Your Money with Michelle Martin

A $72 billion streaming shockwave just jolted Hollywood, Washington and global markets. Netflix moves to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, swallowing DC, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and Looney Tunes in the biggest deal of its history.  We unpack what this means for consumers, bundling, cinema releases, and why regulators under the Trump administration are circling the deal. Apple faces its biggest leadership shake-up in decades - AI, design, legal and chip talent all in play—raising fresh questions about its innovation engine. Markets grind higher as attention turns to Jerome Powell, U.S. rates, S-REIT momentum, and the latest UP or DOWN calls on Moore Threads, Meta, Carvana and UltraGreen.ai. All this, plus a Gen-Z box-office shocker from Five Nights at Freddy’s - hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang.

Is this the point where S-REITs start to reclaim their shine? Singapore’s REIT landscape is stirring back to life as investors eye the long-anticipated rate-cut cycle - but recovery may not be a straight line.  In this episode hosted by Michelle Martin, Tim Phillips, Founder of TimTalksMoney, breaks down the bright spots and blind spots across major S-REITs. We dissect CapitaLand Ascendas REIT, Lendlease Global Commercial REIT, and Keppel DC REIT to understand their  growth drivers, and exposure risks. Tim addresses data-centre amidst the AI bubble narrative and how retail and hospitality REITs stack up against struggling office assets. We tackle the biggest macro indicators that matter now - from inflation resilience to cash-flow predictability. Whether you’re holding, buying, or waiting, this REIT reset may shape your 2025 investment playbook.

The metaverse dream is shrinking. Meta’s 30% metaverse cutback redirects billions toward AI hardware, reshaping investor expectations almost overnight. Host Michelle Martin dives into what you need to know about markets in conversation with Ryan Huang. Meta, Micron, HP, Nvidia, Cambricon, Netflix, Comcast, Paramount and SkyDance - it’s a heavyweight lineup as Big Tech resets its bets and entertainment giants battle for Warner Bros.  Discovery’s crown jewels. UP or DOWN calls span memory chips, PC makers, AI export politics and China’s push to dethrone Nvidia. Plus, markets hover just shy of S&P 500 records as mid-caps like Carvana, Pure Storage and Ciena jostle for a final 2025 index reshuffle. And on the STI, Frasers Centrepoint Trust, SingTel and DFI Retail drive a choppy open as local traders look for direction.

It's the episode for us all to learn about how to make the most of the first tier of financial security - your stash of cash. Hosted by Michelle Martin, this episode features Walter de Oude, founder of Chocolate Finance and the former CEO of Singlife. We break down whether this platform can do more for you with your “idle money”. Walter explains how Chocolate Finance blends flexibility, yield and miles - offering 2% on the first S$20K and up to 1.8% beyond. We explore how Singaporeans should balance liquidity vs investing amid volatile flows, rising living costs and shifting rate expectations. Plus: growth milestones for Chocolate including expanding to the  Hong Kong market, the March withdrawals episode and how this founder approaches AI.

A celebrity-fuelled denim war is reshaping retail - but what does it mean for markets? Hosted by Michelle Martin, this episode dives into how Levi’s, American Eagle, Gap, True Religion and more are battling for denim dominance. We track Anthropic’s race toward one of the largest AI IPOs ever alongside OpenAI and the broader AI investment boom. Singapore takes centre stage with UltraGreen.ai’s glowing SGX debut and Leong Guan’s Catalist-bound IPO. Plus: Wall Street edges toward record highs as rate-cut hopes rise and we play UP or DOWN with Salesforce, DFI Retail, and SGX. We wrap with Malaysia’s renewed search for MH370 - more than a decade on.

Singapore’s “forgotten” mid-caps may be turning into the market’s next big battleground. Hosted by Michelle Martin. With liquidity returning and MAS’s S$5B EQDP funneling fresh capital, long-ignored SMID stocks are waking up. We break down Ultragreen’s 10% SGX debut, triple-digit gainers, and how 240 small- and mid-caps stack up against the STI. CGS International’s Jason Saw joins us to reveal where reforms meet real opportunity.  Plus: red flags, governance signals, and how retail investors can navigate a once-in-a-cycle window.

New York unlocks new casino licenses, AI market leaders shift, and Advent calendars get an unexpected economic twist. Michelle Martin and Ryan Huang look at Genting’s near-miss delisting and its renewed global momentum. DBS turns bullish on Bukit Sembawang Estates, calling it a potential dividend powerhouse. On Wall Street, AI heats up as Google unexpectedly outruns OpenAI and Nvidia in market performance. Plus: Up or Down, STI movers, and why Advent calendars are the ultimate “lipstick effect” of holiday spending.

Can a 2,500-year-old monastic tradition teach us how to work and live better today? In this episode hosted by Michelle Martin, Shoukei Matsumoto - Pure Land Buddhist monk, Harvard-trained thinker, author and Japan’s first secular monk-blogger - joins us to explore his upcoming book Work Like a Monk. We unpack the profound link between outer order and inner clarity, and why cleaning is both a practice and a cognitive reset. Shoukei reveals how imagined East–West conversations illuminate burnout, and how ancient guidance speaks to modern productivity. We explore how to cultivate a “good ancestor” mindset with a long-view, and why what happens after you read a book is what can matter most. A spacious, thoughtful dialogue for those seeking a calmer mind, a cleaner life, and a wiser way of working.

Singapore’s urban map is being rewritten — but what does that mean for your money? In this episode hosted by Michelle Martin, we unpack the newly gazetted URA Master Plan 2025 and what decentralisation, regional hubs, and mixed-use districts mean for long-term value. CapitaLand Development (Singapore) CEO Ronald Tay joins us to reveal how CLD is interpreting national policy into real projects shaping innovation clusters and new residential communities like LyndenWoods. We explore why Science Park is finally ready for homes, who the first-mover buyers really are, and how mixed-use hubs may shift investor thinking beyond the traditional core. From Jurong Lake District to Punggol Digital District, we examine where the next wave of growth corridors could emerge. If the future of appreciation lies outside the CBD, this is the roadmap investors need to hear.

Hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang, today’s Market View tracks the surge in the iEdge S-REIT Index and analyst calls on Lendlease Global Commercial REIT, Keppel REIT, Keppel DC REIT and Manulife US REIT. We break down why U.S. markets slipped after a shock move from the Bank of Japan, and whether investor nerves will persist. In UP or DOWN today: Shopify, China Vanke, Nvidia, ASX and Marco Polo Marine. We check in on the STI, with movers including Hongkong Land, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding and Keppel DC REIT. And in the Last Word - the booming global “kidult” economy where Lego, Jellycat, Hot Wheels and Pop Mart are rewriting the future of play.