The Afternoon Update with Lynlee Foo

Singapore’s inflation rose across the board in January, but came in slightly under economist estimates. Consumer prices in Singapore rose at a faster pace in the first month of 2023, pushed up by Chinese New Year buying and the higher goods and services tax that had just kicked in. Headline consumer price index (CPI), or overall inflation, also edged up, on the back of higher  accommodation inflation. On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Selena Ling, Head of Treasury Research & Strategy at OCBC Bank to find out what these figures mean for consumers and markets.

With the faster-than expected reopening of China, both stock markets and commodity markets rallied. But it seems like that reopening rally is fizzling out in stock markets. But how are commodity markets performing? Are they still benefiting from the reopening? On Money in the Market, The Afternoon Update’s Hongbin Jeong speaks to Priyanka Sachdeva, market analyst at Phillip Nova, to find out more.

Against a backdrop of extraordinary market conditions and ongoing global challenges, environmental, social and governance issues remain a key focus for companies and investors. So what are some of the trends when it comes to sustainability investing? What are some specific sectors we should be looking out for? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Thomas Hohne-Sparborth,  Head of Sustainability Research at Lombard Odier Investment Managers to find out more.

Kazuo Ueda has been nominated as the new governor of the Bank of Japan, succeeding Haruhiko Kuroda in April. The question remains whether he will stick to Japan’s ultra-loose policy. He’s already been dubbed neither as dove nor a hawk, but an owl. What does that mean? What will be his stance on monetary policy? Will he change course? And what’s next for the Japanese yen? On Money in the Market, The Afternoon Update's Hongbin Jeong speaks to Ruth Carson, Senior Reporter for FX & Rates at Bloomberg to find out more.  Highlights: 00:57 - Who is Kazuo Ueda?  03:09 - How has the Japanese yen reacted to Ueda's nomination?  03:50 - What does his nomination mean for Japanese yen bulls?  04:57 - What's the outlook like for the Japanese yen under Ueda's leadership?  08:10 - What are the challenges that remain for Ueda when he takes the top seat? 

This week - we’ve seen a lot happening, with Singapore’s GDP numbers kicking off the week, and of course the long awaited Valentine’s Day gift from Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mr Lawrence Wong- The Budget 2023 announcement. So how did the STI perform this week amid this backdrop? Who were the biggest movers? To give us a market wrap of the week, Candace Li, Research Analysts from the SGX joins Hongbin Jeong for more. 

TikTok’s e-commerce foray has made serious inroads in ASEAN. But what does this mean for the incumbents GoTo, Sea and Lazada? On Money in the Market, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Nirgunan Tiruchelvam, Head of Consumer and Internet at Alētheia Capital, and the author of the book "Investing In The COVID Era", to find out more.

Some experts say investors may be able to benefit from leaning towards private markets for better future returns instead of sticking to the traditional 60:40 portfolio this year. On Money in the Market, The Afternoon Update's Hongbin Jeong speaks to David Z Wang, CEO of Helicap, to find out whether there are opportunities in private markets that offer institutional investors to tap into untapped markets with higher expected growth. 

Markets seem to be shifting their focus away from inflation towards growth. And according to a recent report by Europe’s leading asset manager Amundi, it believes that there are opportunities to play some rotations with a selective approach. So where do these opportunities currently lie? And how should investors play these market rotations? On Money in the Market, The Afternoon Update’s Hongbin Jeong speaks to Vincent Mortier, Group Chief Investment Officer at Amundi to find out how market players should allocate their investments this year. 

S-REITs have gotten off to a strong start this year, and many expect Reits to continue 'hopping' higher for the rest of the year. On Money in the Market, The Afternoon Update’s Hongbin Jeong spoke to Kum Soek Ching, Head of APAC Research at Credit Suisse, to find out whether this year offers a more benign yield background for Singapore REITs. Highlights: 00:57 - What factors have contributed the surge in S-Reits? 01:50 - Will this positive momentum continue for the rest of the year? 02:53 - How would the dimmer economic outlook for Singapore impact S-Reits? 06:07 - Can China’s reopening help recharge S-Reits? 07:10 - Which sectors are likely to outperform for S-Reits?

With the growing interest in private markets amidst market volatility and portfolio diversification, more than two thirds of institutional investors are continuing to grow their allocation to private markets in line with current targets. That’s according to the latest survey on private markets by State Street. On Money in the Market, The Afternoon Update’s Hongbin Jeong speaks to Eric Chng, Senior Managing Director, Head of Alternatives & Insurance Segments Asia Pacific, State Street to find out more on the key findings of the survey.