Win-Win-Lose - It's the end that ultimately matters

Read? Win-Win-Lose - It's the end that ultimately matters


Agreed!

Win-Win-Lose - It's the end that ultimately matters


Uncle8888 is monitoring his investment portfolio to minimize the impact of NEGATIVE compounding return that will definitely happen at the next Bear market. 

He knows very well that once he is badly hit by another large negative return. He will not have another chance to re-cover to that level of CAGR again!

What you will never hear at any investment seminars?

What you will never hear at any investment seminars?

Uncle888 has lost count of the number of investment seminars and investment events he had attended. He was once photographed sitting at the front row of one event and then appeared in the following year Ads for that event.

So far he has not heard any speakers saying ...


Compounding investment return can be NEGATIVE!


Every re-investment of dividends collected and realized gains are potentially at risks of negative compounding return. There is no such thing as bao jiak re-investment. Sure huat!


Read? On compounding


What did you see on compounding investment return of real people, real investment return?


 

 

The Myth Of The Bell Curve: Look For The Hyper-Performers

Yesterday, Uncle8888 explained (actually it is consoling him) how Bell Curve actually worked against older assets in the similar grade. He is in his late 40s now. 

Last year, life as an old asset in corporation has just began for him so he has to learn to accept it.

An old asset is paid less for the same effort!


What he can do for himself now is to focus more on his financial assets to supplement his depreciating human asset.

Funding Your Child’s University in the Future? (2)

Read? Funding Your Child’s University in the Future?

Tuition fees and all living and studying expenses

Three Year Uni course at NUS for son: $30.6K

Four Year Uni course at SMU for daughter: $61.4K ( including an Overseas Exchange Programme in Paris)

Total cost for two children = $92K!


Budgeting $100K for his youngest son's four year Uni course at SUTD.




Total cost for three children = $192K!

From the birth of Uncle888's first son in 1988 to the completion of his youngest son uni study in 2020 = 32 years

Walau!


That is $6K of saving per year or $500 per month for 32 years!

Portfolio Management: Something unexpected!

Read? 8th New Record set by Uncle8888's Investment Portfolio in 2014

With so much cash rotting in the bank as war chest and yet Uncle8888's portfolio has set a new record - 8th in 2014 and 13 new records were set in 2013.

This is something unexpected!

Probably, the Moral of the Story is ...


In a Bull market where many boats are rising, doing something or doing nothing more (Buy and hold) can make anybody look like smart investors. 

Right?

Fall in wholesale electricity prices worries gencos Rates have fallen below cost of natural gas feedstock, posing financial risks for players

By ronnie lim

FUELLING UP

PacificLight Power's new 800 MW Jurong Island facility is 100 per cent LNG-fuelled, although it is starting to look at diversifying its feedstock portfolio for supply-security reasons. - FILE PHOTO

Singapore

SINGAPORE generation companies (gencos) are concerned that wholesale electricity prices here have fallen for the first time below the cost of their natural gas feedstock this year.
An industry official has warned that this is an unsustainable situation, as it poses financial risks for market players.

The situation has arisen largely from intense market competition fanned by oversupply from recent new genco plants, but another factor is the rigidity of current gas supply contracts with their "take-or-pay" clauses.

8th New Record set by Uncle8888's Investment Portfolio in 2014

Read? 7th New Record set by Uncle8888's Investment Portfolio in 2014


Today, another Moment of Happiness again!!!

Cheering the 8th new record set in 2014

Another goal!


 

 

More money probably won't make us significantly happier???

Just For Thinking ....


 

More money probably won't make us significantly happier?


Hard Truth: Lack of money will definitely made us unhappy so we should not be trapped in lack of money situation through good financial planning and budgeting well ahead of our future needs.

Sometime the thought of it already made us unhappy!


Uncle8888 has learned this painful lessons in 2008 GFC for his two children university fund where he was forced to cut his losses in Nov 2008 due to fear of Depression 2.0 to raise $80K in cash to ready this uni fund for his children starting their first semester in Jul 2009.

This time round he has "foolishly" placed $100K in FD (4 x $25K) for his youngest son. 

