Capital Appreciation through Capital Preservation

The late Phil Fisher was one of the great investors of all time and the author of the classic book Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits. Fisher started his money management firm, Fisher & Co., in 1931 and over the next seven decades made tremendous amounts of money for his clients. For example, he was an early investor in semiconductor giant Texas Instruments TXN. Fisher also purchased Motorola MOT in 1955, and in a testament to long-term investing, held the stock until his death in 2004.

"Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits" - is a MUST READ!






"Capital Appreciation through Capital Preservation" - Phil Fisher


Does Uncle8888's Pillow Stocks Strategy has the similar effect of capital appreciation through capital preservation?

Firstly, Return of Capital.

Secondly, Good Yield.

Lastly, Capital appreciation

Read? Pillow Stocks Strategy (2)


First, don't lose your Capital and then grow your Money Tree.

Money will just drop from the Money Tree twice or once a year.

What else can we ask for in our retirement life?

Uncle8888 has missed selling Kep Corp, DBS, and Semb Corp in 2007 Bull Peak.

Peak stock price in 2007

Kep Corp: $13.73

DBS : $19.20

Semb Corp: $6.75

Uncle8888 didn't have superior TA skill to know how to sell in 2007 peak.

So did he really lose out a lots?


BTW, he still collected dividends, Right?


As of last Friday stock closing price

Kep Corp = $10.90 + $3.08 = $13.90. It is still 1.2% higher than 2007 peak of $13.73

DBS = $17.46 + $3.38 = $20.62. It is still 7.4% higher than 2007 peak of $19.20

Semb Corp = $5.01 + $1.05 = $6.05. It is -10.4%  lower than 2007 peak of $6.75


Win 2 Lose 1

Not too bad. Right?

Dollar rises so Oil and Gold will fall against the Dollar?

Dollar rises so Oil and Gold will fall!

Truth or False?

Oil has utility value while most of the Gold is for safe keeping.

 

 

 

Kep KEIT

 

 

 

Believing One Book!

Read? Late for stock investing as the path to financial independence (2)

Read? Believing Bullshit!



 

One belief and some luck.

 

"It's not whether you're right or wrong that's important, but how much money you make when you're right and how much you lose when you're wrong." ~ George Soros

After 12 years in the stock market, the best winning stake is in Sep 2011!

























Poor money management and foolish thinking in 2007!

 

 

 

 

Uncle8888 is not going to undo his 12 years of investing lessons.

 

Doing nothing, collecting cash flow, salting cash and building up war chest is an action too.

 

 

"It's not whether you're right or wrong that's important, but how much money you make when you're right and how much you lose when you're wrong." ~ George Soros

 

 

In investing, account size really matters!

 

 

 

 

Moral of the Story

 

Fat Bear comes. Do you have fat wallet?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gold Drops for Seventh Session as Dollar Rises

Read? Grand old investor and gambler???

 

Decades in the market has taught him this .....

 

 

To him, you are either holding (investing) stocks for yield and over long run you won't lose money or you are gambling in stocks, Forex, Gold or Crude oil. When you gamble, you must know how to run fast; otherwise, you will get killed!

 

 

 

                     

Source: World Gold Council

       

Gold fell for a seventh straight session on Friday, its longest losing streak in four years, as the dollar rose to the highest since 2008 after some Federal Reserve officials said the central bank should end its stimulus for the U.S. economy.

Investors also rejected gold's safe-haven lure after a May reading for U.S. consumer sentiment hit a near six-year high, showing Americans are feeling better about their financial and economic prospects.

Major U.S. stock indexes were on track to close up for a fourth straight week as the dollar rocketed to a 4-1/2-year high against the yen.

Spot gold was down 1.6 percent, hovering at a four-week low below $1,364 an ounce.

U.S. gold futures for June delivery settled down 1.6 percent at $1,364.70. For the week, it fell more than 5 percent.

Some traders expected the sell-off to not let up until gold lost between $200 or $300 more per ounce, pushing it back to levels last seen in the first quarter of 2010.

"With a few more hard losing sessions, we could be down to between $1,050 and $1,100. It could happen over two weeks or it could happen in a couple of days if the market plunges $100 a dip," said Frank McGhee, head precious metals trader at Integrated Brokerage Services in Chicago.

"There's heavy rotation of money from gold into the stock market as the U.S. economy keeps getting better and the need for Fed stimulus gets weaker by the day," McGhee added.


A trio of hawkish regional Federal Reserve officials have called on the central bank to stop buying mortgage-backed bonds, citing the recent improvement in the U.S. housing market.

San Francisco Fed chief John Williams, one of the three, said he expected U.S. stimulus action to ease from this summer. Richard Fisher, head of the Dallas Fed, meanwhile, said "the efficacy of continued (bond) purchases is questionable."

Ultra low interest rates and hundreds of billions of dollars of Fed stimulus money have fueled higher prices for gold and other commodities over the past 3 years. Despite better U.S. economic data since the start of this year, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has been reluctant to take his foot off the stimulator pedal, on grounds the recovery has been fragile.

