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On The Afternoon Update, Hongbin Jeong is joined by Geoff Howie, Market Strategist at the SGX, for a market wrap of the week. They discuss how the STI fared in the past week, the biggest movers on the STI, and several economic news released this week including the latest GDP numbers and NODX data. They also look ahead to Singapore’s Budget 2024 ahead of DPM Lawrence Wong’s speech later in the day to see whether there’s a stock market wish list for the Budget.

A key theme this year is the prospect of US Fed rate cuts in the year ahead. But with the latest data showing that inflation is still stickier than expected, a May rate cut seems to be off the table. The latest inflation numbers also erased the last remnants of a global bond rally that started in December with the hope that the Federal Reserve had finally pivoted to favour interest-rate cuts. So what’s the outlook on fixed income markets now? How will fixed income markets perform compared to other asset classes? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Kheng Siang Ng, Asia Pacific Head of Fixed Income at State Street Global Advisors, to find out more. 

On What's Trending today, MRT stations got a whole new tune to chime through your journey. The chimes on the trains and at MRT stations that were recently piloted in selected stations will be progressively implemented on all trains and at more than 70 stations on the North-South, East-West and Circle lines. Also on What's Trending, Katy Perry may be bidding farewell to American Idol after the latest season, which kicks off on February 18. Also, are you ready for Taylor Swift? She's coming to Singapore in a few weeks, and The Straits Times has something special in store. 

There may be some strong Valentine’s Day rally in stock markets, as investors may be buying more in anticipation of a positive market sentiment. So how have love-related stocks been faring ahead of Valentine's Day? Was there a boost leading up to the romantic day of the year? And how much would you spend on a first date? On The Afternoon Update's Financial Hit, Hongbin Jeong is joined by Sean Cheong to discuss whether love is up in the air for markets.

Traders are now pushing back on bets that the first US Fed interest rate cut will be from July, instead of May. That’s after data overnight in the US showed inflation was stickier than expected last month. The rally that had been predicated on the belief that the central bank’s imminent pivot to interest-rate cuts slammed into reality, as those bets are being frantically rolled back. So should investors trim their equity exposure? What about Asian markets - are there any opportunities there? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Steve Brice, Chief Investment Officer at Standard Chartered Bank, to find out more. Highlights: 1. Can markets continue this rally or at its peak? Is another market correction coming? - 1:09 2. Is now the time to increase the exposure on equities? Or with short-term volatility ahead, is now the time for investors to trim their equity exposure a little bit? - 1:48 3. Meanwhile, over in Asia, it seems like Asia ex-Japan equity markets saw a revival in investor sentiment last week. What triggered this shift? - 6:01 4. China unveiled several measures to help save its recent stock market rout. Do those measures look promising? - 6:52 5. How are markets faring at the moment, amid thin trading due to a shorter week for most Asian markets as well as China markets closed? - 8:53

For professional fund selectors, uncertainty in financial markets is the main theme for this year when allocating assets. Recession is still a top concern - as global tensions continue to escalate, there’s still a long way to go for economic growth, and interest rates are still here for higher for longer. So can we expect more stock market volatility? How are fund selectors mitigating the risks? Which assets do they see opportunities this year? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Dave Goodsell, Executive Director of Natixis Center for Investor Insight, to find out more about the key findings of Natixis Investment Manager’s latest Fund Selector Outlook Survey. 

On What's Trending, over the weekend, The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl, downing the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in Las Vegas. And Taylor Swift was of course there, supporting her boyfriend Travis Kelce. After the Chief's victory, Kelce mumbled three words to her - "Come here girl". And as Kelce and Swift's love story continues to dominate headlines, Kanye West hits back once again to try to steal Swift's spotlight.

Chinese officials are doing whatever they can to stabilise the stock market… a slew of markets have been announced with the latest - the replacement of the head of the securities regulator. Investors are closely watching Beijing as they await more forceful policy to secure the turnaround. Meanwhile, while China is busy with its stock market rout, global equities are approaching records and even neighbouring Asian markets are relatively unscathed. So why aren’t regional equities not impacted more by the recent rout? Is China’s rescue plans enough for the rally to sustain? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Sani Hamid, Director for Wealth Management, Financial Alliance, to find out more. 

While shares of Nvidia, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet have continued their climb from last year, two stocks in the Magnificent 7 haven’t pulled their weight - Apple and Tesla. Should they be removed? Should the Magnificent 7 be re-named as the Magnificent 5? On The Afternoon Update's Financial Hit, Hongbin Jeong is joined by Sean Cheong as they discuss some other names that could replace the laggards. 

On What's Trending, a dragon emerged at red-themed HDB blocks in Tampines North that made headlines in 2023 for their “creepy” aesthetic. A couple had decorated one of the blocks with a dragon design, but unfortunately got removed before the new year.  Also on What's Trending, what if airlines started weighing your body weight before you on-board your flight?