Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Dogs in China are becoming employees in pet cafes, earning money just like humans. The concept, called "Zhengmaotiaoqian" in Chinese, translates to "earn snack money," and the idea is that these pets are working part-time or full-time at the cafes and returning home at night, just like humans. Also, a pumpkin that has won an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California four years in a row has grown well-fed and healthy soil. The 51st World Championship Pumpkin weigh-off in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, was 1,121 Kilograms, weighing 11-14 people depending on their weight.

The Jackson 5, the group that Michael Jackson started out in, wasn’t even going to get a record deal, but someone else believed in them. Who was it, and what did she think about Michael? Press play because the tea shall be spilled!  Get in touch with our anchors at rgidwani@sph.com.sg, chuatt@sph.com.sg, hongbin@sph.com.sg.   

Singapore stocks began the day trading in the green, mirroring overnight gains in overseas markets.  In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) rose 0.6 per cent to 3,618.49 points after 22.3 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  In terms of companies to watch for today, we have Dyna-Mac, after Hanwha Ocean SG revised its final offer price to S$0.67 per share for all the issued ordinary shares of offshore oil-and-gas contractor Dyna-Mac. Elsewhere, from Nvidia’s record close in the previous session, to how Chinese banks are reportedly said to trim rates on 300 trillion yuan (S$55 trillion) of deposits as soon as this week – more corporate and international headlines remain in focus. On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Carl Ashton, Investment Counselor, Citi Private Bank.

Do you love animals?  Do you feel like you or a friend has what it takes to help care for them and heal them? Maybe you're next job is to be a veterinarian!  On That's How! Roshan Gidwani uncovers some key points that can help you figure out how to know if you or someone you know, should be a veterinarian.  Source: https://www.truity.com/blog/should-i-become-veterinarian

Brasserie Astoria has introduced a refreshed menu under Head Chef Emil Cecil Ess, blending comforting flavors with brasserie classics. Highlights include starters like Stracciatella with French peaches and Seafood Pepperonata with seared scallops and prawns, and mains such as Grilled Celeriac and the well-received Tagliolini Fresca, now permanent. Aside from their new dishes, they also have an upcoming 4-hands collaboration on the 27th of October 2024, with Bjorn Shen of Artichoke. On Culture Club, Hongbin Jeong and Roshan Gidwani speaks to Emil Cecil Ess, Head Chef, Brasserie Astoria, to share more. Presented by: Hongbin Jeong and Roshan Gidwani Produced and Edited by: Alexandra Parada (alexparada@sph.com.sg) Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!

Rihanna has commissioned a life-sized chocolate Lego sculpture of A$AP Rocky for his birthday. The sculpture has gone viral, raising questions about the gifting process, storage, and the time it would take to eat the whole thing. Also, a man has created the world's smallest washing machine, measuring 1.28 inches by 1.32 inches by 1.52 inches. Guinness World Records confirmed that the machine, smaller than a Tamagotchi digital pet, is the smallest in the world. The creator also had to demonstrate that the machine was functional and could run a full cycle.

Is singing someone a song for a proposal the way to go? That's how Demi got proposed to. What happened when her fiancé popped the question? Press play for the tea shall be spilled! 

What do engineers do? What different types are there? Are you an analytical person? Are you looking for a career switch? Maybe engineering is for you.  On That's How! Roshan Gidwani uncovers some key points that can help you figure out how to know if you or someone you know, should be an engineer.  Source: https://www.truity.com/blog/should-i-become-engineer

It’s all about making FMCGs more accessible to consumers in rural Indonesia today.  With a population of over 277 million people, Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy, with a GDP of around US$1.32 trillion back in 2022.  At the same time, data from Statista showed Indonesian households allocating almost a fifth of their household expenses for FMCGs since 2018.  While the numbers look promising, about forty per cent of Indonesian reside in the rural parts of the country, making accessibility a key challenge for consumers.  The internet appears to be key to bringing FMCGs to the consumers, with over three quarters of people (77%) in the country using the internet on a regular basis.  And that’s exactly what our guest for today leveraged to tap underserved rural communities in Indonesia. Founded in 2018, Aplikasi Super is a social commerce startup that aims to enable community leaders to become retailers of their own by selling through its Super app.  The company operates a central warehouse and works with third-party logistics providers to deliver FMCG items to these community leaders, who are individuals or mom-and-pop shops called warungs. That’s done within a day of placing the order. According to a TechCrunch article out in June 2022, the firm said then that it boasts a network of thousands of community agents, distributing millions of dollars of items to communities each month. But what are the numbers looking at right now? Meanwhile, the firm had in June 2022 raised US$70 million in an oversubscribed Series C round. Those participating in the round included the likes of Insignia Venture Partners, SoftBank Ventures Asia, B Capital and more. Question is – how has the money been used thus far and how far has the capital injection augmented the firm’s growth trajectory? On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Alfred Ali, Chief Product Officer, Aplikasi Super. 

Singapore stocks rose at the opening bell today after advance estimates showed that the city-state’s economy grew 4.1 per cent year on year during the third quarter of 2024. It was also announced on the same morning that monetary policy settings were maintained for the sixth straight meeting, in line with market expectations. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) rose 0.2 per cent to 3,579.55 points after 53.3 million securities changed hands in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have CapitaLand Ascendas Reit. The Reit is divesting an industrial property for S$112.8 million at a S$45.3 million premium or nearly double of the property’s original purchase price of S$58.4 million.  Elsewhere, from details on China’s stimulus briefing out on Saturday, to TSMC’s third quarter profit expected to jump 40 per cent, more international and corporate headlines are in focus. On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.