CapitaMalls Asia: Being offered $2.22 a share.

I have been a CapitaMalls Asia shareholder since middle of 2011 and when I found out that the parent is offering to delist the company, I had mixed feelings.

The positive is that at $2.22 per share, the offer price is fair. The NAV/share is $1.84. So, this offer is a 20% premium to book value. NAV grew 10% year on year. So, being paid $2.22 a share, it is like getting paid in advance for growth that is likely to happen in the next couple of years.

The negative is that I will lose the chance to buy more of a stock which I believe was going through a period of price weakness, given the concerns about China. So, I was looking forward to accumulating with a greater margin of safety (i.e. buying at a bigger discount to NAV). Well, not going to happen now.

With an IPO price of $2.12 a share in late 2009, privatising CapitaMalls Asia with an offer price of $2.22 a share makes sense. It is like borrowing money from the public and paying an interest of only 1.05% per annum over a 4 and a half year period.

This is, perhaps, a good time to remember what Warren Buffett once said.

The idea that an IPO, offered with significant commissions, with all kinds of publicity, with the seller electing the time to sell, is going to be the single best investment that I can make in the world among thousands of choices is mathematically impossible.

Buffett is the reason why I have not bought into any initial public offerings in many years.

Anyway, I will probably channel the funds from this divestment into a war chest and wait for Mr. Market to feel depressed again. There is no hurry to buy anything.

Read press release: here.

Related post:
A strategy to grow wealth and augment income.

Croesus Retail Trust and Perennial China Retail Trust.

I had a discussion with a friend over dinner last night regarding Croesus Retail Trust (CRT) and why I feel relatively good about it as an investment for income. 

In the conversation, one of the things I did was to compare it against Perennial China Retail Trust (PCRT).

When PCRT had its IPO, I said that only "Red Star Macalline Global Home Furniture Lifestyle Mall, Shenyang, which was completed on 30 Sep 2010 is income contributing at listing date. The rest of the initial portfolio is expected to be completed from 3Q 2010 to 2Q 2014. If we are investing for income, this is not very reassuring."

And I also said that a "distribution yield of 4.88% to 5.51% in the years 2011 to 2012 also does not provide enough compensation for the risks which investors are being asked to bear, in my opinion."
See: Perennial China Retail Trust.

Mr. Market sent PCRT's unit price down 12.86% on its first day of trading from its IPO price of 70c to just 61c. See: PCRT: Weak debut.

Unit price went on a continual decline and was under 40c at one stage. Pua Seck Guan increased his stake while Kuok Khoon Hong and Martua Sitorus became substantial shareholders. I initiated a long position some time later at 47.5c a piece.

"I initiated a long position in PCRT at 47.5c because the distribution yield of 8+% at that price offered a more acceptable level of compensation for the risk I would be asked to assume."
See: PCRT: 1H 2013 DPU 1.9c.

Mr. Market is rather efficient in pricing PCRT's stock. The latest reported NAV/unit is 77c which means PCRT's stock is now trading at a 31.2% discount to NAV! 

Why? Mr. Market has priced in a risk premium.

Although annualising the half yearly DPU of 1.9c will give us a distribution yield of 7.16%, most of the distributable income is from earn out deeds and I highlighted that "current DPU is being sustained by earned out deeds which will be exhausted by end 2014". 

So, what happens then? Income distributions to investors will most probably take a hit. 

See: PCRT: Progress in Q3.

Now, for readers who have been following my recent blog posts on Croesus Retail Trust, they will be able to see the difference I am trying to point out between CRT and PCRT easily. 

CRT's portfolio consists properties which are mature and generating income, all of them. The level of risk which investors are being asked to assume here is very low compared to PCRT's.

Having said this, investing in CRT is not without its risks and I blogged about it briefly before. See: Croesus Retail Trust: Motivations and risks.

I am invested in both PCRT and CRT. So, to some, it might appear silly that I am talking down PCRT but, in my opinion, I am not talking down PCRT or talking up CRT, for that matter. I just say it as it is.

PCRT could do better over time but unit holders must be prepared for a much lower DPU next year as earn out deeds are depleted by end of this year and if the properties completed are not able to pick up the slack fully by then.

CRT offers a much higher level of certainty for the next 2 to 5 years for anyone investing for income and although it is a business trust like PCRT, it is not the same as PCRT. This is why my investment in CRT is about 8x bigger than my investment in PCRT now.

Both PCRT and CRT are business trusts. Same but different. We should not over-generalise.

Related posts:
1. Croesus Retail Trust: What is my plan?
2. Croesus Retail Trust: Overnight BUY order filled.
3. Croesus Retail Trust: Initiated long position at 87c.

9M 2013 income from S-REITs and more.

Three more months to the end of the year. Lots of things have happened in the first 9 months of the year. I want to zoom in on the investment front and record some of my thoughts.

The strategy to be invested in S-REITs for income is still working. Of course, with the spectre of the Fed cutting back on QE and a possible increase in interest rates in the next 2 or 3 years, Mr. Market has turned cautious on leveraged investments like S-REITs. This is only natural. Unit prices of S-REITs have become more realistic as a result.

