upper and lower body impairments, as well as those with difficulties with movements and balance.  Why are we speaking to Fourier Intelligence you might ask? Well, it may be early days for robots in the rehabilitation industry now, but the space holds tremendous potential.  For one thing, Grand View Research valued the global rehabilitation robots market at US$226 million in 2021. It also expects the market to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17.3% from 2022 to 2030 amid a rise in healthcare spending and an ageing population in maturing economies. So what are the opportunities ahead for Fourier Intelligence?  Meanwhile, the firm is also building a network of researchers to chart the new frontier of innovative medical technologies, with strategic partners such as the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, the National Healthcare Group in Singapore, and the University of Melbourne. What can we expect on this front? And just to get you excited – Fourier Intelligence also debuted what’s said to be the world’s first general-purpose humanoid robot for use in rehabilitative care and scientific research. But what does the invention mean for the company? On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Zen Koh, Co-founder and Global CEO of Fourier Intelligence.