Exchange-traded products in gold -- investment vehicles that give investors exposure to bullion through issuing securities backed by the physical metal -- have seen huge outflows this year.

The largest, New York's SPDR Gold Trust, reported an outflow of another 5.7 tonnes on Thursday, bringing the drop in its holdings this week to more than 10 tonnes.


Physical demand for the metal, which spiked after prices posted their biggest two-day drop in 30 years in April, showed signs of softening.

Buying in India, the main consumer of the precious metal, had fallen significantly from Monday, which saw the celebration of Akshaya Tritiya, one gold trader in Singapore said.
 

Stocks Rally for 4th-Straight Week; Dow, S&P 500 Jump to New Highs

By: JeeYeon Park CNBC.com Writer

Stocks closed out the week with strong gains, with the Dow and S&P 500 hitting fresh highs and all three major averages logging their fourth-straight weekly advance, boosted by a pair of positive economic reports.

The S&P 500 closed at 1,667, spiking nearly 150 percent since the financial crisis when the index hit a low of 666.79 on March 6, 2009.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 121.18 points, or 0.80 percent, to close at 15,354.40, led by Boeing and JPMorgan.

The S&P 500 jumped 17 points, or 1.03 percent, to end at 1,667.47. The Nasdaq advanced 33.73 points, or 0.97 percent, to finish at 3,498.97.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, finished below 13.

For the week, the Dow soared 1.56 percent, the S&P 500 gained 1.98 percent, and the Nasdaq added 1.82 percent. Cisco led the top Dow gainers, while Intel edged lower.

The S&P 500 & Nasdaq have each had gains of at least 1 percent in each of the last four weeks. The last time that happened for the S&P was back in October 2011 and the last time the Nasdaq rose at least 1 percent for four-straight weeks was in February 2012.

All key S&P sectors finished in positive territory for the week, led by financials and industrials.
 

STI - Anyone tired of waiting for market correction?

181 days pass without correction!

Quite unusual

Keppel FELS delivers second jackup rig to Oro Negro early

Keppel FELS has delivered a second KFELS B Class jackup rig to offshore Mexican oil field services company, Integradora de Servicios Petroleros Oro Negro (Oro Negro).

Named Laurus at Keppel FELS today, the rig was delivered eleven days early and with a perfect safety record.

Laurus is the second of two high-specification jackup rigs that Keppel FELS has built for Oro Negro which will be chartered to PEMEX, Mexico's national oil company, for deployment in offshore Mexico. The first rig, Primus, was delivered in December last year.

Mr Wong Kok Seng, Managing Director (Offshore) of Keppel Offshore & Marine and Managing Director of Keppel FELS, said, "We have built a win-win partnership with Oro Negro and are pleased to deliver another rig to them ahead of time, safely and within budget. This delivery is the eighth by Keppel FELS this year, and in a year where we aim to deliver a record 20 rigs, highlights our abilities and commitment to meet the needs of our customers.

"Laurus is the second of 10 KFELS B Class jackup rigs we are building for Mexican customers. It strengthens our track record as the leading provider of offshore drilling solutions for the Mexican market. In addition, we have delivered a number of significant projects to the region over the years and we look forward to continuing to support Mexico's E&P programme with high quality offshore rigs."

Mexico is one of the 10 largest oil producers in the world, with close to 14 billion barrels of oil in reserves as of 1 January 2013. National oil company, PEMEX, plans to invest up to US$25.3 billion in 2013, of which US$20 billion will be targeted at upstream activities.

Mr Gonzalo Gil White, CEO of Oro Negro, said, "With the early delivery of Laurus, we now have two premium jackup rigs ready to service PEMEX and the Mexican market. The country has a requirement for more of such rigs to fully exploit its offshore oil fields and the deployment of these two high-spec KFELS B Class rigs positions us well to meet this demand even as we look to grow our fleet.

"We are pleased that Keppel FELS has once again exceeded our expectations with this successful delivery. Even with the addition of variation works to meet PEMEX's requirements, Keppel FELS was able to deliver this rig 11 days ahead of schedule, allowing our customer the opportunity to deploy the rig earlier to expedite their exploration programme."

Developed by Keppel's technology arm, Offshore Technology Development (OTD), the KFELS B Class jackup design is able to operate in water depths of up to 400 feet and drill to depths of 30,000 feet. The robust rig incorporates Keppel's advanced and fully-automated high capacity rack and pinion jacking system, and Self-Positioning Fixation System. An environmentally-friendly rig, it provides maximum uptime with reduced emissions and discharges.

There are currently two KFELS B Class jackup rigs in operation in Mexican waters - the Tonala rig operated by Peforadora Central and the Ocean Scepter rig operated by Diamond Offshore.

Keppel FELS is currently building two KFELS B Class jackup rigs for PEMEX as well as another four for Grupo R and two for CP Latina. Its sister yard, Keppel AmFELS in Brownsville, Texas recently delivered a jackup rig to Perforadora Central last month with another due for delivery in 1Q 2014.

Dow, S&P 500 Close at Fresh Highs

 

 

 

 

 

By: JeeYeon Park CNBC.com Writer

Stocks regained their footing in choppy trading Wednesday, with the Dow and S&P 500 closing at a fresh high, but a sharp decline in Apple kept a lid on the Nasdaq's gains.


