Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Ticket scalping can negatively affect both the reputation of the brand and satisfaction of consumers. There is software to deter scalpers, who themselves are using technology to get tickets before anyone else to resell for a profit margin. But this software must continue to be developed to keep this threat in check. We speak to George Lee, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific & Japan, Imperva more about this.

China's warm welcome for former National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger could be a reminder of how US-China relations can and should be. We also speak about Pvt. Travis King, the American soldier who ran across the border into North Korea, Antony Blinken's upcoming visit to Tonga, New Zealand and Australia, and updates on former US President Donald Trump’s legal troubles. Trisha Craig, Vice President (Engagement) and Senior Lecturer of Social Sciences (Sociology and Political Science), Yale-NUS College helps us elaborate on these headlines.

Today we’re going to look at the oldest form of lending, which dates back to the Ancient Greek and Roman Empires. Make a guess – it was also found in China during the Spring and Autumn Period or between 770 to 476 BCE.  Bingo if you’ve guessed pawn shops! Pawnshops first made their way to modern Singapore back in 1872.There were 25 pawnshops dotted across Singapore from 1920 to 1929, and they generated monthly turnover of over $2 million.  So as you can imagine business was thriving, before the Great Depression in 1929 and World War II dealt a blow to the industry. 90 years after the Great Depression, we’ve got the COVID-19 pandemic and the War in Ukraine.  But what do such economic uncertainties mean for pawnbrokers in terms of new loans, redemption and interest income? Let’s pose the question to our guest for today. Founded in 1988, ValueMax provides pawnbroking and secured money lending services, as well as the retail and trading of jewellery and gold.  The SGX-listed company has 42 pawnbroking and retail outlets across Singapore as well as 21 other outlets in Malaysia operated through its associated company.  On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Yeah Lee Ching, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Director, ValueMax for more.

Novelship has joined forces with American rapper-actor Snoop Dogg to offer consumers in South-east Asia greater accessibility to cult sneaker brands and expand its range of collectibles. With the sneaker market projected to become a US$6 billion global business by 2025, Novelship plans to stay ahead of the curve and capitalise on this growth by expanding their userbase in the region, and forming more partnerships with distributors and brands. We speak to Richard Xia, Co-Founder and CEO, Novelship more about this.

Singapore shares started trading a touch lower today following mixed trading sessions in the US and Europe. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) was down 0.1 per cent at 3,271.21 points as 57.2 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  In terms of companies to watch today, we have Yangzijiang Financial after the investment manager’s maritime private equity fund invested in two chemical and product tanker projects for US$32.1 million.  Meanwhile, from Sabana Reit going ahead with its ordinary resolution to internalise the Reit’s management function, to China announcing steps to boost car sales and Elon Musk getting poorer by billions of dollars overnight, more international and corporate headlines remain in focus. On Market View, the Drive Time team unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

With Manchester United have completing the signing of goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan, Erik ten Hag now has his second acquisition of the summer following the earlier arrival of Mason Mount. How important is a change between the sticks in the Dutchman's rebuild of the red devils? We hear from Rio Ferdinand, Danny Murphy - and discuss what else is to come ahead of the brand new season. Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

Generative AI is becoming an integral part of many people’s lives, revolutionising the way we work and interact with technology. However, we have to be cautious when using it as there are still pitfalls. These can be controlled by still having humans follow up on the creations of generative AI. Moreover, we also must be weary of the dangers this technology can pose to organizations and businesses. We speak to Frank Windoloski, Executive Vice President, Insights & Data APAC, Capgemini more about this.

With the recent resignation by a few members of parliament over their extramarital affairs, there is doubt cast upon the trustworthiness of our political leaders. However, should we be judging these politicians based on their personal affairs this harshly even though they dutifully carry out their responsibilities as members of parliament? We speak to Dr. Felix Tan, Political Observer, Nanyang Technological University more about this.

Coffee Connects in Ngee Ann Polytechnic looks to venture out and expand into the wider market. It is led by a 20-year old entrepreneur, who's journey in starting and sustaining this business came with many challenges which he faced with help from those with more experience, but also through his own grit and determination. We speak to Alfred Ng, Business Studies Graduate, Ngee Ann Polytechnic & Co-Founder, Coffee Connects more about this.

Singapore shares started the morning in positive territory today, following overnight gains in the US and Europe markets. In early trade, the Straits Index Index (STI) headed up 0.2 per cent at 3,280.56 points as 44.8 million securities changed hands in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have Keppel Corporation. That’s after the company said today that its private funds acquired the Bank of Korea’s Sogong Annex Facility, which is located in Seoul’s Central Business District.   The move brings the conglomerate’s South Korean portfolio to 2.6 trillion won (S$2.6 billion). Meanwhile, from China relaxing a cross-border financing rule to Apple testing ‘Apple GPT’ and Netflix missing quarterly revenue forecasts, more international headlines continue to be in focus. On Market View, the Drive Time team dived into the details with Terence Wong, CEO, Azure Capital.