Your Money with Michelle Martin

Money and Me: Would you stop buying a S&P 500 ETF?

It used to be the good old reliable way to grow wealth, but is it time to look away from this old favourite?  As concentration risk hits record highs, one dividend investor says the S&P 500 is no longer the “safe default.” Willie Keng of Dividend Titan explains why valuations look disconnected from reality - and what he uses instead to judge fair value. We explore three unexpected alternatives: Hershey in the US, Lendlease REIT in Singapore, and Indonesian brewer Multi Bintang. From cocoa prices to commercial property and emerging market dividends, this episode challenges passive investing assumptions. All this and more, hosted by Michelle Martin. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Market View: Earnings strength doesn’t guarantee stock gains, High Rollers & Hot Commodities

Apple and Marina Bay Sands just delivered blowout results - but not all markets are celebrating. Apple posts its best iPhone quarter in years as China demand rebounds and services face pressure. Marina Bay Sands clocks the strongest quarter in casino history, even as its parent struggles with Macau exposure. Copper surges to record highs and oil jumps above US$70 as geopolitics and China optimism drive commodities. Microsoft sinks on AI spending fears while Meta jumps on strong earnings and cost discipline. All this and more, hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Market View: AI Winners, Earnings Whiplash & the Fed’s Pause Button

Big Tech earnings are splitting the market right down the middle - Meta soars, Microsoft stumbles, and investors are asking whether AI spending is starting to bite. Big Tech earnings dominate today’s Market View as Meta and Microsoft head in sharply different directions. Meta delivers blockbuster results, with fourth-quarter revenue jumping 24% and investors cheering its confidence to ramp up AI investment - even with spending set to surge this year. Microsoft, meanwhile, beats expectations but unsettles markets by flagging slower cloud growth, triggering a sell-off despite strong headline numbers. The earnings picture widens with our UP or DOWN round: Tesla grapples with its weakest annual profit since the pandemic, Starbucks shows signs of a long-awaited turnaround, while SK Hynix and Samsung ride relentless demand for AI-driven memory and chips. Markets zoom out as the S&P 500 briefly tops 7,000 before retreating, with the U.S. Federal Reserve holding rates steady under continued pressure from President Donald Trump. We end back home in Singapore, tracking STI movers and new SGX board lot changes, before closing with a cultural curveball - the Grammys! K-pop is entering the fray and Michelle shares her pick for an artist who signals a deeper shift from spectacle to substance.  Hosted by Michelle Martin with Ryan Huang. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Money and Me: Are You Really Diversified - or Just buying the same 7 over and over?

You think you’re diversified… but what if you’re just betting on the same seven tech stocks again and again? The so-called Magnificent Seven now dominate both US and global indices, quietly shaping returns for anyone holding “broad” ETFs. We examine whether global diversification is becoming important again as big institutional players like Vanguard cut back on UK exposure and also talk about the rise and rise of gold. Has one of our best known commentators changed his long-standing tactical view on the metal? Michelle Martin speaks with Arun Pai, Associate Partner at Monk’s Hill Ventures, about how to spot unintended exposure and what a smarter diversification strategy really looks like, hosted by Michelle Martin. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Money and Me: Robots, Gold and Tariffs - Are Markets in Denial?

Bad news is piling up, yet markets keep climbing - so which signal should investors trust? Gold surges past US$5,000 an ounce as investors hedge against trade wars, political risk and warnings of a looming “capital war” from Ray Dalio. Elon Musk claims robots will outnumber humans and could make up most of Tesla’s long-term value, even as the car business faces slowing deliveries and rising competition. We ask whether stock prices are rising because the economy is healing - or simply because the dollar is weakening. With US market concentration at record highs, what does this mean for portfolios heavily exposed to American equities? Michelle Martin speaks with Swapnil Mishra, author of Investing for the Clueless, Reckless and Overly Cautious, about whether this is resilience, illusion, or the start of a structural shift  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.