The Afternoon Update with Lynlee Foo

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

What do you need to look out for in the year ahead when it comes to sustainable business and investing? And, now that the dust has settled on COP28, which key dates do you need to highlight in your diary?  Eco Money's Rachel Kelly takes a look at reports from Allianz Global investors and MUFG Research for key themes and what to watch in the year ahead.

Asian stocks began the new year with little enthusiasm, following a modest setback in US stocks, which fell from near-record highs. This hiccup came as a surprise to a market that had been on its longest weekly gain since 2004. On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Jonathan Woo, Senior Research Analyst at Phillip Securities Research, about the market's trajectory in 2023 and what to look forward to this year. Highlights: How did the markets fare overall in 2023? What are some of the key highlights? - 1:14 What were some of the investment trends on the final weeks of the year? - 1:45 What are some key asset classes investors should consider in the year ahead? - 4:41 Are there any lessons in 2023 that can be applied to this year? - 5:03 What else should we be looking out for in the next couple of weeks that could move markets? - 5:37

This week, the Straits Times Index traded mostly in the green territory. On the last trading day of the year, it edged higher at the opening bell, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. It continued that positive momentum after the mid-day trading break, looking set to close the year in the green. So will this positive resilience continue into the new year? For a 2024 market outlook and to discuss some of Singapore stock market highlights, Hongbin Jeong is joined by Geoff Howie, Market Strategist at the SGX on Market View’s Market Wrap.

From bank bonds, cryptocurrencies to AI-related stocks, a slew of trades either rocketed higher or surged against expectations this year. The overarching theme of this year was, of course, inflation and interest rates, added with big events impacting our financial markets, such as the higher-for-longer interest rates, the banking crisis and geopolitical tensions.  So what asset classes were the top picks of this year? Who were the under performers?  On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Paul Chew, Head of Research, Phillip Securities Research, to find out more. 

This year, which saw roaring inflation and rising interest rates moving markets, currency pairs have hit historic highs. In fact, 2023 saw a strong start for the US dollar. But with interest rate cuts on the table for next year, how low can the US dollar go? Will it erase all the gains it saw in the past two years?  What about the Japanese yen? What’s next for the yen amid the possibility that the Bank of Japan may finally shift its monetary policy?  On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Simon Harvey, Head of FX Analysis at MonFX, to find out more about the performance of forex markets in 2023 as well as the outlook for 2024. 

Several commodities saw notable moves this year, including gold, which reached record highs. Despite that, key commodities indexes are on track to record their biggest losses in the last five years, led by declines in natural gas, coal and grains. So who were the biggest winners and losers in the commodity market this year? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Priyanka Sachdeva, Senior Market Analyst, Phillip Nova to take a look at the performance of gold, silver, oil and natural gas this year and what to expect in the year ahead.