Reset with Lynlee

2023 may have seen a spotlight cast on controversy around ESG investing. Greenwashing and confusing terminology may have punched a dent in ESG’s credibility. Could this give way to greater clarity around language, goals and intentions in the year ahead? MSCI ESG Research’s Sustainability and Climate Trends for 2024 is hot off the press.  Rachel Kelly speaks to Yu Ishihara, Executive Director, MSCI ESG & Climate Research to get the details. 

The final quarter of 2023 saw a rally in seemingly everything, which caught most investors off-guard, especially in fixed income markets. The US 10 year Treasury yield had peaked near 5% back in October, before falling to around 3.9% by the end of 2023. Some investors hope that the momentum from the fourth quarter of 2023 will accelerate in the new year. So is the bond market poised to skyrocket in 2024? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Omar Slim, Co-Head of Asia ex-Japan of Fixed Income at PineBridge Investments, to find out more about the outlook of fixed income markets in 2024.

Since last week, the first US ETFs that invest directly in Bitcoin have begun trading. Billions of dollars changed hands, with the token briefly surging past $49,000 following the US SEC approval of such ETFs. But now, Bitcoin has posted its worst streak in about a month, dropping for four straight days - the worst such run since mid-December. So has the ETF optimism now evaporated? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Suvashree Ghosh, Crypto Currency Reporter for APAC at Bloomberg to find out how Bitcoin has since responded to the latest development, and how the new spot Bitcoin ETFs fared in the past first few trading days.

A recent report by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and Oxford Economics found that South-East Asia will see a resilient economic momentum this quarter, including in Singapore. However, the outlook ahead remains cautious due to falling private consumption and slow global growth. Growth is expected to grow by 4.3% in 2023 and 4.2% in 2024, below the pre-pandemic average of 5% per year. On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Dr Arup Raha, ICAEW Economic Advisor and Chief Economist for Asia-Pacific, Oxford Economics to find out more about Singapore’s economic performance in comparison to the region and ASEAN outlook for 2024.

On The Afternoon Update, Hongbin Jeong is joined byJihye Lee, Research Analyst at the SGX for a market wrap of the week. They dive into how the STI performed in the past; the biggest movers on the STI; the latest development with Keppel and whether it can outperform again in 2024; what the latest US CPI signals; as well as a new AI-powered ETF that's set to be launched later this month.

It’s official, 2023 was the hottest year on record. That’s according to the latest findings from the Copernicus  2023 Global Climate Highlights report. And not only was 2023 the hottest, 2023 was the first year on record where all days were in excess of 1°C above pre industrial leves, with two days exceeding 2°C for the first time. Rachel Kelly has the details in this episode of Eco Money.

Markets are in somewhat of a “wait-and-see mode” as all eyes are on the start of earnings season, which is  kicking off this Friday over in the US with big banks. So what can we expect? And other than big banks, what other sectors should we be looking out for? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Too Juncheong, Equity Dealer, Moomoo Singapore, to find out more about the latest market movements.

Investors betting on a revival in Chinese stocks this year are seeing their resolve tested. Chinese stocks recorded their worst opening week of trading in 21 years. The CSI 300 Index tumbled 3 per cent last week. Meanwhile, Hong Kong stocks also tumbled, compounding the local market’s worst start to a year since 2005. So with Chinese stocks relatively cheap, is now the time to invest in the market? What can we expect from the performance of Chinese stocks for the rest of the year? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Danish Lim, Investment Analyst at Phillip Nova, to find out more.

Despite ending 2023 with its first loss versus the euro and a basket of currencies since 2020, the US dollar had its strongest start in more than a decade. The Japanese yen, on the other hand, had its worst week against the US dollar in 16 months. On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Sim Moh Siong, Currency Strategist, Bank of Singapore, offering insights into the recent highs and lows of the forex landscape.

A reversal from the everything rally in the final months of 2023. All major asset classes fell in the holiday-shortened week to kick off the new year. Usually, the year tends to play out in January. So will the downbeat mood set the tone for the rest of the year for markets? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Wong Kok Hoong, Head of Equity Sales Trading, Maybank Securities to find out more. Highlights: How did markets fare in the first week? Did it take you by surprise? - 1:23 Why was there selloff in big tech? - 2:10 What does the downbeat tone of the shortened holiday signal? Does it mean we will see rough waters ahead for equities in the first half? - 3:47 Are traders now shifting their expectations for a rough year? How are they allocating their assets? - 4:54 Are there still market watchers that still believe 2024 will be a good year? How are they expecting markets to turn around from this downbeat mood? - 5:53