Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Energy, trade, technology and the green transition – the biggest questions in the oil and gas world converge this week at the 41st annual Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference or APPEC right here in Singapore. Hosted by S&P Global Commodity Insights, APPEC features over 200 industry leading speakers, and is said to deliver unparalleled insights into the future of the global energy landscape.  MONEY FM is in the thick of it all, as Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian brings you a series of “On the Go” Under the Radar Specials from our on-site booth with key leaders driving conversations ranging from Southeast Asia’s energy transition, to the forces shaping oil prices, global shipping and supply chains.  In the first of three interviews, she spoke with Dave Ernsberger, co-President of S&P Global Commodity Insights,  who gave a summary of the key APPEC discussion topics and the overall macro energy outlook amid the current geopolitical backdrop.

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced he is stepping down after less than a year in the role, following two major election losses. The move comes a day before his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was expected to vote on whether to hold an internal leadership vote that could have forced him out. The LDP has governed Japan for most of the past seven decades, but under Ishiba it lost its majority in the lower house for the first time in 15 years and then lost its majority in the upper house in July. Was Ishiba’s resignation inevitable? Who could replace him as Japan’s next prime minister? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Stephen Nagy, Professor of Politics & International Studies at the International Christian University, to find out more. 

As global biotech investment patterns shift, investors are turning their eyes to Asia-Pacific. While China remains a powerhouse, emerging hubs like Singapore and South Korea are quickly gaining attention for their political stability, strong IP protection, and innovation-friendly policies. Why are APAC biotech markets suddenly so appealing to investors? And how are these emerging hubs reshaping the future of global biotech innovation? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Fabio La Mola, Partner at Bain & Company,to find out more.

PEXX is a borderless USD neo-bank built for the global generation. It gives anyone, anywhere full access to USD accounts - no U.S. residency, no branches, no endless paperwork. By combining stablecoins with the security of the U.S. Treasuries, PEXX enables seamless transfers, instant payments, and daily interest on USD balances. Designed for freelancers, digital nomads, expats, and globally-minded businesses, PEXX solves the problems traditional banks and crypto platforms overlook: fast, compliant access to spendable dollars across borders, without hidden fees or delays. On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Marcus Lim, Founder, PEXX, to find out more.

Singapore shares nudged higher early today, tracking a positive start in Asia.  The Straits Times Index was up 0.11% at 4,311.95 points at 9.39am Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$266.90M seen in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have CapitaLand Investment, given how CapitaLand China Trust (CLCT) will subscribe for 5 per cent of the 400 million initial public offering (IPO) units in CapitaLand Commercial C-Reit (CLCR), priced at 5.718 yuan per unit.  Elsewhere, from how Tokyo rose on the back of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to resign, to how China’s export growth slowed to the weakest in six months as shipments to the US plunged at a faster rate – more international headlines remained in focus. Plus – how US markets had reacted to a disappointing set of employment data out on Friday night.   On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

It’s back to the real estate sector today as we speak to an SGX-listed REIT focused on commercial properties in Europe.  Founded in 2017, Stoneweg Europe Stapled Trust is a stapled group that comprises Stoneweg E-REIT and Stoneweg European Business Trust.  You might better know the REIT by its old name Cromwell European REIT before it was bought over by alternative investment group Icona Capital and real estate investment group Stoneweg for 280 million euros or S$395.5 million just a couple of months ago.  Cromwell European REIT was renamed as Stoneweg European Reit at the start of 2025, and later converted into a stapled group in June 2025. Today, the stapled trust has a principal mandate to invest be it directly or indirectly in income-producing commercial real estate assets across Europe.  In particular, the trust needs to maintain a minimum portfolio weighting of at least 75% to Western Europe and at least 75% to the light industrial or logistics and office sectors.  On top of that, the trust also takes on asset enhancement and redevelopment projects for existing office assets, with a focus on strong ESG credentials in prime and core locations within key European gateway cities.  On the whole, its portfolio value stands at around 2.2 billion euros, with over 100 predominantly freehold properties across major cities in key markets such as The Netherlands, Italy, France, Poland, Germany, Finland, Denmark and the UK.  The total lettable area comes in at around 1.7 million square metres and its client base – over 800 tenant customers.  Now, why are we speaking to Stoneweg Europe Stapled Trust you might ask? Well, we want to find out how the firm assessed its financial performance for the first half of 2025, as well as how its strategy has evolved through its stapled structure. But on top of that we also wanted to find out more about the outlook of the European office and logistics property market amid macroeconomic headwinds arising from US tariffs. On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Simon Garing, CEO and Executive Director, Stoneweg Europe Stapled Trust.

US President Donald Trump is turning once again to tariffs, this time targeting semiconductor imports from companies that don’t shift production to the United States. The move could reshape global supply chains, with ripple effects on Asian chipmakers and global markets. At the same time, Trump has cut tariffs on Japanese autos to 15%, leaving South Korean automakers at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, signs of weakness are emerging in the US labor market, with payroll growth slowing and layoffs rising, just as the Federal Reserve weighs a possible rate cut. In technology, OpenAI is preparing to launch its first in-house AI chip with Broadcom, signaling a new phase in AI infrastructure development. On Market View, Alexandra Parada speaks to Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education at SIAS, to discuss the latest market movements.

Singapore's 15th parliament opens today, starting with the nomination of Mr Seah Kian Peng as Speaker of Parliament. Today's sitting will see the election of the Speaker of Parliament, the swearing-in of 99 MPs and an opening address by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Later this month, MPs will get down to business with a full debate on the President’s Address, unpacking the details and weighing in on the direction Singapore is headed. So, what exactly should we be looking out for? And how might this new Parliament shape policies that affect everyday Singaporeans? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Gillian Koh, Senior Research Fellow from the Institute of Policy Studies, to find out more. 

The metals market is in flux. Rising rates, inflation, and global tensions are shaking up gold, silver, copper, and more. Which metals are poised to outperform, and how should investors navigate the risks and opportunities ahead? 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.

In 2025, attention spans are shorter than ever—two-hour podcasts can lose listeners by minute six. Enter Videotto, the tool helping creators win the scroll war in just two clicks. Podcasters, livestreamers, and agencies can instantly turn long-form content into bite-sized, scroll-stopping clips—your personal editing sidekick without the software headache. How is Videotto helping creators stay relevant in a sea of content? And why is the future of content not just what you say, but how fast you can clip it? On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Yao Ming Tay, Co-Founder and CEO at Videotto and Ian Lee, Co-founder and CTO at Videotto, to find out more.