When Mr. Market is pessimistic, that is when we are likely to get good deals. As to what is a good deal, I am sure this is rather subjective. Every person would have a different idea of what is an acceptable margin of safety. Every person would have a different perception of a REIT's prospects.

Having built up a relatively large portfolio of S-REITs, I devoted more resources to investing in what I believe are undervalued stocks, something which I continue to do in 2013.

So, essentially, what I have done is to keep what has worked well for me thus far while expanding my investments in certain companies, recognising possibly more difficult times ahead for S-REITs. 

This is an approach that requires more work than simply getting passive income from S-REITs but the time when it was a no-brainer to buy and hold S-REITs probably ended sometime in the second half of 2012.

For 9M 2013, how much did I receive in passive income from S-REITs? 

$92,872.65

Full year 2013 income from S-REITs is most likely going to be lower compared to 2012 because I sold a significant portion of my investment in LMIR earlier this year and also because Saizen REIT distributes income half yearly (i.e. there is no income distribution in December from Saizen REIT).

Also, we might want to bear in mind that, although hedged, the weaker Indonesian Rupiah and Japanese Yen could result in lower income distributions in S$ terms for unit holders of these REITs in the year 2014.

With twice as much industrial space being scheduled for completion in 2014 and 2015 than any single year in the past decade, the possibility of stagnating or even a reduction in income for industrial S-REITs in future cannot be discounted. This is why looking at WALE (Weighted Average Lease Expiry) of industrial S-REITs is more important now.

Although I would have liked nothing better than to sit back and collect passive income regularly from S-REITs, doing very little else, I decided to move out of my comfort zone. For sure, there were bumps along the way but my efforts have generally been rewarding thus far. 

What did I do?

I increased my investments in stocks which are likely to be dependable passive income generators such as SPH and NeraTel. 

I also hold long positions in stocks which I believe would benefit from the Chinese consumption story such as CapitaMalls Asia, PCRT and Wilmar. 

Any dividend from investing in these stocks and any gain from trading would go towards cushioning the possible decline in income from S-REITs in future.

Up to 15 September 2013, the total gain from trading this year amounts to: 

$188,625.13

It was fortuitous the way the China Minzhong saga turned out. It preserved my trading gains and grew it rather significantly at the same time. Apart from my long position in Wilmar, all other investments are in the black. 

So, what is my plan for the future? 

Nothing profound really. 

If prices were to decline much more, I hope I would be brave enough to buy more. If prices were to rise much more, I hope I would remember to sell some.

The grand scheme is to augment and not to replace my passive income portfolio. 

For sure, it doesn't mean that I think S-REITs are going the way of the Dodo. Indeed, they are still good investments for income at the right prices. For me, passive income from S-REITs will still be an important pillar in achieving financial freedom. This is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.

Remember, this blog is not meant to instruct but if anyone finds it inspiring, I will be happy enough.

Related posts:
1. 2012 full year income from S-REITs.
2. Never lose money in real estate and S-REITs?
3. Do not love unless it is worth the loving.
4. Motivations and methods in investing.
5. Be cautious climbing the S-REIT tree.
6. Be comfortable with being invested.

Has it become too expensive to keep that car?

If you are a car owner, you must have felt at some point that it is rather expensive to keep a car, especially if you are a regular guy like I am.

Is there some way to avoid the high cost of keeping your car? Oh, why not try destroying it? What?



This is pure madness. I don't understand.

CapitaMalls Asia: Interim dividend of 1.75c declared.

CapitaMalls Asia is slowly and steadily improving its EPS and increasing its DPS. The latest results are encouraging and affirmed my conviction that this stock is going to be worth much more in a few years' time.

1H 2013 EPS: 8.2 c
1H 2013 DPS: 1.75c

Payout ratio: 21.34%.

The company's malls in China show a high percentage growth in NPI of 12.1% while malls in Singapore only registered a 2% NPI growth, reflecting the mature market here. The company's strategy of being in China and being there early is paying off nicely.

CapitaMalls Asia owns real estate and I would like to buy at a discount to the net value of its assets, if possible. The number to look at? Its NTA/share of $1.78.

Of course, paying a bit more for professional managers and also growth that seems to be in the bag is not an unreasonable proposition. In fact, at $2.00, some might say that it is hardly expensive. Indeed, annualising its 1H 2013 EPS would mean a PER of 12.2x. Fair? I think so.

After all, we have to remember that CapitaMalls Asia is not only a developer and owner of malls, it also derives a significant portion of its income from REITs in the family. This income stream is recurring and dependable.

However, I am also corrupted by TA and it is clear that the stock is in a downtrend which started in February 2013. That was also the last time I blogged about the stock. Resistance for the week is at $2.04.

Weekly chart.

If resistance at $2.04 could be overcome convincingly (i.e. with high volume), then, the downtrend would have been broken and exciting times could be in store for fellow shareholders of CapitaMalls Asia.

If things turn out to be less than exciting, well, I will be sure to dip into my war chests to accumulate at prices closer to or below NTA/share.

See presentation: here.

Related post:
CapitaMalls Asia: Reduced exposure.

