DBS fails to buy Bank Danamon

By

Siow Li Sen

         

DBS said its attempt to buy Bank Danamon Indonesia has failed.

In a statement on Wednesday, the bank said the conditional share-purchase agreement between DBS Group Holdings and Temasek Holding's wholly owned unit Fullerton Financial Holdings Pte Ltd to acquire its 67 per cent stake in PT Bank Danamon Indonesia Tbk has a long-stop date of Aug 1.

DBS said: "The agreement will lapse after Aug 1, 2013."

DBS' chief executive Piyush Gupta expressed "deepest appreciation to the regulators in Indonesia and Singapore for giving the transaction due consideration".

For how long can we control our mind? Don't need to talk about investment! (5)

Read? For how long can we control our mind? Don't need to talk about investment! (4)

Three in 20 elderly Singaporean Chinese suffer from dementia or cognitive impairment

 

By Linette Lai

 

THREE in 20 Singaporean Chinese over the age of 60 suffer from cognitive impairment or dementia, according to a new study by researchers from the National University Health System (NUHS).

In particular, those with high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels were at risk of developing cognitive impairment problems, the study found.

Researchers studied about 1,200 people for dementia. They also looked out for signs of cognitive impairment, which includes symptoms such as memory loss and difficulty in executing simple tasks like following recipes or keeping track of bills.

A similar study will also be done on Malays and Indians, to provide a better understanding of dementia in Singapore as a whole.

Rotary Engineering wins $200 million worth of oil tanks and related projects

By Dennis Chan

Rotary Engineering said it has been awarded $200 million worth of contracts in Singapore and Saudi Arabia.

One of the wins is an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by a joint venture between three multinational oil companies to build a shared lubricant storage facility in Tuas South, Singapore.

The EPC contract will cover the construction of about 80 tanks, common pipelines, import/export jetty topsides and the infrastructure supporting the operations of the project.

In Saudi Arabia, three contracts were awarded by international EPC players for projects in Jubail Industrial City.

5 Reasons You're Earning More Money and You're Still Miserable

By Mandi Woodruff | Business Insider – Fri, Jul 26, 2013 11:43 AM EDT

Getty Images/Thinkstock -

Whether you're a millionaire or a middle-class father of two, we all make the same mistakes when it comes to money – we think the more we earn, the happier we'll be.

If you really want to buy yourself a more fulfilling life, it's not how much money you earn that matters, but figuring out the right way to spend it.

That's the idea explored in a fascinating new book, "Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending," written by a pair of renown behavioral scientists, Dr. Elizabeth Dunn and Dr. Michael Norton. 

"When it comes to increasing the amount of money they have, most people recognize that relying on their own intuition is insufficient, spawning an entire industry of financial advisors," they write. "But when it comes to spending that money, people are often content to rely on their hunches about what will make them happy."

That all ends with this book. We've combed through and highlighted five ways to change the way you think about money that will make you happier in the long-run.


1. You're buying too many things and not enough experiences.

M. Woodruff
 

 

 

In a world where anything and everything can be yours with a credit card and access to the Internet, it's easy to get swept up by material things.

But if you recognized the fact that you could get more satisfaction out of a $50 dinner with friends than that big screen TV or new iPhone, it might change the way you shop.

"Research shows experiences provide more happiness than material goods in part because experiences are more likely to make us feel connected to others," Dunn and Norton write. "Understanding why experiences provide more happiness than material goods can also help us to choose the most satisfying kinds of experiences."

To help, here are four questions they suggest asking before you spend money on an experience that may not be as happiness-inducing as others:


1. Does this bring me together with other people?

2. Will this make a memorable story that I will tell for years to come?

3. Is this experience in line with who I am or who I'd like to become?

4. Is this a unique opportunity and something I can't compare to things I've done before?



2. You're more focused on getting more money than buying more time.

itupictures / Flickr

 

 

Sometimes, we get too caught up in either working hard to save a buck or working hard to earn a buck to realize what really matters – our time.

"Research suggests that people with more money do not spend their time in more enjoyable ways on a day-to-day basis," the authors write."Wealthier individuals tend to spend more of their time on activities associated with relatively high levels of tension and stress, such as shopping, working, and commuting."

On the flip side, penny-pinchers sometimes take saving too far. When you trade your time for some kind of monetary payoff (saving $20 on a flight by staying up all night on Kayak.com or using your vacation to earn over-time pay), you could be sacrificing your overall happiness in the process.

Now, if you get a high from saving five cents on a gallon of gas by driving 10 miles out of your way, then fine. But most people would be happier spending a little extra money to get home 20 minutes earlier for dinner.


3. You think a McMansion will make you happy.


Mike Groll/AP Photo

 

 

What could possibly be more satisfying than ditching that old starter home you and your spouse moved into during your broke newlywed years?

Two studies cited in "Happy Money" prove otherwise.

When researchers followed groups of German homeowners five years after they moved into new homes, they all wound up saying they were happier with their newer house. But there was one problem: They weren't any happier with their lives. The same was true in a study of Ohio homeowners in which it turned out they weren't any happier with their lives than renters.

"Even in the heart of middle America, housing seems to play a surprisingly small role in the successful pursuit of happiness," Dunn and Norton write. "If the largest material purchase most of us will ever make provides no detectable benefit for our overall happiness, then it may be time to rethink our fundamental assumptions about how we use money."


4. You're letting yourself have too much of a good thing.

Bryan Maleszyk / Flickr

 

When you've got unlimited financial resources, it may seem stupid to deny yourself simple pleasures that you've come to enjoy, like new jewelry or an expensive bottle of wine with dinner every evening.

But when you reach that point of material over-saturation, you could be killing the potential to make yourself any happier.

"This is the sad reality of the human experience: The more we're exposed to something, the more its impact diminishes," Dunn and Norton write. "Knowing we have access to wonderful things undermines our happiness by reducing our tendency to appreciate life's small joys."

You think if the McRib were always on the menu, people would line up to get a taste every day? Probably not. Instead, try to make things you really enjoy a special treat you only allow yourself once in a while. It will pack a much happier punch.


5. You're investing too much in yourself and not enough in other people.


M. Woodruff
 

 

Like love, it stands to reason that the happier you are with yourself, the more likely it is that you'll bring happiness to others. But Dunn and Norton suggest flipping that idea on its head.

Make others happier first and you'll bring yourself happiness in the process. It sound obvious, but you'd be surprised how many of us forget it.

 

 

Createwealth8888: Moral of the Story

 

Get married and have kids.

 

Let your loved ones spent your money.

 

When they are happy; you are happier!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"In [a study] of more than 600 Americans, personal spending accounted for the lion's share of most people's budgets," they write. "But the amount of money individuals devoted to themselves was unrelated to their overall happiness. What did predict happiness? The amount of money they gave away. The more they invested in others, the happier they were."

That being said, you may wonder why you don't really feel all that much happier after donating a bag of clothing to Goodwill or cutting a check to the Red Cross. The real happiness comes from seeing your money at work.

 

 

 

Buy and Hold??? Wrong and Hold??? Right and Hold???

Buy and Hold?

Wrong and Hold?

Right and Hold?


Stop Loss?

Cut Loss?

Take profit is never wrong?

Dividend is forever?


The more investment, trading and finance blogs you visit.

The more articles you read.

Do you get more confused instead?

How to know the true wisdom?

Do this!!!

You will find it out yourself!

Read? Measuring. Of course!

Lastly, be truthful to yourself if you really want to make it in the stock market.


or read this book: "25 habits of successful investors".

What is the 25th habit?

Find it out yourself by borrowing or flipping this book at NLB.

Any book on Investing For A Living???

Just For Laugh ...



You google for "book trading for a living".


Google will return the search result with many books teaching you on how to trade for a living.

And then you change it to google for "book investing for a living".

