Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

Singapore shares rose in the first few minutes of trade today, following a mixed performance in global markets. This came as investors took comfort in the news that First Citizens BancShares would acquire Silicon Valley Bank’s deposits and loans, allaying recent concerns over the banking sector. In terms of companies to watch, we have Manulife US Reit, after the Reit’s manager said none of its lenders is a regional bank in the US. But to what extent has the ongoing banking crisis in the US affected SGX-listed Reits, particularly those exposed to the US and Europe? Meanwhile, we’re also seeing a number of privatisation offers for companies listed in Singapore but why is this the case?   On Market View, the Drive Time team sat down with David Poh, Head of Investment and ESG Strategies, South Asia, Amundi for more.

With Antonio Conte's Tottenham tenure coming to a (predictable) end after just 16 months, where to from here for Spurs?  James Walton, Sports Business Leader for Deloitte Singapore and Southeast Asia & Shehzad Haque, International Sports Commentator weigh in on the past, present and future of Tottenham's travails.

Which camera would you use if you have to take a selfie or a picture right now? Would you whip out your mobile phone or would you bring out a DSLR camera instead?  Well, we're asking this because our guest for today is from world renowned camera maker Canon.  While Canon may be a familiar name, what we might not know about is the company’s efforts to diversify into new products and industries.  For one thing, it entered the office equipment market with the debut of the world's first 10-key electronic calculator. It also developed Japan’s first plain paper copying machine, which was introduced in 1970. And we want to find out how the company’s culture of diversification has helped it weather technological disruption when digital cameras were replaced by smartphones and when printing documents were no longer needed with the advent of file transfers via the cloud? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Vincent Low, Head of Enterprise Business, Singapore Operations, Canon Singapore.

Roundup of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia, to missing Alibaba founder Jack Ma resurfacing.  Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs shares his analysis of those headlines and more. 

Let's talk K-reality.  Some of you may have watched the latest hit Korean reality show - Physical 100, a fitness competition where 100 contestants from all over Korea compete to become the fittest person in the country. And the winner of show will not only gain the title as South Korea’s fittest person, but also with $300 million won (S$307,000). But since the conclusion of the series, the show has been swept up in controversy after controversy – from one of the top female contestants admitting to being a school bully, to a contestant being arrested for assaulting his girlfriend. And the most notable one? The controversy that the finale was rigged. *Spoilers ahead. Credits:  "Physical: 100 | Sneak Peek | Netflix [ENG SUB]" @netflixkcontent YouTube

Singapore shares opened higher today as the trio of local banks remained resilient despite the recent woes of Deutsche Bank. The Straits Times Index rose 0.6 per cent in early trade to 3231.31 points after 23.3 million securities changed hands.  In terms of companies to watch, we have Keppel Corporation. The group’s Philippines-listed subsidiary will divest a remaining 50 per cent stake in The Podium West Tower and The Podium Mall in the Philippines for around 8 billion pesos (S$195 million).  Elsewhere, investors remain cautious ahead of what could be yet another rocky week, after the cost of insuring Deutsche Bank’s debt against the risk of default jumped to a more than four year high.  But in what way is Deutsche Bank similar or different from Credit Suisse and SVB? On Market View, the Drive Time team sat down with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor for more. 

Since it's inception in 2021, 'Unleash the Roar!' is a national movement which aims to raise the levels of Singapore football and rally the nation behind a shared dream. With an onus on youth development and foreign exchange programs, could this pave the way for future footballing success in Singapore? Deepanraj Ganesan, Sports Reporter with The Straits Times, joins Elliott and Raushan to discuss the state of affairs in local football and the steps forward under the UTR framework. READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/football-we-are-making-tonic-soup-not-instant-noodles-unleash-the-roar-chief-on-criticism-about-project-s-progress

The fashion industry has a terrible reputation for being one of the world’s most polluting industries. And with the slew of annual global fashion weeks well underway, consumer demand for sustainable fashion has created a greater impetus for businesses to pivot towards sustainability.  But what are the challenges often faced in attaining sustainability in the fashion industry? Can Singapore ever be a sustainable fashion hub of the world? Benjamin Soh, Founder & Managing Director, STACS tells us more. 

The last few years have been infused with distress, instability and vulnerability, where we struggled through crisis after crisis, people are searching for meaning. And Human8’s recent findings identified key trends in Asia Pacific and it shows what matters to people and its to create a more meaningful future. So what can Asian brands do to apply these trends?  Maz Amirahmadi, Managing Director, APAC, Human8 shares his views. 

Founded in 1891, MSD is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life sciences and pharmaceuticals. The company is among the top 10 globally with a revenue of US$59.3 billion in 2022. With the global pharmaceutical industry expected to grow to around US$2.4 trillion in 2029 according to Fortune Business insights, we want to find out what’s next for the company, particularly here in Singapore.  On that note, MSD announced the opening of two manufacturing facilities to produce vaccines and biologics in Singapore back in October last year. But what is the status right now, and what does the recent rise in vaccine production facilities in Singapore say of the environment the country provides for pharmaceutical businesses? On Under the Radar, Drive Time's finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Dr. Sheriff Abdullahi, Managing Director, Singapore, Malaysia & Brunei, MSD for more.