Breakfast with Ryan Huang, Emaad Akhtar and Audrey Siek

Thomas Poullaouec, Head of Multi-Asset Solutions APAC, T. Rowe Price, discusses the significance of the Fed's reduction of its balance sheet to the tune of $95 million a month, and why this is a good time to shop for stocks in China.

Announced recently by Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan, the tourism sector will receive a fresh injection of close to half a billion dollars to support and sustain strategic manpower capabilities in the sector, offset business costs, as well as amplify Singapore’s international recovery plans “in the coming years”. Andrew Chan, Founder & CEO, ACI HR Solutions shares some of the top concerns raised by hiring managers that have been highlighted in their report and to what extent will these new announcements change the momentum of the sectors job market moving forward. Highlights of the conversation:  03:12 - What the Methodology 2022 ACI Report entails  04:04 - Intensity of the urgent need for manpower in the tourism & hospitality sector 05:57 - Top concerns of hiring managers when recruiting 09:22 - How can the $500m to kick-start Singapore's tourism recovery be efficiently spent?  11:16 - Types of talents needed to support Singapore's focus on wellness and sustainability 

Tech jobs are positioned to be high in demand, with American and Chinese tech giants offering salary packages minimally 25 percent above market median to attract talent. Yet, Singapore still faces a talent crunch in the digital industry, where the widening skill gap poses problems for companies and job seekers alike. Gladys Poh, Digital Marketing Manager, Smartcademy shares more about the importance of upskilling in the current global economy and how one can choose the right course to upgrade themselves in. 

This week on Stocks to Watch, we’re joined by Cheryl Chan, Senior Vice President for Capital Markets, ADDX to discuss how much more Tesla stand to gain after a strong bull in the past month and if DBS can be considered suitable stock to hedge against the current inflationary environment.

In this morning’s The Breakfast Brief, we discuss the long-awaited plan by the Federal Reserve officials to shrink their balance sheet by more than $1 trillion a year while raising interest rates, how investors are responding to Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Patrick Harker's “acute concern” over rising inflation, and the record breaking cost of COE during the fourth consecutive bidding. 

Manpreet Gill, Head of FICC Investment Strategy, Standard Chartered Private Bank, discusses how investors should factor in a more aggressive Fed, Sri Lanka unrest, Shanghai's deepening lockdown and more sanctions on Russia. 

Convenience is king and convenience is also what you would expect from financial services platforms. And for UOB, that means leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to empower customers through its mobile banking app TMRW. Kevin Lam, Head of TMRW & Group Digital Banking, UOB shares more about the significance behind UOB's push for personalisation on UOB TMRW, and how he expects the future of digital banking to evolve in the coming years ahead. 

Combining AI, surveillance and security, TNT Surveillance’s key solutions cover anti-distraction and fatigue, blind spot detection and a 360-degree surround view system, aimed at keeping Singapore roads safe. Casey Liu, CEO, TNT Surveillance shares how TNTS was able to combine its expertise in AI, surveillance and security to create safer journeys among Singapore’s transportation fleets, and what transport and logistic fleet owners can do to build their supply chain resilience with TNT Surveillance. 

This week on Regional Roundup, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times gives an analysis of Malaysia's 'strict action’ against the illegal sale of RON95 petrol to foreigners, Indonesia's deployment of a 24-hour police surveillance targeting cooking oil production and distribution, and an April Fool's prank by a budget airline gone wrong.