Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) is a critical economic indicator that provides insights into a country's manufacturing sector's health and direction. It helps assess economic performance, anticipate shifts in the business cycle, and inform decisions by measuring factors like new orders, inventory, and employment. Stephen Poh, Executive Director at the Singapore Institute of Purchasing and Materials Management (SIPMM) gives his insights to the latest PMI report for September, released on Oct 3, its correlation with Singapore's GDP figures out on Oct 13, and what key indicators should businesses study in their corporate planning moving forward. Presented by Emaad Akhtar This podcast is produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg) Do contact her for topics: C-Suite, SME, Sustainability, Property, Intergenerational Family Business, Industry Outlook, Fintech

Barnabas Gan, Acting Chief Economist, RHB Bank, weighs in on whether Singapore's latest GDP figures for Q3 met expectations; the bright spots and weaknesses with respect to how the global economy is impacting the lion-city; the sectors driving Singapore's momentum into Q4; and the thinking behind MAS' decision to keep its monetary policy unchanged for the second straight meeting. Presented by Willie Keng Podcast edited by Emaad Akhtar (eakhtar@sph.com.sg)

The province of Ontario is setting up a new office in Singapore, as part of its efforts to deepen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. On this exclusive episode of Breakfast Special, Victor Fedeli, Canadian Minister for Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade expands the conversation on what Singapore businesses interested in expanding into Ontario and vice versa, can look forward to as Canada and Singapore deepen trade ties and partnerships.  Presented by: Emaad Akhtar Produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Music/sound credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors Highlights:  (00:08) Minister Fedeli, have you managed to sample some of the local food here?  (00:36) And what's your favourite dish?  (00:50) Breakfast Special Introduction (02:08) Minister, let's first talk about businesses that are interested in setting up shop in Ontario. Off-air, you told me something quite staggering, which is that Ontario rivals Silicon Valley in the number of employees it attracts. Could you elaborate on the types of opportunities that these businesses will get access to? And why should they choose Canada over other markets? (03:07) Now, we know Canada is big on innovation. And as a famous saying goes, "necessity is the mother of invention" or innovation in this case, are there specific kinds of businesses or sectors that you're hoping to attract? (04:11) Minister, as with all kinds of expansion abroad, there's bound to be challenges that have to be navigated as well. So, what's the kind of advice that you would offer for businesses looking to expand to Canada? And what sources of support are there for foreign businesses should they meet with operational difficulties on the ground? (05:05) Is there a hard date that you have set for the opening? (05:39) In 2022, we understand that Singapore was Canada’s largest destination in Southeast Asia for Canadian direct investment abroad (worth $27.9 billion), while Singapore was Canada’s largest source of foreign direct investment from Southeast Asia, hitting $2.62 billion. Which are the key sectors that contributed to this?  (07:07) During Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s last visit to Singapore, he announced the intention to open a trade gateway in Singapore. Could you elaborate on some exciting developments in the pipeline that businesses can look forward to?  (08:16) You mentioned that Ontario is setting up an office here in Singapore. Would you be able to share perhaps a ballpark figure as to roughly how much Canada is planning to pump in when it comes to investments in the Indo Pacific region, or more specifically in Singapore in the coming months ahead?

Modern kitchens in urbanised cities usually boast a host of advanced cooking tools that not just cut down cooking time, but also absorb cooking fumes! But did you know, the simple act of cooking often turns deadly for low-income communities living in Africa?  On this episode of Climate Connections, Charlot Magayi, Founder & CEO of Mukuru Clean Stoves and Winner of Clean Our Air, Earthshot Prize 2022 shares her personal journey to change that situation for her community and beyond. Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg) Voiced by: Emaad Akhtar Music/sound credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors Photo credits: The Earthshot Prize & Mukuru Stoves

Laila Pence, President & Co-Founder at Pence Wealth Management shares her analysis on the recent inflation data, whether we will see higher rates going forward, as well as the investment outlook in the fixed income space.  Presented by: Willie Keng Producer: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)

What do Elon Musk, Steve Jobs and Tim Cook have in common? Well, they’re all business leaders who have publicly admitted to being lonely sitting at the pinnacle of the corporate ladder. But how about you - have you ever felt lonely at work? That issue has slowly but surely made its way into the hearts of many, with the increased emphasis on mental health in recent years.  On this episode of Morning Shot, we dive deeper into the issue with Clinical Psychologist & Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, Dr Shawn Ee, who is Director at The Psychology Practice and Audrey Quek, Opinion Editor at The Straits Times.  Presented by: Ryan Huang & Emaad Akhtar This podcast is produced and edited by Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)

Sonu Varghese, Vice President & Global Macro Strategist at Carson Group. shares his analysis of consumer sentiments coming on the back of price hikes, and how the market dynamics are changing against an uncertainty both in the economic and political space. Presented by: Ryan Huang Producer: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)

Shane Oliver, Chief Economist & Head of Investment Strategy, AMP Capital, weighs in on why home sales numbers are incongruent across tier one and tier three/four cities in China; whether Chinese authorities will implement more stimulus measures to ease property woes; the impact of Country Garden's default and debt restructuring on the sector; the ramifications of a spillover into the broader financial system; and what to expect from China's inflation and PPI numbers. Presented by Emaad Akhtar Podcast edited by Emaad Akhtar (eakhtar@sph.com.sg)

With real estate yields cooling at home, Singaporean investors are broadening their horizons in the Asia-Pacific real estate scene, where returns have skyrocketed 8% in one particular market. Where exactly is this and where are the other hotspots? While considering parking money in overseas properties, what are the important things to take note of, such as currency risks, taxation and market regulations? Anshul Jain, Managing Director & Head, India & Southeast Asia, Cushman & Wakefieldoffers his insights. Presented by Ryan Huang This podcast is produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg) Do contact her for topics: C-Suite, SME, Sustainability, Property, Intergenerational Family Business, Industry Outlook, Fintech

Chris Tran, Founder & Managing Partner, Capital Connect Advisors, weighs in on the significance of the Birkenstock IPO as a test of investor appetite for future deals; how a potential US government shutdown may impact listings; whether Singapore's dormant IPO market will witness a revival; and why global M&A deals hit their lowest third-quarter volume since 2013. Presented by Emaad Akhtar Podcast edited by Emaad Akhtar (eakhtar@sph.com.sg)