Why bother to get another $X,XXX more? 

It is better for him to "foolishly" sleep well with $X,XXX lesser. Right?

Same hard truth for his retirement income for life model. 

He is "foolishly" happy to have lower return for Tap 1 (Target to be 67% of his annual expenses @ 3% inflation rate) till 80 years old. 

Think of those potential compounding gains for an investor who talked so much on investing. KNS!



Read? Retirement Income For Life Planning Model


Read? More on happiness ....



 

The Dow on Tuesday edged to a new record as markets essentially moved sideways with low trading volumes.

NEW YORK: The Dow on Tuesday edged to a new record as markets essentially moved sideways with low trading volumes.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 2.82 (0.02 per cent) at 16,945.92.

The broad-based S&P 500 slipped a scant 0.48 of a point (0.02 per cent) to 1,950.79, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 1.75 (0.04 per cent) to 4,338.00.

Analysts said Tuesday's trade amounted to a pause from the recent rally, with little fresh economic data on offer.

"It was an unremarkable day when we were catalyst-light," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities.

Singapore ranks third in the world for proportion of millionaire households

SINGAPORE: Millionaire households in Singapore formed 10 per cent of the population in Singapore in 2013, down from 17.1 per cent in 2012, according to the latest report from Boston Consulting Group. The latest findings mean Singapore’s density of millionaire households ranks third globally, behind Qatar (17.5 per cent) and Switzerland (12.7 per cent).

In absolute numbers, the United States had the highest number of millionaire households (7.1 million), and the highest number of new millionaires (1.1 million). It is followed by China, where robust wealth creation has led to a rise in millionaire households from 1.5 million in 2012 to 2.4 million in 2013. China has surpassed Japan, where the number of millionaire households fell from 1.5 million to 1.2 million last year.


(Chart: bcg.perspectives)

 




The Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan) remains the fastest-growing region for private wealth worldwide, the report stated. Global private wealth is projected to post a compound annual growth rate of 5.4 per cent over the next five years to reach an estimated US$198.2 trillion by the end of 2018. The Asia-Pacific region and its new wealth will account for about half of this total growth, BCG predicts, likely overtaking North America as the largest wealth market in four years' time.

- CNA/xy

Smart Money Grabbers over dummy investors (6)

Read? Smart Money Grabbers over dummy investors (5)


Bagus!!!

They are the Right hand. Greedy or naive investors are the other Left hand. No?

 

SINGAPORE: Two directors and shareholders of Profitable Plots were on Monday (June 9) convicted of conspiracy to cheat investors of about S$979,000.

Timothy Nicholas Goldring was handed a seven-year jail term, while another director, John Andrew Nordmann was given eight years' jail. Nordmann's wife, Geraldine Anthony Thomas, was acquitted.
District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt found that Goldring and Nordmann had dishonestly represented the investment scheme, known as Boron CLS Bond, to investors. The Britons had told investors their funds would be used for the purchase of Boron products, but the bulk of the money went to Profitable Plots’ operations and other expenses. They also told investors the Boron products had been pre-sold to major corporations, but this was not true.

Each of them had faced 86 charges for cheating investors of over S$3.1 million in total. However, the Prosecution proceeded on a joint trial of 18 of the 86 charges, with the remaining 68 charges stood down for the time being.

Both men plan to appeal.

- CNA/kk

Dow, S&P 500 score fresh highs

NEW YORK: US stocks rallied on Monday, with the Dow and the S&P 500 extending record winning streaks amid a fresh burst of merger and acquisition activity on Wall Street.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 18.82 points (0.11 per cent) to 16,943.10, its third straight close at a record high.

The broad-market S&P 500 edged up 1.83 points (0.09 per cent) to 1,951.27, eking out a record for the fourth session in a row.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index outperformed, advancing 14.84 points (0.34 per cent) to 4,336.24.

Building an Investment Clock or Just telling Investment Time???

Just For Thinking ...


One big investment event in Singapore is coming soon. Many newbies are excited.

Uncle8888 has also crossed that same bridge a few times in the past years.

What will you be hearing or "learning" at such event?

Telling the time!

 











Now it is 5 pm!




Likely, you will not get to hear how "Gurus" can help you to build your own Investment Clock to tell the time over your lifetime.

How does an Investment Clock look like?


Read? Over market cycles your assets may survive but can you build more wealth out of them??? (2)


Get it?  

No?

Too chim?

Over market cycles your assets may survive but can you build more wealth out of them??? (2)

Read?  Over market cycles your assets may survive but can you build more wealth out of them???

Beware of market cycles and open your eyes wide to know how you may lose or build up your wealth from the stock market.


Uncle8888 knows there will be good and bad times ahead ...

Investment return is never the same as compounding interests in CPF OA. Don't ever be mistaken!

Market cycles are good for those can profit from them!

See below for Uncle8888's return on his investment portfolio over good times and bad times: 


 

Free Lunch Time Talks

Do your company organise free Lunch Time Talks?

Over the years, wide topics have been covered as the organisers cannot keep inviting different speakers to cover the same topics.

Rarely we have Beer Buddies as speakers; most of the time, we have Fish Mongers.

How are yours?

Winning bidder for Buffett lunch from Singapore

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- A man from Singapore on Friday bid $2,166,766 to win a private lunch with Warren Buffett, well below the record price but on par with other winning bids in recent years. 

It was the 15th annual online auction. The winner gets to spend several hours at lunch with Buffett, who leads Berkshire Hathaway and is known for his investing prowess and philanthropy. 

The auction benefits the Glide Foundation, which provides meals, health care, job training, rehabilitation and housing support to the poor and homeless in San Francisco. 

Glide spokeswoman Denis Lamott announced that Andy Chua from Singapore had the winning bid but said he was not interested in interviews right now. 

Last year's winning bid was a little more than $1 million. Four of the previous five winners each paid more than $2 million, and the 2012 winning bid of $3,456,789 remains the most expensive charity item ever sold on eBay. 

Buffett said he doesn't think the auction would have drawn such astronomical prices if it had benefited a lesser charity. The nonprofit relies on the auction for part of its $18 million budget. 

"Nobody spends the money better than Glide," Buffett said.
Glide has a remarkable record over more than five decades of helping people rediscover hope, Buffett said. Since 2000 the investor has raised nearly $16 million for the charity through these auctions. 

Past auction winners have praised Glide but made it clear that Buffett was the main reason they spent the money. 

Guy Spier, an investor who paid $650,100 to dine with Buffett in 2007, has written a book due out this year that explains how that meal refined his approach to investing. 

Nearly 40,000 people attended Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting in Omaha last month to hear Buffett answer questions.

The winners of the lunch auction usually dine at Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in New York City, which donates at least $10,000 to Glide each year to host the lunch. 

Buffett's company owns more than 80 subsidiaries including insurance, furniture, clothing, jewelry and candy companies, restaurants and natural gas and corporate jet firms, and has major investments in companies including Coca-Cola Co., IBM and Wells Fargo & Co. 

Over market cycles your assets may survive but can you build more wealth out of them???

Market Cycles of Bulls and Bears!

Uncle8888's assets may have survived the last market cycle of Bull-Bear-Bull; but he has failed to beat inflation rate @ 3%

How many of us realized that long-term investing over many market cycles of bulls and bears can be tougher than our current office job?

Our office job has annual salary and increment review to adjust for inflation impact. Right?

Dow, S&P 500 hit fresh records on jobs report

NEW YORK: The Dow and the S&P 500 on Friday again powered to record highs after a Labor Department employment report showed solid jobs growth for May.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 88.17 points (0.52 per cent) to 16,924.28, notching its second record high in a row.

The S&P 500 gained 8.98 (0.46 per cent) at 1,949.44, its third straight record close.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 25.17 (0.59 per cent) to 4,321.40.

The Labor Department reported that the US economy added a net 217,000 jobs in May, in line with expectations.

Economists called the report solid and noted that May was the fourth straight month the US economy added more than 200,000 jobs.