Guess what will Google return?




Hmm ..

So strange!!!

No one writes a book on "Investing For A Living" or there is something wrong with Google search.


Investing for a living cannot be taught by reading a book???

Singapore-listed Swiber Holdings has won contracts worth a total of about $435 million.

The offshore services company said Monday that about $330 million in new deals were awarded under the Swiber group and another $105 million was won by a Swiber joint venture company.

Swiber did not disclose any details relating to the clients or work scope, but said the contracts would “commence immediately and are expected to be completed by 2015”.

Swiber chief executive Francis Wong said geographical diversification would continue to be the cornerstone of the company’s growth path in the offshore oil and gas industry, having executed “complex offshore projects in regions such as Asia and Latin America”.

Two is Good! (2)

Juts for Laugh ..

Read? Two is Good!

Never too late to fell in Love.

Cheers to the couple!


Read? Look who has stolen Sylvia Lim's heart


Last GE, she came to my house and asked: "Do you know me?"

Next GE, if she comes again to my house and ask: "Do yo know me?"

Uncle8888 will reply: "I know Quah Kim Song better!"

Investing Made Simple by Uncle8888 (36)

Read? Investing Made Simple by Uncle8888 (35)


How to beat the Market?


1. Smarter than the Market


"The market is not your mother. It consists of tough men and women who look for ways to take money away from you instead of pouring milk into your mouth." - Dr. Alexander Elder

 

Read? In the stock market where does the Money come from?


Read? Where Does The Money In The Stock Market Come From?

Read? Trading - could be looking easy?



2. Paid $X,XXX for Guru's Dark Secret of Making Easy Money


Easier and the faster method to solve your investing or trading problems is to pay someone else to provide you their dark secret.

How true?



3. Patience and Gut

• Know the market cycles by heart and wait patiently.

• Buy somewhere Lower.

• Sell somewhere Higher.

• Something, you have to do it right at every market cycles in order to beat the Market. You must always remember to take back at least your investing capital for the next market cycle; otherwise it will be much harder to beat the market over long run without adequate warchest.

Choose your option: 1, 2 or 3?

Love Bear!

Read? Customised Baby Hamper!

Former World’s 8th Richest Man Loses $34.5 Billion

Just For Thinking ...


Read? The High-Beta Rich

(Createwealth8888:

The Moral of the Story:

We as ordinary folks should also watch our net worth Beta.

High Beta may not be the right way to go.

Do you know your net worth Beta

Read? Reaching the Edge of Financial Independence. Next, watch your Beta closely! )

Brazil businessman Eike Batista has seen better days.

Last March the Brazilian commodities tycoon ranked as the world’s eighth richest person with a net worth of $34.5 billion. His net worth today: $200 million, according to Bloomberg Billionaires.

Batista, who has been called the Donald Trump of Brazil, may have suffered one of the “worst wealth losses in history,” says Bloomberg Billionaires Index editor Matt Miller. “He was the face of Brazilian capitalism. He’s mired in debt. This is a tragic fall for him.”

Most of Batista's problems stem from the erosion of nearly 90% of the value in his flagship company, OGX Petroleo & Gas Participacoes SA (OGXP3). Shares in the business have plummeted in the last year as the company missed targets for production output and reserves.

Yesterday, Mubadala Development Co., a sovereign-wealth fund out of Abu Dhabi, converted an investment in Batista's companies into debt, further eroding the value of his overall assets. EBX Group Co., Batista’s commodities empire, now owes $1.5 billion to Mubadala. And that put Batista over the edge, reducing his personal wealth to millions, not billions anymore. Miller says he “tended to oversell the amount of resources it had,” and that Batista would have to “constantly borrow against one company to pay for the needs of others.”

Unlike billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, Batista was ostentatious about his wealth, even declaring that he would overtake Mexico’s Carlos Slim for the world’s richest person title by 2015. He told Bloomberg: "Just give me time, let me work please."

What was behind his ambition?

"I suffered very heavy asthma, so my mother threw me in the cold swimming pool," Batista said. "So I cured my asthma through discipline, and I saw that you could achieve things by performing, and it's part of my DNA… I'm very competitive."

Well, Batista now has one year and five months to earn back $66.8 billion.

Investing Lessons From Conversation With Uncle8888 (1)

At yesterday lunch meeting at Nex with one young undergraduate; he may have realized and re-learnt something differently from the book: Rich Dad, Poor Dad that he has read many years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TGIF lunch is expected to be longer but still shorter to gain more insight!

 

Time up and back to office!

 

 

 

 

 

Lian Beng full year profits down 24.3 per cent

By

ong chor hao

         

NET profit at construction-focused Lian Beng Group fell 24.3 per cent for the full year ended May 31, in the absence of a one-off gain that boosted the bottom line in the previous financial year.

Profit attributable to owners of the parent was S$39.4 million for financial year 2013, compared with S$52.1 million a year ago. Earnings per share (EPS) was 7.45 Singapore cents for FY2013, down from the 9.83 Singapore cents in FY2012.

Lian Beng's top line registered a growth of 13.6 per cent to S$505.6 million from a year ago. This was primarily due to higher contributions from its construction and ready-mixed concrete businesses, which make up about 95 per cent of all revenue. The company's third core business of property development posted lower income.

But the bottom line was hit by a 55.9 per cent plunge in other operating income to S$6.4 million. The company had booked a S$7.9 million gain from the sale of an investment property in the previous work year.

Keppel Reit issues 95m new units to raise S$119.7m

By

Lee Meixian

         

 

 

Keppel Reit on Friday announced that it has successfully raised gross proceeds of S$119.7 million in an issuance of 95 million new units to institutional and other investors - KEPPEL CORP

Keppel Reit on Friday announced that it has successfully raised gross proceeds of S$119.7 million in an issuance of 95 million new units to institutional and other investors.

The money raised will be used to buy a 50-per-cent stake in 8 Exhibition Street, a property in Melbourne, Australia, it said, confirming an earlier online report from BT.

The issue price of S$1.26 per unit carried a 2.58 per cent discount to its adjusted volume weighted average price of S$1.2934 for trades done on Thursday.

DBS Bank Ltd is Keppel Reit's placement agent.

CapitaLand Q2 net profit slightly down on lower portfolio gains

[SINGAPORE] Southeast Asia's biggest developer CapitaLand Ltd said on Thursday its second-quarter net profit fell slightly from a year earlier due to lower portfolio gains.

The Singapore firm earned S$383.1 million (US$302.2 million) in the three months ended June versus S$385.9 million a year ago. Excluding portfolio gains, net profit would have risen 8.6 per cent to S$322.1 million.

"We will continue to focus on our core markets of Singapore and China to develop homes, offices, shopping malls, serviced residences and mixed developments," said chief executive Lim Ming Yan.

In the first half of 2013, CapitaLand sold 683 residential units with sales value of S$1.6 billion in Singapore, up from 259 units worth S$467 million a year earlier.

Keppel Land to dispose stake in Jakarta Garden City for S$290.5m

By

Teo Si Jia

         

Interest rates for US home mortgages dropped last week for the first time in two-and-a-half months in the wake of soothing comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, but demand for home loans still fell - PHOTO: KEPPEL LAND

KEPPEL Land on Wednesday said that it plans to transfer its 51 per cent interest in integrated township Jakarta Garden City to its partner PT Modernland Realty for S$290.5 million.

Wholly-owned subsidiaries Le-Vision and Castlehigh will dispose of their 51 per cent stake in PT Mitra Sindo Sukses and PT Mitra Sindo Makmur, which were formed in the joint venture for the Indonesian development in 2004.

Of the 1,287 homes and shophouses launched in the project, 93 per cent has been sold.
Keppel expects a net proceed of S$275 million from the sale, for a profit after tax of S$186 million.

CW8888: Keppel Land is 54.60% owned by Keppel Corporation.

Low probability of success; high demand : Give you damn good example here!!!

Just For Thinking ...



Read? Low probability of success; high demand

SMOL wrote:

But something strange happens when it comes to speculation. I use this word precisely to demonstrate when we substitute it with words like investing or trading, somehow we will park  our common sense at our homes. 

Proof?

How then do you explain why people believe the spin at seminars when snake oil salespersons say if you follow their easy to follow steps, anyone and everyone can emerge as winners?

If you have attended these "free" previews, you would know what I mean.

I would have thought alarm bells would be ringing out loud!

I mean if anyone and everyone could do it, shouldn't the payout be something similar to "minimum wage"? 



More proof???


The proof is in the Number of Testimonials published by the "Gurus" themselves.


How many testimonials being published by the "Gurus" on each day?

Did you see tons of them?


No, No, No!!!

Once a while, you may see one testimonial being published.


Not Low probability of success;

high demand (classes after classes of graduates);

then WHAT???

Dow closes at record high, S&P snaps 4-day winning streak

NEW YORK: US stocks closed mixed on Tuesday, with the Dow creeping up to close at a new record high after mixed company results, while Apple dragged the Nasdaq lower.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 22.19 points (0.14 percent) at 15,567.74, scoring a new all-time high. The prior record was set last Thursday at 15,465.91.

The broad-based S&P 500 gave up 3.14 points (0.19 percent) at 1,692.39, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index slid 21.11 points (0.59 percent) to 3,579.27.


CW88888: Wha happened to STI? Where are the Bulls!!!

Keppel Seeks New Non-Rig Orders for Brazil Yards: Southeast Asia

By Kenneth Foo & Kyunghee Park - Jul 22, 2013 6:08 PM GMT+0800

     

 

Keppel Corp. (KEP), the world’s largest oil-rig maker, will focus on building more offshore production and support vessels in Brazil as competition from China cuts prices for its main product.
Brazil’s offshore development boom means Keppel’s yard is now mainly utilized for building rigs for state-owned Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

The Singapore-based company is setting up a second yard to meet demand for other vessels and to offer repair and conversion work, Chief Executive Officer Choo Chiau Beng said in an interview on July 19.

                                                                 

Choo Chiau Beng, chief executive officer of Keppel Corp., said the company is in the process of ramping up production at its Brazilian yard specializing in offshore support vessels.

                                       

 

A Keppel Corp. employee stands next to valve wheels and pipework on the deck of the Transocean Siam Driller jackup rig, built for Transocean Ltd., during a naming ceremony at the Keppel FELS shipyard in Singapore, on Feb. 2, 2013.

 

“We’re not interested to take a lot more work than the six semis from Petrobras because we do not want to overload our shipyard,” Choo said, referring to an order to build semi-submersible rigs for state-owned Petroleo Brasileiro SA. “We want to leave some capacity for our other customers” who need floating production, storage and offloading platforms, or FPSOs, and for oil-rig repairs, he said.

Demand for offshore drilling and production units is expected to increase as Brazil competes for investments at a time when producers are using new technologies to extract crude from shale beds across the U.S. and explorers are expanding activity off the coast of Africa. South America’s largest economy targets to double its crude production by 2020.

“The next big story there will be FPSOs because ultimately after you drill and discover oil, you’ll need FPSOs to produce it,” Vincent Fernando, the head of Asean research at Religare in Singapore, said in a phone interview on July 19. “They are looking at all the different ways they can tap the energy value chain, they don’t only need to build rigs.”

Ramping Up

Keppel signed a $4.1 billion order in August to build five semi-submersible rigs for Sete Brasil Participacoes SA, an affiliate of Petrobras. The state oil producer, which is developing the largest oil discovery in the Americas in three decades off the country’s coast, is spending $236.5 billion as part of its five-year investment plan.

Choo said the company is in the process of ramping up production at its Brazilian yard specializing in offshore support vessels. Keppel had orders amounting to S$13.1 billion ($10 billion) as of June, with deliveries stretching into 2019.

Shares of Keppel climbed 0.5 percent to S$10.80 at the close in Singapore, the biggest increase in a week.

Property Fund

Keppel is also diversifying other businesses. Alpha Investment Partners, Keppel’s real estate investment manager, closed its fund after raising $1.65 billion from investors that include pensions and sovereign wealth funds in South Korea, Abu Dhabi, Brunei and the Netherlands, Choo said.

While Keppel is facing competition from yards in China for offshore projects, Choo expects customers to lay more emphasis on having products delivered on time. Clients had been asking Keppel to complete rigs that the Chinese yards were unable to finish, he said.

“Chinese yards were desperate because they ran out of conventional ships to build,” Choo said. “They were offering crazy terms to attract customers.”

China, the world’s biggest shipbuilding nation, may see a third of its yards shut down in about five years amid a global vessel glut, according to the China Association of National Shipbuilding Industry. That has prompted yards to expand into building offshore projects.

Choo, 65, will retire at the end of this year and Chief Financial Officer Loh Chin Hua, who used to run Alpha, will take over from January.
 

Singapore's headline inflation rises 1.8% on-year in June

Singapore's headline inflation edged up for the second straight month in June, on the back of rising petrol pump prices. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said CPI-All Items inflation climbed 1.8 per cent year-on-year in June, up from 1.6 per cent in May. 

 

SINGAPORE: Singapore's headline inflation edged up for the second straight month in June, on the back of rising petrol pump prices.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said CPI-All Items inflation climbed 1.8 per cent year-on-year in June, up from 1.6 per cent in May.
Singapore's headline inflation had reached a three-year low of 1.5 per cent in April.

Rising petrol pump prices were a key contributor in June, increasing after three consecutive months of price corrections. But electricity tariffs remained 7.2 per cent lower compared to a year earlier.
Overall, MAS said the price of oil-related items fell by 1.0 per cent in June, compared to a larger decline of 4.4 per cent in May.

Services inflation also gained strength, coming in at 2.7 per cent in June from 2.5 per cent in May. MAS said this is due to rising costs for medical insurance and holiday travel.

Food inflation was stable at 2.0 per cent, but prices of meals at hawker centres and restaurants rose at a slightly faster pace, compared to non-cooked food items.

Private road transport cost fell 2.1 per cent in June. It had dropped 3.7 per cent in May.
MAS said this moderation reflects the smaller drop in COE premiums in May on a year-on-year basis, as the market continued to adjust to policies introduced in February.

Accommodation cost inflation was 4.8 per cent in June, down from 5.1 percent in May.

MAS core inflation, which excludes the costs of accommodation and private road transport, stayed at 1.7 per cent in June. A pickup in services inflation was offset by lower prices in retail-related items like clothing and footwear.
Looking ahead, MAS said domestic cost pressures are expected to persist over the rest of the year.
As such, MAS said core inflation is expected to rise moderately in the second half of the year and average 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent in 2013.
Imputed rentals on owner-occupied accommodation will continue to add significantly to CPI-All Items inflation although MAS believes the pace of increase will be slower in the second half of this year.
Car prices are significantly lower following the introduction of the various motor vehicle-related policy measures, although they have picked up recently.
As a result, the MAS said it has revised its CPI-All Items inflation forecast for the year down to 2-3 per cent, from 3-4 per cent previously.  

- CNA/xq

 

 

SGX, POSB launch new Invest-Saver product

Uncle8888: Good for long-term passive investors who don't bother to up their investing skills to do monthly averaging!

To encourage more Singaporeans to start investing early for retirement, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and POSB have come up with a new product that allows one to invest in exchange traded funds while also saving for retirement.

               

         

 

 

SINGAPORE: To encourage more Singaporeans to start investing early for retirement, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and POSB have come up with a new product that allows one to invest in exchange traded funds while also saving for retirement.

