The Afternoon Update with Lynlee Foo

This Saturday the 22nd April marks Earth Day. This year’s theme “Invest in our planet” But what is earth day and why does it matter? The answer may seem self-explanatory. In this episode of Eco Money, Host, Rachel Kelly takes a look at the history and takes a closer look at the numbers.

The concerns of a possible recession is rising, with the recent shockwaves of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse sending ripples of uncertainty among investors. And this has added to much of the market volatility that we are seeing today. So how are investors re-evaluating their investment portfolios to mitigate such volatility? How can retail investors can shore up their portfolios? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Eric Lee, Wealth Manager at PhillipCapital to find out more.  Highlights: 01:00 - Why are we in a state of market volatility? 02:30 - How bad is this current market volatility? 06:30 - How can investors review their portfolios to prepare themselves for volatility? 07:27 - What are some of the sectors that are considered fairly safe? 08:54 - How can we determine our risk tolerance?

Monetary tightening is continuing - despite market watchers predicting it will end soon, at least by the end of this year. And investors are reacting with rising caution - with more flocking to cash. So does this mean cash will always be king? Or is there room for equities to rebound? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Ecaterina Bigos, CIO, Core Investment, Asia ex-Japan from AXA IM to find out more.

A surprise move from MAS. The central bank has kept its monetary policy settings unchanged after five straight tightening moves since October 2021, pointing to rising global growth risks and ebbing inflation. So what does this mean? Can we expect MAS to tighten again after this halt? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Song Seng Wun, Economist at CIMB Private Banking, to find out more about the latest move. 

On the Afternoon Update, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Geoff Howie, Market Strategist at the SGX, for a market wrap, focusing on a look at the STI's performance the past week; how the STI and the Singdollar is reacting to latest MAS policy move; why S-Reits lead the charge in markets this week; Q1 buyback considerations; and more about the US Fed's next policy decision. 

With the recent turmoil in the banking sector driving spreads wider, are there any buying opportunities? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to David Hawa, Director, Client Portfolio Management Fixed Income, from Robeco to find out more about how the credit market has fared in recent weeks. They also dive deeper on AT1s also known as additional tier-one bonds and how they were affected during the time of the recent crisis in the banking sector. 

Last month, banking turmoil took over headlines, as the sector was the first casualty of the interest rate hike cycle initiated 12 months earlier by the US Fed. So what are some of the consequences of the liquidity crisis which started in Silicon Valley on the real economy, the monetary policy, and financial markets? And can this turn into a credit crisis? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Laurent Lequeu, Head of Portfolio Management & Research at Lumen Capital Investors to find out more. 

The prospect of slower interest rate hikes, combined with investors’ perception of tech as a haven from the banking crisis was what moved markets in March. How did investors distribute their assets? What were some notable investment trends and strategies? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to AJ Kahling, Head of International Education at TD Ameritrade, to find out more. Highlights: 00:56 - How is the month of April for markets faring so far? 02:30 - Key themes moving markets this year 08:03 - What sectors are investors looking into?  10:27 - How are investors positioning their investments at the moment? 15:40 - How should investors well position themselves to mitigate volatility in markets? 

OPEC+ had announced a surprise oil production cut of more than 1 million barrels a day. That abandons previous assurances that it would hold supply steady. And now, it poses a new risk for the global economy. So what will this mean for Asia? And how will this further complicate the Federal Reserve’s mission to cool the economy? Will it worsen inflation in the United States? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Chin Yongchang, Oil Trading Reporter, Bloomberg News to find out more. 

The US economy is currently experiencing levels of inflation that have not been seen in 40 years. Supply chain disruptions, rising energy prices, volatility in major economies and other underlying demographic factors have all contributed to rising prices. And now many expect a recession to hit the US economy by the end of this year. On Money in the Market, Hongbin speaks to Jonathan Woo, Senior Research Analyst from Phillip Securities Research to find out how retail investors should react and whether Singaporean retail investors should reconsider the US market.