The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 60.44 points to end at 15,275.69, led by American Express and JPMorgan.

The S&P 500 advanced 8.44 point to close at 1,658.78. Both the Dow and S&P 500 closed at new record highs, for the 20th and 15th time this year, respectively. The Nasdaq rose 9.01 points to finish at 3,471.62.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, traded near 13.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Wednesday, with the Dow and S&P 500 hitting new all-time highs in a broad market rally as the recent upward momentum persisted.

The Nasdaq also hit its highest level since November 2000 although gains were limited by a steep decline in Apple . Shares of the tech giant sold off in late afternoon trading after filings from hedge funds showed that the one-time Wall Street darling was dropped by more famous hedge fund managers in the first quarter.

But shares of Apple's rival Google shot up to a new record high at $916.38 on news that it has adopted a streaming music business model. Google closed at $915.89, up 3.3 percent.

The day's gains were broad, with nine of the S&P 500's 10 sectors ending higher. Among the top gainers were the consumer staples sector index <.splrcs>, up 1 percent, and the financial sector <.spsy>, also up 1 percent. The only decliner was the energy sector index <.spny>, down 0.4 percent.

The overall market showed further signs of strength despite the S&P 500 rising to a record for the fourth session in a row. The broad market index has recorded 15 new closing highs this year.

An options gauge looking at the level of anxiety showed signs that investors are placing optimistic wagers on the stock market, positioning for the current run-up to extend for the next three months.

Equities have rallied in recent weeks as investors bet that central bank stimulus measures will keep supporting market gains.

Such policies have helped spur advances of about 15 percent in major U.S. indexes this year despite data showing some signs of lackluster growth.

In the latest reads on the economy, activity in New York state's manufacturing sector unexpectedly contracted in May. Another report showed that U.S. industrial production fell more than expected in April.

"It's disconcerting that the data was so much lower than what we were looking for, but there's no reason for investors to sell," said Michael Binger, senior portfolio manager at Gradient Investments in Minneapolis.

"The main things driving the market - the Fed, earnings, consumer confidence - are holding up, and people put money in the market on any down day. I still see a lot of value."

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> rose 60.44 points, or 0.40 percent, to close at a record 15,275.69. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> added 8.44 points, or 0.51 percent, to finish at a record 1,658.78. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> gained 9.01 points, or 0.26 percent, to close at 3,471.62.

During the session, the Dow touched an all-time intraday high at 15,301.34, while the S&P 500 reached a record intraday peak at 1,661.49. Earlier, the Nasdaq had hit a fresh 52-week high at 3,475.48.

Cisco Systems Inc shares rose 6.5 percent to $22.59 in extended-hours trading after the company posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit, suggesting that the network equipment maker's customers are spending more on technology. The stock ended the regular session at $21.21, down 0.3 percent.

In signs that the rally may strengthen from the current levels, the Credit Suisse Fear Barometer, known as the CSFB Index, fell 11.4 points over the past two weeks - the largest decline on record - and is now at a one-year low of 21.73.

"A low CSFB reading is a constructive signal for the market," Credit Suisse equity derivatives strategist Mandy Xu wrote in a note to clients.

The indicator essentially tracks the willingness of investors to pay for downside protection with zero-premium so-called collar trades that expire in three months, using S&P 500 index <.spx> options.

Agilent Tech was one of the S&P 500's top percentage gainers, up 3.9 percent to $45.68, a day after the company posted adjusted earnings that beat expectations and doubled its stock-buyback program to $1 billion.

Tech shares also got a lift from Netflix Inc , up 4 percent at $243.40, and Yahoo Inc , up 2.6 percent at $27.34. In contrast, Computer Sciences Corp was the S&P 500's biggest loser, dropping 9.7 percent to $44.71 after reporting results.

Shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb rose 5.1 percent to $44.34 in anticipation of favorable data from clinical trials of its melanoma drug. Limited data is expected to be released this evening ahead of the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, which begins on May 31.

In other data released on Wednesday, the U.S. Producer Price Index recorded its largest drop in three years in April, falling a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent.

Volume was roughly 6.6 billion shares on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT, above the average daily closing volume of about 6.3 billion this year.

Advancers outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by a ratio of 8 to 7, while on the Nasdaq, about 14 stocks rose for every 11 that fell.
 

Swiber Q1 profit doubles to US$20.07m

By

Carine Lee

        

Swiber Holdings doubled its net profit to US$20.07 million from US$8.65 million a year ago for the fiscal first quarter ended March 31, 2013.

Turnover rose 59.3 per cent year on year to US$309.74 million from US$194.43 million.
Earnings per share were 3.3 US cents, up from 1.5 US cents a year earlier.

Wall Street jumps as banks lead indexes to new highs

 


























NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rallied to fresh highs on Tuesday as investors picked up large-cap companies' shares on the expectation that central bank stimulus will help propel the rally further.