Tea with Matt: First hand experience with an earthquake.

Chengdu is a big city with about 7 million inhabitants within the municipality and another 7 million in the region surrounding the city. It appears like Singapore with skyscrapers and many shopping malls.

There are two MRT lines and it is still expanding. Cars are choke a block and traffic jams are common. Luxurious cars like Maybach, Rolls-Royce and Bentleys are a common sight. Needless to say, luxurious goods like Rolex and Ferragamo have a presence too. Fast food chains are ever present.

The most popular brands of merchandise are present and the latest fashions are available. Isetan and Parkson have stores there. There were numerous Uniqlo and G2000 stores.

The shopping malls are crowded on weekends. So too are the tourist attractions but more with locals rather than foreigners. The city is vibrant.

I was preparing to go for breakfast on Saturday morning and while chatting with my business partner, we felt a slight tremor. Nothing major and we knew immediately that it was an earthquake. Less than 30 seconds later, there was a violent tremor, shaking the whole hotel. There is not mistaking it for a major earthquake. It felt as if the hotel will collapse anytime. Both of us ran out of the hotel and we were lucky to be staying on level three of the hotel. We ran past a lady, who appeared to be in the middle of a shower moments ago, wrapping herself only in a towel, running down the stairs with us. Many others were in their pyjamas. None of us knew where the epicentre was and hope that it was not Chengdu itself.

When we were outside the hotel carpark with the other guests, I realised that I was barefoot and my business partner was wearing those thin slippers provided by the hotel. After a few minutes when there were no more tremors, I decided to run back to my room to get my shoes and at the same time grabbed my business partner’s shoes as well. But after another ten minutes of waiting, most of us returned to our rooms and switched on the television for more news.

The foreign news agencies were the first to report the quake, quoting the US Geological Service. It would be hours before the first live report came from the city of Ya’an, the epicentre of the earthquake.

Mark Mobius on China.

The long weekend saw me doing more reading than usual. I also read why Mark Mobius, the executive chairman of Templeton, thinks the time is ripe to invest in Chinese equities.

Consumers have more disposable income:
Many consumers in China have been getting annual increases in wages of 20% or more. More personal assets could be funnelled into savings and investments.

Government spending:
The government is devoting more resources to infrastructure and subsidised housing as well as extending social security, education and health benefits to new migrants to the cities.

Fuel for the economy:
Between 2010 and 2011, interest rate in China increased 5x and are now at a 6% lending rate. The government has a lot of room to reduce rates if they need to stimulate the economy.

Volatility brings opportunity:
This year is likely to bring volatility which brings opportunity. We plan to go along for the ride.

I am holding on to my investments in Sound Global and China Minzhong, believing that they are good proxies of the continuing growth story in China. If Mr. Market should decide to offer much lower prices for their stocks in the meantime, I would buy more.

Related post:
China Minzhong: Share price to go higher.

Ascendas Hospitality Trust: Am I interested?

Over the weekend, a friend asked me if I would be interested in Ascendas Hospitality Trust although he knew that I am generally not interested in IPOs. He was just asking for my thoughts on the Trust.

Ariake Sunroute Hotel, Japan.

Ascendas Hospitality Trust (A-HTrust) will be offering 437.33 million stapled securities at 88 cents each for mainboard listing in its initial public offer (IPO) in Singapore.

(Source: The Business Times, 18 July 2012)

What are stapled securities?

Stapling simply means that two different securities are "stapled" together for the purposes of trading or transfers. Stapled security could comprise two or more of the same or legally different instruments, for example, a share in a company and a unit in a trust.

The trust(s) and the company(ies) can hold assets and operate businesses, but active business, such as asset management and development are typically conducted by the company while passive investments in property or funds are undertaken by the trust. In practice, the trust and the company effectively operate as one entity although the company continues to be a separate legal entity from the trust.

Source: http://www.invested.hk/invested/en/html/section/index.html

For example:

CDL Hospitality Trusts is a stapled group comprising CDL Hospitality Real Estate Investment Trust ("H-REIT"), a real estate investment trust, and CDL Hospitality Business Trust ("HBT"), a business trust.

Well, what do I think of Ascendas Hospitality Trust? I won't do a thorough analysis of the Trust because I don't really have the inclination although I will share why I am not interested in it (now).

ibis Beijing Sanyuan Hotel.

Initially, the Trust will hold 10 hotels in its portfolio. These hotels are in the countries of China, Australia and Japan with Australia contributing to some three quarters of its income. The Trust also projects an 8% distribution yield in the year 2014.

I feel that I need to be conversant in the economies of three countries and the health of their respective tourism sectors to analyse how well they could continue doing. I would also need to take into consideration that income would be collected in three foreign currencies and converted to S$ for distribution to unitholders. Foreign exchange rates would affect income in S$ terms.

So, analysing this Trust and forecasting its future income is somewhat more challenging. It is less straightforward.

Then, what about my investment in Saizen REIT? Isn't that Japanese?

I won't say that I am conversant with the Japanese economy or its housing sector but I am a bit better informed in the area. Also, it is one country, not three and I only have to look at a pair of currencies, not three.

