Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Football's household names may have graced the pitch - Arsenal, AC Milan, Newcastle. But thousands of seats remained untouched. What should’ve been a celebration of the beautiful game has instead become a flashpoint, with fans voicing frustration over ticket costs and accessibility. So were the fans truly priced out? Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

It’s back to the offshore and marine industry today as we dive into a company that often makes the list of top movers on the Singapore Exchange.  You might have guessed it by now – yes, we’re speaking to Seatrium Limited or the enlarged entity formed after Sembcorp Marine completed the S$4.5 billion acquisition of its industry peer Keppel Offshore and Marine in March 2023.  Named after a combination of the words “sea” and “atrium”, Seatrium aspires to be a premier global player in providing engineering solutions for the offshore, marine and energy solutions. Today, its key business segments include Oil & Gas, Offshore Wind, Repairs & Upgrades and Carbon Capture and Storage and New Energies, with the firm increasingly focusing on sustainable solutions as the global maritime industry transitions to cleaner energy use and embarks on decarbonisation efforts.  Its presence meanwhile can be felt around the world, with shipyards as well as engineering and technology centres and facilities in Singapore, Brazil, China, India, the Middle East, the US and even more. Now, Seatrium is an interesting company to look at because the firm’s leadership managed to turn the business around in slightly less than two years.  In February 2025, the firm reported a net profit of S$120.9 million for its second half ended December. The showing marked a reversal from the net loss of S$1.8 billion seen in the year ago period.  The performance meant a full-year net profit of S$156.8 million for Seatrium, a marked improvement from the S$2 billion loss seen the year prior, and first full-year profit since the merger with Keppel Offshore and Marine.  The road ahead for the firm remains positive, with the company reporting a net order book of S$21.3 billion as at the end of March, with project deliveries stretching to 2031. But really, how does the firm assess its turnaround strategy and the road ahead given volatilities relating to global trade and oil prices?   On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Chris Ong, CEO, Seatrium.

Car ownership in Singapore has never felt more out of reach — with COE prices soaring past six figures, often eclipsing the cost of the car itself.  The latest bidding round in July saw yet another spike, raising fresh questions: is this simply the cost of a land-scarce nation, or is it time to rethink the COE system altogether? But, would an overhaul of the COE system create more problems than it solves? On The Hot Seat, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Say Kwee Neng, Managing Partner, ONE Strategic Consulting LLC and Terence Fan, Assistant Professor Strategy & Entrepreneurship, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, SMU, to find out more.

Once seen as the drink of wild nights and shot glasses, tequila is undergoing a top-shelf transformation, evolving into a premium spirit rivaling the prestige of aged Scotch. But beyond the bar, tequila is now making waves in an unexpected arena: alternative investments. With global demand soaring and collectors eyeing limited casks, tequila is fast becoming a liquid asset with serious potential. What’s fueling this shift? And could your next investment be bottled in blue agave? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Jacob Daniels, Sales and Marketing Director, Gordon PSI, to find out more.

Between endless tabs, scattered files, and siloed apps, Singapore’s digital workforce is drowning in inefficiency — losing over an hour a day to unproductive work. That adds up to a staggering SG$85 billion in lost output each year. In a bid to cut through the digital noise, Notion is offering a radical rethink of the modern workspace. The Peak sat down with Notion’s regional GM to explore how the platform aims to reshape productivity — and why the future of work might be simpler than we think. On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Zat Astha, Editor-in-Chief, The Peak Singapore, to find out more. 

Singapore shares moved lower today, reversing the positive momentum seen in the previous session.  The Straits Times Index was down 0.49% at 4,252.16 points at 12.46pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$852.16M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Keppel DC Reit. The manager of the REIT said today that it posted a 12.8 per cent year-on-year increase in distribution per unit for its first half of the financial year ended June. Elsewhere, from how US President Donald Trump locked horns with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell during a rare presidential visit to the US central bank overnight, to how Sony bought a strategic 2.5 per cent stake in Japanese game franchise giant Bandai Namco in a bid to grow its anime business – more international and corporate headlines remain in focus.  Also on deck – a quick look at Magnificent 7 earnings out thus far. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

Why would a battle-tested Aussie defender - who’s played across Indonesia, India, and Hong Kong - join Tanjong Pagar United, a side that finished bottom of the pile last season? Aaron Evans sits down with Sports Minutes to unpack his bold leap into Singapore football, and how he plans to lead a renewed Jaguars side with grit, fight, and foresight. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

Earlier this year, we shared with you that we will be bringing you topical interviews with key leaders in the business world.  Housed under the “Under the Radar Specials” banner, these interviews are B2B focused and are meant to drive greater conversations in the business community.  Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian fulfils the promise she made by launching the first “In the Community” episode of Under the Radar Specials by looking at a corporate role that emerged only in the later half of the 20th century – the Chief of Staff.  The term typically refers to a high-ranking officer or a leader in the organisation that serves as an aide to a commander.  In the corporate world, a Chief of Staff is usually the bridge between the CEO charting out the strategic direction of the firm, and the teams ensuring the smooth running of day-to-day operations in the company.  But what exactly is a Chief of Staff? How senior is the Chief of Staff in the corporate ladder? Why are Chiefs of Staff needed and what exactly does it take to become one? Tian Tian sought to find out the answers to these questions by speaking to two individuals, one a Chief of Staff at a venture studio, and the other, a Chief of Staff at a global banking institution –  Eelee Lua, Chief of Staff, xcube.co and Geraldine Yip, Chief of Staff, HSBC Singapore.

The household recycling rate in 2024 fell to a record low of 11 per cent, down from the previous low of 12 per cent in 2023 and 2022. This comes despite initiatives to encourage more household recycling, such as the distribution of recycling boxes to all homes in 2023. The National Environment Agency told The Straits Times that the dip in 2024 was largely due to less paper and cardboard waste being recycled, although less domestic waste was generated that year. So what’s going wrong? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Sonny Rosenthal, Associate Professor of Sustainability Communication, Singapore Management University, to find out more. 

Gold is soaring, silver’s riding the green tech wave, and the dollar is on the decline. As precious metals outshine traditional assets, investors are rethinking where to place their bets. A new report from J. Rotbart & Co. breaks down what’s driving the shift and what it could mean for portfolios in the months ahead. Are real assets taking the lead in 2025? And is this just the beginning? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Joshua Rotbart, Founder and Managing Partner, J. Rotbart & Co, to find out more.