The Afternoon Update with Lynlee Foo

India’s economy has developed an undeniable momentum in the past three decades and is now worth $3.7 trillion. It’s ranked as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. So what are India’s growth drivers? Can this growth continue? And how will the upcoming elections impact the economy and market sentiment? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Elke Speidel-Walz, Chief Economist Emerging Markets, DWS to find out more. 

On What's Trending today, Bruno Mars is in town, and he’s brought a local touch to his first night here in Singapore. Also trending, The Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) together with Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and Klass Engineering and Solutions, are developing something called cyborg cockroaches. And they may be the next crucial technology serving in rescue missions. 

Chinese stocks started the week on a positive note, after new data reinforced investor’s hopes that the world’s number two economy is finally recovering. And investors are turning more optimistic. So does this mean China’s market rout is finally over? Should we go all in on China? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Danish Lim, Market Analyst, Phillip Nova, to find out more. 

AI has been driving the recent market rally. Nvidia has been the major force behind this AI boom. But what other AI-related stocks can investors consider? And how much longer can this AI hype last? Does it have more room to run? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Too Juncheong, Equity Dealer, Moomoo Singapore, to find out more. 

On What’s Trending today, a burial chat crypt close to the final resting place of the iconic Marilyn Monroe has sold for $195,000 at auction. Also, incognito mode has finally gone private. 

US stocks capped off their best start to the year since 2019 to end the month of March. With Thursday’s gains, the broad-market benchmark closed the month in the greed, clocking in not only its fifth-straight monthly gain, but also climbing 10.2% in the first quarter - its best start to the year in five years. So what moved markets in the month of March? Could this rally continue in April? Or will the winning streak come to an end this month? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Wong Kok Hoong, Head of Equity Sales Trading, Maybank Securities, to find out more.  Highlights:  01:25 - How did market fare overall in March?  03:42 - Is the winning streak coming to an end?  06:11 - Should investors remain positive on equity markets? 09:41 - Will AI once again be the main theme of this earnings season? 10:39 - How should investors prepare their portfolios ahead of this earnings season? 

On What’s Trending, we talk about IKEA Singapore’s April Fool’s prank. And also, we look back at what pranks other companies did to their consumers — some were a success, while some didn’t leave a smile on its consumers faces.

Japan issued its toughest warning yet for FX traders on its willingness to intervene after the yen slid to its weakest level against the dollar since 1990. The yen dipped to 151.97 versus the greenback early yesterday in Tokyo. That’s beyond the level at which policymakers stepped in during October 2022. So what’s led to the weakness in the yen? And will an intervention be enough to revive the yen? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Peter Chia, Senior FX Strategist at UOB, to find out more. 

On What’s Trending, we talk about the auction involving the floating wood panel used in Titanic. And we also talk about the new law in Germany involving its beloved sausage dog, the dachshund.

Women have emerged as a formidable presence in the world of investing. Moomoo and its sister brand Futubull have surveyed a total of 2,288 users in February 2024 across five markets, to find out more about the female’s investment behaviours and perspectives on market involvement.So what were the top investment choices for female investors? Can we see more female investors in the coming years? On The Afternoon Update, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Erika Chiang, Chief Marketing Officer, Southeast Asia, Moomoo, to delve into the key findings of the report.