Mace Blicksilver, director of Marblehead Asset Management, said the jobs report boosted investor bullishness a day after the European Central Bank unveiled aggressive stimulus.

"You have the best of both worlds," he said. "You still have stimulus and you get to have a good labor report."

Car-rental company Hertz plummeted 9.1 per cent after announcing the company must restate financial results from 2011, 2012 and 2013 due to accounting errors.

Retailer Gap gained 2.1 per cent on news that May comparable store sales increased 1.0 per cent from the year-ago level.

Dow member General Electric rose 1.5 per cent after declaring a quarterly dividend of 22 cents per share.

Other larger moves came from Dow member Pfizer (-1.1 per cent), oil services company Schlumberger (+2.0 per cent) and automakers Ford Motor (+2.4 per cent) and General Motors (+1.6 per cent).

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury rose to 2.60 per cent from 2.58 per cent Thursday, while the 30-year increased to 3.44 per cent from 3.43 per cent.Bond prices and yields move inversely.

- AFP/fl

7th New Record set by Uncle8888's Investment Portfolio in 2014

Read? 6th New Record set by Uncle8888's Investment Portfolio in 2014



Today, another Moment of Happiness again!!!

Cheering the 7th new record set in 2014
 

US wealth hits new record in 1Q 2014

NEW YORK:  American household wealth reached a new record in the first quarter of 2014 thanks to a rising stock market and an improving housing market, according to US data released on Thursday.

The wealth of US households and non-profits jumped US$1.5 billion in the first quarter from the fourth quarter of 2013 to reach US$81.8 trillion, a new record, according to a US Federal Reserve report. The data do not take into account inflation.

The increase included a rise of US$361 billion in the value of directly and indirectly held corporate equities and an increase of US$751 billion in the value of real estate, the Fed said.

The rise came despite a cold winter during which US economic growth fell one per cent in the first quarter as hiring and economic activity slowed down.

Household debt edged up at an annual rate of two per cent in the first quarter, the Fed said. The central bank said net originations of home mortgages remained "weak," while consumer credit rose at the same level as the previous two years.

Non-financial business debt rose at an annual rate of 7.3 per cent in the first quarter after a 6.6 per cent increase in the fourth quarter. Corporate bonds accounted for most of the increase, the Fed said.

- AFP/fl

Noble Discoverer headed to Singapore

Kathrine Schmidt

 05 June 2014 23:14 GMT 

The drillship Noble Discoverer, contracted for Shell's delayed exploration programme off Alaska, is making its way to Singapore for additional preparations after already undergoing a lengthy upgrade programme in South Korea.

Dow, S&P 500 hit record highs after ECB stimulus

NEW YORK: The Dow and the S&P 500 on Thursday bolted to new records after the European Central Bank (ECB) launched aggressive measures to stimulate fragile Eurozone growth and avert deflation.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 98.58 points (0.59 per cent) to 16,836.11 while the broad-based S&P 500 rose 12.58 (0.65 per cent) to 1,940.46.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index posted strong gains, leaping 44.58 (1.05 per cent) to 4,296.23.
US markets reacted enthusiastically to a series of new measures from the ECB, which lowered all three of its key interest rates, including putting the deposit rate into negative territory for the first time, meaning banks will be charged for depositing their excess cash with the central bank.

"Expectations were for them to take action and the market is applauding the action that has been taken," said David Levy, portfolio manager at Kenjol Capital Management.
Analysts said the ECB's new push means liquidity will remain at high levels globally even as the Federal Reserve scales back its asset-purchase stimulus.

Levy said a 1.8 per cent gain in the Russell 2000, a leading index of small cap stocks, was particularly bullish.

"It shows confidence in the market that investors are willing to invest in riskier stocks," he said.

Leading banks had a good day, including Dow member JPMorgan Chase (+1.7 per cent), Citigroup (+1.6 per cent) and Wells Fargo (+1.2 per cent).

General Motors fell 0.7 per cent after chief executive Mary Barra announced the company fired 15 employees over the deadly ignition scandal and uncovered a pattern of "incompetence and neglect" behind the debacle.

