Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

From US President Joe Biden saying that he does not "anticipate a major initiative" from China to provide weapons to Russia in its war against Ukraine to First lady Jill Biden giving a hint that her husband will be running for a second term.  Steve Okun, Senior Advisor, Mclarty Associates gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

Singapore shares rose in early trade today following gains in US and Europe markets.   Some notable names seeing new developments today include OCBC, after the bank reported a net profit of S$1.3 billion for the fourth quarter ended December 2022. But how did the bank fare against its peers? Meanwhile, defence and engineering group ST Engineering saw profits fall 7.1 per cent on-year to S$255 million for the second half ended December 2022. But to what extent is this a one-off occurrence contributed by a reduction of COVID-19 support and TransCore transaction and integrated expenses? On Market View, the Drive Time team unpacked the key market movements of the day with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

We look ahead to the English League Cup final between Manchester United & Newcastle - and check in with fans from both camps ahead of Sunday's showpiece event.

ARTBOX, Singapore’s largest lifestyle event, is back after a three-year hiatus. Boasting almost 300 booths, including famous food kiosks from Thailand, the two weekend long fair will take place at Singapore Expo Hall 6. Kent Teo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Invade shares more on ARTBOX's return. 

As Singaporeans, we all love durians in general.  But durians are considered “heaty” foods and excessive consumption can cause a tip on the body’s balance, resulting in ailments such as fever, throat pain and irritation, and mouth ulcers. So how can botanicals, such as olive leaf, combat the effects of heaty foods?  Matthew Koh, Director, Natura Biotechnologies shares more. 

As announced at Budget 2023, the Government will hand out a one-time ‘cost-of-living special payment’ and another S$300 in CDC vouchers to allay inflation concerns. The scheme has also be expanded recently and the vouchers can now be used at supermarkets as well. Denise Phua, Mayor of Central Singapore District shares more on this scheme and the spending rate of these CDC Vouchers since its inception. 

Are you afraid of having your blood drawn? But what if the blood test could detect cancer causing genetic mutations and viruses, and allow for early treatment?   I’m asking this because we are going to look at a company called Lucence, which makes blood tests to detect cancers.  Founded in 2016, Lucence was spun off from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).  It had in 2019 unveiled a blood test called LiquidHALLMARK that detects 14 types of cancers, 50 genetic mutations and two viruses. Lucence had said then that LiquidHALLMARK is the world's first blood test that simultaneously detects both cancer-causing genetic mutations and viruses with 99.9 per cent accuracy. But how much money does this represent? How does the company assess its competition, and how is it treading the fine line in ensuring that it achieves the profits it wants yet ensure that the tests remain affordable and accessible?  On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these burning questions to Dr Tan Min-Han Founder, CEO and Medical Director at Lucence.

We discuss and preview the new Singapore Premier League season with ST Sports reporter Deepanraj Ganesan. 

Singapore stocks started the day on a softer note, after markets in the US and Europe fell overnight. Local banks and index counters also started the morning mixed. The Straits Times Index headed down 0.1 per cent in early trade to 3,296.24 points after 91 million securities changed hands. In terms of companies to watch for today, we have UOB, which reported a 24 per cent climb in profits in the second half of the year ended December. But what is the outlook for the banking sector after the latest Fed minutes indicated that rates will likely be higher for longer? We’re also tracking the property sector today, after CapitaLand Investment reported a 33.8 per cent on-year drop in net profit to S$428 million for the six months ended December. But what’s next for the property sector? On Market View, the Drive Time team spoke with Eddy Loh, Chief Investment Officer, Maybank Group Wealth Management for more. 

If you are wondering what Chopped Cheese is, it is a New York City bodega favourite, a hoagie roll stuffed with a mixture of beef, seasonings, and onions, cooked on a griddle and then chopped and smothered with cheese. And now you can find them in Singapore.  Edwin Tan, Owner and Chef, Quality Melts shares his journey in bring Chopped Cheese here.