β’ Job Growth: The US economy added 228,000 jobs in March 2025, surpassing expectations and marking the highest increase in three months.
β’ Unemployment Rate: The unemployment rate rose to 4.2% in March 2025, the highest since November 2024.
β’ Stock Market Performance: Major stock indices fell despite strong job growth due to Chinaβs tariffs on the US.
β’ Sandwich Promotion Extension: Delifrance Singapore extends its sandwich promotion until 30 April 2025.
β’ Promotion Details: 2 sandwiches for $14 or 4 sandwiches for $24, available at all Delifrance outlets in Singapore.
β’ DΓ©li Friends Perks: Complimentary beverage with every order and access to exclusive perks and promotions.
β’ Sandwich Promotion: Delifrance is offering a promotion on sandwiches.
β’ Bread Options: Customers can choose from Baguette, Ciabatta, Butter Croissant, or Wholemeal Croissant.
β’ Promotion Duration: The promotion is valid while stocks last.
β’ Franchise Status: Plants vs. Zombies, once a popular casual game, has lost momentum and could benefit from learning from its last installment.
β’ Game Developer: PopCap, known for arcade games like Peggle and Bejeweled, created Plants vs. Zombies and was later acquired by EA.
β’ Game Success: Plants vs. Zombies achieved massive popularity due to its charming art style, humor, and strategic gameplay.
β’ Series Decline: The Plants vs. Zombies series has been declining since 2019, with PvZ: Battle for Neighborville failing to resonate with fans and subsequent games suffering from lack of support and power creep.
β’ PvZ 3 Failure: The release of Plants vs. Zombies 3, intended to revive the series, has been unsuccessful, with the game being unlisted after soft launches and failing to attract players.
β’ Back to Basics: The next Plants vs. Zombies game should return to the classic formula of PvZ and PvZ 2, focusing on strategic plant selection and gameplay mechanics that made the series popular, while avoiding excessive monetization and power creep.
β’ Storytelling Approach: Return to the simplicity of PvZβs story, relying on level design and minimal dialogue.
β’ Character and World Building: Avoid complex lore, a vast universe of characters, and world-threatening stakes.
β’ Gameplay Focus: Prioritize challenging gameplay with evolving zombie attacks and strategic level design.
β’ Occupation: Mr. Ang Bin Xiu is a full-time live streamer who opens Pokemon card packs on TikTok.
β’ Business Model: Mr. Ang operates on a βrip and shipβ model, where viewers purchase packs of cards, he opens them on stream, and then ships the cards to buyers.
β’ Success: Mr. Ang sold $1 million worth of products within the first nine months of live streaming.
β’ Business Model: Mr. Angβs business allows customers to buy individual packs of Pokemon cards, making it accessible to those who cannot afford to buy a whole box.
β’ Live Streaming: Mr. Ang live streams himself opening packs of Pokemon cards, interacting with viewers and fulfilling customer orders.
β’ Financial Success: Mr. Angβs live streaming business has been financially successful, selling $1 million worth of products in the first nine months and earning up to $10,000 per month at its peak.
β’ Business Model: Mr. Ang transitioned from a job at Amazon to full-time live-streaming, selling sports cards and trading cards.
β’ Market Growth: Social commerce in Singapore is projected to grow significantly, reaching US$8.47 billion by 2029.
β’ Social Media Advantages: Social media offers targeted advertising, customer interaction, and higher conversion rates compared to traditional digital marketing.
β’ Career Switch Motivation: Mr. Ang switched careers to live-streaming for the personal connections and shared hobby, not just profit.
β’ Business Model: Mr. Ang views his live-streaming audience as friends, prioritizing shared passion over profit.
β’ Financial Challenges: Fluctuating demand for products, with income varying based on new product releases and slow periods.
β’ Tariff Impact on Toy Industry: Trumpβs trade war, with tariffs on China and Vietnam, will lead to higher toy prices.
β’ Manufacturing Relocation: Toy companies are scrambling to find alternative manufacturing locations due to increased tariffs.
β’ Retaliatory Measures: China plans to impose a 34% tariff on all U.S. products in response to the U.S. tariffs.
β’ Tariff Impact on Toy Industry: Toy companies like Hasbro and Mattel are facing challenges due to tariffs on imports from China and other countries.
β’ Production Relocation Challenges: Relocating production to countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and India may not be financially viable due to tariffs on those countries as well.
β’ Consumer Price Increases: Consumers can expect price increases on toys to offset the impact of tariffs.
β’ Stock Market Impact: Toy companiesβ stocks plummeted following the tariff announcement.
β’ Consumer Impact: Consumers are expected to bear the brunt of the tariffs through price increases.
β’ Price Increase Magnitude: Price hikes are projected to range from 35% to 50%, potentially coinciding with the back-to-school season.
β’ Key Economic Indicators: ISM Manufacturing Index (PMI) for March and ADP employment report will be released in early April.
β’ Trade Policy: US will implement reciprocal tariffs on all countries and a 25% tariff on imported automobiles on April 2.
β’ Labor Market Report: Non-farm payrolls and the unemployment rate will be announced on April 4.
β’ Federal Reserve Chair Powellβs Speech: Scheduled after the release of non-farm payroll and unemployment rate data, focusing on the American economy, inflation, and the impact of Trumpβs tariff policies.
β’ FOMC Minutes Release: Scheduled for April 9 at 3 AM, providing details of the last Federal Open Market Committee meeting and potential future monetary policy directions.
β’ Key Economic Indicators: Marchβs CPI release on April 10 and Aprilβs ADP employment numbers and Marchβs PCE deflator release on April 30, providing insights into inflation trends and the economic landscape.
β’ STI Performance: The FTSE Singapore Straits Time Index reached a historic high of 4,005.18, marking a 12-day winning streak.
β’ Contributing Factors: Above-trend GDP growth in 2024 and a cautiously optimistic market outlook for 2025 contributed to the indexβs surge.
β’ Sectoral Performance: The industrial sector saw the most net institutional inflows, with ST Engineering and Sembcorp Industries leading the gains.
β’ STI Performance: The STI breaching 4,000 indicates robust investor confidence and a favorable economic climate, driven by banking and telecommunications sectors.
β’ Future Outlook: The STI may continue its upward trajectory, driven by banking, real estate, and consumer stocks, making Singapore a potentially defensive investment market.
β’ Historical Performance: The STI has yielded impressive returns since its inception in 1966, with a total return of 40% over the past three years (CAGR of 11.9%).