Gains were broad, but growth sectors outperformed their peers with bank stocks leading the way. Bank of America (BAC.N), up 2.8 percent at $13.34, was the Dow's biggest percentage gainer, while Citigroup Inc (C.N) rose 2.4 percent to $50.09.

Wall Street has rallied without a significant correction since the start of the year, pushing major indexes to all-time records and sending the S&P 500 up almost 16 percent for 2013 so far.

The ascent has been driven in large part by the Federal Reserve's easy monetary policy, designed to stimulate the economy, though investors' focus has turned to when the Fed may start to rein in its bond-purchase program.

"The developed economies of the world are all easing aggressively, the money is looking for a home, and it's ending up in the stock markets," said Bucky Hellwig, senior vice president at BB&T Wealth Management in Birmingham, Alabama.

For now, investors are betting that the central bank will be careful not to remove its support too soon in order to not disrupt the economic recovery it is trying to foster, Hellwig said.

So far, declines in the market have been met with buying and investors are trying to gauge how long that can last.

"People are indeed trying to participate in the rally, but at the same time, they're trying to be cautious," said Brad McMillan, chief investment officer of Commonwealth Financial, based in Waltham, Massachusetts.

The S&P 500 financial sector index (.SPSY) rose 1.7 percent, while the S&P transports group index (.SPLRCTRN) gained 1.4 pct.

The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) gained 123.57 points, or 0.82 percent, to close at a record 15,215.25. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) rose 16.57 points, or 1.01 percent, to end at a record 1,650.34. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) climbed 23.82 points, or 0.69 percent, to 3,462.61, its highest close since November 2000.

During the session, the Dow hit an all-time intraday high of 15,219.55, while the S&P 500 climbed to an all-time intraday high of 1,651.10.

The Nasdaq touched a fresh 52-week high of 3,468.67.

The market had traded sideways for the past three sessions, showing a gain of just 0.07 percent as the winding down of the quarterly earnings season and a light economic calendar have left investors without a strong catalyst for further gains.

The Dow's gains were limited by weakness in Intel Corp (INTC.O), down 1 percent at $23.84, and UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N), off 1.1 percent at $61.73.

U.S.-listed shares of Sony Corp (SNE.N) jumped 9.9 percent to $20.76 after billionaire hedge fund investor Daniel Loeb called on the company to spin off its lucrative entertainment arm.

Nokia Corp (NOK.N) unveiled a new version of its Lumia smartphone line, but U.S.-listed shares fell 5.2 percent to $3.64. Research company Gartner said Nokia lost 5 percentage points of market share in the first quarter, falling to 14.8 percent.

Solar power companies' shares fell after Trina Solar Ltd (TSL.N) estimated lower panel shipments than a previous outlook and said its results would be hurt by a foreign currency exchange loss. The stock fell 8.8 percent to $5.41, while Yingli Green Energy (YGE.N) slid 6.3 percent to $2.36.

Most corporate earnings have been better than expected this quarter. With 90 percent of the S&P 500 companies having reported results so far, 67.2 percent have topped earnings expectations, according to Thomson Reuters data, which is even with the average over the past four quarters. However, only 46.9 percent have beaten revenue expectations, below the 52 percent average over the past four quarters.

Volume was roughly 6.2 billion shares on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT, just below the average daily closing volume of about 6.4 billion this year.

Advancers outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by a ratio of about 2 to 1, while on the Nasdaq, more than two stocks rose for every one that fell.

NOL swings into the black in Q1

By

Teh Shi Ning

        

Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) posted a US$76 million (S$94 million) net profit for the first quarter of 2013, including a non-recurring gain of US$200 million from the completed sale of the NOL headquarters building in Singapore - PHOTO: SPH

Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) posted a US$76 million (S$94 million) net profit for the first quarter of 2013, including a non-recurring gain of US$200 million from the completed sale of the NOL headquarters building in Singapore.

This compares with a net loss of US$254 million for the same period a year ago.

The group said that a "continuing focus on operational efficiency and cost mitigation" helped narrow its core EBIT (earnings before interest, taxes and non-recurring items) loss to US$85 million from US$233 million a year ago - a 64 per cent improvement.

Revenue for the quarter ended April 5 stayed flat from a year ago at US$2.4 billion.

Noble Group Q1 net profit down 62 pct

SINGAPORE, May 14 (Reuters) - Singapore-listed commodities trader Noble Group Ltd posted a 62 percent fall in first-quarter net profit on Tuesday, saying the challenging operating environment had hurt its margins.

Noble reported net profit of $41.3 million for the three months ended March, down from $110.1 million a year earlier and far below the average net profit forecast of $103.7 million from four analysts polled by Reuters.

Noble said it will continue moving to an "asset light" model and strengthening its balance sheet, while making selective investments.

Biosensors buys clinical apps firm for US$51m

By

Lee Meixian

         

Biosensors International Group has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Spectrum Dynamics for about US$51.1 million (S$63.3 million) - PHOTO: ST

Biosensors International Group has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Spectrum Dynamics for about US$51.1 million (S$63.3 million).

It will also make further payments up to US$4 million in 2014, and up to US$15 million in 2016 to Spectrum Dynamics, if certain performance benchmarks are met, it said.

