The Afternoon Update with Lynlee Foo

Against all odds, 2023 has been a splendid year for markets. Markets were fueled by an unexpectedly strong economy, the Magnificent 7 dominating, and lately, the prospect of interest-rate cuts in the year ahead. So as 2023 beat all expectations, what’s in store for 2024? Will 2024 continue to ride on this recent bull market? Are analysts seeing more gains for the year ahead? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Thilan Wickramasinghe, Head of Equity Research, Maybank Securities, to find out more about the outlook for equities in 2024. Highlights: How did equities perform in the past year? - 1:00 What were some of the overarching themes that moved markets this year and what themes are likely to play a role in the year ahead? - 1:54 China missed some of the global market rally in the month of November. Will it be able to see some upside in 2024 or will it be a bumpy ride? - 8:05 Will the Magnificent Seven once again boost shares on Wall Street next year? - 9:37 What are the key lessons that investors can learn from market conditions this year that they can use in the year ahead? - 10:32

Investors are now hoping that 2024 will bring stabilisation and normalisation. While 2023 was the year of rising interest rates, potential rate cuts are now on the cards for major central banks next year. So how should investors allocate their assets ahead of the new year? What asset class should investors look out for? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Gautam Chadda, Head of Investment and Portfolio Advisory (Singapore) at RBC Wealth Management Asia, to find out some of the key takeaways from this year, and what we can expect in the year ahead.

On The Afternoon Update, Hongbin Jeong is joined by Geoff Howie, Market Strategist at the SGX, for a market wrap of the week. They discuss how the STI fared in the past week; the biggest movers on the STI; how healthcare-related stocks fared on the back of a new COVID-19 wave; how SGX delistings slowed in 2023; as well as Singapore’s economic outlook for 2024 and its potential impact on markets.

Real estate is considered one of the safest and profitable investments.  But some find challenges in investing in real estate without substantial amounts of money.  When tokenisation comes into play, the value of real estate is converted into a token that is maintained on a blockchain, allowing for digital ownership and transfer.  So what is tokenised real estate? Does it provide better returns than REITs or SPVs? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Edward Nwokedi, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, RedSwan CRE to find out more about real estate tokenisation and how investors can benefit from such investments. 

Major economies, including the US, are likely to see sharply slower growth and sliding inflation in 2024. With that, equity and bond markets are expected to start the new year on a positive note amid growing expectations of central bank policy shifting. But investors should still be cautioned about the macro winds shift towards a harder landing. So with this backdrop, how should investors balance their portfolios ahead of the new year? So what are some lessons we can draw from this year? What mistakes can we learn from? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Steve Brice, Chief Investment Officer at Standard Chartered Bank, to find out more about the market outlook for 2024.

Market watchers are raising their bets for more interest rate cuts from global central banks. They even expect them to kick in early 2024. In fact, the question about rate cuts has changed from whether they will to a matter of when they will. But some policymakers are saying rate cut bets are premature,and  markets have eased too much. So is it all over? Or are we being too optimistic? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Shamik Dhar, Chief Economist, BNY Mellon Investment Management to find out more. 

Global investment banks collectively expressed optimism about the Chinese market at this time last year. Nevertheless, a notable 14% decrease in the MSCI China Index dashed their hopes. Is there still uncertainty ahead or will 2024 bring about positive changes? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Ishika Mookerjee, Deputy Team Leader for Asia Stocks at Bloomberg, about China's 2024 outlook. Highlights: Has Chinese stocks been dropping weaker than usual? What’s leading to the weakness? - 1:30 What are China’s recovery plans in 2024? - 2:46 What are experts expecting from Chinese stocks now? - 7:43 Is there still optimism for Chinese markets for some? - 8:40 What else should we be looking out for in the couple weeks that could move Chinese markets? - 10:43

The Hong Kong market has seen a large sell-off which resulted in the country's economic difficulties and withdrawal of foreign investments. With a 22% decrease in year-to-date performance, the Hang Seng Index is among the worst performing in Asia. Are there still viable investment opportunities in Hong Kong stocks? What should investors look out for? On Money in the Market, Sean Cheong speaks to William Tsang, Portfolio Manager at Chartwell Capital Limited, about Hong Kong's market issues, possibilities, and risks in the face of economic difficulties.

The STI has dropped by 0.3 percent to 3,113 points. This contrasts with the overnight rally on Wall Street, when the Nasdaq soared, fueled by strong performances from key technology stocks. On the Afternoon Update, Sean Cheong speaks to Emelia Tan, Research Analyst at SGX, for a comprehensive overview of the week's market activities.

Japanese market indices have soared to their greatest levels in decades, with the Nikkei reaching a 33-year high this year. This growing trend is being driven by strong profitability, a depreciated yen, and improvements in corporate governance. Can this positive momentum sustain and result in a long-term transformation in the economic landscape? On Money in the Market, Willie Keng speaks to Syetarn Hansakul, Senior Analyst at Economist Intelligence Unit, about the essence of Japan's economic resurgence.