Invest in property developers? My portfolio.

Oh, no! Another short blog?

Although I like undervalued investments, there is always the possibility of such investments staying undervalued for an extended period of time.

Some readers might have noticed that this is usually the case with property developers.

My preference is, therefore, to invest in property developers that are able and have shown a willingness to reward shareholders with meaningful dividends.

The wait can be a long one and being paid while we wait makes it more affordable for most people.

Although individually my investments in property developers are definitely not big enough to be in my list of largest investments, collectively, they could be.

In late 2019, I shared the list of property developers I was invested in.

They were the following:

1. Guocoland

2. Ho Bee Land

3. Hock Lian Seng

4. OUE

5. Perennial Holdings

6. Tuan Sing

7. Wing Tai

The list has shrunk as I let go of my positions in Tuan Sing, Perennial Holdings and OUE. 

Tuan Sing was sold a few years ago when its share price rose to what I felt was fair value. 

Perennial Holdings was delisted and I made a small gain in the process a few years ago. 

OUE was a very small investment in the list and it wasn't very impactful. 

So, I let go of that investment and used the money to increase my exposure to our local banks instead.

For a while now, I have been left with the following property developers in my portfolio:

1. Guocoland

2. Ho Bee Land

3. Hock Lian Seng

4. Wing Tai

With interest rates much higher today, property developers are unlikely to do much better than before.

However, these four companies are undervalued and they should still be able do well enough to pay meaningful dividends.

I like being paid while I wait.

For example, Wing Tai Holdings which is trading at close to 70% discount to NAV is offering a 4% dividend yield.

It is like Warren Buffett buying socks at a huge discount but it doesn't stop there because the socks, in this case, pay us for wearing them!

Having said this, I am not increasing exposure to property developers although I am more than comfortable to hold on to my existing investments.

Related posts:
1. Perennial Holdings stock spikes!
2. Invested in Tuan Sing Holdings.
3. Hock Lian Seng should be 69c.
Recently published:
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Quek Leng Chan ups stake in Guocoland. Is AK buying? (How much exposure to property developers does AK have?)

Someone asked me if I would be increasing my investment in Guocoland recently as it is still trading at a big discount to NAV.

In fact, he also asked if I would be increasing my exposure to the property sector since interest rates look like they will stay low for some years to come.

Although I like undervalued investments, there is always the possibility of such investments staying undervalued for an extended period of time.

Some readers might have noticed that this is usually the case with property developers.






My preference is, therefore, to invest in property developers that are able and have shown a willingness to reward shareholders with meaningful dividends.

The wait can be a long one and being paid while we wait makes it more affordable for most people.

Guocoland is a pretty good fit.

Since becoming a shareholder of Guocoland, I have received three rounds of 7c DPS.

Dividend yield is about 3.8%.

That is pretty decent for a property developer.








I became a shareholder of Guocoland in 2017.

That was when I noticed persistent insider buying and decided to do an incomplete analysis.

Then, I decided to invest in Guocoland which was trading at a hefty discount to valuation. 

Well, there is more insider buying now.

Following recent purchases, Mr. Quek Leng Chan's stake in Guocoland increased to almost 72%.

Although paying a price of $2.05 a share is more than 10% higher compared to what we paid back in 2017, the price is still a big discount to the NAV of $3.47 a share.






I am quite happy to hold on to my investment in Guocoland but I won't be adding now.

Reason?

Although individually my investments in property developers are not big enough to be in my list of largest investments, collectively, they are.

So, which property developers am I invested in?

They are:

1. Guocoland
2. Ho Bee Land
3. Hock Lian Seng
4. OUE
5. Perennial Holdings
6. Tuan Sing
7. Wing Tai

(If you want to read my past blogs about these entities, click on their names above as they are hyperlinked.)






Based on market value, together, they probably account for a sizable chunk of my investment portfolio.

For a retiree like me, I feel that is enough exposure to property developers.

For sure, I do not know when value would be unlocked and this unknown makes limiting the total investment exposure to 10% of my portfolio or lower sensible.

What if value is not unlocked in my lifetime?

Hmmm...






Although I am not interested in increasing my exposure to property developers, I have increased my investment in the property sector by putting more money into the following business entities not too long ago:

1. IREIT
2. Centurion
3. Accordia Golf Trust

(If you want to read my past blogs about these entities, click on their names above as they are hyperlinked.)






