The Afternoon Update with Lynlee Foo

Malaysia's ringgit is set for a blockbuster quarter in what could be its best since January 1973. It rose more than 12 per cent against the US so far this quarter and if the trend continues, the currency could become the best-performing emerging market currency. It is also up about 6 per cent against the Singapore dollar. In the light of this development, Yeap Junrong, Market Strategist from online trading provider IG, shares his analysis and a trade idea.

Alaska is well-known for waters that are home to the largest and healthiest populations of seafood on the planet and also known for its emphasis to preserve a healthy and sustainable marine ecosystem. It is also highly prized for its purity, taste, and nutritional value.  Chef Elvin Chew, F&B Consultant at Kiam Sng Di, a food consulting firm here in Singapore, tells us more about the attractive and expensive characteristics of Alaskan seafood.

Fresh URA data shows new private home sales plunging to a record 16-year low for the month of August with only 208 private homes sold. Developers held back on new launches during the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, also known as the Hungry Ghost month, and the impact of elevated interest rates. Meanwhile, the leasing market remained muted for both HDB and private condominiums. As we head into the last quarter of 2024, will the real estate market improve? Donny Lee, ERA Senior Executive Group Division Director, shares his views. 

Wall Street exploded to the upside as markets soared to fresh records following the Fed rate cuts. How are currencies reacting, especially the Singapore dollar, which was testing highs against the US dollar in the weeks leading up to the announcement?  Yeap Junrong, Market Strategist from online trading provider IG, gives us an update and shares an idea of how to trade the USD / SGD forex pair. 

There has been increased efforts to deliver on Singapore's commitment to peak emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050. Under a new requirement passed in Parliament earlier on September 10, existing buildings in Singapore that are deemed energy-intensive must implement measures to improve their energy use or face a fine of up to S$150,000. With rising mandatory sustainability regulations, the significance of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting has magnified, and there is an increased number of companies seeking technology solutions to meet their sustainability goals.  Benjamin Soh, Founder and Managing Director of ESGpedia, Asia’s leading ESG data and technology company shares insights into the role of technology solutions in sustainability reporting and the critical data needs of businesses for ESG compliance.

The US rate cut has finally been announced officially at 50 basis points, in a supersized move that is aimed at boosting a cooling job market, while continuing to push down on inflation. Dan Chang, Investment Specialist and Trading Representative at PhillipCapital, shares his views on what does this means for Singapore markets as we head into 2025. 

According to reports, Mars Wrigley, the producer of snacks like Mars and Snickers chocolate bars has maintained its title as the world's biggest confectionery firm in 2023 with $22bn of sales. The company is targeting high growth markets including  Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand…markets that have significant opportunities for growth and innovation for the snacking category in a complex and diverse region. What's its strategy to conquer emerging markets in Asia? What kind of challenges is the company facing in such a culturally diverse region? Kalpesh Parmar, Regional General Manager for Mars Wrigley Asia, tells us more.

Singapore has once again emerged as the ASEAN leader in energy transition efforts, for the second year in a row. That's according to the latest annual survey by the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS) with 250 industry professionals from the energy sector. However, nearly one-third of energy professionals believe the city-state’s renewable energy targets need more aggressive action. SEAS says respondents are concerned that Singapore remains dependent on natural gas and see lack of regulatory frameworks and barriers in cross-border interconnection agreements as well as regulatory uncertainties in tightened energy markets as hurdles. Rachel Kelly speaks to Kavita Gandhi, Executive Director of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore to find out more. 

According to recent research, the economic footprint of Gen Alpha is expected to reach $5.46tn by 2029. Born into a digital world, this generation is set to reshape the financial landscape. To this end, OCBC has come up with an initiative to engage the new generation of potential customers. Come October, OCBC will serve and enable ‘Gen Alpha’, digital natives born after 2009, to bank digitally via their own bank accounts.  Tan Siew Lee, OCBC's Head of Group Wealth Management, shares more about how MyOwn Account works, ahead of the launch on October 20. 

Networking and collaborating with people outside of your industry may not be an easy task. To that end, event companies are coming up with cross-industry conferences that enable attendees to not just gain new knowledge but also participate in some corporate matchmaking which can lead to collaborative business success. Jasper Donat, Chief Executive Officer of live media and events company, Branded shared insights into the multi-vertical events business. The company has been organising All That Matters, its flagship executive conference for more than 18 years. The event serves as the region's meeting point for some of the most influential leaders across music, sports, gaming, AI, Web3, marketing and the arts industries.