Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

In this special edition of Market View, we’re going to take you through some of the key highlights for the private credit market in 2023, as well as what to watch out for in 2024.  But first things first, what exactly is private credit? Well, according to Preqin, private credit refers to the provision of debt finance to companies from funds, rather than banks, bank-led syndicates or public markets.  This mode of financing has seen continued global momentum of late. For one thing, local bank DBS said private credit soared to US$1.6 trillion globally and US$350 billion in dry powder.  But what is driving the momentum, and how far have higher interest rates and public bond yields complicated matters? And with Asia constituting 41% of global GDP and exhibiting robust fundamentals, DBS added that Asia remains a bright spot despite a recent dip in credit and private equity fund raising.  But why is this the case, and what lies ahead for the private credit landscape for 2024? On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the projections with Clifford Lee, Global Head of Fixed Income, DBS Bank.

In this special edition of Market View, we’re going to let our imagination run wild and look at a series of Outrageous Predictions for 2024.  Done by online trading and investment firm Saxo annually, the predictions focus on a series of unlikely but underappreciated events which, if they were to occur, would send shockwaves across financial markets.  The title for this year’s predictions is called “The End of the Road” – for complacency that is. Entering 2024, Saxo sees a world at an inflection point, with the familiar road of the last decade coming to an end.  What that means, according to Saxo’s Chief Investment Officer, Steen Jakobsen, is that the smooth road the world has travelled on since the Great Financial Crisis, with stable geopolitics, low inflation,and low interest rates has now been disrupted, and that we now see a future filled with unpredictability ahead of us.  Some of his out-of-the-box predictions include: oil prices at US$150, Saudi buying the Champions League franchise, the world hit by a major health crisis due to obesity drugs, Generative AI deepfakes triggering a national security crisis, and luxury shares plunging on an EU wealth tax. On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the predictions with Steen Jakobsen, Chief Investment Officer at Saxo.

From Shanti Pereira's heroics, to Scuderia Ferrari's triumph in the Lion City....from Angela Lee's emotional retirement and fight against mental health, to Safuwan Baharudin's return from the wilderness to represent Singapore...from Cristiano Ronaldo blazing a trail in Saudi football, to Lionel Messi's swansong in Europe...2023 delivered on so many fronts! What was your favourite sporting moment? We recap and relive the best the year had to offer. Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

For the 4th year in a row, The Majurity Trust (TMT) is partnering with the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2024, presented by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.  This year’s collaboration, titled ‘Brightening Lives’ will see beautiful light projections expertly mapped onto some of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks, such as the Merlion, the Fullerton Hotel, and for the first time, the ArtScience Museum. Martin Tan, Chief Executive Officer, The Majurity Trust tell us more about this year’s project and how it can help benefit communities in need.

Toku, one of Asia Pacific’s leading cloud communications and customer experience software companies, has recently unveiled new research and it shows that three out of four of Singapore consumers are more confident in recognising scam calls and SMS than they were 12 months ago. But while we are confident, why are the number of people falling prey to scammers still on the rise? Will we become complacent?  Thomas Laboulle, Founder and CEO, Toku shares his views. 

From two Chinese balloons flying across the sensitive median line separating Taiwan from China to how closely the country is watching Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election.  Chong Ja Ian, Associate Professor of Political Science, NUS & Non-Resident Scholar, Carnegie China gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

Liverpool dropped their first home points of the Premier League season as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Manchester United and the Reds' captain Virgil van Dijk felt "only one team tried to win" - a comment that pundit and former Red Devil skipper Roy Keane, felt smacked of arrogance. Was it arrogance or was it frustration? You be the judge! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

The World Economic Forum reports that the global gender gap will take 135.6 years to close at the current rate. Ongoing wars and conflicts exacerbate humanitarian needs and economic instability, and the World Bank notes that many developing countries are struggling to return to pre-pandemic growth levels.  So how can one emerge as an effective leader in such turbulent times? What should leaders focus on?  Durreen Shahnaz, Founder and CEO, Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) and IIX Foundation shares her views. 

We take a journey into the hearts and minds of netizens in Singapore with Yahoo Year in Review 2023.  The review highlights all the top things that have captivated and captured their attention, from the most searched local celebrities and newsmakers to tech gadgets, athletes, beauty brands, travel, stocks, and more. Esther Au Yong, Head of Yahoo Finance, SEA delve with us into details of all that has captured the interest of Singapore netizens this year. 

The US House of Representatives has voted to formally open an impeachment inquiry into US President Joe Biden. Is there evidence that Biden committed any wrongdoing? And will the president really be impeached? On Washington Report, we take stock of the year that was and what’s on the agenda for the US in 2024 with Cedomir Nestorovic, Professor of Geopolitics, ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific.