Mon, Jul 16, 2007
The Business Times
(SINGAPORE) Peter Lim, the man formerly known as the 'Remisier King'
and who is estimated to be worth more than $2 billion today, reckons
the stock market still has two good years to go. But he is getting
concerned about the property market.
'The market won't collapse for the next two, three years. It's all
sentiment-driven. People are making more money, and so long as people
are spending, we are OK. But one has got to start to think how to exit
at the end of 2-3 years - 2009, before the casino starts operating,' he
said.
Mr Lim is, of course, well known as an influential stockbroker and
deal-maker in the Singapore and Malaysian markets in the early 1990s.
That was also when he made his millions, but quit at his peak to take
care of divorce proceedings.
Despite being out of the industry, it was in the last few years that
his fortunes took a leap forward, thanks to the booming stock market.
He was recently in the news for agreeing to put $150 million into
Rowsley for its reverse takeover of a China solar company.
In a near four-hour interview with BT to talk about his market views
and investment philosophy, Mr Lim said a lot of the big companies
listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) today have a global presence.
Like Keppel Corp, for instance; it can't fulfil all the orders for
its oil rigs. So even if there is a shift in investor sentiment and the
market corrects severely, investors can still ride out the whole cycle,
said Mr Lim - barring a global recession, of course.
The danger, he said, is in the small-cap sector. 'Some of these
stocks have gone up a lot. Much of the potential has been priced in. If
this potential is cut short by any unexpected unfortunate event, they
will come down like a rock.'
Small-cap stocks run up fast because of their small float. But when the sentiment turns, everyone is a seller, he said.
As for the property market, Mr Lim thinks prices have gone up too
fast. The sharp increase has taken everyone by surprise, even the
government. 'Actually, it's quite simple. Singapore is small. You get a
small bucket, and pour a lot of water, it'll overflow. This is what's
happening. I think the demand just comes together at the same time. I
don't think it's sustainable.'
Demand is so strong that people are knocking down buildings, and that's curtailing supply even more.
But the
thing is, the buildings knocked down will have three times more
apartments when they get rebuilt a few years down the road. 'When the
supply comes out, property prices will drop,' he said.
Comparisons have been drawn between Singapore and London. 'But you
tell me: how many en bloc (redevelopments) do they have in London? No en
blocs means no additional supply.' he said.
Mr Lim is worried about the impact of high rentals on businesses -
office rentals have gone up by 200-300 per cent in the last few years.
'Costs are going to bloat . . . most businesses' margins are going to be
eaten up by costs.'
At the moment, many individuals and companies are making money from
asset inflation, he said. 'You hope that this asset inflation becomes an
income, becomes regular. But I don't think so. These are all
situational. But it will go one day.
'I'm not a pessimist, but this is how I see it. That's why at the
end of a bull market, you see a new generation coming up. Because all
the old ones die. Now and then, you see one of those who stays - then he
becomes a legend. And if you observe those legends, most of the time,
they spend their time scolding people: 'don't gear, don't gamble'.'
And that exactly was the message that he kept harping on during the interview.
'A lot
of people get it wrong. When the bull market is here, they build debts.
Bull market is the time to build cash. Because today's market turns
very quickly. When the market turns, you cannot sell, especially for the
property market. You can only sell when things are going up.
'So I always tell my friends: 'Make sure you stay alive. The market won't die, so there's always a next time.' '
By BT's estimates, Mr Lim is worth in excess of $2 billion. He has
just under 5 per cent in Wilmar International. Based on the company's
current market capitalisation of $22 billion on SGX, that stake alone is
worth $1.11 billion. He has about 11 per cent in FJ Benjamin, and
that's worth $52.6 million. Meanwhile, his 25 per cent stake in Rowsley
has a market value of $37 million. So his Singapore equities alone are
worth $1.2 billion. On top of that, he has some Australian mining stocks
bought in the 1970s and '80s.
Mr Lim says 50 per cent of his portfolio is now in equities, another
10 per cent in properties and the remaining 40 per cent in cash. The
cash is from the dividends he received, which he has not reapplied to
the market. So all in, he's worth more than $2.4 billion.
The 54-year-old believes that the fortune he has today is
pre-destined. 'This size - substantially, it's your destiny. If today I
have $10 million, I'd say over 90 per cent is due to my hard work. But
getting it right is not $1 billion. Maybe it's $100 million. How that
$100 million becomes $1 billion, you know it's because somebody likes
you. You must believe it's somehow a path that's been drawn.'
The bulk of his net worth is in Wilmar, in which he was asked to
pump in under $10 million in the early 1990s. By the second half of the
decade, he had totally written off that investment. That was when the
Indonesian currency fell from 2,500 rupiah against the US dollar (the
exchange rate he invested in Wilmar), to 16,000 rupiah, and president
Suharto was ousted. There were riots in Indonesia. There was no way of
cashing out the assets. But in a few years, things stabilised in
Indonesia and the pieces began to come together for Wilmar. Its China
operations began to pick up, businessman Robert Kuok decided to inject
his Malaysian palm oil operations into Wilmar and palm oil prices
started to go through the roof because of the scramble to produce
biofuels.
'My Indonesian partner was asking me the other day: 'How the hell did we make so much money?' '
'Up to
a point after people tell you a story and a vision, don't write it off.
Sometimes it comes true. You just make sure that if it doesn't come
true, you don't get hurt too much,' he said.
The most important factor to consider when investing in a company is
the person running it; you look at whether the person is honest, and
whether he or she is master of their trade.
'It works. It's a tested method of assessing companies,' Mr Lim said.
Wilmar is not his only lucky break. He escaped the Asian crisis as
he had quit the broking profession in 1996 to prepare for his divorce
proceedings. And he spent the next six months liquidating most of his
stock positions. So when the crisis hit, he was mostly in cash.
He was also not in the market during the dotcom bubble as the
hearing on the division of matrimonial assets dragged on until 2001. He
thanks his lucky stars for having avoided the Asian financial crisis,
but thinks he would not have been caught in the insanity of the dotcom
bubble.
Nowadays, Mr Lim spends his time dispensing advice to deal-makers in
the industry - and sends them a bill of $300,000 or more for it. He
still gets a thrill out of structuring deals, which he says is similar
to a chess game.
He described the recent Rowsley deal to acquire a solar energy
company in China as 'beautiful', as one which allows existing
shareholders to 'lock in the upside, but hedge the downside'.
He's also having to cope with the problems of having too much money.
He worries if his children, a 15-year-old girl and 13-year-old boy,
will be spoilt by his wealth. He reckons he may give the bulk of his
money to charity eventually.
But going by the four-hour lunches that he takes - with Imperial
Treasure at Great World City being his Canteen No 1 and Kuriya his
Canteen No 2 - and sometimes squeezing in a game of tennis or two before
dinner, the money problem can't be all that bad.
HIS VIEWS ON . . .
Cutting deals
Maybe it's in the blood. It's quite exciting to pitch a deal, to
make sure that you don't catch me. It's like a chess game: you make this
move, the next one I make. I don't want to get checkmate.
Wealth
Money is a funny thing. When you don't have it, you want it. But
when you have it, you have a lot of problems. I believe that if I'd had
no money, I wouldn't have had my divorce. Things wouldn't be good, but
it wouldn't end up in a divorce.
Growing old
Once you are old, every year makes a lot of difference. Your lease gets shorter, there's no extension. You go, you go.
Death
Some of my school mates have passed away. So once you start to see
all these things, your perspective on life becomes more measured, more
considered.
Making money
It's very difficult to make money from trading. People who get rich
are those who buy a company, build it, run it. Most of the traders, they
come, they make money, because they have this gambling instinct. They
take the money and spend it. The minute they lose money, they got no
money to pay up.
The next downturn
Today's bull run can get cut short by a number of things. Just like
our recent experience with Sars, or a bomb drops on the wrong person's
head. Like anything else, the least expected thing can happen at the
wrong time. I got a feeling the next downturn will be very severe.
Friday, 31 August 2012
Uncle8888's Secret in making money from stock market!!! (3)
Just For Laugh ....
Read? Uncle8888's Secret in making money from stock market!!! (2)
ANYONE KNOW THE MORAL OF STORY?
Whatever Secret!
Whatever Moment of Truth!
ALL happened over a certain period of time in the PAST.
THE PAST SECRET, THE PAST TRUTH, AND THE PAST SUCCESS IS NOT A GUARANTEE THAT THE FUTURE WILL BE THE SAME!
The market is a complex system. It is always self-learning. It is always putting its past behind it.
Don't be so naive when reading these HEADLINES especially when they are embedded with hidden commercial interests. Soon, your money will fly out of your pocket if your mind and heart are too weak.
Check the truth by digging into more past blog posts.
Get it???
Noble and Olam figure in Forbes Asia's Fab 50 list
By
TWO Singapore-listed companies are in this year's Forbes Asia
Fabulous 50 list - Noble Group for the seventh straight time and Olam
International for the third time and the first since 2010.
"This year's list separates the merely good companies from the truly great ones, producing a list of the best 50 big, publicly traded companies in the Asia-Pacific region," said Forbes Asia.
The Fab 50 companies are chosen from a pool of 1,295 publicly traded companies with an annual revenue or market capitalisation of at least US$3 billion. They are assessed on their revenue, earnings, return on capital, share price movements and outlook.
Noble, described as Asia's largest commodity trading firm, comes under the category of Hong Kong, where it is headquartered. Its appearance on the list for seven years in a row - with sales of US$80.9 billion and market value of US$6.5 billion - is the longest Fab 50 streak.
"This year's list separates the merely good companies from the truly great ones, producing a list of the best 50 big, publicly traded companies in the Asia-Pacific region," said Forbes Asia.
The Fab 50 companies are chosen from a pool of 1,295 publicly traded companies with an annual revenue or market capitalisation of at least US$3 billion. They are assessed on their revenue, earnings, return on capital, share price movements and outlook.
Noble, described as Asia's largest commodity trading firm, comes under the category of Hong Kong, where it is headquartered. Its appearance on the list for seven years in a row - with sales of US$80.9 billion and market value of US$6.5 billion - is the longest Fab 50 streak.
CPFIS funds chalk up 4.06% loss in Q2
FUNDS under the Central Provident Fund Investment Scheme (CPFIS) fell in the second quarter as global equity markets slid.
On the whole, CPFIS funds posted an average loss of 4.06 per cent, said fund information provider Lipper.
Performance was weak across unit trusts and investment-linked insurance products (ILPs).
By comparison, investors who left their CPF savings in their CPF accounts would have seen better returns in that period.
On the whole, CPFIS funds posted an average loss of 4.06 per cent, said fund information provider Lipper.
Performance was weak across unit trusts and investment-linked insurance products (ILPs).
By comparison, investors who left their CPF savings in their CPF accounts would have seen better returns in that period.
Thursday, 30 August 2012
Keppel's $300m 30-year notes
KEPPEL Corporation has issued $300 million worth of 30-year
senior unsecured fixed rate notes, breaking ranks with corporate-bond
issuers before it with its longer-dated maturity.
The notes will pay out 4 per cent a year through semi-annual coupons. Keppel has a call option to redeem this tranche of 30-year notes at par 20 years after their issue date and at every coupon payment date thereafter, according to terms seen by BT.
This is the third issue in Keppel's $3 billion multi-currency medium-term note programme after two in February and April.
The most recent drawdown in April saw Keppel's $300 million 15-year offering carrying a 3.8 per cent coupon.
The notes will pay out 4 per cent a year through semi-annual coupons. Keppel has a call option to redeem this tranche of 30-year notes at par 20 years after their issue date and at every coupon payment date thereafter, according to terms seen by BT.
This is the third issue in Keppel's $3 billion multi-currency medium-term note programme after two in February and April.
The most recent drawdown in April saw Keppel's $300 million 15-year offering carrying a 3.8 per cent coupon.
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
embcorp's unit to co-develop urban site in Indonesia
By
Sembcorp Industries on Wednesday said its wholly-owned
subsidiary, Sembcorp Development, is co-developing an 860-hectare urban
development in Kendal Regency, Central Java, Indonesia.
Sembcorp Development's newly incorporated wholly-owned subsidiary, Sembcorp Development Indonesia, has signed a joint venture agreement with P.T. Grahabuana Cikarang (GBC) - a wholly-owned subsidiary of public listed industrial estate developers PT Kawasan Industri Jababeka.
Under the agreement, Sembcorp and GBC will incorporate a joint venture company in Indonesia with an initial issued capital of US$20 million. Sembcorp will own a 49 per cent stake in the joint venture company while GBC will hold the remaining 51 per cent. Sembcorp's initial equity investment of US$9.8 million will be internally funded.
The transaction is not expected to have a material impact on the earnings per share and net asset value per share of Sembcorp Industries for the current financial year.
Sembcorp Development's newly incorporated wholly-owned subsidiary, Sembcorp Development Indonesia, has signed a joint venture agreement with P.T. Grahabuana Cikarang (GBC) - a wholly-owned subsidiary of public listed industrial estate developers PT Kawasan Industri Jababeka.
Under the agreement, Sembcorp and GBC will incorporate a joint venture company in Indonesia with an initial issued capital of US$20 million. Sembcorp will own a 49 per cent stake in the joint venture company while GBC will hold the remaining 51 per cent. Sembcorp's initial equity investment of US$9.8 million will be internally funded.
The transaction is not expected to have a material impact on the earnings per share and net asset value per share of Sembcorp Industries for the current financial year.
Olam posts 14% lower Q4 earnings
By
COMMODITIES trader Olam International yesterday reported a 14
per cent drop in fourth-quarter earnings to $109.5 million as weak
performance in its cotton and wood products continue to plague the
company.
Revenue for the three months ended June 30 rose 12.7 per cent to $5.15 billion. Its earnings per share of 15 cents came in ahead of the average 14.3 cents estimate in a Bloomberg poll of 18 analysts.
In full-year net profit attributable to shareholders, Olam saw a 13.7 per cent slump to $370.9 million compared with the previous fiscal year - its first decline in annual profit since listing in 2005.
"(This) has to be seen in the light of very tough conditions globally - clearly not a great deal for us, but certainly a good year considering the circumstances," said executive director of finance and business development Shekhar Anantharaman in a briefing, highlighting that agri-commodities companies around the world have reported poor results recently.
Revenue for the three months ended June 30 rose 12.7 per cent to $5.15 billion. Its earnings per share of 15 cents came in ahead of the average 14.3 cents estimate in a Bloomberg poll of 18 analysts.
In full-year net profit attributable to shareholders, Olam saw a 13.7 per cent slump to $370.9 million compared with the previous fiscal year - its first decline in annual profit since listing in 2005.
"(This) has to be seen in the light of very tough conditions globally - clearly not a great deal for us, but certainly a good year considering the circumstances," said executive director of finance and business development Shekhar Anantharaman in a briefing, highlighting that agri-commodities companies around the world have reported poor results recently.
Paulson & Co. Facing Some Frustrated Investors
Many of Paulson & Co.'s investors hung with it last year despite
an annus horribilis in which the company's flagship hedge fund lost 35
percent. But with returns continuing to sag amid a rising equities
market, some of those investors are now jumping ship.
John Paulson
Citigroup (C) announced last week that it was pulling Paulson off its hedge-fund investment platform and planned to take back $410 million in assets.
Morgan Stanley's (MS) brokerage firm has reportedly had the fund company on watch for possible removal from its hedge-fund platform for months now. And other investors big and small are considering redeeming their capital soon as well, say bank officials and fund of funds managers.
During a phone call with clients and employees of Bank of America late Tuesday, Paulson & Co. founder John Paulson said he was “disappointed” about the loss of Citigroup as an investor, according to someone briefed on the call, but noted that the bank’s platform accounted for less than 2 percent of his company’s overall investments. Paulson also said that he wanted to “reaffirm” his commitment to the flagship fund and the “entire business,” this person added.
Still, the investor scrutiny comes at a sensitive time for the money manager.
These developments come at a difficult time for John Paulson, the former Bear Stearns banker who opened his eponymous hedge fund eighteen years ago. (Read More: After Slow Summer, Market Will Heat Up in September)
Paulson has gone from managing more than $38 billion in assets at his company's peak to $19.5 billion today. And while a number of his funds are up this year - including the merger fund, which is up 3.6 percent, and the recovery fund, which is up 3.9 percent - his flagship funds, which consist of holdings that represent an array of different strategies, continue to suffer.
Even worse has been Paulson’s gold fund, which he acknowledged during the BofA call as the worst-faring in his portfolio so far this year. But given the tumult in Europe, which the fund-company founder thinks could benefit the yellow metal, Paulson remains bullish on gold over the next five years, according to the person briefed on the call. (Indeed, the Bank of America executive who led the call described Paulson’s funds as a great way to play the “gold miner thesis,” this person added.)
So far this year, Paulson's main flagship fund, known as Paulson Advantage, is down about 13 percent, according to people familiar with the matter, and its levered sibling, Paulson Advantage Plus, is down 18 percent. And while the so-called redemption window - the moment at which investors can pull back, or redeem, their capital from a hedge fund - varies for Paulson investors according to which fund they are in and when they invested, the protracted slump in the flagship funds is prompting hard looks at investor portfolios.
"Given the success he had, [Paulson] is going to have a longer leash than other managers. But at some point, every investor has to decide to lock away if they don't see it coming again," said Nick Bollen, a professor of finance who studies hedge funds at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management. (Read More: John Paulson Buys Saudi Prince's $90 Million Aspen Palace.)
Even though Paulson performed phenomenally well during the credit crisis, Bollen added, "there's no assurance that he'd be able to make similar timely calls in the future."
One fund of funds manager who redeemed investor money from the Advantage fund during its downturn last summer said he thought that Citigroup was simply late to recognize a plummeting investment, and that the bank should have fired Paulson months ago.
Still, other investors said it made little sense to redeem their money even after the losses of 2011, given that Paulson is now so far below his high-water mark - the asset level at which he must stay in order to charge fees to his investors - that he is now essentially managing their money for free.
In addition, added a second fund of funds manager, pulling Paulson off a platform like Citigroup's is problematic because it runs the risk of locking in losses, rather than letting clients who still like Paulson's funds to remain involved and potentially enjoy future upside returns.
"Clearly, [Paulson] has not performed well," said the money manager.
"We'll certainly discuss the pros and cons with our clients prior to the [next] redemption date," he added, which, in his case, would be the end of this year.
Paulson investor redemption windows vary according to individual fund and the timeframe of the original capital inflows. Some Advantage investors, for instance, are on quarterly redemption time frames, while others are on semiannual or even annual ones. In all cases, investors must provide 60 days' notice if they want to pull out their money.
While Citigroup has already closed Paulson funds off to new investors, its redemptions will play out over a yearlong period that begins in March 2013, said someone familiar with the matter.
John PaulsonCitigroup (C) announced last week that it was pulling Paulson off its hedge-fund investment platform and planned to take back $410 million in assets.
Morgan Stanley's (MS) brokerage firm has reportedly had the fund company on watch for possible removal from its hedge-fund platform for months now. And other investors big and small are considering redeeming their capital soon as well, say bank officials and fund of funds managers.
During a phone call with clients and employees of Bank of America late Tuesday, Paulson & Co. founder John Paulson said he was “disappointed” about the loss of Citigroup as an investor, according to someone briefed on the call, but noted that the bank’s platform accounted for less than 2 percent of his company’s overall investments. Paulson also said that he wanted to “reaffirm” his commitment to the flagship fund and the “entire business,” this person added.
Still, the investor scrutiny comes at a sensitive time for the money manager.
These developments come at a difficult time for John Paulson, the former Bear Stearns banker who opened his eponymous hedge fund eighteen years ago. (Read More: After Slow Summer, Market Will Heat Up in September)
Paulson has gone from managing more than $38 billion in assets at his company's peak to $19.5 billion today. And while a number of his funds are up this year - including the merger fund, which is up 3.6 percent, and the recovery fund, which is up 3.9 percent - his flagship funds, which consist of holdings that represent an array of different strategies, continue to suffer.
Even worse has been Paulson’s gold fund, which he acknowledged during the BofA call as the worst-faring in his portfolio so far this year. But given the tumult in Europe, which the fund-company founder thinks could benefit the yellow metal, Paulson remains bullish on gold over the next five years, according to the person briefed on the call. (Indeed, the Bank of America executive who led the call described Paulson’s funds as a great way to play the “gold miner thesis,” this person added.)
So far this year, Paulson's main flagship fund, known as Paulson Advantage, is down about 13 percent, according to people familiar with the matter, and its levered sibling, Paulson Advantage Plus, is down 18 percent. And while the so-called redemption window - the moment at which investors can pull back, or redeem, their capital from a hedge fund - varies for Paulson investors according to which fund they are in and when they invested, the protracted slump in the flagship funds is prompting hard looks at investor portfolios.
"Given the success he had, [Paulson] is going to have a longer leash than other managers. But at some point, every investor has to decide to lock away if they don't see it coming again," said Nick Bollen, a professor of finance who studies hedge funds at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management. (Read More: John Paulson Buys Saudi Prince's $90 Million Aspen Palace.)
Even though Paulson performed phenomenally well during the credit crisis, Bollen added, "there's no assurance that he'd be able to make similar timely calls in the future."
One fund of funds manager who redeemed investor money from the Advantage fund during its downturn last summer said he thought that Citigroup was simply late to recognize a plummeting investment, and that the bank should have fired Paulson months ago.
Still, other investors said it made little sense to redeem their money even after the losses of 2011, given that Paulson is now so far below his high-water mark - the asset level at which he must stay in order to charge fees to his investors - that he is now essentially managing their money for free.
In addition, added a second fund of funds manager, pulling Paulson off a platform like Citigroup's is problematic because it runs the risk of locking in losses, rather than letting clients who still like Paulson's funds to remain involved and potentially enjoy future upside returns.
"Clearly, [Paulson] has not performed well," said the money manager.
"We'll certainly discuss the pros and cons with our clients prior to the [next] redemption date," he added, which, in his case, would be the end of this year.
Paulson investor redemption windows vary according to individual fund and the timeframe of the original capital inflows. Some Advantage investors, for instance, are on quarterly redemption time frames, while others are on semiannual or even annual ones. In all cases, investors must provide 60 days' notice if they want to pull out their money.
While Citigroup has already closed Paulson funds off to new investors, its redemptions will play out over a yearlong period that begins in March 2013, said someone familiar with the matter.
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Uncle8888's Secret in making money from stock market!!! (2)
Just For Laugh ....
Read? Uncle8888's Secret in making money from stock market!!!
You still love HEADLINE FLASH on easy money making method. I have one for you.
HOW TO MAKE $135K IN THE STOCK MARKET IN ONE YEAR WITH LITTLE CAPITAL!!!
The above number can be audited.
YES. LITTLE CAPITAL REQUIRED.
BY DOING CONTRA TRADING AND UNIQUELY IN SINGAPORE STOCK MARKET!!!
Uncle8888 has this Secret to share for a price ...
BUT ... The truth behind ANY SECRET ...
IT IS OFTEN UNTOLD BY SECRET OWNERS
Check it out yourself in this blog ....
Saturday, 25 August 2012
Uncle8888's Secret in making money from stock market!!!
Just For Laugh ....
You like headline numbers???
Uncle8888 has made $36K in one month.
In other months, he made $28K, $23K and $16K.
The above number can be audited.
Obviously, he has Secret Formula to Success in the stock market.
What do you think???
But, the truth can be found in this blog. Do your own searching .....
You like headline numbers???
Uncle8888 has made $36K in one month.
In other months, he made $28K, $23K and $16K.
The above number can be audited.
Obviously, he has Secret Formula to Success in the stock market.
What do you think???
But, the truth can be found in this blog. Do your own searching .....
How to become rich in stocks??? (12)
Read? How to become rich in stocks??? (11)
Growth Dividend or Dividend Income Investing???
“To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require stratospheric IQ, unusual business insight, or inside information. What’s needed is a sound intellectual framework for decisions and the ability to keep emotions from corroding that framework” -Warren Buffett, World’s greatest investor
Uncle8888 is lucky!!!
During his early days in the stock market, investment, trading and finance blogging is not so advance; otherwise he will be corrupted by too many of such "winning" ideas or strategies and may even hinder his journey towards his investing goals.
The path to riches is through Growth Dividend investing strategy if you are not already rich from your earned income or other investment. It is never easy in the stock market where it is full of uncertainty and probability and will require lots of patience and guts to believe in ourselves.
Growth Dividend or Dividend Income Investing???
“To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require stratospheric IQ, unusual business insight, or inside information. What’s needed is a sound intellectual framework for decisions and the ability to keep emotions from corroding that framework” -
During his early days in the stock market, investment, trading and finance blogging is not so advance; otherwise he will be corrupted by too many of such "winning" ideas or strategies and may even hinder his journey towards his investing goals.
The path to riches is through Growth Dividend investing strategy if you are not already rich from your earned income or other investment. It is never easy in the stock market where it is full of uncertainty and probability and will require lots of patience and guts to believe in ourselves.
Petrobras says makes offshore oil discovery in Brazil
RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil's state-run oil giant Petrobras said on
Friday it found "good quality" crude in an ultra-deep water block in the
Sergipe-Alagoas basin, its latest in a string of discoveries in one of
the world's most active offshore oil frontiers.
The Rio de Janeiro-based company said it found a 300 metres (984 foot) column of hydrocarbons after drilling in a well known as "Moita Bonita" or 1-BRSA-1088-SES. The well is located 35 kilometres (20 miles) southeast of company's "Barra" prospect.
"Moita Bonita" is located in the BM-SEAL-10 block, which is 100 per cent owned by Petrobras.
The new find comes only four days after Petrobras announced it discovered oil in a deep water field south of the city of Rio de Janeiro. - REUTERS
The Rio de Janeiro-based company said it found a 300 metres (984 foot) column of hydrocarbons after drilling in a well known as "Moita Bonita" or 1-BRSA-1088-SES. The well is located 35 kilometres (20 miles) southeast of company's "Barra" prospect.
"Moita Bonita" is located in the BM-SEAL-10 block, which is 100 per cent owned by Petrobras.
The new find comes only four days after Petrobras announced it discovered oil in a deep water field south of the city of Rio de Janeiro. - REUTERS
Friday, 24 August 2012
Inflation in July eases to 4% but outlook stays grim
[SINGAPORE] Finally, some relief on the inflation front but with a caveat.
Singapore's headline inflation eased to 4 per cent year on year in July - down from 5.3 per cent in June - on the back of slower increases in the cost of accommodation, private road transport and oil-related items, the government said yesterday. But overall inflation for the year could still surpass expectations if car prices pick up pace, it cautioned.
Core inflation - excluding accommodation and private road transport costs, which together accounted for 60 per cent of July's headline inflation - dipped 0.3 of a percentage point to 2.4 per cent in July.
Core inflation could moderate further by year end, leaving room for the easing of monetary policy against the backdrop of slowing economic growth, economists said.
In July, accommodation cost inflation came in at 7.8 per cent, slowing from 10.8 per cent in June mainly due to the fact that rebates for service and conservancy charges (S&CC) were disbursed to HDB households in June 2011 but not this year, which boosted cost hikes in June.
Singapore's headline inflation eased to 4 per cent year on year in July - down from 5.3 per cent in June - on the back of slower increases in the cost of accommodation, private road transport and oil-related items, the government said yesterday. But overall inflation for the year could still surpass expectations if car prices pick up pace, it cautioned.
Core inflation - excluding accommodation and private road transport costs, which together accounted for 60 per cent of July's headline inflation - dipped 0.3 of a percentage point to 2.4 per cent in July.
Core inflation could moderate further by year end, leaving room for the easing of monetary policy against the backdrop of slowing economic growth, economists said.
In July, accommodation cost inflation came in at 7.8 per cent, slowing from 10.8 per cent in June mainly due to the fact that rebates for service and conservancy charges (S&CC) were disbursed to HDB households in June 2011 but not this year, which boosted cost hikes in June.
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
Noble eyes agricultural assets in US
[HONG KONG] Noble Group Ltd, Asia's biggest listed commodity supplier, will target agricultural assets in the United States as it seeks to meet demand from China and sees potential for deals across its units.
"It's hard to be the supplier and partner of choice for China in the grain space, and especially in the corn space, without having significant origination assets in the US," CEO Yusuf Alireza said yesterday. "Over the medium term, that's an investment we're looking to make."
Noble announced at least US$2 billion of deals in the past three years as it built its sugar operations in Brazil and energy assets in the US and Australia.
"We're seeing a consolidation process in the agriculture sector and that's going to arise very significant opportunities," Mr Alireza said. Noble is considering different options including acquisitions and potential partnership with US companies, he added.
---------------
Createwealth8888:
Probably, there will be no more IPO of its Agricultural unit.
"It's hard to be the supplier and partner of choice for China in the grain space, and especially in the corn space, without having significant origination assets in the US," CEO Yusuf Alireza said yesterday. "Over the medium term, that's an investment we're looking to make."
Noble announced at least US$2 billion of deals in the past three years as it built its sugar operations in Brazil and energy assets in the US and Australia.
"We're seeing a consolidation process in the agriculture sector and that's going to arise very significant opportunities," Mr Alireza said. Noble is considering different options including acquisitions and potential partnership with US companies, he added.
---------------
Createwealth8888:
Probably, there will be no more IPO of its Agricultural unit.
Lian Beng JV wins $169m condo contract
By
THROUGH its joint venture company, Lian Beng has won a contract worth $169 million from Luxury Green Development Pte Ltd.
The member of Hong Kong-listed Cheung Kong Holdings has contracted Paul Y - Lian Beng JV Pte Ltd for the main building works, including the construction, completion and maintenance of its condominium project at Upper Thomson road, Thomson Grand. The ownership of Paul Y - Lian Beng JV is jointly shared by wholly owned subsidiary Lian Beng Construction (1988) Pte Ltd and Hong Kong-listed Paul Y Construction & Engineering Pte Limited.
The nine 20-storey blocks of 339 units, 22 two-storey strata landed houses, basement carpark, swimming pool and other ancillary facilities will be built on a 224,000-sq-ft plot of land.
Work on the project is scheduled to begin this month and is due for completion in February 2015.
The member of Hong Kong-listed Cheung Kong Holdings has contracted Paul Y - Lian Beng JV Pte Ltd for the main building works, including the construction, completion and maintenance of its condominium project at Upper Thomson road, Thomson Grand. The ownership of Paul Y - Lian Beng JV is jointly shared by wholly owned subsidiary Lian Beng Construction (1988) Pte Ltd and Hong Kong-listed Paul Y Construction & Engineering Pte Limited.
The nine 20-storey blocks of 339 units, 22 two-storey strata landed houses, basement carpark, swimming pool and other ancillary facilities will be built on a 224,000-sq-ft plot of land.
Work on the project is scheduled to begin this month and is due for completion in February 2015.
StarHub CEO halves telco stake for property buy
Just For Laugh ....
Createwealth8888: Many retail investors like to think that SH is a defensive counter in SGX; but SH's CEO thinks otherwise, property is better and more defensive for many years to come
STARHUB'S Neil Montefiore sold down half his stake in the telco yesterday to free up cash for a property transaction here.
At a consideration of $3.602 apiece, the StarHub CEO would have raised a gross total of $1,512,840 on the open market sale of 420,000 shares yesterday, leaving him with a 0.02 per cent stake in StarHub.
There is no reason for alarm, StarHub's head of corporate communications and investor relations Jeannie Ong said yesterday.
"Neil remains committed as the CEO of StarHub. He just needed some cash flow for a property transaction in Singapore. Post the sale of the 420,000 shares, he still holds 400,400 StarHub shares," Ms Ong said.
Createwealth8888: Many retail investors like to think that SH is a defensive counter in SGX; but SH's CEO thinks otherwise, property is better and more defensive for many years to come
STARHUB'S Neil Montefiore sold down half his stake in the telco yesterday to free up cash for a property transaction here.
At a consideration of $3.602 apiece, the StarHub CEO would have raised a gross total of $1,512,840 on the open market sale of 420,000 shares yesterday, leaving him with a 0.02 per cent stake in StarHub.
There is no reason for alarm, StarHub's head of corporate communications and investor relations Jeannie Ong said yesterday.
"Neil remains committed as the CEO of StarHub. He just needed some cash flow for a property transaction in Singapore. Post the sale of the 420,000 shares, he still holds 400,400 StarHub shares," Ms Ong said.
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Endanger species around us????
Just For Laugh ....
In Africa .....
In Africa .....
In Asia ....
In Singapore ...
Idea from Zhao Bao ...
Keppel secures Floatel's US$315m contract
By Carine Lee
The two companies had signed a letter of intent in March for the new generation harsh environment accommodation semisubmersible.
To be delivered in early 2015, the new semi will be built to the Floatel Superior design, a DSS 20NS design developed by GustoMSC and Keppel FELS' Deepwater Technology Group. Equipped with Dynamic Positioning (DP) 3 capability, it will meet the most stringent rules and regulations for worldwide operations including the Norwegian Sector.
It will be able to accommodate 440 persons in single bed cabins.
Monday, 20 August 2012
The shocking truth about growth investors??? (2)
Read? The shocking truth about growth investors???
In 1996, Remisier King, Peter Lim became a full time investor, investing $10 million in palm oil producer Wilmar International. He sold his holding in palm oil giant Wilmar 2 years ago in 2010 for $1.5 billion. (i.e. $10,000 to $1.5M)
Assuming he bought on 1 Jan 1996 and sold on 31 Dec 2010, his XIRR over 14 years is 40% or 14,900% Capital Gain.
Absolutely crazy return!!!
What do these growth investors have in their investing mind???
Their absolute confidence in themselves to ride out stock market price volatility and uncertainty throughout many market and economics cycles.
Life in the stock market is absolutely fair. Those who panic at small profit taking will never make it big in the stock market.
In 1996, Remisier King, Peter Lim became a full time investor, investing $10 million in palm oil producer Wilmar International. He sold his holding in palm oil giant Wilmar 2 years ago in 2010 for $1.5 billion. (i.e. $10,000 to $1.5M)
Assuming he bought on 1 Jan 1996 and sold on 31 Dec 2010, his XIRR over 14 years is 40% or 14,900% Capital Gain.
Absolutely crazy return!!!
What do these growth investors have in their investing mind???
Their absolute confidence in themselves to ride out stock market price volatility and uncertainty throughout many market and economics cycles.
Life in the stock market is absolutely fair. Those who panic at small profit taking will never make it big in the stock market.
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Know your STI Market Cycles!!!
Prepare for the next Bull or Bear market in advance both mentally and financially!!!
Saturday, 18 August 2012
Marine & offshore sector still strong due to rising energy demand: Tan Chuan-Jin
SINGAPORE: Acting
Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin said the marine and offshore
industry remains strong due to rising energy demand in the world.
He said the demand is strongest in growing economies such as China.
Last year, the sector contributed over S$16 billion to Singapore's economy.
The number of locals working in the sector grew to 18,000 in December last year - an increase of about 30 per cent from the month 10 years ago.
Mr Tan was speaking at a ceremony to name a vessel by Keppel FELS, an offshore subsidiary of rigbuilding giant Keppel Corp.
The vessel, Seafox 5, will be delivered next month - more than a month ahead of schedule, with an excellent safety record.
Keppel has already received enquiries for similar vessels.
Mr Tan said it's important to build on this to attract investments and business.
"Singapore has benefited from this rising tide. We have grown from a ship repair hub in the 1960s... into a leading global and marine offshore hub with a thriving ecosystem. I think building projects like this, meeting timelines, or being ahead of the timelines, enhance our reputation," said Mr Tan.
The Seafox 5, with a contract value of US$220 million, is the first such vessel to be built in Singapore.
It can withstand harsh conditions and operate up to 65 metres deep.
It'll be used to install foundations for windmill equipment in the North Sea.
- CNA/cc
Read? Keppel & Seafox Group’s MPSEP SEAFOX 5 secures first job in offshore wind
He said the demand is strongest in growing economies such as China.
Last year, the sector contributed over S$16 billion to Singapore's economy.
The number of locals working in the sector grew to 18,000 in December last year - an increase of about 30 per cent from the month 10 years ago.
Mr Tan was speaking at a ceremony to name a vessel by Keppel FELS, an offshore subsidiary of rigbuilding giant Keppel Corp.
The vessel, Seafox 5, will be delivered next month - more than a month ahead of schedule, with an excellent safety record.
Keppel has already received enquiries for similar vessels.
Mr Tan said it's important to build on this to attract investments and business.
"Singapore has benefited from this rising tide. We have grown from a ship repair hub in the 1960s... into a leading global and marine offshore hub with a thriving ecosystem. I think building projects like this, meeting timelines, or being ahead of the timelines, enhance our reputation," said Mr Tan.
The Seafox 5, with a contract value of US$220 million, is the first such vessel to be built in Singapore.
It can withstand harsh conditions and operate up to 65 metres deep.
It'll be used to install foundations for windmill equipment in the North Sea.
- CNA/cc
Read? Keppel & Seafox Group’s MPSEP SEAFOX 5 secures first job in offshore wind
Investing vs Trading (6) - Absolutely crazy return !!!
Just For Thinking ....
Investing vs Trading (6) - Frequency and level of Risk Taking
In 1996, Remisier King, Peter Lim became a fulltime investor, investing $10 million in palm oil producer Wilmar International. He sold his holding in palm oil giant Wilmar 2 years ago in 2010 for $1.5 billion.
Assuming he bought on 1 Jan 1996 and sold on 31 Dec 2010, his XIRR over 14 years is 40% or 14,900% Capital Gain.
Absolutely crazy return!!!
Investing vs Trading (6) - Frequency and level of Risk Taking
In 1996, Remisier King, Peter Lim became a fulltime investor, investing $10 million in palm oil producer Wilmar International. He sold his holding in palm oil giant Wilmar 2 years ago in 2010 for $1.5 billion.
Assuming he bought on 1 Jan 1996 and sold on 31 Dec 2010, his XIRR over 14 years is 40% or 14,900% Capital Gain.
Absolutely crazy return!!!
What's next? Super Bull or Mini Bear?
Planning ahead for some profit taking if Bull cheong ahead without fear.
DBS, OCBC and UOB retain top Asia 'safest' ranking spots
Worldwide, the Singapore banks are 13th to 15th, while the top 10 are European
By toh li wen
SINGAPORE's local banks have been named the top three safest
banks in Asia for the second year running, according to the latest
Global Finance survey.
DBS Bank is ranked first, OCBC Bank second and UOB third - unchanged from their positions last year.
Globally, the three banks occupy positions 13 (DBS) to 15 on Global Finance's list.
They have all risen in the global rankings compared with last year, when they ranked 19th, 25th and 26th respectively.
DBS Bank is ranked first, OCBC Bank second and UOB third - unchanged from their positions last year.
Globally, the three banks occupy positions 13 (DBS) to 15 on Global Finance's list.
They have all risen in the global rankings compared with last year, when they ranked 19th, 25th and 26th respectively.
Friday, 17 August 2012
How Money Can Buy Happiness
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben
Bernanke has added his name to the long list of people who believe we
should measure prosperity in terms of happiness and life satisfaction,
instead of just dollars and data.
In a recent speech before a group of international researchers,
Bernanke talked about the difference between happiness -- a subjective
and transitory feeling -- and well-being, which is a longer-term
measure. He said that keys to finding long-term life satisfaction
include "a strong sense of support from belonging to a family or core
group and a broader community, a sense of control over one's life, a
feeling of confidence or optimism about the future, and an ability to
adapt to changing circumstances."This is a subject of some long-standing interest to the Fed chief. In 2010 he delivered a memorable commencement address titled "The economics of happiness" (available here, http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/bernanke20100508a.htm ). In both speeches, he conceded that while money may not buy all happiness, it helps.
People in societies that are sufficiently well-off to provide an education, decent healthcare and a clean, safe place to live are happier than those who are so impoverished that they have to struggle for all of those things. Having a lottery-winner's bank account does not guarantee more happiness, but having enough money to buy yourself the occasional treat or luxury helps.
The good news, for folks who agree with the Fed chairman, is that there are well-documented ways to get a bigger (happier) bang for your buck, on a very personal level.
Here's how to deploy your resources to maximize your enjoyment of life. Hint: It's not about the car.
1. Fund a group activity. The factor most highly correlated to life satisfaction is having family, friends and community connections. Maybe that means joining a church, or being in a band or a book club, or hosting regular potluck dinners with neighbors.
2. Go on vacation. There is a lot of research behind the idea that experiences are worth more, in terms of happiness, than things. That is because time improves experiences in memory while it tends to desensitize us to things. So if you get a hot tub or a new TV or car, and you use them day after day, you start getting used to them and perhaps stop appreciating them. But if you take a special trip, you will stop being bothered by the flat tire or lost luggage and instead remember fondly -- if somewhat fuzzily -- how much fun you had while you were traveling.
3. Get tools and supplies for a hobby. Becoming so engrossed in an activity that you lose track of time is called a state of "flow" and it is associated with a higher level of life satisfaction. For some people, that might mean buying power tools and puttering in a woodshop; someone else might get there by learning to use design software, canning jam or playing piano.
4. Buy a treadmill, or a jump rope, or just some sneakers. It doesn't have to be a super-expensive P90X workout plan, but anything that gets you moving stimulates those endorphins that elevate your mood. That's science!
5. Buy a scrapbook or journal. "Savoring" a good experience by writing about it, thinking about it, or even posting your pictures on Facebook actually increases your enjoyment. Or as Bernanke has said, "happiness can be promoted by fighting the natural human tendency to become entirely adapted to your circumstances." If you eat fresh tomatoes three times a day for the entire month of August, you might stop thinking about how delicious they are. At the end of the day, you can take a few minutes to write in your gratitude journal about how truly fresh and sweet those heirlooms were, and that will cause you to enjoy them even more. (But it will probably make you less happy if you go back and read that journal entry next December, when you are eating cardboardy out-of-season tomatoes.)
6. Spend money on systems. Having control over your life provides a huge happiness boost. Sometimes you get to have control over big issues, like taking a stand with your boss or your kid (assuming they are not the same person.) Sometimes, it's just having the right calendar, contact manager and computer backup system.
7. Donate to a small and/or local charity. There is a lot of academic research backing up the hypothesis that money spent on others delivers more good feelings than money spent on yourself. But new research from Lara Beth Aknin at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver takes that further: "The emotional benefits of giving appear to be greatest when the giver feels a social connection with the recipient and also feels that their gift has made a meaningful impact." Hence the little local gift -- it enables you to see the impact your donation has.
8. Buy time. Ben Bernanke did not say this, but if you are working 60 hours a week and arguing with your spouse about who vacuums the living room, you can probably make yourself happy by hiring someone to clean your house. The same principle applies for lawn mowing and the occasional convenience food dinner. Especially if you use the extra time to do one of the other things on this list, and not playing solitaire on your iPhone.
Will You Try To Pay Off Your Housing Loan ASAP If You Have One? (12)
Read? Will You Try To Pay Off Your Housing Loan ASAP If You Have One? (11)
50 Year Housing Loans In Singapore…
Are some of our next generation born into House Slaves for the Bankers!!!
"I was debt-free before 36 and live through few recessions without big worries and not losing sleep at nights." - Createwealth8888
Actually, he has dumped most of his saving available in CPF into my home and only took a 5-years HDB loan and that really surprised few people around him at that time.
Did Uncle8888 lose out by not having more money for early investment?
What is the verdict at his age at 56?
Sometime, we should rather listen to those who have arrived as they may have done something right to reach there safely and on time.
When comes to investing during market crash, the state of Mind is the most important. Only calm mind is able to spot opportunities at the most risky moments as they know will not die even though there is likelihood of great investment failure.
Are you ready for that Moment of the Greatest chance to become rich in stocks?
Thursday, 16 August 2012
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Wilmar Shares Plunge to 3-Year Low on Poor Quarterly Earnings, Outlook
By: Reuters
Shares of Wilmar International
fell 10 percent to more than a three-year low after the world's largest
listed palm oil firm reported quarterly earnings that missed
expectations and warned of a tough outlook.
 |
Bloomberg | Getty Images
Palm fruit being processed at a palm oil factory.
|
By 0106 GMT, Wilmar [WLIL.SI
3.11
-0.28
(-8.26%)]
was at S$3.04, its lowest level since March 2009. Its shares have
plunged about 38 percent so far this year, making them the worst
performer on Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index [.FTSTI
3059.49
-28.35
(-0.92%)
].
-0.28
(-8.26%)]
was at S$3.04, its lowest level since March 2009. Its shares have
plunged about 38 percent so far this year, making them the worst
performer on Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index [.FTSTI
3059.49
-28.35
(-0.92%)
].
Wilmar
said on Tuesday its second quarter net profit slumped 70 percent to
$117.1 million from a year earlier. This was far below the average
forecast of S$328 million, based on a poll of five analysts.
Chairman
and CEO Kuok Khoon Hong said short-term prospects were difficult even
though Wilmar was well positioned to benefit from growth in demand for
agricultural commodities, especially in Asia and emerging markets like
Africa.
Sembcorp Marine clinches US$135m Diamond Offshore project
Sembcorp Marine's wholly-owned Jurong Shipyard has secured a
US$135 million project contract from deepwater drilling company, Diamond
Offshore, it announced on Wednesday.
The Ocean Apex project, as it is known, will require Sembcorp to turn out-of-work rig Ocean Bounty built in 1976 into a deepwater driller, said Houston-based Diamond Offshore said on Tuesday.
This is cheaper than building a brand new unit, Diamond added.
According to Sembcorp, the moored semisubmersible will be built at Jurong Shipyard in Singapore, and is due for delivery in the second quarter of 2014. It will be able to drill in up to 6,000 feet of water.
The Ocean Apex project, as it is known, will require Sembcorp to turn out-of-work rig Ocean Bounty built in 1976 into a deepwater driller, said Houston-based Diamond Offshore said on Tuesday.
This is cheaper than building a brand new unit, Diamond added.
According to Sembcorp, the moored semisubmersible will be built at Jurong Shipyard in Singapore, and is due for delivery in the second quarter of 2014. It will be able to drill in up to 6,000 feet of water.
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Another new record high Portfolio Value again!!!
Thanks to all the Bulls for making happen.
Another Moment of Happiness again!
2.6% higher than 2007 Oct Bull.
Today, I did learn something that I didn't in 2007 Bull market. We may not need to be fully re-invested with our cash to achieve better performance.
Road to Financial Independence
Today, the road to Financial Independence has past 97% Milestone.
BTW, this road is always under construction until it is completed and handover for safe guarding and locked somewhere away from the Bear.
Never mind.
Just enjoy another Moment of Happiness before it faded away fast.
Monday, 13 August 2012
Why have children??
Just For Thinking ...
We will reap what we have sown. This is the Universal Law!!!
To understand what Uncle8888 is trying to say.
We will need to go to
Then we visualize XX years later when we are there one day, how would we like to be?
Will our children or grand-children take us there?
But, first ask ourselves.
Did we take our own parents or grand-parent there?
If you don't care about your own parents or grand-parents, then don't have kids?
We will reap what we have sown. This is the Universal Law!!!
Rich son poor son
Three elderly women speak proudly of their children’s high-flying careers. The fourth woman’s son, however, does not have such a career but he has something else the other three women envy.
Dementia. How???
We will reap what we have sown. This is the Universal Law!!!
To understand what Uncle8888 is trying to say.
We will need to go to
TTSH Eye Centre / Eye Clinic (Clinic 1A)
Then we visualize XX years later when we are there one day, how would we like to be?
Will our children or grand-children take us there?
But, first ask ourselves.
Did we take our own parents or grand-parent there?
If you don't care about your own parents or grand-parents, then don't have kids?
We will reap what we have sown. This is the Universal Law!!!
Rich son poor son
Three elderly women speak proudly of their children’s high-flying careers. The fourth woman’s son, however, does not have such a career but he has something else the other three women envy.
Dementia. How???
Noble Group posts 39% increase in Q2 profit
Noble Group Limited on Monday reported an 39 per cent increase
in year on year net profit to US$194.89 million for the fiscal second
quarter ended June 30, 2012.
Turnover rose 23 per cent to US$24.22 billion from US$19.7 billion a year ago.
Earnings per share for the quarter was 3.06 US cents, compared to 2.19 US cents a year ago.
Year-to-date, the group reported an 11 per cent decline in year on year profit to US$304.91 million, despite a 19 per cent increase in year on year turnover to a record US$47.07 billion.
Record revenue was supported by record volume of 107 million tonnes. Additionally, operating income from supply chain was the second highest first half figure in the group's history, at US$856 million.
Noble said its revenue an earnings were driven by its energy coal and carbon complex division and revenue growth of its oil, gas and power division.
"Noble continues to execute on its strategy to structure and build out its business across the three main platforms of agriculture, energy and hards, supported by our logistics business," said CEO Yusuf Alireza.
"We see significant growth opportunities in each one of these platforms and expect market stress to provide us the opportunity to attract talent and invest in attractive assets to support our franchise," he said.
Turnover rose 23 per cent to US$24.22 billion from US$19.7 billion a year ago.
Earnings per share for the quarter was 3.06 US cents, compared to 2.19 US cents a year ago.
Year-to-date, the group reported an 11 per cent decline in year on year profit to US$304.91 million, despite a 19 per cent increase in year on year turnover to a record US$47.07 billion.
Record revenue was supported by record volume of 107 million tonnes. Additionally, operating income from supply chain was the second highest first half figure in the group's history, at US$856 million.
Noble said its revenue an earnings were driven by its energy coal and carbon complex division and revenue growth of its oil, gas and power division.
"Noble continues to execute on its strategy to structure and build out its business across the three main platforms of agriculture, energy and hards, supported by our logistics business," said CEO Yusuf Alireza.
"We see significant growth opportunities in each one of these platforms and expect market stress to provide us the opportunity to attract talent and invest in attractive assets to support our franchise," he said.
Sunday, 12 August 2012
For how long can we control our mind? Don't need to talk about investment! (3)
Read? For how long can we control our mind? Don't need to talk about investment! (2)
Book available from NLB
Reducing Your Risk of Dementia by Dr Tom Smith
Happy reading for retirees!
Book available from NLB
Reducing Your Risk of Dementia by Dr Tom Smith
Happy reading for retirees!
How and when to buy stocks is not the most difficult part? (3)
Just For Thinking ....
Read? How and when to buy stocks is not the most difficult part? (2)
invest, Pg 31, August 12, 2012, thesundaytimes
Buy and hold and make money
Some pointers noted:
Createwealth8888:
Mr Goh hasn't meet Uncle8888 who is monitoring DOW in the nights and STI index by the hours.
How come he never get distracted into selling the winners too early?
2. Be one of those Uncommon men
In the famous book entitled Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, Jessie Livermore said: “After spending many years in Wall Street and after making and losing millions of dollars I want to tell you this: It never was my thinking that made the big money for me. It always was my sitting. Got that? My sitting tight!
It is no trick at all to be right on the market. You always find lots of early bulls in bull markets and early bears in bear markets. I've known many men who were right at exactly the right time, and began buying or selling stocks when prices were at the very level, which should show the greatest profit.
And their experience invariably matched mine -- that is, they made no real money out of it.
I found it one of the hardest things to learn. But it is only after a stock operator has firmly grasped this that he can make big money. It is literally true that millions come easier to a trader after he knows how to trade than hundreds did in the days of his ignorance.”
Men who can both be right and sit tight are uncommon.
3. Investor danger: Psychology of Loss is worse the pain
We all suffer from loss aversion - the psychology of giving more weight to losses than to gains. And we are hard-wired against danger in the form of a genetic phenomenon, otherwise known as the fight or flight response. For investors, this survival instinct has important consequences.
The investment universe operates entirely in the realm of uncertainty. To be a successful investor you have to get a handle on risk. Webster's dictionary defines risk as "the possibility of loss or injury; peril". We've survived as a species because our ancestors were psychologically programmed to avoid risk. As a result, our emotional safety mechanism is wired to instinctively shy away from a potential loss.
In simple terms, this means we find it hard to remain invested for the long term. Given the chance, as investors we'd rather bolt for the exits in down markets.
Studies in Behavioral Finance reveal that we feel the pain of loss twice as much as the pleasure of a corresponding gain. For example, $10,000 will upset you about twice as much as gaining $10,000 will make you happy - but this isn't the end of the story. Loss aversion has some unexpected implications for investors.
