Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Inspired by the growing environmental challenges in the apparel industry, Frank launched Ultifresh in 2018 to reduce the industry's excessive water usage, emissions, and waste. Using advanced antibacterial technology infused directly into the fabric, Ultifresh shirts are designed to kill 99.94% of bacteria on contact. This innovation allows shirts to be reworn up to three times before needing a wash—saving time, effort, and, most importantly, water. Fewer washes mean less water and detergent used, cutting costs and reducing environmental impact. On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Frank Yap, Co-Founder of Ultifresh to find out more. Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Nadiah Koh (nadkoh@sph.com.sg) Want to get featured on our MONEY MATTERS? Drop me an email today!

US President Donald Trump ordered a pause to all military aid to Ukraine, turning up the heat on Mr Volodymyr Zelensky. This comes only days after an Oval Office blow-up with the Ukrainian President left the support of his country’s most important ally in doubt. The US is holding up all pending military assistance until Mr Trump determines Ukraine’s leaders demonstrate a good-faith commitment to peace. The administration will also review the aid to make sure it’s contributing to a solution to the conflict. How significant is this move to pause all military aid? Will the US eventually resume military aid to Ukraine, or is this a sign of a longer-term shift in policy? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks withEmeritus Professor Joseph A. Camilleri, La Trobe University, Melbourne; Fellow, The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia; Convener, Conversation at the Crossroads to find out more. Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Nadiah Koh (nadkoh@sph.com.sg) Want to get featured on our MONEY MATTERS? Drop me an email today!

Singapore shares were lower today as investors continue to monitor global trade tensions. The Straits Times Index was down 0.29% at 3,897.63 points at about 2.20pm (2.24pm) with a value turnover of S$826.60M in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch today, we have Yangzijiang Shipbuilding. That’s given how customers who initiated arbitration proceedings against three of its units over alleged contractual breaches have been awarded a right to a refund of US$3.32 million in deposits.  Elsewhere, from US President Donald Trump slapping more tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China, to more on China’s two sessions which kicked off today – more international headlines remain in focus today.   On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Dan Chang, Investment Specialist and Trading Representative, PhillipCapital.

Gold is seeing a “perfect storm” as the precious metal is firmly on track for its biggest first quarter of the year ever. It's already set 39 new record highs throughout 2024, and so far in 2025, it's clocked up 14 new record highs. But of course it’s not without volatility. On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Robin Tsui, APAC Gold Strategist at State Street Global Advisors, to find out more about the key trends to watch for gold amid the volatility.

Simon Gwozdz, the founder and CEO of Equatorial Space Systems, may have grown up with a keen passion for space, but his academic path wasn’t without its challenges. Fast forward to today however, Simon is leading a cutting-edge space start-up in Singapore; some might even call him the Elon Musk of Singapore. Equatorial Space Systems is breaking barriers in the rocket propulsion and space launch industry, offering environmentally-friendly technology that reduces cost and greenhouse gas emissions. On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Simon Gwozdz, CEO and Founder, Equatorial Space System to find out more. Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Nadiah Koh (nadkoh@sph.com.sg) Want to get featured on our MONEY MATTERS? Drop me an email today!

Chinese tech stocks have been on a tear lately, after local AI startup DeepSeek’s breakthrough prompted investors to re-evaluate the nation’s leading internet companies.  More recently, President Xi Jinping is signalling an ease of its tech crackdown.  So can we expect more opportunities in Chinese tech stocks?  On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Danish Lim, Senior Investment Analyst, Phillip Nova, to find out more about the opportunities in Chinese tech.  

Singapore shares inched higher earlier today as investors continue to mull developments relating to City Developments Limited.  The counter fell 7 per cent to hit its lowest level since 2009 after resuming trade, per Bloomberg data.  As at about 11am (11.07am), the Straits Times Index was up 0.30% at 3,907.51 points, with a value turnover of S$727.90M in the broader market.  In terms of companies to watch, we have Haw Par and United Overseas Insurance. That’s because minority shareholders of UOB’s insurance arm proposed resolutions to distribute its holding of 4.27 million shares in healthcare player Haw Par Corporation to shareholders of UOI, among other requests.  Meanwhile, from more on CDL to how US President Donald Trump expects to include five digital assets, including Bitcoin, in a new US strategic reserve of cryptocurrencies – more corporate and international headlines remain in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with US President Donald Trump ended in disaster last Friday before the world’s media at the White House over the war with Russia. The visit by Mr Zelensky was designed to help Ukraine convince the US not to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine three years ago. Instead the Ukrainian leader disagreed sharply with Mr Trump and Vice-President JD Vance over the conflict. Mr Trump quickly took to Truth Social to accuse Mr Zelensky of disrespecting the United States. How does the new administration in Washington undermine Kyiv’s attempts to maintain Western support for its war effort? With the public fallout from this meeting, how might US-Ukraine relations be impacted in the future? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Cedomir Nestorovic, Professor of Geopolitics, ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific to find out more. Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Nadiah Koh (nadkoh@sph.com.sg) Want to get featured on our MONEY MATTERS? Drop me an email today!

History beckons for the Lion City Sailors this week, as the Singaporean outfit travel to Japan to take on Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the ACL Two Quarter finals. As the ONLY south-east asian team representative left in the competition, how will they fare? What are the key battles and can the Sailors keep themselves alive heading into the second leg? Deepanraj Ganesan dives in to this and the weekend's Singapore Cup results on Sports Minutes. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

Wubble.ai is an enterprise-grade AI music platform that empowers businesses to create high-quality, royalty-free music in seconds. By leveraging cutting-edge generative AI trained on ethically sourced, royalty-free data, Wubble streamlines the music creation process by eliminating licensing complexities, reducing costs, and unlocking limitless creative possibilities. On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Anand Roy, Founder & CEO, and Shaad Sufi, Co-founder & CPO of Wubble.ai, to find out more.   Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Alexandra Parada (alexparada@sph.com.sg) and Nadiah Koh Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!