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Attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea have escalated, with no signs yet of tensions easing any time soon. The escalation of the conflict has heightened worries about supply risks, with oil markets the most vulnerable. But according to analysts, while the diversions by oil tankers were expected to push up the cost and time it takes to transport oil, supplies have not yet been impacted. Meanwhile, others warn that prices could change rapidly if supply is disrupted. So are oil prices truly reflecting the geopolitical risks in the Red Sea? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Priyanka Sachdeva, Senior Market Analyst, Phillip Nova, to find out more. 

In 2023, many Asian currencies were battered by a strong US dollar amid persistent inflation, rising geopolitical tensions, and high interest rates. But since last December, most Asian currencies showed signs that they will ride into 2024 on an optimistic note. That’s as investors expected a potential rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve as early as March. However such optimism has somewhat faded in the New Year. So what’s the outlook on Asian currencies now? Which currencies should we look out for? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Jerome Tay, Investment Manager, Asian Fixed Income Team, abrdn, to find out more. Highlights: 1. Now that we have prospects of interest rate cuts, especially by the US Fed, with some pricing in rate cuts as early as March, what would that mean for Asian currencies? - 1:28 2. What are some other themes set to boost or move Asian currencies in the year ahead? - 2:35 3. What's the overall outlook of the Sing dollar this year? - 6:38 4. Are there any other currencies that you'll be looking out for this year that investors should take note of? - 9:27 5. What other opportunities and value are you seeing in the fixed income space? - 10:13

On What's Trending today, Philippines capital is known for its traffic congestion, but Manila’s traffic is so bad that it led Coldplay to write a song about it. Manila's notorious traffic, in fact, became a major theme of Coldplay's visit to the Philippines, with Chris Martin coming up with an impromptu song about the so-called insane jams during his concert in the capital.  Also trending today, H&M pulls its school uniform ad in Australia after complaints it sexualised children; while a 'Zombie' virus which has spent more than 48,000 years frozen in the Arctic is at risk of sparking another deadly pandemic. 

To close the year, Singapore’s market closed flat in 2023, outperforming some of its regional rivals. But it failed to outperform markets in North Asia and North America. So what lessons can we learn from last year to mitigate the risks of the market this year? For investors navigating markets in 2024, what are some key themes they should look out for? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Thilan Wickramasinghe, Head of Equity Research, Maybank Securities, to find out more. 

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, SG NODX numbers, the performance of iEdge Sg Advanced Manufacturing Index, as well as when US rate cuts are expected to roll in.

After defying recession fears last year, the US economy has maintained stronger growth than widely expected. With several possible rate cuts planned for this year by the US Fed, what's now expected from the US economy? What asset classes are set to benefit from the better US economic outlook? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Nikolaj Schmidt, Chief International Economist in the Fixed Income Division of T. Rowe Price, to find out more. 

A resilient US economy and cooling inflation had triggered an intense year-end bond rally. But some market watchers suspect investors are too optimistic about the months ahead. In fact, fears of a prolonged stretch of higher interest rates have repeatedly driven the yield to decade-plus highs, only for the stress on the banking system and a Federal Reserve pivot to drag it down again. So what can we expect from the bond market in the year ahead? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Carol Lye, Portfolio Manager & Senior Research Analyst, Brandywine Global Investment Management, to find out more.

According to the World Health Organisation, 'Disease X' is a hypothetical future international epidemic caused by a pathogen as yet unknown to cause human disease. But despite it being a hypothetical disease, 'Disease X' could be 20 times more deadly than the COVID-19 virus. The topic has also made it into the agenda of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week. So what exactly is Disease X? And how can we prepare for its potential outbreak? On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Professor Dale Fisher, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Senior Consultant, National University Hospital, about this looming disease. Highlights: 1. What exactly is Disease X? - 1:39 2. Should we be concerned? - 3:24 3. How can countries enhance their preparedness and create robust systems to effectively manage any potential breakouts? - 4:26 4. What critical areas do you believe should be added to improve global readiness for future pandemics? - 9:38 5. Looking ahead, what kind of preparations would be required for an effective response to possible infectious threats, and how can countries like Singapore proactively prepare for such? - 11:25

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has issued a statement on former transport minister S. Iswaran - who is facing 27 charges including corruption. Speaking to reporters, DPM Wong said he is ‘disappointed and saddened’ - but reiterated that the People’s Action Party’s stance on corruption is non-negotiable. READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/pap-s-stance-on-corruption-is-non-negotiable-part-of-its-dna-dpm-lawrence-wong-on-iswaran-s-case

Major banks have already kicked off reporting their earnings results - with the latest being Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs group. While the results so far have been mixed, analysts remain optimistic on earnings despite economic growth weakening, inflation remaining elevated, and liquidity declining. Some say this earnings season will be critical for stocks after a rough start to the year. What could a disappointing season look like for markets? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Rajat Bhattacharya, Senior Investment Strategist, Standard Chartered, to find out what key sectors investors should look out for this earnings season.