Imagine you owned a sound investment which delivered good long-term returns of 15 per cent per annum with a low volatility of 10 per cent standard deviation. Using these figures we can calculate the probability of this investment delivering positive returns over various timeframes.
There's a 54 per cent chance it will be up on any given day; a 67 per cent probability of positive returns over any one month; and a 93 per cent chance of positive returns in any one year. We can see that the longer we're invested, the more likely we are to get positive returns. We can also see that it's perfectly normal for investment returns to be negative for a certain percentage of the time.
In this case you can expect a positive return in about 67 months out of a 100, and a negative return in the other 33 months. These down periods are perfectly normal even while the investment is busy delivering its 15 percent annualised return over the course of time.
When we look at this on a daily time frame, our calculations tell us to expect a positive result 54 days out of 100, or just over half the time. So we'll feel good half the time, when the investment is up. The problem is that, being loss averse human beings, we'll feel twice as bad the other half of the time, when the investment is down.
So as a result of this, if you're checking the price daily, you will quickly become emotionally overwhelmed. You will feel twice as much pain as pleasure, and your survival instinct will scream at you to avoid this situation at all costs. You will be very tempted to end the pain by selling - even though the investment is behaving exactly as expected, and the long term returns are on track. Overwhelmed by the psychological pain of short term loss, we find it hard to remain invested for the long term.
In 1883 Chancellor Bismarck set 65 as the retirement age for the world's first government sponsored retirement scheme. Back then, before the discovery of antibiotics, and when life expectancy was far shorter than today, only a few percent of the population lived past this age. So people received salaries that lasted for practically their whole lifetime. But thanks to advances in modern medicine and better living conditions, today's average life expectancy is 80 years - leaving us with about 20 plus years of retirement to finance. As a result, we are all forced to be long term investors. Coping psychologically with investment risk is a bit like visiting the dentist: we do it because the consequences of not doing so are far more painful. We must face the pain and grudgingly accept risk, because if we don't, the consequences are far worse - like running out of money in our old age, being forced to downgrade our lifestyles, or being unable to finance our children's education.
A better understanding of our investor psychology will help us to manage our instinctive genetic response to risk. Each of us needs to set clear financial goals; diversify our capital into an asset allocation properly formulated across uncorrelated market cycles; and commit to a re balancing strategy. We then need to overcome our inherited, knee-jerk reaction to temporary short-term loss.
Lessen the pain; check your statements less frequently, and give long term market probabilities the opportunity to work to your advantage.
Philippa Huckle is founder and CEO of The Philippa Huckle Group, an independent advisory firm
Read? How and when to buy stocks is not the most difficult part? (2)
invest, Pg 31, August 12, 2012, thesundaytimes
Buy and hold and make money
Some pointers noted:
- Locking up an investment for years and enjoying life can result in big payoffs for patient investors
- Many of us spend too much of our time monitoring investments - and get distracted into selling the winners too early. What we should do is put our money in assets which we are comfortable with, while enjoying what we are doing
Createwealth8888:
Mr Goh hasn't meet Uncle8888 who is monitoring DOW in the nights and STI index by the hours.
How come he never get distracted into selling the winners too early?
No, No, No!!!! It is not the monitoring at fault!!!!
Many retail investors have not fully understand these:
Read until you fully understand. If not, then you know what to do at the end of the blog post. LOL!
1. Sound Intellectual Framework For Decisions
“To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require stratospheric IQ, unusual business insight, or inside information. What’s needed is a sound intellectual framework for decisions and the ability to keep emotions from corroding that framework” - Warren Buffett, World’s greatest investor
It is no trick at all to be right on the market. You always find lots of early bulls in bull markets and early bears in bear markets. I've known many men who were right at exactly the right time, and began buying or selling stocks when prices were at the very level, which should show the greatest profit.
And their experience invariably matched mine -- that is, they made no real money out of it.
I found it one of the hardest things to learn. But it is only after a stock operator has firmly grasped this that he can make big money. It is literally true that millions come easier to a trader after he knows how to trade than hundreds did in the days of his ignorance.”
Men who can both be right and sit tight are uncommon.
by Philippa Huckle, Sunday Morning Post, January 23rd, 2005
We all suffer from loss aversion - the psychology of giving more weight to losses than to gains. And we are hard-wired against danger in the form of a genetic phenomenon, otherwise known as the fight or flight response. For investors, this survival instinct has important consequences.
The investment universe operates entirely in the realm of uncertainty. To be a successful investor you have to get a handle on risk. Webster's dictionary defines risk as "the possibility of loss or injury; peril". We've survived as a species because our ancestors were psychologically programmed to avoid risk. As a result, our emotional safety mechanism is wired to instinctively shy away from a potential loss.
In simple terms, this means we find it hard to remain invested for the long term. Given the chance, as investors we'd rather bolt for the exits in down markets.
Studies in Behavioral Finance reveal that we feel the pain of loss twice as much as the pleasure of a corresponding gain. For example, $10,000 will upset you about twice as much as gaining $10,000 will make you happy - but this isn't the end of the story. Loss aversion has some unexpected implications for investors.
Imagine you owned a sound investment which delivered good long-term returns of 15 per cent per annum with a low volatility of 10 per cent standard deviation. Using these figures we can calculate the probability of this investment delivering positive returns over various timeframes.
There's a 54 per cent chance it will be up on any given day; a 67 per cent probability of positive returns over any one month; and a 93 per cent chance of positive returns in any one year. We can see that the longer we're invested, the more likely we are to get positive returns. We can also see that it's perfectly normal for investment returns to be negative for a certain percentage of the time.
In this case you can expect a positive return in about 67 months out of a 100, and a negative return in the other 33 months. These down periods are perfectly normal even while the investment is busy delivering its 15 percent annualised return over the course of time.
When we look at this on a daily time frame, our calculations tell us to expect a positive result 54 days out of 100, or just over half the time. So we'll feel good half the time, when the investment is up. The problem is that, being loss averse human beings, we'll feel twice as bad the other half of the time, when the investment is down.
So as a result of this, if you're checking the price daily, you will quickly become emotionally overwhelmed. You will feel twice as much pain as pleasure, and your survival instinct will scream at you to avoid this situation at all costs. You will be very tempted to end the pain by selling - even though the investment is behaving exactly as expected, and the long term returns are on track. Overwhelmed by the psychological pain of short term loss, we find it hard to remain invested for the long term.
In 1883 Chancellor Bismarck set 65 as the retirement age for the world's first government sponsored retirement scheme. Back then, before the discovery of antibiotics, and when life expectancy was far shorter than today, only a few percent of the population lived past this age. So people received salaries that lasted for practically their whole lifetime. But thanks to advances in modern medicine and better living conditions, today's average life expectancy is 80 years - leaving us with about 20 plus years of retirement to finance. As a result, we are all forced to be long term investors. Coping psychologically with investment risk is a bit like visiting the dentist: we do it because the consequences of not doing so are far more painful. We must face the pain and grudgingly accept risk, because if we don't, the consequences are far worse - like running out of money in our old age, being forced to downgrade our lifestyles, or being unable to finance our children's education.
A better understanding of our investor psychology will help us to manage our instinctive genetic response to risk. Each of us needs to set clear financial goals; diversify our capital into an asset allocation properly formulated across uncorrelated market cycles; and commit to a re balancing strategy. We then need to overcome our inherited, knee-jerk reaction to temporary short-term loss.
Lessen the pain; check your statements less frequently, and give long term market probabilities the opportunity to work to your advantage.
Philippa Huckle is founder and CEO of The Philippa Huckle Group, an independent advisory firm
BTW, Hougang Mall now has ToastBox.
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