Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Singapore shares inched higher today, tracking advances seen in the region. The Straits Times Index was up 0.59% at 4,448.32 points at 1.07pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$677.25M seen in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have ASL Marine, after the shipbuilder said it was working closely with the authorities regarding a fire at its Batam facility on Oct 15. Elsewhere, from how Asian markets surged on a breakthrough in US-China trade talks, with Japan and South Korea breaching key levels, to how Toyota saw worldwide production increase by more than 10 per cent in September, more international and corporate headlines in focus. Also on deck, a look ahead to corporate reports out of Singapore and the US this week. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

What does bigger, bolder, better really mean? Sports Minutes finds out from Netball Singapore's CEO Daniel Ho and Singlife's chief marketing officer Debra Soon - as they reveal how the 2025 Singlife Nations Cup will raise the bar for the sport in Singapore. Event information and tickets: https://ticketmaster.sg/activity/detail/25sg_nationscup Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

Marketing and communications has been an integral part of companies in shaping their brand image, selling values, advertising their products and services, which ultimately rings in the dollars and cents seen on balance sheets. But despite the importance of the profession, modern marketing as we know it to be is a relatively new field of business that took off only in the 1900s, with the widespread consumption of radio and television content. Our guest for today is one of the early players in the industry. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, our guest for today is Dentsu, one of the largest global marketing and communications networks in the world.  The Tokyo-listed company boasts a presence spanning across 110 countries and regions, and is said to combine the talents of its global network of leadership brands to develop impactful and integrated growth solutions for enterprise customers.  That is particularly so through its landmark acquisition of UK-based Aegis Group for 3.2 billion British pounds back in 2012, and its purchase of US-based customer relationship management firm Merkle to expand its footprint and standing on the global stage.  In Singapore, Dentsu operates as a strategic hub for Southeast Asia, and delivers what it calls end-to-end experience transformation for brands, people and society. Yet, Dentsu's rapid internationalisation moves come at a cost – the kinks involved in integrating acquisition targets have put a dent on financial performance.  In August 2025, the firm reported an operating loss of 62 billion yen (S$540 million) for the quarter ended June, after booking an 86 billion yen impairment loss due to sluggish performance in the US and Europe. The company also said it will cut about 3,400 jobs in markets outside of Japan, or about 8 per cent of headcount in the region to streamline operations.  And in that same month, a report by the Financial Times noted that Dentsu is considering selling its international business.  So where are things at right now, and what would the recent developments mean for Dentsu’s Southeast Asia and Singapore’s operations? What would they mean for Dentsu's global growth ambitions too? On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Prakash Kamdar, CEO, Clients & Solutions, SEA, and CEO, Singapore, Dentsu.

In February 2019, three-year-old Megan Khung began missing school. A year later, she was dead, after suffering physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her mother and the woman’s boyfriend. On Oct 23, a review panel appointed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) released a report that detailed the actions of the agencies involved in Megan’s case. It revealed that within a year, there were several lapses at various agencies – including the MSF’s Child Protective Service (CPS) and the police – that ultimately led to the tragedy. What were these lapses? Could we have done more to prevent her death? What can we learn to prevent another tragedy like this from happening again? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Cindy Ng, Director of Melrose Home, to find out more. 

Gold and silver have just seen their biggest drop in years, rattling investors and sending analysts back to the drawing board. Once tipped to hit $5,000 an ounce by 2026, gold’s outlook is now in question. Is this just a temporary pullback or the start of something bigger? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Alexandra Symeonidi, corporate credit analyst on William Blair's emerging markets debt (EMD) team, to find out more.

Most doctors stick to the script — steady careers, rising pay, and clear recognition. But Dr Yudara Kularathne took a different path. Once an emergency medicine specialist, he left the ER for Silicon Valley — with no salary — to pursue a bold mission: building AI systems to close healthcare’s most stigmatised gaps and transform care for a billion people. Now back in Singapore as the founder of AIGP Health, he’s using AI to redesign primary care, tackle clinician burnout, and improve patient outcomes. On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong spoke with Dr Yudara Kularathne, Co-Founder & CTO, AIGP Health, to find out more. 

Singapore shares inched higher today, tracking broad advances across the region. The Straits Times Index was up 0.26% at 4,427.77 points at 2.12pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$743.41M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have for you ST Engineering, after the defence and engineering group announced yesterday that it secured S$4.9 billion in new contracts in the third quarter of 2025.  Elsewhere, from US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on trade with Canada and China, to how Indonesia’s Chandra Asri Group is acquiring ExxonMobil’s network of Esso-branded petrol stations in Singapore, more international and corporate headlines remained in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

Patrick Kluivert’s brief and bumpy spell in charge of Indonesia has ended - but the story goes far beyond one man’s tenure. As Singapore and Thailand also look for new national coaches, Indonesia’s experience serves as a warning and a window into the region’s deeper footballing flaws. What went wrong in Jakarta, and what can Southeast Asia learn from it? Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

A lawyer had been ordered to pay $800 to his client’s opponent in a civil suit after a non-existent case generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) tool was found in his court documents. Now this is considered a landmark case, as law firms here are treating breaches of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) policies as potentially sackable offences. So what does this mean now? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Tris Xavier, Associate Director and Head of the Integrated Property Practice Group at Yuen Law LLC, to find out more. 

Investors often bet on countries or sectors, but are they really seeing where the money flows? Short-term headlines can move markets, but the true drivers of returns lie elsewhere. The question is: where are your profits actually coming from? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Rob Hinchliffe, Portfolio Manager, Head of Global Sector Cluster Research, Pinebridge Investments, to find out more.