The Afternoon Update with Lynlee Foo

The concept of "Swiftonomics" emphasises Southeast Asian countries' aim to recruit major musical performers to enhance tourism and consumer spending in their own regions. This trend was evident in the increased demand for flights to Singapore, which was one of the chosen destinations featured in Swift's Asia-Pacific tour. Will Singapore become the key destination for concert tourism in the future? On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Nuno Guerreiro, Regional Director, South Asia, Oceania & Chains, Booking.com, to find out more.

Despite the US Federal Reserve expected to begin cutting rates later rather than sooner this year, markets have seen optimism due to stellar earnings results, especially from big tech firms in recent weeks. Now with earnings season largely out of the way, investors will be looking this week to more economic releases and Fed boss Jerome Powell’s testimony to Congress, where he’s expected to double down on his message that there’s no rush to cut interest rates. So how will markets react? Will the market optimism from the tech-led rally fizzle out? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Wong Kok Hoong, Head of Equity Sales Trading, Maybank Securities to find out more. 

On What’s Trending, LeBron achieved another milestone in his career - scoring 40,000 points in his career. And lastly, a Primary 5 student being the first recipient of the iconic Taylor Swift ’22’ hat.

"I promise that you'll never find another like me." Yes, we’re never going find another like you, Taylor.  Taylor Swift is here in Singapore for her Eras Tour - the starting point for unprecedented levels of economic impact, particularly within sectors across not only the United States, but every country she’s hosted her concerts in.  So of course our hospitality, tourism, and transport sectors are all in for the cheer.  While we know all about "Swiftonomics" - the phenomenon that refers to the impact the pop star has on the economy - does she have an effect on the stock market?  Will she have an effect on our Straits Times Index, or will our local stock market largely shake it off? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Too Juncheong, Equity Dealer, Moomoo Singapore, to find out what key stocks investors should be looking out for that may ride the Taylor Swift effect. 

On The Afternoon Update, Hongbin Jeong is joined by Carmen Lee, Head of OCBC Investment Research for a market wrap. The Singapore stock market moved lower in two straight sessions earlier this week, and some analysts say the losing streak may continue for the stock market. But how did the STI fare overall in February? Were there any dividend stock standouts for this month? What should investors look out for in the month of March that could move the STI? 

On What’s Trending, a new Maggi concoction left fans appalled. Oreo released two new flavours, and one of them is getting a permanent spot in the Oreo lineup. And lastly, a restaurant is offering a ‘Divorce meal’ option.

Japan’s stock market has hit new highs in recent days after breaching past its 1989 peak following decades of stagnation. The Nikkei has been extending a rally that has made Japanese stocks some of the hottest buys of this year. So what’s been driving this rally? And how much higher could it go? Could it breach the 40,000 level? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Daniel Hurley, Portfolio Specialist for Emerging Market and Japanese Equities at T. Rowe Price, to find out more. 

US stocks closed out on a dizzying week at record highs last week, but to start the new week, shares took a breather as investors braced for a looming inflation update that could put that rally to the test. New inflation data in the coming days will test the staying power of the breakout rally that followed Nvidia's results. So what can we expect from Thursday’s PCE index reading? When can we expect rate cuts? Will there be further room for upside in US equities? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Audrey Goh, Head of Asset Allocation and Thematic Strategy, Standard Chartered, to find out more. 

India's stock market has hit all-time highs, continuing its record-breaking rallies throughout the end of last year. And this may be the latest sign that global investors should not overlook the significant long-term investment opportunity the country offers. So how should investors tap into this market? Should investors focus on sectors? How can sector investing aid diversification when constructing global portfolios? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Rohit Gupta, Vice President, MSCI Markets and Investment Insights, to find out more.  Highlights: 1. What makes Indian equities so attractive at the moment, and why should investors seek opportunities in this market?- 1:12 2. What kind of options do investors have when seeking exposure to India’s equity market? - 2:49 3. Could you tell us more about sector investing and what opportunities does it offer? - 4:31 4. How can an awareness of individual markets’ sector exposures aid diversification of one’s portfolio?- 6:34 5. What sectors could continue to outperform this year given their performance so far since the start of 2024? What should investors keep an eye on?- 13:00

Security and sustainability go hand in hand for business and the nation. This was highlighted in two key sustainability areas of this year’s Singapore National Budget which rolls out the first instalment of the Forward Singapore programmes. Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered his third annual Budget speech in Parliament on February 16th - he highlighted that for firms to be competitive, they also need to embrace sustainability. Rachel Kelly takes a closer look at the sustainability elements of Budget 2024.