US telecom giant Sprint is nearing a deal valued at about $32 billion to acquire rival T-Mobile, according to the Wall Street Journal and others. Sprint fell 4.0 per cent, while T-Mobile dropped 2.3 per cent.

Amazon jumped 5.5 per cent on anticipation of a June 18 mystery event with founder Jeff Bezos. Topeka Capital Markets said the buzz is that Amazon will launch a smartphone, which could boost subscriptions to its "Prime" service.

Videogame developer Zynga sank 9.2 per cent on concerns about a conference presentation from chief Don Mattrick. Mattrick "seemed slightly less upbeat" than normal about the company's prospects, said a note from Sterne Agee.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury fell to 2.58 per cent from 2.61 per cent on Wednesday, while the 30-year dropped to 3.43 per cent from 3.45 per cent. Bond prices and yields move inversely.

- AFP/fl

MediShield Life Review Committee unveils recommendations

SINGAPORE: The Government on Thursday (June 5) accepted the MediShield Life Review Committee's recommendation that it should bear most of the costs of the scheme, details of which were released the same day.

"The Government accepts the committee's recommendation and will bear most of the cost of bringing in those with pre-existing conditions. In this way, the Government will help all Singaporeans, including those with pre-existing conditions and those who are currently excluded, achieve MediShield Life cover, while ensuring that premiums are kept affordable for policyholders," the Ministry of Health said in a press statement.

Said Committee chairman Bobby Chin: "We have listened to what Singaporeans valued most in MediShield Life. Our recommendations will provide better protection against large hospital bills for all Singaporeans, for life."

He added that the committee will finalise its recommendations in a month, with the scheme slated to be implemented by the end of 2015.

Among the recommendations announced on June 5 following months of consultation with the public and key stakeholders:

• Removing the lifetime claim limit of S$300,000
• Increasing annual claim limits by 40 per cent from S$70,000 to S$100,000
• Increasing daily claim limits for normal and ICU wards by up to 55 per cent
• Increasing claim limits for surgical procedures by 25 to 93 per cent
• Increasing daily claim limits for community hospitals by 40 per cent, from S$250 to S$350
• Increasing claim limits for outpatient cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy
• Lower co-insurance rates of 3 to 10 per cent, down from current 10 to 20 per cent
• Premium rebates to start from age 66, instead of 71

'MEDISAVE WITHDRAWAL LIMITS WILL BE SUFFICIENT'

While the ministry noted that increased payouts would mean higher premiums, the Government said it will ensure that Medisave withdrawal limits are sufficient for all MediShield Life premiums, while subsidies, financial assistance and other forms of funding support for the lower to middle-income will be a "permanent feature" of the scheme.

A transitional subsidy will also be provided over four years to help Singaporeans adjust to the premiums, the ministry said.

MediShield Life was first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the 2013 National Day Rally with the aim of extending "coverage for life, coverage for all", by providing better lifetime coverage for all Singaporeans for large subsidised bills.

- CNA/es

Noble : Worst is over???

new S&P 500 record

NEW YORK: US stocks rose on Wednesday, pushing the S&P 500 to a record close, following mixed economic data a day ahead of the closely-watched meeting of the European Central Bank.

The broad-based S&P 500 rose 3.64 points (0.19 per cent) to 1,927.88, nearly three points above Monday's record close.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 15.19 points (0.09 per cent) to 16,737.53, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 17.56 points (0.41 per cent) to 4,251.64, helped by a 1.1 percent gain in Apple, its biggest component.

Stocks treaded in negative territory after early US economic data showed a drop in private-sector job creation in May and a jump in the trade deficit in April to a two-year high.

But they turned higher after the Institute for Supply Management said services sector activity surged in May.

The US Federal Reserve's "Beige Book" report was generally positive, saying all 12 districts of the country saw increasing economic activity in recent weeks.

Investors were girding for the ECB to unveil major stimulus actions on Thursday. Analysts said there is a possibility the market will be disappointed if the measures are less aggressive than expected.

Long-term investment compounding return: Theory vs Real (2)

Read? Long-term investment compounding return: Theory vs Real


Hear the truth from Uncle8888!