Saizen REIT is also holding residential properties, not hotels. Demand for housing is more inelastic compared to demand for hotels and with the type of properties Saizen REIT owns, there is lesser correlation with the ups and downs of the economy. Demand for hotels, however, is very different.

Ascendas Hospitality Trust is going to demand a lot of time and effort from me if I were to be become a unitholder. An eventual 8% distribution yield? I will need a higher distribution yield to entice me into this one in view of the work I have to do.

Have conviction and make money?

It is impossible to see into the future. People who say that they can are like fortune tellers.

How much are their advice worth? How much would we pay fortune tellers to read our palms?

Whatever decisions we make are based on a whole gamut of factors. Then, we have certain expectations of how things would turn out after making such decisions.

The more thoroughly we could reason our feelings of conviction, the higher our chances of staying the course and, dare I say, that our decisions could deliver on our expectations.

Regular readers would probably get the feeling that for whatever has done well for me, I have been reasonably rigorous in my reasoning for those decisions (e.g. to be invested in industrial S-REITs in the last 3 years).

Every person, I believe, has flaws. I have a whole bagful of flaws. One flaw I have when it comes to investment is that I tend to be more careless when I do not have a feeling of crisis.

To have conviction is good but it has to be well reasoned. If I am unable to reason well my conviction, there shouldn't be any conviction.

Remember, however, that conviction is only part of the equation. Luck plays a big part in whether things turn out the way we expect them to.

I was reading The Business Times (weekend edition) and came across an interview with Isaac Souede, the chairman and CEO of Permal, one of the world's largest hedge funds groups.

He is reasonably bullish on China and is exposed to Asian equity through China, "which is seen as pivotal to Asia's fortune."

"If I'm wrong and China has a hard landing, all of Asia won't grow... Most countries in Asia (except India) are in the glide path of a pro-growth policy... which is very positive for equities. But the harbinger of all that is China...

"If Europe stays on a glide path of zero growth for the next five years, US and China will be fine... As long as Europe doesn't become cataclysmic and create a financial issue, then it can be at least cauterised. Europe is a very long term, trial and error solution. The key is for the US and China not to implode."

His conviction is strong and he has his reasons. However, so many things are not within his control. So, a good dose of luck is needed to deliver on his expectations.

Making money needs more than well reasoned convictions but well reasoned convictions should be part of the money making process.

Related posts:
1. Excuse me, are you an investor?
2. How did AK71 overcome his losses?

Tea with AK71: Reel fight to real fight!

I enjoy Chinese period drama. I enjoy Chinese pugilistic movies with good kung fu too. Two actors I particularly like watching in such movies are Donnie Yen and Zhao Wen Zhuo whom I recently found out is called Vincent Chiu.

Donnie Yen

I don't usually follow the entertainment news and I usually skip the "Life" section in The Straits Times. Due to this, I have been said to have no life by some friends and family members. Nice pun.

However, the recent fight between Donnie Yen and Vincent Chiu which apparently has been going on for weeks finally caught my attention. If it gets the attention of AK71, it must be BIG!

Vincent Chiu

I don't know either man personally, of course, and whether it is a clash of egos or if there are some serious and valid grievances, I do not know. You guys go read the reports and decide for yourselves. Apparently, the dispute created flaming in cyberspace that would make the Great Fire of London looked like a harmless campfire.

What caught my attention and created a deep impression was a remark by Vincent Chiu:

"All ten properties I bought at a low price in Beijing are now worth six times more.

"Even if I stop working, I won't have any difficulty getting by," Chiu told the media recently, in response to Yen's announcement that he would take Chiu to court.

Passive income in the form of rental income plus capital appreciation of 500%! Impressive. Vincent Chiu is not just an accomplished martial arts pugilist, he is also a savvy investor.

Read the article: here.

Economics 2012: Off the top of my head.

I have been doing more thinking. OK, so what's new?

In recent weeks, the stock markets rallied and with the strong closing on Wall Street last night, they look like they could move even higher next week.

The bulls say that the tide has turned and things are moving higher from here and that we should buy stocks on pull backs. The bears say that what we have seen recently is just a bear market rally from oversold positions and that stock markets will see new lows in time.

Both bulls and bears are looking into their crystal balls and coming up with reasons why they are going to be right. My own crystal ball is cloudy and I doubt it works at all.

However, drawing from what I have read in the news, it seems like the eurozone crisis is far from over. Banks in the eurozone are still trying to shore up their capital requirements and being significant lenders in Asia, accounting for some 20% of commercial loans here, negative ramifications could manifest themselves more remarkably in time. Being asked to write off huge chunks of Greek debt has made a difficult situation worse. Now, they are worried about Portugal.

Long-term interest rates of Euro countries, 1993-2011

The eurozone's unemployment rate has hit a new high and in Spain alone, unemployment stands at more than 22%. Recessionary pressure in Europe has already affected Asia as export volumes in China shrank. Smaller companies are experiencing problems with cashflow and a lack of credit. Countries here are all forecasting lower growth in 2012 with a possibility of even negative growth if the eurozone crisis should escalate.

Apparently, the ECB has been providing very low interest rate loans to eurozone banks in recent months. Instead of lending to businesses and individuals, however, the eurozone banks are parking the money in government bonds with higher interest rates. They would have to think twice about such a strategy. If they could be arm twisted into accepting a Greek debt haircut, it could happen with Portugal or even Spain and Italy, couldn't it?

The eurozone is a mess but it is an important part of the global economy. As a bloc, it is the largest trading partner for many countries here in Asia. Its problems are not its own as they will overspill and take on new forms in Asia.

Already, shipping firms are not going to do well due to excess capacity, anaemic demand and higher operating costs. I just learned that the anticipated pick up in demand from China after the holidays did not materialise and this is a cause for worry. Firms which are heavily leveraged could even go into bankruptcy if credit dries up.

Property developers are not going to do well due to government intervention in efforts to subdue runaway prices. This has both social and political considerations as well, of course. In China, the government has expressed its desire to keep measures in place as it feels that home prices should fall another 30% or so. Many investors in various guises will feel the pain and some might even die from it.

Banks have been under pressure as the very low interest rate environment affects their earnings while deteriorating macro economics could see a slow down in demand for banking services in their various forms. Already, investment banking has seen massive retrenchment exercises and it does not look like it is going to stop.

Fundamentally, I find it hard to be optimistic about 2012. Technically, I feel that the stock market could see a test of its lows once more before moving higher. I know I am sticking my neck out and putting it on a chopping block here but it is just how I feel right now.

In case you are wondering, I still believe in being pragmatic and not being bearish or bullish. Hence, although I have been divesting as the stock market rallied, I remain more than 50% invested. Yes, I still believe that 50% is a good number in such uncertain times.

People who have exited the market and are 100% in cash will see their wealth being eroded in time by higher inflation. The longer it drags on, the more detrimental it is going to be. As a prominent banker once said, it is very expensive to be in cash these days.

People who are almost fully invested in the market are shouldering a heavy risk premium too. If things should take an abrupt and powerful turn for the worse, they could lose much of their wealth in a very short time. They would also lack the resources to buy stocks on the cheap.

In the weeks prior to the current market rally, I accumulated various stocks at lower prices including the purchase of LMIR nil paid rights. As prices rose, I divested either wholely or partially to lock in gains.

As prices rose higher, I even cut some losses on some badly timed purchases months ago. As you can imagine, I have been recovering quite a bit of money from the stock market.

So, do I think this is a time to sell and not to buy? Nothing like that. I simply think it is a time to go back to being 50% invested. Since I was more than 70% invested after all the buying I did in the weeks leading to the current market rally, the thing for me to do was to sell. I might sell more next week if prices go higher.

On hindsight, which is always perfect, I started selling a bit too soon. Quite a few counters saw higher prices after I sold at what I thought were strong resistance levels. Do I chase and buy back? Nope. Why?

Buying as prices go higher is similar to selling as prices go lower. I don't do it. I buy at supports and sell at resistance. It is not a perfect strategy, surely, as supports and resistance could give way. However, going against this strategy has proven more damaging than beneficial most of the time. This is true for me, at least.

Now, with my war chest fuller, what do I intend to do? As usual, look ahead and wait for opportunities to buy again at supports. Patience is a virtue and mostly a rewarding one too.

Related posts:
Refer to right sidebar and look for the heading "Stock Market Strategies".

CapitaMalls Asia: Pre-emptive strikes failed.

Quite a few regular readers and friends are perplexed why I was buying shares in CapitaMalls Asia when it is clearly in a persistent downtrend. I replied that I was pre-empting a possible reversal as it looked like a positive divergence could emerge. Today, that possibility went out the window as the MACD formed a lower low as price weakened.

So, the technical reason I had for buying more shares in CapitaMalls Asia is no longer valid and I will not add to my long position anymore until the picture changes. Will I cut loss? I will only do so in a rebound. I will not do so as price goes lower. That has been my practice.

Prices rarely go up or down in a straight line. They climb a wall of worries and go down a river of hope. With CapitaMalls Asia, a rebound in share price could see gap filling at $1.325 per share. Whether this will happen or not, nobody knows for sure. If it happens, I will reduce my exposure.

Fundamentally, I still like the company's exposure to the growing middle class in China. These people have greater discretionary spending power and shopping malls in China will see strengthening demand over time. This will translate to higher asking rents and higher valuations for malls.

I also like how the RMB is likely to strengthen in time and this would mean that the NAV of the company will only go higher in S$ terms. How long will this take? Your guess is as good as mine.

Only one person knows for sure and he is Mr. Market. He will decide when the share price of the company will trade higher. Having failed to pre-empt Mr. Market's movements successfully, it is now back to basics while I wait for clearer signs.

Related post:
An elaboration on my methods.

Tea with AK71: Another budget meal!

My friends are constantly amazed by my budget meals and it happened again today. I shared in LP's cbox that I was going to have an 80c lunch. More precisely, it was going to be a packet of nasi lemak with chilli, ikan bilis and ikan kuning wrapped in banana leaf. What some said:

jewel: wow still got 80c nasi lemak in sg

 Piggybank: all that only 0.8 ?