SGX added that it is on the lookout for potential partnerships that can make long term investing more accessible for their customer base.

Ninety-seven per cent of Singaporeans’ retirement funds are tied up in fixed deposits, property and insurance, and the remaining three per cent are in equities, mutual funds or unit trusts, revealed a SGX-Oliver Wyman study on retirement savings.

A low interest rate environment and rising inflation has eroded the dollar value of one's savings, especially retirement savings. Far more retirement savings in Singapore are still held in fixed bank deposits than in many other countries, said the SGX-Oliver Wyman study.

Only 12 per cent of investible CPF savings are held in equities versus the 50-70 per cent in a range of other countries including US, UK, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Australia.

Research shows that 41 per cent of Singaporeans have never saved specifically for retirement while 60 per cent of Singapore's working adults save less than 20 per cent of their monthly income.

With families becoming smaller, experts say it is increasingly less viable for Singaporeans to depend on their children for financial support in their retirement years.

By the time Singaporeans reach retirement age, CPF savings will only be sufficient to meet 68 per cent of their pre-retirement income, revealed the SGX-Oliver Wyman study.

But with the new POSB Invest-Saver product, a combination of a regular savings plan and exchange traded fund, saving for retirement could start from as little as S$100 a month with no brokers involved.

An exchange-traded fund is an investment fund traded on stock exchanges, much like stocks.
Potential investors can subscribe for the product via any of 1,100 ATMS islandwide.

The POSB Invest-Saver is linked to the Nikko AM Singapore STI ETF, an exchange-traded fund that tracks the performance of Singapore’s top 30 blue chip companies.

DBS, the largest local bank in Singapore, hopes that the product will make long term investing more manageable for young Singaporeans.

Tan Su Shan, managing director and group head of Consumer Banking and Wealth Management at DBS Bank, said: "Singaporeans are a little bit barbelled in their investment approach. We either have cash or we have properties, so either very liquid or very illiquid and possibly not enough in fixed income or equities. So this speaks to the asset diversification that we're trying to promulgate right now."

Chew Sutat, executive vice president of SGX, said: "If you look at the amount of cash savings we have, both in CPF systems and banking deposits, every year we as a nation are potentially leaving S$3-5 billion of investment returns on the table by not investing.

(Uncle8888: So much cash rotting in the bank!!!)


"As long as we have like-minded partners who share common goals of wanting to bring more accessible investing to their customer base… we'll be happy to support them."

Potentials investors in this latest product could expect to reap an annual average return of between 2 and 3 per cent. 

- CNA/jc

Australand to remain a key investment for CapitaLand Group

CapitaLand Limited ("CapitaLand") wishes to announce that it has completed the strategic review of its interest in its subsidiary Australand and concluded that Australand will continue as a key investment for CapitaLand. During the review, Australand had received indicative proposals for the whole and parts of its business but none of them have been sufficiently compelling.

Australand will continue to provide CapitaLand with a stable stream of recurring income. It is well-positioned to benefit from its portfolio of quality commerical and industrial properties and is one of Australia's largest industrial development businesses. It is also well placed to benefit from the improving outlook for the residential sector in key Australian cities.

Financial Independence (Getting to Point X)

Point X: Our Fundamental Financial Goal





































Becoming financially independent is not something that happens by chance; it requires focus, discipline, determination, sacrifice, and lot of hard work.


Read? Uncle8888's Point X. It doesn't happen by chance too!

Uncle8888's story of getting to Point X is told in this blog!

Kep Corp : What wrong with its revenue in FY 13?

Net Margin has stablised. Right???
 
How come analysts still chanting margin concerns?

 

 

 

What wrong with its revenue in FY 13?

 

Looking backward and forecasting forward. What went wrong?

 

Higher net order book = higher revenue. Right?

 

Why not so in FY 13?

 

 

 

 

Then reading this:

 

DBS Vickers says management reassured investors that Keppel’s Petrobras related projects are on schedule and budget. There are also no labour shortages seen at their Brazil yards.

