The fur-profit proposition

THE pets business, if you haven't already noticed, seems to be booming. It's raining (very pricey) cats and dogs, making the trade in animals a potentially lucrative one for business owners. But with the draw of profits and growing demand comes the increasing risk of dangerous exploitation and sometimes, downright fraud.

In Brunch this Saturday in The Business Times Weekend, we investigate what's behind the high prices and why the government is moving towards tighter regulation of the pets trade.

Masses of data flood our financial platforms and systems every day, and finding ways to track and assess the flows is now imperative. In The Raffles Conversation, Refinitive's Asia-Pacific managing director Alfred Lee, who shares on the business of using data and technology to derive risk intelligence.

It's the beginning of a new year and there are no lack of forecasts on how markets will do in 2020. But if evidence is anything to go by, investors are best served by ignoring market forecasters, says our Value Insight columnist.

In the name of diversification, advisors will urge that you allocate in different asset classes. But how assets are categorised - and allocated - doesn't necessarily line up with a real understanding of what underpins those assets. CFA Singapore Insights explains why you might not really be diversified.

Tech Talk rounds up what grabbed attention at CES 2020, while The Finish Line looks forward to what the Lions have in store this year, under Japanese coach Tatsuma Yoshida.

And on our Health page, a doctor's perspective on why more needs to be done to improve vision.