Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Sacha Botanicals was founded in 2021 as a celebration of nature and Latin culture. Each shampoo and soap is thoughtfully crafted to capture the power of plants, offering a nurturing experience for hair and skin with ingredients that are both sustainable and kind to the planet. Sacha Botanicals believes that hair and body care should be a fun, nourishing experience, full of the vitality that plants provide. On Culture Club, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Susan Calderon, Founder, Sacha Botanicals, to share more about her products. Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Alexandra Parada (alexparada@sph.com.sg) Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!

It’s back to the offshore and marine industry today as we speak to a Thailand-based international subsea and offshore services company that services some of the oil and gas majors and their contractors.  Listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 2007, Mermaid Maritime provides full turnkey services through its diversified portfolio of subsea vessels, specialised diving equipment and remotely operated vehicles.  These services include subsea inspection, repair and maintenance, cable laying and engineering, transportation and installation as well as decommissioning.  The firm’s operations span across five geographical regions, namely the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia as well as the UK, and has a team of over 500 professional divers, technicians, surveyors, management and support staff.  Mermaid Maritime is an interesting company to watch given how SGX-listed offshore and marine are enjoying positive earnings results for the April toJune quarter and the first half of 2024. That’s as players hold a strong pipeline of work and recover from an earlier slump seen during the pandemic. At Mermaid Maritime, the Group had in Q1 turned around year ago losses. In Q2 2024, it reported a net profit of US$2.9 million, an increase from the last quarter, but a drop on a yearly basis due to higher in-planned financial cost.  Its total order book peaked at US$976 million at the end of June 2024 with multiple project awards in South East Asia, the Middle East, North Sea and Western Sub Saharan region for both short-term and long term throughout FY2026.  But how does the firm assess its outlook ahead?  Meanwhile, with tensions in the Middle East weighing on oil prices, what would that mean for firms serving the oil and gas industry, such as Mermaid Maritime?  On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Paul Whiley, COO, Mermaid Maritime.

Singapore shares began this morning trading in positive territory as overseas markets saw losses overnight. The STI continued the rally to end the day up 0.1%. Meanwhile, in corporate news, Keppel reports lower net profit in 3QFY2024; South Korea’s SK Hynix Inc.’s shares gained after the firm posted record quarterly profit and revenue; and Tesla’s stock shot up nearly 12% in pre-market trade, a day after its forecast-surging car sales growth. On Market View, Hongbin Jeong speaks to David Chow, Director of Azure Capital to find out more on the latest market movements. 

On What’s Trending, becoming an influencer is an ever more popular career path, especially amongst the Gen-Z youth. And now, one Irish university has launched a Bachelor Degree for wannabe influencers. Also trending, Paddington Bear has been given a real British passport.

It’s all about Venture Capital and startups for What’s Trending in Finance today, and The Evening Runway’s Finance Presenter Chua Tian Tian travelled to Hong Kong for the Cyberport Venture Capital Forum (CVCF) 2024.  Cyberport is Hong Kong’s digital technology flagship and incubator for entrepreneurship featuring over 2,100 members including startups and tech companies. The theme for this year’s edition of the CVCF is “Innovation Challenger: Building New Venture Visions”.  The event sees more than 90 speakers including venture experts, entrepreneurial visionaries and innovation thinkers come together to explore the future of innovation and entrepreneurship.  The focus on artificial intelligence and Web 3.0 is apparent this time around with 16 Web 3.0 use cases keynotes taking place over the course of the forum.  The conversation is on how Web3.0 and artificial intelligence can help companies and investors breakthrough in the ever changing VC landscape to create new possibilities.  Tian Tian spoke with Simon Chan, Chairman of Hong Kong Cyberport, as well as Flora Chan, Head of Marketing, Ecosystem and Partnership at Beyond Ventures on the opportunities brought about by these macro trends, support for Hong Kong startups and how Hong Kong startups can better collaborate with ecosystem players in Singapore.

Is it the City of Love or is it the Eternal City? If you watched the latest season of Emily in Paris, it was insinuated that Emily may be moving to Rome in the upcoming fifth season, which surprised many fans. Now when French President Emmanual Macron heard the news, he wasn’t thrilled. He says it doesn’t make sense. Meanwhile, Rome’s Mayor claps back at Macron. Hongbin Jeong spills the tea.

Geylang International are undeniably the hottest team in the Singapore Premier League right now. Riding a 3-match winning streak and boasting a league-high 63 goals in just 17 games, they remain within striking distance of the big-spending leaders, Lion City Sailors. But how much of this success is down to Noor Ali? And is his past reputation holding him back from receiving the credit he truly deserves? Deepanraj Ganesan joins Zia-ul Raushan on Sports Minutes to dive into these questions—and more! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg

Louisa Lee is the CEO of DP Healthverse Holdings and DP Dental, where she has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the connection between oral health and overall well-being. Louisa believes that oral care is about more than just a great smile—it’s about creating a foundation for a healthier body and mind. So how is she bridging the gap between oral health and overall wellness? On R.I.C.H., Hongbin Jeong speaks to Louisa Lee, CEO, DP Healthverse Holdings, to find out. Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Alexandra Parada (alexparada@sph.com.sg) and Nadiah Koh Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!

Singapore shares began trading in positive territory this morning as overseas markets saw mixed results overnight. And it ended the day in the green as well, closing up 0.4%. In global markets, China and Hong Kong markets continue to see an uptick in trading volume, while Nvidia is on investors’ radar with share prices hitting a record this week. On Market View, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Dan Chang, Investment Specialist and Trading Representative, PhillipCapital to find out more about the latest market movements.

In an era where travellers are increasingly aware of their environmental footprint, sustainable travel is no longer just a trend — It’s a movement. Thoughtfully curated tours that enrich the soul while preserving the planet's beauty are now the standard. The leading adventure travel company in Japan for over 30 years, Walk Japan is the pioneer of innovative, immersive guided and self-guided walking tours. Fromthe self-guided Tokaido Wayfarer tour, perfect for those seeking a gastronomic journey along the historic Tokaido highway in Kanagawa and Shizuoka Prefecture to the Kumano Wayfarer, a 7-day, 6-night self-guided tour that starts in Yuasa and ends in Shingu, there's a tour for everyone. On Culture Club, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Paul Christie, CEO, Walk Japan to find out more.