Under The Radar

Remember the time when we would scour through magazines and newspaper articles to cut out photos and design ideas to paste on your scrapbooks for an art project?  Well, we might not do that physically these days, but millions of us still do so digitally through a platform called Pinterest. And yes, that is the company that we’re going to talk to today.  Founded in 2010, Pinterest is a visual search and discovery platform where people find inspiration, curate ideas and shop for products. Unlike traditional social media of its time, the San Francisco headquartered company began as a digital pinboard and was focused on helping users find the inspiration they need to lead the life they love.  This positions Pinterest as a high-intent platform where users arrive not just to browse, but with a purpose. Users sit closer to the moment of decision making, where inspiration can turn into action and commerce. Today, Pinterest sees 1.5 billion pins saved every week, with over half of the users thinking of the platform as a place to shop. In May 2026, the firm reported FY2026 Q1 revenue of US$1.008 billion, up 18 per cent on a yearly basis. Pinterest also saw its tenth consecutive quarter of double-digit user growth with its base of global monthly active users reaching 631 million, an 11 per cent increase over the previous year.  But what is the firm’s assessment of its latest performance as major retailers and advertisers in the US grapple with tariffs? Meanwhile, the firm continues to see revenue driven by the US and Canada even with a growing user base in Asia. So how far is Asia an undertapped market for the firm and what is the company doing to close the monetisation gap? Also – the firm is also doubling down on AI-driven platform improvements, but what does this mean in more granular terms, and how will AI help the firm optimise advertising reach and consequently its top and bottom lines? On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Martin Machinandiarena, Managing Director, Channel Sales, Pinterest.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special “On the Go” episode of Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian headed down to Suntec Tower 3 for an interview with the leadership of a company that invented the Portable Document Format or the PDF format in 1993.  Founded close to 45 years ago in 1982 to revolutionise printing and publishing with an all-digital approach, Adobe has since evolved into a design software company that empowers everyone to imagine, create and bring any digital experience to life.  Its Creative Cloud suite of solutions, from Photoshop to Illustrator and Premier, helps customers from creators, students, small businesses to global enterprises create multimedia projects efficiently to drive business outcomes.  Adobe is an interesting company to look at, particularly given recent developments surrounding generative AI, which can help users create images, videos and even movies with a simple text or voice prompt.  To tap the technology advancements in AI, Adobe had in April 2026 launched a suite of artificial intelligence tools to help corporate clients automate and personalise digital marketing functions.  Called the CX Enterprise, the products make use of AI agents to help customers manage their interactions with customers. At the same time, the firm is also said to be working with US big tech players like Amazon, Microsoft, Anthropic, OpenAI and Nvidia to ensure that its new AI system works across multiple platforms.  But how does the firm define its value proposition in the age of generative AI given its in-depth knowledge and expertise in the design and creativity space, and how does the firm assess the competitiveness of its products against say Anthropic’s Claude Design?  How is competition like in Asia Pacific with Chinese AI-tech firms coming in fast and furious? Tian Tian posed these questions to Ben Goodman, President of JAPAC (Asia Pacific and Japan), Adobe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re going to take you through a hotel brand that is directly linked to American personality, Paris Hilton. Yes, we’re indeed talking about global hospitality company Hilton, which boasts a portfolio of 27 world-class brands including Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton and Doubletree by Hilton. Fun fact, Paris Hilton’s great-grandfather, Conrad Hilton, or the founder of Hilton, entered into the hotel business in Cisco Texas back in 1919 when he was on the way to buy a bank but bought a local hotel called The Mobley instead.  The first hotel which formally bore the Hilton name though, was opened in Dallas Texas only a couple of years later in 1925. Fast forward to today, the hotel company comprises over 9,100 properties and over 1.3 million rooms in 143 countries and territories. It also welcomed over 4 billion guests across its century of history.  In April 2026, the firm reported Q1 adjusted EBITDA of US$901 million, up 13 per cent on the year. The firm also reported a 3.6 per cent growth in system-wide RevPAR or revenue per available room. But how far is this contributed by the Southeast Asia region? Looking ahead, the firm continues to face headwinds in the second half of the year amid trade volatility which could dampen global travel spend and weigh on US demand. The war in the Middle East could also result in reduced travel to the region. But to what extent will this make Asian or Southeast Asian markets more attractive for Hilton to double down on? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Alexandra Murray, Vice-President and Regional Head of South East Asia, Hilton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ll revisit the real estate sector today by looking at a REIT that is solely focused on the UK market.  Founded in 2020 and listed on the Singapore Exchange, Elite UK Reit aims to provide unitholders with what it calls a secure income stream from public sector tenants such as the UK Department for Work and Pensions.  The Reit’s portfolio spans across 148 properties which are mostly freehold or virtually freehold in places within town centres, near amenities or transportation nodes.  More notably, the Manager of the Reit said it is also tapping on sectors that exhibit strong growth potential in the UK, say purpose-built student accommodation and built-to-rent residential assets.  On the whole, the manager said the Reit has what it describes as a “long and diversified lease expiry profile and prudent capital management”, and is positioned for sustainable stability and growth from government-leased properties and the living sector.  All in, Elite UK Reit posted a distribution per unit of £0.0149 (1.49 British pence) for the second half of the 2025 financial year ended Dec 31. That’s around 1.4 per cent higher than the DPU seen in H2 2024. The figure also represented a payout ratio of 95 per cent.  Elite UK Reit is a counter that we want to talk about given how the firm is on the charm offensive to appeal to the investing community.  For one thing, the Reit had in February 2026 signed new lease agreements with the UK Government for properties occupied by the Department for Work and Pensions, a move that has helped it improve its Weighted Average Lease Expiry (or WALE) to 7.2 years from 2.4 years. The Reit’s manager said this is one of the longest WALE duration among Singapore Reits.  Beyond that, the Reit is also actively repositioning some of its properties including one in Peel Park, Blackpool. Its manager said the Reit has secured planning consent to develop a data centre building on the roughly 20-acre plot. So how will the moves augment the firm’s growth trajectory while increasing income stability? On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Joshua Liaw, CEO, Elite UK Reit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.