The Afternoon Update with Lynlee Foo

The market has continued to see optimism with the month of July seeing a new twist on the blistering stock market gains seen in the first half of the year. The tech sector in particular powered the markets rally through in the first half. But in recent weeks - one of the biggest concerns - is whether or not the rally has become too concentrated. Will this market rally continue? Or are there headwinds that we have to be cautious about? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Mabrouk Chetouane, Head of Global Market Strategy, Solutions, International at Natixis Investment Managers, to find out more.  Highlights: 01:11 - Market conditions in the first half of the year 02:40 - Is a recession still on the table?  06:00 - With inflation easing, can we now sit back and relax?  08:10 - How should investors allocate their assets to mitigate risks? 09:47 - Will the current stock market rally cool? 

Bitcoin seems to be trading at a tight range, hovering around the $30,000 level at the moment. Earlier this year, some analysts have forecasted that the cryptocurrency may even reach well over the $100,000-mark. But with the crypto rally we saw in the beginning of the year at a halt, is that still possible? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Suvashree Ghosh, Crypto Currency Reporter for APAC with Bloomberg, to find out more. 

Singapore-based Alora paints claims to be the country’s first carbon neutral certified paint. But what does that mean for consumers? And what do you need to know when it comes to sustainable paints? In this episode of Eco Money, Rachel Kelly speaks with Alora Paints Chief Executive Officer, Adrian Kok.

Japan’s economic outlook looks to be one of the most optimistic among the major economies this year and the next, driven by the country’s reopening from the pandemic, strong export growth due to a weak Japanese yen and a stimulative monetary policy maintained by the Bank of Japan. In fact - the Japanese stock market has seen a strong rally so far this year, which has driven the Topix to its highest level in more than three decades. Meanwhile, The Bank of Japan has loosened its grip on bond yields in Governor Kazuo Ueda’s first surprise move since taking the helm, a step that will likely spur talk of potential policy normalization to come.. So What’s next for Japanese equities? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Aaron Chwee, Head of Wealth Advisory, OCBC Bank to find out why Japanese equities are so attractive right now. 

On The Afternoon Update, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Geoff Howie, Market Strategist at the SGX, for a market wrap the week. They discuss how the STI performed in the past week; the biggest movers; earnings results from S-Reits; UOB earnings and what to expect from DBS and OCBC next week; Singapore inflation numbers; and what to look out for next week.

Sustainable travel is a key trend for the business and leisure industry. According to a report by our Expedia Group Media Solutions team highlighted that 90% of consumers look for sustainable options when traveling, though 70% feel overwhelmed navigating available options and on starting the process of becoming a more sustainable traveler. To find out more, Rachel Kelly spoke to Aditi Mohapatra, VP of Global Social Impact and Sustainability at Expedia on eco travel trends,  and Timothy Go on his sustainable hotel entrepreneurial journey.

As widely expected, the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points to further fight inflation, bringing an end to a brief pause to rate hikes last month. The change brings borrowing costs to a 22-year high range of 5.25 percent to 5.5 percent.  While this hike was largely expected, markets had been hoping this would be the last hike for the year.  So did Jerome Powell signal that there will no longer be any more rate hikes?  To find out more, on Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Sani Hamid, Director for Wealth Management, Financial Alliance. Highlights: 01:16 - What does the 25 basis point hike mean for the US economy? 02:12 - Was Jerome Powell's speech dovish or hawkish? 04:26 - Was this the last rate hike? 10:00 - Going forward can we expect more or less volatility in markets? 11:26 - How should investors then allocate their assets post-US Fed decision?

The US Dollar started the new week on a bullish note after having outperformed its major rivals in the previous week. And with just a couple of hours ahead of the next US Fed interest rate decision, what’s keeping the dollar steady? What can we expect from the US dollar post-decision? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Lim Jun Kit, Strategist at Phillip Nova,to find out more. 

After a pause last month, the US Federal Reserve is largely expected to implement another interest rate hike later this week. And that’s despite recent indications of slowing inflation.  But will this be the final hike? And is recession no longer on the cards?  To take a look at how markets are reacting at the moment ahead of this decision and how this will affect growth stocks including tech stocks, and to find out whether the S&P 500 is fully out of the bear market, on Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Tareck Horchani, Head of Dealing, Prime Brokerage, Maybank Securities. 

We’re just days ahead of the next interest rate decision from the US Federal Reserve. The Fed’s next meeting is on July 25 and 26, and the central bank is largely expected to announce another 0.25% rate hike after pausing its campaign in June. And as the meeting draws nearer, volatility in the stock market could increase.  So how should you allocate your assets? What are some of the implications the FOMC meeting will have on investment portfolios?  And speaking of allocating our assets carefully - is a 60/40 investment strategy working so far this year? Should we go back to the basics?  On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Clarence Chan, Head of Client Solutions, APAC ex Japan at BNY Mellon Investment Management to find out more.