Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in as Malaysia’s 10th prime minister yesterday, ending a 24-year wait to lead the country. In The Straits Times’ The Big Story, Multimedia Correspondent Cheow Sue-Ann spoke with Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh on his views on this development.

VC investments into the tech industry is on our agenda amid massive layoffs by a number of big names such as GoTo, Meta and Twitter, as well as the bankruptcy of cryptocurrency exchange FTX.  With valuations for startups dropping by some 30 to 50 per cent in some cases, VCs at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum held last week warned that the tech industry is seeing a fundamental overhaul going forward.  But how would VCs calibrate their investments in the tech industry amid these challenges and what are the bright spots ahead? On Market View, Prime Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Debneel Mukherjee, Founder & Managing Partner, Decacorn Capital for more.

The 1872 Clipper Tea is Singapore’s oldest tea producer, blender and retailer. The heritage brand, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, is renowned for its commitment to delivering the finest teas from all corners of the world. In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks with its fifth gen leader, Rehan Amarasuriya, Director of The 1872 Clipper Tea Co. and Executive Director of B.P de Silva Holdings on how are they keep that legacy alive, the challenges they face with climate change and of course, what’s next? Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg) Highlights from the conversation: 02:25: The challenges Rehan faced taking over the business as the tea industry continues to evolve 05:16: Standing up against the coffee and bubble tea culture  07:01: Surpassing the competition from other tea brands that have entered the local market 09:36: Ensuring transparency in the supply chain as ESG concerns become more prominent among consumers 13:37: Ways the tea industry can sequester carbon dioxide and mitigate climate change

Manchester United said on Tuesday that it was commencing a process to explore “strategic alternatives”, including a new investment or a potential sale -  17 years after the American Glazer family bought the English Premier League football club. In The Straits Times’ The Big Story, Multimedia Correspondent Cheow Sue- Ann spoke with Sports Correspondent David Lee for more on these developments. 

Leadership competencies are being increasingly challenged by changing workforce engagement and talent availability, with only 30% of Singapore’s leaders saying they are prepared to face them. On Career 360, Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish speaks with Ulrike Wieduwilt, Russell Reynolds Associates’ Singapore Managing Director to find out how leaders can invest in talent development and bring on a transformative business environment.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but some trading firms are hoping that diamonds can become all investors’ best friend. According to Investment & Pensions Europe or IPE, there have been attempts over the past 30 years to commoditise the good via a futures exchange or a fund, but each has been met with their fair share of problems.  The main issue lies in the fact that each diamond is unique and hard to price, unlike gold, which has standardised quantities and purity. But a commodity firm called Diamond Standard has managed to commoditise diamonds by grouping them into equally valued clusters.  So how does this work exactly? On Market View, Prime Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Amelia Bourdeau, Managing Director,  Market Strategy at Diamond Standard for more. 

Is jade a girl’s new best friend? Is the green gemstone becoming a strong contender for that title? In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks with Genevie Yeo, Founder and CEO of Gen.K Jewelry and her younger sister Kayde Yeo, Chief Designer of Gen.K Jewelry on their love for the stone and how their jewellery brand just wants to make jade cool again. Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

The US economy and stock market are in focus as investors mull mixed signals coming out in recent days. Earlier, consumer prices in the country jumped 7.7% on-year in October, the smallest yearly increase since January. Similarly, producer prices also increased less than expected at 8% for October, providing more evidence that inflation was starting to subside.  While investors took that as sign for the Fed to take its foot off the pedal, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said terminal federal funds rates could reach the 5 to 7% range, dampening hopes of a Fed pivot.  But what is the current state of the US economy and how are market watchers reading into these developments? On Market View, Prime Time's finance presenter Chua Tian Tian spoke with Shawn Cruz, Head Trading Strategist at TD Ameritrade for more.

The UK economy is at the heart of our discussion today after UK’s finance minister Jeremy Hunt last week unveiled a budget plan to save 55 billion pounds a year to fix the country’s public finances.  With almost half of the belt-tightening due to come from tax hikes, to what extent can households withstand such measures as surging inflation continues to erode incomes? Back in Asia, Japan saw its core inflation figure come in at the highest level in 40 years. What would this mean for markets with Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda standing firm on the country’s ultra-loose monetary policy? On Market View, Prime Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Craig Erlam, Senior Market Analyst, UK & EMEA at OANDA for more.

In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Melissa Hyak speaks with Eleanor Smallwood, Host/Producer, Partner Hub, BBC World Service for the biggest stories they’re tracking in the week ahead, including Russian president Vladimir Putin’s visit to the ex-Soviet state of Armenia this week for talks.