Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Global markets seem to be taking comfort in Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s balanced tone with regard to further interest rate hikes.  Following that comment by Powell, we have more economic data including initial jobless claims and personal income figures out of the US last night. Question is - to what extent do the data releases support the case for the central bank to tone down its pace of interest rate hikes?  Away from the US, November turned out to be the best month for Asian stocks in nearly 30 years, but yet private surveys showed factory output slumped for the month. Why the discrepancy? On Market View, Prime Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Azeem Sheriff, Market Analyst, CMC Markets APAC & Canada for more. 

We cast the spotlight on the world’s top economies, namely the US, China, and India today. In the US, investors sift through Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell’s speech at a Brookings Institution event last night for hints on the magnitude of future rate hikes.  Back in Asia, Chinese health officials had announced measures earlier this week to improve vaccination rates among the elderly - but to what extent does this speak about China’s plans to open up to the world once again? Meanwhile, India released its GDP figures for the third quarter yesterday, but to what extent is demand resilient in face of elevated price gains and borrowing costs?  On Market View, Prime Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian broke down the key topics of the week with Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research at ANZ.

The UN and sustainability watchdogs noted that countries around the globe pledged in 2015 to halve food waste by 2030, but few are on track to do so. In the Spotlight on Prime Time, we find out how a local company is doing their part in tackling climate change when Bharati Jagdish speaks with Jessica Zhang, R&D Manager, Singnergy Corporation, as they produce high-value food ingredients from edible food waste or by-products that are usually perceived to be of no further value or use. Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

With the Covid-19 pandemic presenting challenges to many organisations, pushing businesses to ramp up on digital transformation. Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish speaks with Khoong Chan Meng, CEO, NUS-ISS to find out how they working with the industry and workforce to climb the next curve of digital excellence. We’ll also find out more about NUS-ISS rebranding efforts which was officially unveiled by President Halimah Yacob at the NUS-ISS’ 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner. 

Have you ever had to constantly adjust your sunglasses which never seems to stay on, especially for Asians with lower nose bridges, made worse by the sweltering Singapore heat? Plus, for those who are into active sports, we’re sure this is more than just an inconvenience. What if we told you that there are sunglasses that can stay on your nose without slipping off, frame your face, and are easy on your wallet? In the Spotlight, Bharati Jagdish speaks with Kenneth Tan, Co-Founder, Sunday Shades, for their eyewear that fits Asian features. Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg) Highlights from the conversation: 02:17: Making the switch from running a cloud-hosting company to retail eyewear 07:12: Taking the risk in creating shades that fit the Asian features 08:20: With 20,000 pairs of sunglasses to date, what is the key to success for the brand? 12:14: How does Sunday Shades keep cost low? 14:05: Expansion plans and future strategies for competing with bigger players in the market

The drive to get people back into offices is clashing with workers who’ve embraced remote work as the new normal. Like other employees around the globe who have become accustomed to a hybrid work environment, Singaporeans are pushing back on employers who insist they return to the office full-time. According to a new study by Employment Hero, polling over 1,000 Singaporean knowledge workers, 46% of remote and hybrid workers would consider leaving their jobs if employers forced them to return to the office full-time. Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish speaks with Alex Hattingh, Chief People Officer, Employment Hero to find out more the study. 

The commercial property market in Asia is in focus today. According to the latest Asia Pacific Capital Trends report from MSCI Real Assets, inflationary pressures and a spike in borrowing costs had weighed on dealmaking in APAC in the third quarter of the year,  Investment volume came up to be just US$32.6 billion in Q3, a 38 per cent drop from a year ago.  And across major income producing property sectors, retail fared the worst with transaction volume dropping by over 54% on a yearly basis. There were also signs of yields moving out for some sectors, such as the industrial sector in South Korea.  But why is this the case, and with China doling out support to bolster its property, and higher rates in major economies such as South Korea, what’s the outlook for Asia’s commercial property market?  On Market View, Prime Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Benjamin Chow, Head of Asia Real Assets Research at MSCI for more.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva recently pointed out that 345 million people in the world were now suffering from a food crisis as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, high inflation and climate disasters. It is a race against time now to address global food hunger. In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks with Duke Hipp, Director, Public Affairs & Strategic Partnerships, CropLife Asia on global food security and sustainability.  Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

The Lion City Sailors’ arrival as Singapore’s first privatised club shook the local football scene in 2020. Now two years on, the Sailors have released several of their highest-paid local footballers and The Straits Times understands that the club has also parted ways with a host of backroom staff. In The Straits Times' The Big Story, Multimedia Correspondent Hairianto Diman speaks with journalist Deepanraj Ganesan to find out more about these developments. 

The rising interest rates in Singapore are eroding buyers’ purchasing power which is dampening property demand in a significant manner. What will happen as these interest rates keep increasing given Singapore’s open economy and its strong correlation with the US interest rates?  In Powering Your Property on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks with Wong Xian Yang, Head of Research, Cushman & Wakefield to find out what rising interest rates means for property investors and the broad private residential real estate market here.