“We believe the price premium, escalation clauses on inflation and forex fluctuations, over 10 years of operating experience in Brazil and excellent risk management distinguishes Keppel from other players that have run into operational issues in Brazil. Earnings recognition for the second (out of six) semi-submersible and first (out of two) FPSO projects for Petrobras will kick in from 1Q14,” say the analysts.

Dow, S&P 500 end at all-time highs on earnings, Bernanke

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow and the S&P 500 closed at record highs on Thursday after Morgan Stanley and others reported better-than-expected earnings and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's comments further reassured markets.

Shares of Morgan Stanley (NYS:MS - News) jumped 4.4 percent to $27.70, its highest close since April 2011, after the bank posted a 42 percent increase in quarterly profit as stock trading revenue soared. The S&P financial index climbed 1.3 percent.

Of the 21 financial companies that have reported quarterly earnings so far, 76 percent have surpassed analysts' estimates, Thomson Reuters data showed.

UnitedHealth (UNH.N) shares rallied, buoying the Dow and other health insurers' stocks. UnitedHealth gained 6.5 percent to $70.55 after the company's results beat expectations. The Morgan Stanley healthcare payor index (PSE:^HMO - News) rose 3.1 percent.

Both the Dow and the S&P 500 also hit all-time intraday highs shortly after the opening bell. The Dow climbed as high as 15,589.40, while the S&P 500 set a record session high of 1,693.12.

Bernanke, speaking before the Senate Banking Committee, reiterated comments he made on Wednesday to the House Financial Services Committee. He stressed that the timeline for winding down the Fed's stimulus program was not set in stone.

"We got no negative surprises from the Fed chairman today, so the market liked that," said Bucky Hellwig, senior vice president of BB&T Wealth Management in Birmingham, Alabama.

Thursday's session marked the first time that both the Dow and the S&P 500 set intraday record highs since May 22. On that same day, the rally was interrupted when Bernanke hinted that the Fed planned to begin pulling back its stimulus. His comments triggered a sharp selloff, leading to a drop of nearly 6 percent in the S&P 500 over the next month.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 78.02 points, or 0.50 percent, to end at 15,548.54, a record high. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 8.46 points, or 0.50 percent, to a record close of 1,689.37. The Nasdaq Composite Index added 1.28 points, or 0.04 percent, to 3,611.28.

At Thursday's close, the benchmark S&P 500 was up 18.5 percent for the year.

Analysts' estimates for corporate earnings have been lowered so much that investors believe the low targets should be easily exceeded. Instead, investors probably will hone in on revenue figures and outlooks.

10% dividend yield for 10 years? Fact or Fiction? (8)

Someone said: "I dun think such stocks exist in our SGX. 10% dividend yield for 10 years? Absolutely no, as least not in SGX."

His saying has motivated Uncle8888 to post this series as matter of fact.

It is possible. Even in SGX!

Our own local backyard.


Read? 10% dividend yield for 10 years? Fact or Fiction? (7)

"There is no happiness; there are only moments of happiness." - [anon; Spanish Proverb]

A moment of happiness. Just enjoy it!

Uncle8888 has hit a new milestone in his investing performance history and proving what is not impossible.


31% p.a. Yield on Cost for 12 years

Total Yield on Cost over 12 years: 369%



Market Timing and Luck


"Luck is the sense to recognise an opportunity and the ability to take advantage of it. Everyone has bad breaks, but everyone also has opportunities" - Samuel


"Of course luck comes into it - It's all part of the numbers game. What's important to be conscious of is, if you prepare the ground properly, do the best you can, and you pay attention to the detail, you give yourself the best chance and being blessed with that luck" - Adam


Superlative in Yield on Investment Cost
In practice and theory... real case study on market timing and luck factor.

Good???

4.8% p.a. for 6 years


Better

14% p.a. for 9 years+


Best!

31% p.a. for 12 years

Moral of the Story:

Be patient.

Market Timing is very important!

Who says not important?