Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

Hou Wey Fook, Chief Investment Officer, DBS Bank explains why he's upgrading his view on Chinese stocks, as well as whether investors should liquidate their portfolio now as markets come under pressure amid the negative headlines around Ukraine, rising rates and inflation concerns. 

In some entrepreneurial circles, having sold out of a business is a badge of honour. This is because an exit gives you street credibility among your entrepreneurial peers and will put a pile of cash in your pocket, but there are a lot of downsides to selling a company that some founders did not put into consideration. Radek Jezbera, Co-Founder, Kilde shares what Kilde is doing to close the gap in the investment scene and what entrepreneurs should consider before selling off their business. 

Riding high on strong revenues leading into the pandemic, Covid-19 hit the music industry hard as streaming numbers declined and the live concert revenue stream was shuttered as a result of social distancing and quarantine. But despite all that, music and entertainment group Sony Music is cementing its long-term commitment to the region as it opens its flagship headquarters in Singapore. Shridhar Subramaniam, President, Corporate Strategy and Market Development, Asia and Middle East, Sony Music Entertainment shares significance of Sony Music opening a new regional hub in Singapore and what we can expect from the regional music landscape in the near future. 

As announced earlier this week, nightlife businesses will be allowed to reopen from April 19! But such businesses will be subject to similar safe management measures as other establishments, including mandatory mask-wearing indoors and safe distancing of at least 1 metre  between individuals and groups when masks are off. Jean Teo, Director, Teo Heng KTV Studio shares how Teo Heng's business has been surviving the past 2 years and what Singapore's next step into an endemic phase would mean for the company going forward. 

In this morning's The Breakfast Brief, we discuss the Congress' vote to revoke Russia’s ‘most favored nation’ trade status which will see an economic downgrade that opens the door to damaging new tariffs on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, the announcement of the Reserve Bank of India's first monetary policy of the new financial year, and the return of Formula One Australian Grand Prix after a two-year hiatus. 

Thomas Poullaouec, Head of Multi-Asset Solutions APAC, T. Rowe Price, discusses the significance of the Fed's reduction of its balance sheet to the tune of $95 million a month, and why this is a good time to shop for stocks in China.

Announced recently by Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan, the tourism sector will receive a fresh injection of close to half a billion dollars to support and sustain strategic manpower capabilities in the sector, offset business costs, as well as amplify Singapore’s international recovery plans “in the coming years”. Andrew Chan, Founder & CEO, ACI HR Solutions shares some of the top concerns raised by hiring managers that have been highlighted in their report and to what extent will these new announcements change the momentum of the sectors job market moving forward. Highlights of the conversation:  03:12 - What the Methodology 2022 ACI Report entails  04:04 - Intensity of the urgent need for manpower in the tourism & hospitality sector 05:57 - Top concerns of hiring managers when recruiting 09:22 - How can the $500m to kick-start Singapore's tourism recovery be efficiently spent?  11:16 - Types of talents needed to support Singapore's focus on wellness and sustainability 

Tech jobs are positioned to be high in demand, with American and Chinese tech giants offering salary packages minimally 25 percent above market median to attract talent. Yet, Singapore still faces a talent crunch in the digital industry, where the widening skill gap poses problems for companies and job seekers alike. Gladys Poh, Digital Marketing Manager, Smartcademy shares more about the importance of upskilling in the current global economy and how one can choose the right course to upgrade themselves in. 

This week on Stocks to Watch, we’re joined by Cheryl Chan, Senior Vice President for Capital Markets, ADDX to discuss how much more Tesla stand to gain after a strong bull in the past month and if DBS can be considered suitable stock to hedge against the current inflationary environment.

In this morning’s The Breakfast Brief, we discuss the long-awaited plan by the Federal Reserve officials to shrink their balance sheet by more than $1 trillion a year while raising interest rates, how investors are responding to Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Patrick Harker's “acute concern” over rising inflation, and the record breaking cost of COE during the fourth consecutive bidding.