Your CPF OA will be heading towards the North and powered by the 8th Wonder of The World - Compound Interests!

The truth is here!


"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." - Yogi Berra


In Practice, long-term investment return can end up like this ... and not always UP, UP, and AWAY like Superman!
 

May be some retail investors have super investing power !

Rushing to draw CPF OA upon 55???

The endless great debate on CPF!


Let see what actually happen on the ground when folks reach 55 ..


How many of us actually cash out to invest?

Let us know if you are one of those who has cashed out the entire CPF OA to invest.

What is your advice to those near 55 now?

OK?

Sembcorp Expands Its Industrial Wastewater Treatment Business in China’s Jiangsu Province

- Signs agreement to acquire and upgrade an existing facility to a high concentration industrial wastewater treatment plant
- Plans in place by the Jiangsu Environment Protection Department to replicate Sembcorp’s model in other industrial parks in Jiangsu 

SINGAPORE, June 3, 2014 – Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) strengthens its presence in China’s Jiangsu province with the signing of a joint venture agreement to acquire and upgrade an existing wastewater treatment plant in Lianyungang Lingang Chemical Industrial Park (LCIP).

Under the agreement, Sembcorp’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Sembcorp (China) Holding Co, will hold an 80% stake in the joint venture, while Lianyungang Lingang Industrial Area Administration Committee’s wholly-owned company, Shenghai Wastewater Treatment Plant Co, will hold the remaining stake.

Sembcorp has been selected by the Jiangsu Environment Protection Department to improve industrial wastewater treatment operations at LCIP. The existing facility in the chemical industrial park, which is only able to treat low concentration wastewater, will be upgraded to one that is capable of treating high concentration industrial wastewater directly from source. Sembcorp was selected for this project given its proven capabilities to treat multiple streams of complex industrial wastewater directly from customers to meet discharge standards, benefitting both customers and local governments.

The upgrading is targeted to be completed by end 2015 and the enhanced industrial wastewater treatment plant will have a capacity of 20,000 cubic metres per day. The total project cost of RMB130 million (approximately S$26.1 million) will be funded through a mix of equity and borrowings.

The Jiangsu Environment Protection Department intends to collaborate with Sembcorp to utilise the company’s advanced industrial wastewater treatment solutions to manage industrial wastewater from multi-customers within chemical industrial parks in Jiangsu. The LCIP will be the first of the industrial parks to have its water management capabilities upgraded by Sembcorp under this collaboration. The collaboration is an endorsement of Sembcorp’s strong reputation as a global leader in industrial wastewater treatment, and is in line with a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in strengthening environmental protection signed at the sixth Singapore-Jiangsu Cooperation Council meeting by the Jiangsu Environment Protection Department and International Enterprise (IE) Singapore. 

Alan Yau, CEO of Sembcorp China, said, “This project leverages Sembcorp’s established capabilities and leading position in industrial wastewater treatment globally. We are honoured to be selected by the Jiangsu Environment Protection Department and are pleased to bring our expertise in industrial wastewater treatment to the Lianyungang Lingang Chemical Industrial Park. We also look forward to having this model replicated in other chemical industrial parks in Jiangsu. This will enable us to extend our solutions across the province and further cement our position as a market leader in industrial wastewater treatment in China.”

Currently, Sembcorp’s industrial water and wastewater treatment business serves 11 industrial sites in China, including important petrochemical and chemical sites such as Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park and Zhangjiagang Free Trade Port Zone in Jiangsu province. It was recently named China’s “Leader in Wastewater Treatment for Chemical Industrial Parks” by ChinaWaterNet at its prestigious China Water Industry Annual Awards.

This 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.
 

Dow, S&P 500 hit record closes after ISM data revision

NEW YORK: The Dow and S&P 500 on Monday again rose to new records following a solid report on US manufacturing activity, even as the Nasdaq lost ground.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 26.46 points (0.16 per cent) to 16,743.63, while the S&P 500 added 1.40 points (0.07 per cent) at 1,924.97. Both indices notched closing records for the third straight session.

But the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index fell 5.42 points (0.13 per cent) to 4,237.20.
Markets got an unexpected lift mid-session when the Institute of Supply Management said its purchasing managers index of US manufacturing activity rose in May to 55.4 from 54.9 in April, rather than slowing to 53.2 as it first reported.

Stocks had fallen on the initial report in the morning. ISM hours later corrected the data after economists questioned the PMI decline.

Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities, said the market could rise further this week given a heavy schedule of potential catalysts, from Apple developer conference under way to Friday's May jobs report.

"Good news is going to move the market higher," Hogan said.

"The bottom line is the market is staying stubbornly high," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital. "It doesn't want to pull back."

Nasdaq heavyweight Apple fell 0.7 per cent after unveiling a next-generation operating system called "Yosemite" and new iOS 8 software for iPads, iPhones and iPod devices at the sold-out developers conference.

Semiconductor company Broadcom shot up 9.3 per cent after announcing that it hired investment bank JPMorgan Chase to explore the sale or "wind-down" of its cellular baseband business, which is expected to shave US$700 million in annual expenses.

Bristol-Myers Squibb declined 1.3 per cent following an investor update on its immuno-oncology treatments pipeline. BMO Capital Markets said the presentation reinforces its "cautious" assessment of the commercial viability of its leading treatments under development.

Real estate investment trust Ventas will acquire American Realty Capital Healthcare Trust, which owns medical office buildings and other health-care and aging facilities, for US$2.6 billion, the companies announced. Ventas dropped 2.8 per cent while American Realty jumped 9.7 per cent.

Activist investor Pershing Square Management filed papers calling for the removal of six directors of Botox-maker Allergan, which has opposed an unsolicited takeover campaign by Pershinq Square and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International. Allergan rose 2.9 per cent, while Valeant advanced 2.3 per cent.

Bond prices fell. The 10-year US Treasury rose to 2.53 per cent from 2.46 per cent on Friday, while the 30-year increased to 3.38 per cent from 3.31 per cent. Bond prices and yields move inversely.

- AFP/de

Swiber wins US$80m deal in Latin America

By Sharon Lee

SWIBER Holdings has won a US$80 million engineering, procurement, installation and construction contract in Latin American for subsea development work which includes pipeline tie-in work.

The project is expected to be completed in 2015.

This comes after the group won contracts worth US$235 million in February.

Swiber Group chief executive officer and president Francis Wong said: "We are pleased with this project win as it is testament to Swiber's ability to successfully develop and grow in regions where we are expanding into as part of our strategic long term goals."

Oct 2007 vs. May 2014. What Uncle8888 did differently this time???

Read?  Oct 2007 vs. Oct 2012. What will I do differently this time?


Greed or Hope?

Waiting to get out or Waiting to get in?


Happy or sad problem to have?

Dow, S&P 500 at fresh records; Nasdaq dips

NEW YORK: The Dow and S&P 500 on Friday closed at new records following fresh merger and acquisition activity, even as the Nasdaq Composite Index dipped slightly.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 18.43 (0.11 per cent) to 16,717.17, edging above the previous record by less than 2 points

The S&P 500 advanced 3.54 (0.18 per cent) to 1,923.57, notching a record for the second straight day.

But the tech-rich Nasdaq fell 5.33 (0.13 per cent) to 4,242.62.

Stocks rose after Valeant Pharmaceuticals raised its bid for Botox-maker Allergan for the second time this week. Valeant rose 1.5, while Allergan jumped 5.7 per cent.

Dow member Microsoft announced a new partnership with Salesforce.com to employ Microsoft equipment on Salesforce applications and platforms. Microsoft gained 1.5 per cent, while Salesforce fell 3.3 per cent.

Home-improvement retailer Lowe's advanced 0.2 per cent after raising its quarterly dividend by 28 per cent to 23 cents per share.

Casual clothing chain Express slumped 7.5 per cent after reporting an 11 per cent decline in first-quarter comparable sales and projecting annual earnings of 74-90 cents per share. Analysts had forecast profits of $1.14 per share.

Splunk, which works in "big data" analysis, sank 16.4 per cent despite raising its forecast. The company now expects annual sales of $402-410 million, up from the previous projection of $400 million.

Deutsche Bank said investors were disappointed Splunk did not show stronger growth in billings and some other widely-watched metrics during the first quarter.
Value retailer Big Lots shot up 13.1 per cent as earnings of 50 cents per share bested analyst forecasts by six cents.

Bond prices were mixed. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury held steady at 2.46 per cent, the same level as Thursday, while the 30-year dipped to 3.31 per cent from 3.33 per cent. Bond prices and yields move inversely.

- AFP/fl

Invest in STI ETF you can make enough money over long run to retire???

One advice from Uncle8888 on your retirement planning to retire before the official retirement age at 65 (Re-employment at 62)???

On the ground, Uncle8888 hasn't seen that many old folks at his company who were successfully re-employed till 65.

If you are NOT high income earners; you CANNOT depend on your saving rate and poor investment return to retire before 65.

You have NO CHOICE but to spend your time and effort to seriously get your hands dirty to learn investing skills, made few big mistakes along the way and finally you will learn to be wiser and may hit your investing goals to retire before 65.

"For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them." - Aristotle

S&P 500 (.SPX) gained 10.25 points or 0.54 percent, to 1,920.03 - a record close and a lifetime intraday high

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 index climbed to its third record closing high in four sessions on Thursday as traders shrugged off data that showed the economy shrank in the first quarter and bet on improvement in the second quarter.

New claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, pointing to a strengthening labor market and giving investors a reason to buy U.S. stocks. Data from the Commerce Department showed that gross domestic product contracted for the first time in three years in the first quarter, although signs indicated it has rebounded. 

"The headline figure was weaker than expected, but it was mainly due to slower inventory growth, which bodes well for future growth, future orders, new orders," said Jeffrey Saut, chief investment strategist at Raymond James Financial in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

The S&P 500 (.SPX) gained 10.25 points or 0.54 percent, to 1,920.03 - a record close and a lifetime intraday high.

CPF members leaving S'pore withdrew more than $400m each year from 2003 to 2013

SINGAPORE: From 2003 to 2013, Central Provident Fund members leaving Singapore withdrew $426 million, or 0.3 per cent of the average total members' balances each year. This includes the amounts withdrawn by former citizens, former Permanent Residents (PRs) and foreigners who contributed to CPF before 2003.

Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin gave this update in Parliament on Thursday (May 29). He said the CPF Board does not track the amount separately for PRs who have given up residency.

On whether they can return to Singapore to work, Mr Tan said evaluations will be done to determine their suitability. The Government will look into their track record and history before making a decision.

- CNA/xk

STI Major Data Points since 1990

6th New Record set by Uncle8888's Investment Portfolio in 2014

Read? 5th New Record set by Uncle8888's Investment Portfolio in 2014



Today, another Moment of Happiness again!!!

Cheering the 6th new record set in 2014
 

Attending CPF seminar on Life @ 55???

Wondering how many near retirees bother to attend this talk to find more?


BTW, Uncle8888 is "guru" enough on his retirement planning also attended this talk to hear it ACTUALLY and take the opportunity to mingle around with those folks and talk about investing opportunities.




Register? LIFE @ 55 English Talk

Description	:	LIFE @ 55 English Talk - How can I build up my retirement savings? - How do I choose a suitable CPF LIFE plan? - What is the Minimum Sum? - What about my CPF monies used for my investments and my child's education? If you would like to know the answers to these questions and learn more about CPF rules applicable to you from age 55, join us at this complimentary talk specially designed to help prepare you when you turn 55 in the second half of this year. Register now to avoid disappointment! Seats are available on a first come, first served basis!
Date	:	29 Jul 2014
Time	:	07:00PM to 08:30PM - (Registration starts at 06:15PM)
Venue	:	NTUC Centre, 1 Marina Boulevard, NTUC Auditorium Level 7, Singapore 018989
Closing Date for Registration	:	28 Jul 2014
Contact Information	:	events@cpf.gov.sg