Guess what. I was mistaken. It was 70c and not 80c! My lunch:

Sometimes, I also like a cup of tea after lunch and here is a picture of my cup of tea today:

What is that twig in the water? That is Gan Chao (liquorice), a chinese herb. This is good for the heart, spleen, lung and stomach. It detoxifies and removes heatiness. I would throw a piece into a mug of warm water and let it steep. Here is a picture of a packet (almost depleted) which I bought from my favourite Chinese medicine hall a few months ago:

And the price? A picture is worth more than a thousand words:

Cheap? You bet. Gan Chao tea is good for our health and gentle on our wallets! In case you are wondering if the health benefits from a cup of Gan Chao tea would cancel the unhealthy effects from a packet of nasi lemak, I don't know but I'm happy. Haha... ;)

Related posts:
Tea with AK71: 60c soya beancurd et al!
Tea with AK71: $1.20 Ice Kachang.
Tea with AK71: A simple meal.

Equities in USA and Europe to do better in 2011.

Dr. Marc Faber shares his latest views on global equities in this interview with CNBC Asia last month.



I think what we should realise is that equities in USA and Europe could outperform equities in emerging markets by simply having relatively smaller corrections. It does not necessarily mean that they would outperform on the upside, they could just be less dramatic on the downside. Now, that is sobering.

However, Dr. Marc Faber's advice is still to stay in equities and commodities as these are expected to do much better than bonds and cash in the next decade.

"I am very negative about the world, because I think that what caused the crisis in 2008 was excessive credit growth, excessive leverage in the system, and now the private sector is de-leveraging, but governments are printing money, and through huge fiscal deficits are creating even more debt growth. So in other words, what killed the economy is now being applied to revive the economy, and I think this will lead to a disaster. But if you think it through and you believe in the disaster scenario I'm envisioning, then you will be better off in equities and in commodities than in government bonds and cash."

Tea with AK71: Interest rates and inflation.

A topic on interest rates seems serious enough. Why have I put it under "Tea with AK71"? Well, it is because I want to talk about it in a more informal tone. It gives me an excuse to ramble and not be too careful in the way I write.

In the last one year, many have been talking about interest rates and how the low interest rates won't last and would go up in time. It seems to be a relatively safe prediction and, in general, I agree but when would it go up and by how much? That's the difficult question.

What goes up must come down one day and what is down would go up too. It is how things in the world achieve equilibrium. There could be exceptions but let's ignore these to keep this chat going.

I might have mentioned this in my blog before. I cannot remember. Think of China and what they are doing. They have increased interest rate more than once in the last few months due to inflationary pressures. Is increasing interest rates the only way to fight inflation? Well, there are many tools available and interest rate is just one tool. Like all tools, it has its limitations.

China has also increased bank reserves requirement in an attempt to reduce money supply. Interest rate and money supply are useful to a point in controlling inflation which are domestically created. They have little impact on exogenous factors.

The Chinese have a huge problem with inflation and much of that is imported. Remember that only a third of the Chinese economy is driven by domestic consumption. This is very different from Indonesia's 60%. How much of the inflationary pressure in China is due to rampant domestic over-consumption, therefore?

Raising interest rates won't help much and could make things worse. The more effective way to reign in inflation is what the Singapore government did: allow its currency to appreciate. Singapore too has a small domestic economy. The Chinese know that they have to let the RMB appreciate and they are just delaying the move.

The RMB is way undervalued and it is the main culprit in causing rampart inflation in China as the booming Chinese economy is heavily reliant on many imports just to keep its industries humming along. Its energy needs is just one such example.

The Singapore government does not use interest rate to control inflation. It uses the Singapore Dollar which floats against a basket of currencies of its major trading partners. If the MAS should hike interest rates (which it can't) to combat inflation, it could have a bigger problem on hand. Why?

Many Asian countries already have a problem of hot money flowing in, money looking for better returns. This money is usually from developed countries which are doing quantitative easing in the hope of jump starting or keeping their economy above water. In these countries, interest rates are more likely than not close to zero.

Money will go to where it is treated best and so, although the interest rates are pretty low in Singapore, a lot of money still find its way to our small island. For example, a 0.8% interest rate plus the prospect of  a 5% appreciation against its country of origin is very attractive for such funds.

The inflows have to be put to productive use and lenders (banks) will mostly offer relatively low interest rates to entice borrowers. More cheap debt and inflation continues. So, combating inflation is not a simple matter of increasing interest rates. If only it was that simple.

Now, one day, when the Chinese government decides to float the RMB more realistically, what would happen to companies with investments in the PRC? What would happen to CapitaMalls Asia?

Another point, since the Singapore government does not use interest rate to control inflation and if an increase in interest rate could be a bad thing instead as it encourages more hot money inflow, what would be the interest rates be like in Singapore for the next 12 months?

To both sets of questions, I have answers. However, seeing that my formal education in Economics ceased at "A" Levels, I shall not reveal what I think. I could be wrong, of course.

I think I need something bracing after this heavy blogging. Tieh Kuan Yin, anybody?

Saizen REIT: AK71 responds to a forum.

This is almost all of my very long comment in Wealth Buch in response to certain things said in a forum on Saizen REIT:

I have talked about the Japanese debt situation and how this has no impact on Saizen REIT before:

Japan's debt issue and Saizen REIT

As for the S$/JPY exchange rate and how the strong JPY is likely to weaken in time, we have to remember that exchange rate is bilateral in nature. The JPY could also weaken if the S$ strengthens.

MAS is allowing the S$ to strengthen in order to contain inflationary pressures. Will it allow the S$ to strengthen much more? If it does, would it not impact our exporters negatively? MAS is likely to be very cautious.

The residential real estate which Saizen REIT is vested in is below replacement cost. This means that no one in his right mind would construct new buildings. The supply side has stalled. The demand for inexpensive accommodation is strong and I have a blog post on this recently.

Asterisk Realty: Advisory for Japanese real estate

Saizen REIT owns freehold properties. Income distribution is therefore perpetual, ceteris paribus.

As for rental rates lowering 4% in Saizen REIT's latest tenancy renewals, how much of its total tenancy were so affected? Would such a trend continue?

The assumption that rental rates would continue to lower in Japan is just an assumption and is something waved around by people who think that Japan is going to the Land of the Dodos.

Jim Rogers is long JPY and believes that it will remain strong.  Marc Faber believes that people are so bearish on Japan and have written it off that it is a strong contrarian play. The JPY is still viewed as a safe haven.

In recent months, China's purchase of JGBs caused the Japanese government some concerns. The Chinese recognise the safety of JGBs compared to US Treasuries and have been diversifying away from the latter. As long as there remains a strong demand for the JPY for various reasons, the JPY is likely to stay strong. It's simple economics of supply and demand.

The recent revival of interest in Japanese real estate because of the sector's amazing yield is likely to increase demand for the JPY too. People who want to invest in Japanese real estate must pay in JPY.

It is not wrong to say that the high yield is normal for real estate in Japan but such high yield is not normal for real estate in some other countries, countries in which investors would like to get better returns for their money.

Related posts:

Saizen REIT: AGM on 19 Oct 10.
Japanese real estate: Has it bottomed?

Rare earth minerals: A new old frontier?

On 21 Oct, I blogged about rare earth minerals and how China mines 93% of the world's supply.  I concluded the blog post by saying "Mining almost all of the world's rare earth minerals, non-renewable resources which seem to have no viable alternatives at the current point in time, makes the Chinese a force as formidable as OPEC and possibly more."

Well, the recent belligerent attitude of China towards its trading partners in the West could possibly backfire at least in the rare earth minerals trading department as I read this just now:

The rising global demand for rare earth metals - the elements needed to make items like hybrid electric cars and laptop batteries - have caused the value of rare earths mining companies to soar in just a few months.

We've told you about one company, Rare Element Resources, that saw its stock surge 1200% in the last year.

But China's outright monopoly in the industry, along with fears that it will cut down on its rare earth exports, are driving plenty of other stocks higher too.

Posted Oct 28, 2010 01:00pm EDT by Gregory White and Hannah Kim, Yahoo! Finance.

Read article here.

Related post:
Control of non-renewable resources!

Control of non-renewable resources!

I was first introduced to the concept of non-renewable resources probably during my days as an "A" level student.  It was believed that crude oil would be depleted in 30 years back then.  Well, 20 years have gone by but it seems that we have more proven reserves of crude oil than ever before but it does not change the fact that it is still a non-renewable resource.

OPEC has 12 members and between them, they control 60% of the world's proven crude oil reserves and produce 40% of the world's oil currently. OPEC's importance cannot be underestimated although there are more non-OPEC oil producers since the 1980s.  This is because oil output by non-OPEC oil producers is likely to fall over the next decade.

Although the world is still very much dependent on oil for its energy needs, there are many alternatives to oil.  The increasing awareness of global warming and climate change issues has encouraged efforts to produce energy cleanly and sustainably.  These efforts would only intensify over time.  So, crude oil might be non-renewable but it is replaceable.

Today, in the papers, I learned that there are some other non-renewable resources which are controlled to a large extent by a single Asian country. I first learned of this only a few weeks ago. Some of you might already know what I am talking about: rare earth minerals.  A quick check on Wikipedia reveals that "the majority of rare earth minerals are mined in Asia, with China producing 93 percent of the world's supply, and more than 99 percent of the most valuable supply!"

In the recent case of Japanese authorities arresting a Chinese fisherman in disputed waters, the Chinese stopped the export of such rare earth minerals to Japan. Apparently, these rare earth minerals are so important in the production of many advanced products that the Japanese authorities bowed to pressure and released the fisherman.

The papers today reported that the Chinese seem to have halted the shipments of these rare earth minerals to the United States and Europe as well.  This is in response to the rising trade and currency tensions China has with the West.  How long would this embargo last?

It is also reported that the Chinese plan to further reduce their annual export quota for rare earth minerals from next year.  Mining almost all of the world's rare earth minerals, non-renewable resources which seem to have no viable alternatives at the current point in time, makes the Chinese a force as formidable as OPEC and possibly more.

