Reset with Lynlee

Nvidia is within touching distance of $1 trillion market value — poised to become only the ninth firm ever to hit that milestone — as the artificial intelligence frenzy boosts demand for processors that can accelerate computing. The chipmaker would become the fifth publicly traded U.S. company to be currently worth $1 trillion. Apple created the club in 2018, while Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon also now hold the distinction. On Market Wrap, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Geoff Howie, Strategist at the SGX, to dissect Nvidia's stock surge, other key market movers, Singapore's latest inflation and GDP numbers, and US debt ceiling talks.

China has been boasting strong economic growth since the removal of its Zero Covid policy. But concerns remain among investors over the strength of China’s economic recovery, as the combination of strong post-reopening economic data and sluggish stock-market returns proves perplexing. So is there room to grow for Chinese markets later in the year? And what are some of the investment trends when it comes to investing in the Chinese market?  On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Thomas Rupf, CIO Asia & Head of Trading Execution, VP Bank Ltd Singapore Branch to find out more. 

Singapore aims to reach net zero by 2050. And, according to some industry players - more needs to be done to reach climate goals. A survey of members of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore revealed that more than two thirds (72%) of respondents believe that Singapore isn’t making fast enough progress on its net zero targets. In this week's episode of Eco Money, Rachel Kelly speaks to Kavita Gandhi, Executive Director, SEAS to find out more. 

According to TD Ameritrade Singapore’s latest report on its Singapore Investor Movement Index, which tracks what investors were actually doing and how they were positioned in the markets, Singapore investors had increased exposure during the April period, but that was unlike the overall TD Ameritrade client population.  In fact, Singaporean investors were net sellers of equities. On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to AJ Kahling, Head of International Education at TD Ameritrade, to find out more.  Highlights: 02:32 - What were the key themes that moved markets in April?  05:55 - How were Singaporean investors positioned in April?  07:55 - What stocks did more people sell? 09:42 - What was the investors sentiment like amongst Singaporeans? 10:42 - What kind of risks remain in the market this month? 

Global gold demand was down by as much as 13 percent year-on-year in Q1, with consumer demand in Singapore alone dipping by 20 percent year-on-year.  But despite the fall, the Monetary Authority of Singapore was still the single largest buyer during the quarter? Why was this the case, and what is the outlook on gold investment for the remainder of the year? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Shaokai Fan, Head of Asia-Pacific (ex-China) & Global Head of Central Banks,World Gold Council, to find out more. 

Earlier this month, digital media giant Vice Media, once valued at nearly US$6 billion, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  Vice was one of seven large companies that filed for Chapter 11 in less than 48 hours, the largest number on record during a two-day period since 2008. So is the problem simply just down to aggressive debt accumulation during the low-interest-rate era, or is it more layered? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Finbarr Flynn, Editor Asia Credit at Bloomberg News, to find out more. 

Earlier this month marked the one-year anniversary of Terra LUNA's collapse. Despite that and other fallouts since then, more than 40 percent of Singaporean investors are still holding onto crypto. Why is that the case? What are other investment trends capturing the market, and how will Ethereum yield solidify its position as the prevailing risk-free rate in the crypto industry? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Chen Zhuling, Founder and CEO of RockX, to find out more.

Singapore Airlines this week unveiled record revenue and profit numbers for the current financial year, buoyed by record passenger loads. On Market Wrap, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Geoff Howie, Strategist at the SGX, to discuss the carrier's blockbuster results, as well as other key market movers, trade volumes and the latest on US debt ceiling talks.

The latest report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - showed that its Food Price Index rose by 0.6% month on month in April. Now this might not sound like much, but -  this marks the first increase in the FFPI since March 2022, when prices rose by 13.1% on month  in the wake of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.  In terms of the constituent groupings, the increase was driven by a 1.3% m-o-m rise in meat prices and a 17.6% m-o-m rise in the price of sugar. To help us understand what’s driving these costs and what this means for other commodity prices Rachel Kelly spoke with Matthew Biggin, Commodity Analyst at Fitch Solutions. 

Recent banking collapses and rescue deals have re-ignited US recession risks.  As a result, the US Federal Reserve may need to keep policy rates stable for longer than expected, leaving equity markets susceptible to high volatility. So has this opened the door to opportunities in fixed income markets? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Carol Lye, Associate Portfolio Manager & Senior Research Analyst at BrandywineGlobal Investment Management to find out more.