Under the terms of the deal, the two companies will also create a joint venture aimed at developing future non-cardiac applications. Biosensors expects the transaction to be moderately accretive to its earnings in 2015.

Spectrum Dynamics is a privately held medical imaging and clinical applications company that has developed innovative technology providing high-speed, high-resolution functional 3D images to help physicians determine the most appropriate treatment for their patients.

Is life sometime cruel to the innocent (naive, kiasi) when come to investment? (4)

Read? Is life sometime cruel to the innocent (naive, kiasi) when come to investment? (3)

Read? Believing Bullshit!

Why are many people in Singapore so gullible and still believing in Guru's Secret of Making Easy Money?

Read the above book on Chapter 2 to find out why?

Available in NLB.

Deadly Investment Sin #2

The "Guru" belief: if I can't predict the market, there's someone somewhere who can - and all I need to do is find him.

Deadly Investment Sin #6

The "System" belief: somebody, somewhere has developed a system - some arcane refinement of technical analysis, fundamental analysis, computerised trading, Gann triangles, or even astrology - that will guarantee investment profits.


Uncle8888's advice

If you are still believing in "Guru" easy money making system.

Go and read chapter 2 to find out yourself.

Office Auntie fell in love with bankers!

Just For Thinking ...


Real People, Real Retail Investor!

She is just an ordinary office auntie who knows very little about stocks.

 

She doesn't bother to learn about stock investing; but, she has good faith that Singapore banks are safe.

 

This is what she did for her saving in 2008 when she decided to fall in love with Singapore bankers.

 

After 4 years+ of love affair with Singapore bankers.

 

Her CAGR for Total Shareholder Return (accumulated dividends + unrealised P/L) is as follows:

 

As of last Friday SGX market closing stock price:

 

    DBS: 7.7%

OCBC: 6.5%

   UOB: 1.6%

 

 

What do you think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Realized or unrealized losses??? Does it seriously matter??? (2)

Read? Realized or unrealized losses??? Does it seriously matter???


No stop loss!


Is Uncle8888 suffering from loss aversion and disposition effect too?


No stop loss?

If you have a worry problem, do these three things:

1. Ask yourself: “What is the worst that can possibly happen?”
2. Prepare to accept it if you have to.
3. Then calmly proceed to improve on the worst.”

(Carnegie 49)


1. Ask yourself: “What is the worst that can possibly happen?”

Lost 100%

2. Prepare to accept it if you have to.


Only invest those money that is not required over next 3 - 5 years

3. Then calmly proceed to improve on the worst.”

We are seldom right in our stock pick.

So when we are lucky to be right. Be brave. Sit tight and win big!

We must win more XXX% to offset few 100% losses.


Let your winning spirit takeover and huat!

DBS - Amazing rise!

Are BBs chasing for last minute yield of 3.X% as XD on Monday?

 

 

 

 

Stocks End Higher for Third Week; Dow, S&P 500 Close at New Highs

 

By: JeeYeon Park CNBC.com Writer

                

Stocks finished modestly higher Friday with major indexes posting their third week in positive territory and the Dow and S&P 500 closing at new record highs.


The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 35.87 points, to close at 15,118.49, led by Hewlett-Packard.

The S&P 500 climbed 7.03 points, to finish at 1,633.70.

The Nasdaq rallied 27.41 points to end at 3,436.58.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, ended below 13.

For the week, the Dow advanced 0.97 percent, the S&P 500 jumped 1.19 percent, and the Nasdaq added 1.72 percent.

An Inside-the-Shipyard Look at Keppel

Read? An Inside-the-Shipyard Look at Keppel

Singaporeans expected to live to 82.3 years

From Singapore Business Review


Females to live longer with 84.5 years.

According to a release by the Department of Statistics, in 2012, a new-born Singapore resident could expect to live to 82.3 years, up from 81.9 years in 2011 and 80.6 years in 2007. Females could expect to live longer. A girl born in 2012 could expect to live an average of 84.5 years, longer than 79.9 years for a boy.

It noted that life expectancy at birth is an estimate of the average number of years a new-born baby might expect to live, if he or she were to experience the age specific mortality rates of the reference period throughout his or her life.

Life expectancy at age 65 years is an estimate of the average number of additional years a person who has reached the age of 65 years might expect to
live, if he or she were to experience the age-specific mortality rates of the reference period for the remainder of his or her life.

Life expectancy at age 65 years continued to improve. For males, the life expectancy at age 65 years was 18.5 years in 2012, up from 18.1 years in 2011 and 17.2 years in 2007. For females, the life expectancy at age 65 years was 21.9 years in 2012, up from 21.6 years in 2011 and 20.6 years in 2007.
 

Hyflux, Singapore’s biggest water treatment company, posted a 4.7% increase in first-quarter profit

Hyflux, Singapore’s biggest water treatment company, posted a 4.7% increase in first-quarter profit as it reduced spending on raw materials and labour.

Net income climbed to $8 million in the three months ended March 31, from $7.7 million a year earlier, Hyflux said in a statement to the stock exchange today. Operating costs and expenditures fell by about 8%, according to the company, which built Singapore’s first water-recycling plant.

The industrial water sector’s outlook is improving, Hyflux said. Countries such as China and India “impose more stringent water discharge standards and encourage industries to seek alternative sustainable sources of water, such as recycling and desalination,” according to the statement.

Hyflux said its Tuaspring Desalination Plant in the city-state is undergoing testing and commissioning and is scheduled to begin operations in the second half of this year.

S&P Logs 5-Day Rally, Dow Posts Fresh High

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By: JeeYeon Park

CNBC.com Writer

 

Stocks finished near session highs across the board Wednesday, boosted by financials and materials, with the Dow and S&P 500 logging fresh closing highs.

 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 48.92 points, to finish at 15,105.12, led by UnitedHealth and Hewlett-Packard, after closing above 15,000 for the first-time ever in the previous session.

The S&P 500 rose 6.72 points, to end at 1,632.68. The Nasdaq advanced 16.64 points, to close at 3,413.27. Both indexes finished higher for the fifth-straight session.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, closed below 13.

ST Index ended up 29.86 points, or 0.88 per cent, at 3,413.02, its highest finish since 4 January 2008

SINGAPORE: Singapore's stocks closed higher on Wednesday, as Asian markets rose after Wall Street and European stocks reached new highs, and as China released better-than-expected trade data for April.

The ST Index ended up 29.86 points, or 0.88 per cent, at 3,413.02, its highest finish since 4 January 2008. The index climbed as high as 3,423.57 intraday.

Volume rose to 2.74 billion shares valued at S$1.93 billion from Tuesday's 2.44 billion shares valued at S$1.71 billion.

In New York on Tuesday, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average ended at a record high on renewed optimism about the US economy.

The Dow finished above 15,000 for the first time, jumping 0.58 percent, or  87.31 points, to 15,056.20. The S&P 500 rose 0.52 percent to 1,625.96 - its  fourth consecutive all-time closing high - while Nasdaq increased 0.11 percent.

In China, April imports increased 16.8 percent year-on-year to $168.9 billion while exports rose 14.7 percent to $187.1 billion.

The surplus came after China posted a rare deficit of $880 million in March and was above the median forecast of $15.6 billion in a poll of 12 economists by Dow Jones Newswires.

Wilmar tacked on 2.1 per cent to S$3.38 to become the best-performing STI component for the day
.
Among Wilmar's peers, Olam jumped 4.2 per cent to S$1.725 and Noble rose 2.2 per cent to S$1.165.

United Overseas Bank gained 1.25 percent to S$21.80 while Singapore Airlines was up 0.63 percent at S$11.25.

ST Engineering ended flat at S$4.37 after reporting first-quarter net profit was nearly flat on-year at S$134.0 million.

- AFP/CNA/de

Sembcorp's Q1 net profit flat at $176.9m

By

Lynn Kan

         

 

SEMBCORP Industries reported first-quarter net profit of S$176.9 million, largely unchanged from S$176.7 million in the same period last year - PHOTO: SEMBCORP

     

SEMBCORP Industries reported first-quarter net profit of S$176.9 million, largely unchanged from S$176.7 million in the same period last year.

The muted performance was due to a fall in profit contribution from Sembcorp's utilities business, which the group attributed to lower volumes sold when its 815 megawatt Singapore co-generation plant went through maintenance inspection in January, as well as from lower contribution from gas sales.


Revenue in the first three months of 2013 was down three per cent to S$2.35 billion from S$2.43 billion a year ago, as a result of the Singapore plant inspection and lower High Sulphur Fuel Oil prices in the period.

Earnings per share was unchanged at 9.9 Singapore cents.


Read more?

Rotary's Q1 net profit falls 20%, cautiously optimistic

By

Angela Tan

Oil and gas related Rotary Engineering Limited reported on Wednesday that its net profit for the fiscal first quarter ended March 31, 2013 fell 20 per cent from a year ago to S$2.52 million.

Revenue dropped 23 per cent to S$102.83 million as new projects have just started during the quarter.

These projects include two major projects such as the US$250 million contract for Fujairah Oil Terminal in the United Arab Emirates and the S$300 million expansion of the oil terminal at Pulau Busing in Singapore.

Looking ahead, Rotary's chairman and managing director Chia Kim Piow said the prospects for the oil and gas industry were bright due to strong demand for energy from China, India and the ASEAN.

Dow ends above 15,000 for first time, S&P closes at record

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow closed above 15,000 for the first time on Tuesday and the S&P 500 ended at another record high, extending the market's rally as more investors rushed to join the party and German industrial data beat expectations.

It was the fourth straight record close for the S&P 500. Both the Dow and the S&P 500 hit intraday record highs as well.

"People are concerned they're missing the boat if they're not fully invested in the stock market right now," said Eric Kuby, chief investment officer of North Star Investment Management Corp., in Chicago.

Nine of the S&P 500's 10 sector indexes advanced. Shares of JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), up 2 percent at $49.14, led the S&P 500's climb.

Caterpillar (CAT.N) rose 2.5 percent to $89.79 and ranked as the Dow's top percentage gainer.

Information technology bucked the trend, however, with Apple (AAPL.O) shares declining after three days of gains. The stock ended down 0.4 percent at $458.66, while the S&P 500 technology index (.SPLRCT) dipped 0.2 percent.

Investors' sentiment was buoyed early in the day by data from Germany, Europe's largest economy, which reported a 2.2 percent increase in industrial orders in March, compared with expectations for a drop of 0.5 percent.

"Markets haven't really been anticipating much of a recovery in Europe ... If we see any type of slight improvement in the euro-zone economy, it may add more fuel to the strong move we've already seen in equities," said Sean Lynch, global investment strategist for Wells Fargo Private Bank in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) rose 87.31 points, or 0.58 percent, to close at a record 15,056.20. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) gained 8.46 points, or 0.52 percent, to end at 1,625.96. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) advanced 3.66 points, or 0.11 percent, to close at 3,396.63.

During the session, the Dow hit an all-time intraday high at 15,056.67, while the S&P 500 touched a record intraday high at 1,626.03.

For the year so far, the S&P 500 has climbed 14 percent.

After the bell, shares of Whole Foods (WFM.O) rose 8.4 percent to $100.60 after it reported a higher second-quarter profit. Shares of department store chain J.C. Penney (JCP.N) gained 1.5 percent to $16.65 in extended-hours trading after it reported preliminary first-quarter results.

In regular trading, the energy sector was driven higher by U.S. oil and gas producer EOG Resources Inc (EOG.N), which climbed 7.7 percent to $135.69. The stock ranked as the S&P 500's second-biggest percentage gainer a day after EOG Resources reported first-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street's expectations.

The S&P energy sector index (.SPNY) gained 0.7 percent.

The U.S. stock market's gains so far have come on strong corporate results and accommodative monetary policies from the Federal Reserve, two factors that may now be priced into markets. Last week's jobs report was unexpectedly strong and helped to drive stocks' advance.

Stocks this year have gone without a sustained pullback as investors use any market decline to add to positions.

Many analysts expect markets to trend higher, but some see a near-term pullback, citing a lack of positive catalysts and mixed economic data.

Both Fossil Inc (FOSL.O) and DirecTV (DTV.O) reported earnings that surged beyond expectations. Fossil's stock jumped 9 percent to $107.88 and ranked as the No. 1 percentage gainer in the S&P 500. DirecTV shares shot up 6.9 percent to $61.95.

Earnings have largely been better than expected. About 68.5 percent of S&P 500 companies have surpassed estimates so far. At the same time, revenues have been disappointing.

Volume was roughly 5.8 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT, below the average daily closing volume of about 6.4 billion this year.

Advancers outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by a ratio of more than 3 to 1, while on the Nasdaq, five stocks rose for every three that fell.

CPF & Medisave minimum sums, Medisave contribution ceiling to be raised

SINGAPORE: From 1 July this year, the CPF minimum sum, Medisave minimum sum and Medisave contribution ceiling will be raised.
CPF members who turn 55 between 1 July 2013 and 30 June 2014 will need to set aside a minimum sum of S$148,000 in their Retirement Account.
The minimum sum for 2012 was S$139,000.

(CW8888: This is an increase of 6.5% and higher than inflation rate)



The minimum sum has been adjusted over the years to account for inflation, longer life expectancies and Singaporeans' rising expectations of their quality of life.

The Medisave minimum sum will also be raised from S$38,500, to S$40,500 from 1 July 2013.
The Medisave minimum sum is the amount that a person turning 55 needs to set aside in his old age for his own or his dependants' healthcare expenses and basic MediShield and ElderShield premiums.
Members will be able to withdraw their Medisave savings in excess of the minimum sum at or after the age of 55.
The maximum balance a member may have in his Medisave Account, known as the Medisave contribution ceiling, is set at S$5,000 above the Medisave minimum sum, and this would be increased correspondingly from S$43,500 to S$45,500.
Any Medisave contribution in excess of the current Medisave contribution ceiling will be transferred to the member's Special Account if he is below age 55 or to his Retirement Account if he is above age 55 and has a minimum sum shortfall.
The CPF Board said regular Medisave minimum sum adjustments are necessary to help Singaporeans meet their long-term healthcare needs.  

- CNA/xq

Warren Buffett offers advice on investing and life

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Billionaire Warren Buffett dispensed plenty of advice on investing and life during this weekend's Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting.

The wisdom Buffett and his investing partner Charlie Munger offer is part of what attracts more than 30,000 to the meetings each year.

Here's a sample of their insights:

INVESTING SUCCESS:

Buffett and Munger told shareholders that successful investors must learn all they can about the businesses they are buying and stick to industries they know, but the right temperament is also important.

"You just have to avoid getting excited when other people are excited," Buffett said.

Admittedly, it's hard to continue to make rational decisions about investments when the stock market is soaring, but it has proven profitable for Berkshire Hathaway.

(CW8888:  What does Buffet mean? Don't sell even when market is soaring?)


"We've always tried to stay sane when other people like to go crazy," Munger said. "That's a competitive advantage."

___

DISADVANTAGES OF SIZE:

Berkshire Hathaway's size and its $49 billion cash pile allow Buffett to do bigger deals than ever, like the recent deal to buy half of the H.J. Heinz Co. in a $23.3 billion transaction.

Buffett reminded shareholders that size does have its disadvantages. He said it will continue to get harder to meet or exceed Berkshire's past returns.

But Munger said he's confident the conglomerate will still perform well over the long term.

"Of course our annual gains will slow down a bit, but it will still be very pleasant," Munger said.


___

PASSION:

Buffett said he's just as passionate about investing and running Berkshire Hathaway as he was when he was younger.

"You have to love something to do well at it," he said after a questioner suggested he'd lost some intensity at age 82.

Buffett said hunting for acquisitions and thinking about Berkshire is what he enjoys.

"There's nothing more fun for me than finding something new to add to Berkshire," he said.

___

FED FORTUNES

The Federal Reserve's aggressive bond-buying program has helped stimulate the economy, but Buffett said it may be hard for the Fed to safely unload its $3.4 trillion investment portfolio.

"It's a lot easier to buy things than it is to sell them," Buffett said.

The Fed has been buying $85 billion a month in Treasurys and mortgage bonds to try to keep long-term borrowing rates down and get the economy moving.

Buffett said it's hard to predict what will happen when the Fed starts unloading bonds, but it's likely to be "very inflationary."

"We really are in uncharted territory," Buffett said.

___

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY'S FUTURE:

Buffett said he doesn't expect his successor to make any significant changes to Berkshire Hathaway after the 82-year-old investor is gone.

Buffett faced several questions related to the future of the Berkshire conglomerate he built.

Berkshire's next CEO may make some changes in how many of the more than 80 subsidiaries report to him directly, but he expects the company will remain extremely decentralized.

And Buffett said he doubts it would make sense to split Berkshire into several different pieces.

"Breaking it up into several companies, as far as I'm concerned, would produce a poorer result," Buffett said.

And even though Berkshire's next CEO won't have the Oracle of Omaha's reputation and connections, the company will still have a huge pile of cash to invest.

"In times of distress, few people have capital and even fewer are willing to commit," Buffett said.

(CW8888: Absolutely true in 2008/09 GFC! Running out of investing capital faster than market bottom out.)

As usual, Munger cut straight to the heart of the issue.

"I want to say to the many Mungers in the audience, don't be so stupid to sell these shares," he said.
            

"That goes for the Buffett family too," Buffett said.

              

10 Investment Commandments for Individul Investors

 

 

 

10 Investment Commandments for individual investors:

1)      “Save. Invest your savings in your future happiness and security and education for your kids.”

2)      “Don’t speculate. If you must ‘play the market’ to satisfy an emotional itch, recognize that you are gambling on your ability to beat the pros so limit the amounts you play with to the same amounts you would gamble with the pros at Las Vegas.”

3)      “Don’t do anything in investing primarily for tax reasons.”

4)      “Don’t think of your home as an investment. Think of it as a place to live with your family-period.”

5)      “Never do commodities….Dealing in commodities is really only price speculation. It’s not investing because there’s no economic productivity or value added.”

6)      “Don’t be confused about stockbrokers and mutual fund salespeople. They are usually very nice people, but their job is not to make money for you. Their job is to make money from you.”

7)      “Don’t invest in new or ‘interesting’ investments. They are all too often designed to be sold to investors, not to be owned by investors.”

8)      “Don’t invest in bonds just because you’ve heard that bonds are conservative or for safety of either income or capital. Bond prices can fluctuate nearly as much as stock prices do, and bonds are a poor defense against the major risk of long-term investing – inflation.”

9)      “Write out your long-term goals, your long-term investing program, and your estate plan – and stay with them.”

10)   “Distrust your feelings. When you feel euphoric, you’re probably in for a bruising.”

Black Cat or White Cat in investing???

Just For Thinking ....


Read? Property Investing - Case Study 5

SMOL: Sometimes "smart" people focus too much on whether the cat is black or white. For me, can catch mice is good cat! Must listen to Deng Xiao Ping mah



Black Cat or White Cat in investing???

Why sometimes "smart" people still focus much on whether the Cat is black or white?

Internal energy of Black and White Cat will make the difference when catching mice!

Black Cat exhausted 90% or more of its internal energy to catch 8 mice while White Cat used less than 60% of its internal energy to catch the same number of 8 mice.


Read? How to become rich in stocks??? (2)

Uncle8888's Personal Financial Planning and Investing made simple

Just For Thinking ....


Three Steps towards making it your own successful formula


Step 1: Track your monthly family expenses diligently

WHY???

Read? Retirement Income for Life??? (11)



Step 2: Do your year-end budgeting seriously

Read? Year-end budgeting for the next 2 years


Read? Your year-end bonus is here!

It is about time to think about of it and execute this strategy for 2013 year-end bonus; perhaps starting with XX% of the year-end bonus to be reserved for 2014 spending.

You must take the first baby step towards your personal financial planing.


Step 3: Invest for your financial independence goal!

Take 3M's in Investing seriously!


Method, Mind, and Money Management

Read? Minimum of 10,000 hours hard work