Business Cycles, Fiscal Policies and Monetary Policies.

I have always maintained that having some knowledge of Economics is useful in the modern world.  A reader, Paul, happens to be a student of the subject at a higher level.  He has kindly emailed me some essays which he has given me permission to publish.  I hope you find them as interesting as I have.

Business Cycles, Fiscal Policies and Monetary Policies

Business cycle refers to economic expansions and recessions. Developed economies normally have a 3-5% GDP growth annually. USA's potential GDP growth is about 2.5%. A recession happens when an economy has 2 consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. Depression is a recession on a larger scale. It refers to a period when the GDP output falls by more than 25% and when there is high unemployment rate of about 20%. Depressions are longer in duration, often lasting more than 4 quarters.

Economic recessions could be the result of internal shocks and external shocks. In a recession, there is a lack of effective demand for goods and services. Some economists view recession as a natural occurrence as the economy goes through structural changes, as moving from sun-set industries to sun-rise industries. A recession could also be caused by structural failures such as the banking system. In short, the economy has to shed its excesses to be healthy again.

In the years prior to the recent financial crisis, Robert Lucas and Ben Bernanke declared that the central economic problem had been solved, business cycles were tamed and severe recessions were things of the past. We all know what happened in 2008.

After the Great Depression in 1930s, governments worldwide actively tried to tame the business cycles. USA went through a strong period of recovery powered by the industrial sector. The recessions were short and mild, while the recoveries were strong and sustained. This led to questions if the business cycle was obsolete? The next depression in the US was in 1970s, caused by external shocks such as the high oil prices. In the 1990s, the world again went through another period of small recessions and strong economic growth, which led to the comments made by Robert Lucas and Ben Bernanke. Is complacency one of the causes of the recent financial crisis?

Fiscal and monetary policies are employed by governments trying to tame the business cycle. Fiscal policies refer to the G component, which is the government. In times of economic expansion, governments would raise taxes, and cut their spending to prevent overheating of the economy. These are called contractionary fiscal policies which could lead to a budget surplus. In recessions, governments have to lower taxes and increase spending to stimulate demand in the economy. These are called expansionary fiscal policies which could lead to a budget deficit. For example, lowering taxes for both consumers and producers would increase their real income, and increase their spending respectively, all else being equal. This would result in a higher C and I component which increase the national income.

Monetary policies involved using the money supply to influence the interest rates. When money supply increases, interest rates will fall. When interest rates fall, cost of borrowing for both consumers and producers will fall. For example, this could lower mortgage interest payment for consumers and make it cheaper for producers to borrow money from the banks. This would again boost demand through C and I. Lower interest rates would also weaken the currency of the country, which would be positive for the country's trade balance, all else being equal.

Central Banks would normally be responsible for monetary policies in a country and they are supposed to be independent from the government with the main objective of achieving price stability, with an inflation target of 1-3%. In the recent crisis, Central Banks around the work also resorted to different methods to increase the money supply, such as quantitative easing and the use of reserve ratios for commercial banks.

As mentioned earlier, adopting expansionary fiscal policies could lead to deficits. Budget deficits could be funded by surpluses from previous budgets or the issuance of bonds to borrow from the market. As mentioned in earlier blog posts, most governments resorted to the issuance of bonds to finance budget deficits in the recent crisis. These bonds can be bought by domestic or foreign investors. Hence, we have the figures of debt to GDP ratio. When foreign investors are involved, it would cause movements in the exchange rates, due to changes in demand and supply of the home currency. This is one of the reason why Japan is upset when the Chinese government bought much more Japanese government bonds( JGBs) recently.

These policies are called demand side management policies, as they are used to stimulate demand in the economy. If fiscal spending is carried out to improve supply in the economy, for examples, through education and infrastructure spending, which would increase the future productivity of the country, then, these would be called supply side policies. The Singapore government has been constantly engaging in supply side policies through retraining programs for workers, investments in the education system, construction of new infrastructure such as metro rails, implementation of tax incentives for engaging in R&D activities etc. This would boost the country's productivity and competitiveness in the future.

The readings below focus on debt issues, and fiscal, monetary policies.

Sovereign Debt
http://www.economist.com/node/16397110?story_id=16397110
http://www.economist.com/blogs/buttonwood/2010/06/indebtedness_after_financial_crisis
http://www.economist.com/node/16397098?story_id=16397098
http://www.economist.com/node/16397086?story_id=16397086

Corporate Debt
http://www.economist.com/node/16397174?story_id=16397174

Consumer Debt
http://www.economist.com/node/16397124?story_id=16397124

Fiscal and Monetary Policies
http://www.economist.com/node/16943569?story_id=16943569

Related posts:
Hope this helps to refresh your "A" Level Economics!
USA, a rock and a hard place: Paul opines.

Invest in Asian equities and inflation is here to stay.

Invest in Asian equities and forget US Government bonds (Marc Faber on CNBC, 16 Aug 10):



Inflation in Asia is here to stay.  0.125% per annum in interest payment from savings accounts in Singapore banks will erode your wealth:



Related post:
Grow your wealth and beat inflation.