It should be obvious that the ability to generate a meaningful recurring income stream has always been an important consideration for me.

It has become more so as I grow more settled into my early retirement.

Of course, I am only doing what makes sense to me.

Others have to do what makes sense to them.

Oh, totally unrelated, I watched the following video by CPFB and had a good laugh:





Related post:
Largest investments updated (4Q 2019).

When can gambling make more than investing? (Ten Experts On When The Next Recession May Hit. Added on 20 August 2018.)

Reader:
hello AK, just curious and wanting to understand further your thought process on HLS. 

Would knowing about the bumper dividend have changed your decision? 

I assume the announcement wasn't made yet when you sold.



AK:
Alamak. This is like asking me if I can see the future...

Not a meaningful question 😉





Reader:
hahahaha clearly I didn't give a good illustration
put it another way, how would a bumper dividend + increase in price of a stock influence your decision whether to hold/sell/whatever? 

Do you consider how long it takes under normal circumstances for yearly dividends to cover the bumper dividend? 

(eg 4 years of dividends for HLS assuming $0.025 per share, to account for $0.100 bumper dividend)






AK:
it is about what we feel is a fair price to pay... 

some feel that they want to get into HLS even at 60+c and to get the special dividend... I don't think it is a good idea... 

I think 52c was a fairly good exit price... there is no accounting for prices.

If people who buy from me make some money, good for them. I try not to overthink.





I am still holding on to 50% of my original investment in HLS. 

It has become free of cost and I see myself holding on to this investment for many more years to come. 

This is just like my investment in OCK which also became free of cost when I sold half of my investment after its share price doubled a few years ago.

I won't lose sleep over the fact that their share prices went higher after I sold half of my investment. 

I made good money and will probably continue to make money from these investments. 

To me, that is good enough.





If I had a working crystal ball and could see the future accurately, I would not be an investor. 

I would be a full time TOTO gambler. ;)

Anyway, to sleep better at night, we won't be wrong to avoid the phrase:

"If only I had known."

It has no practical purpose.
--------------------------------
Ten Experts On When The Next Recession May Hit, 20 August 2018.






Related posts:
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Hock Lian Seng returns 100% and more!

One of the things that I like to do is to buy into what looks like a fundamentally sound business when insiders are accumulating. One such stock which has amply rewarded me over the years is Hock Lian Seng.

I already had a small position in Hock Lian Seng but decided to buy more in 2011 when I observed insiders buying. Back then, I paid 24c a share. 





Fully confident that the company would be able to continue with a dividend per share (DPS) of 1.5c, I was looking at a dividend yield of 6.25% back then. That was in October 2011. Read blog: here.

A few months later in February 2012, Hock Lian Seng declared a DPS of 2c which translated to a dividend yield of 8.33%! That it represented only 32.8% of earnings was pleasing. 





They were retaining earnings which increased the value of the stock. Read blog: here.

In both 2013 and 2014, Hock Lian Seng declared a DPS of 1.8c. In between, I had an opportunity to add to my investment, paying 26c a share in May 2013, confident that a DPS of 1.5c remained undemanding. Anything more would have been a bonus. I was not disappointed. Read blog: here.





Almost a year later in February 2014, Mr. Market gave me a chance to buy again cheaply. That time, I paid 25.5c a share. I would have liked to accumulate more later on but Hock Lian Seng received positive media coverage by end of 2014 and its share price quickly rose. Read blog: here.

In 2015, Hock Lian Seng declared a DPS of 4c! Mr. Market's exuberance went through the roof!

I cautioned that the 4c DPS was a one off event and unlikely to be recurring as Hock Lian Seng saw its share price rocketing. 





Too many analysts and investors were waving the 4c DPS around as if it was a regular event. 

I won't be surprised if there were many newly minted Hock Lian Seng investors that year. 

I did not add to my investment but, throughout the buzz, I held on to my investment and enjoyed a dividend yield of 15.38% to 16.66% that year. Read blog: here.





In 2016, Hock Lian Seng declared a more normalised DPS of 2.5c. Mr. Market wasn't enthused and its share price reflected the mood. However, its share price did not go below 30c. If it did, I would have bought more. 

Of course, it stands to reason that Hock Lian Seng should not trade at below 30c a share. It is a more valuable company today than it was in 2011 from retaining earnings for so many years.






Yes, on top of the dividends I have received over the years from Hock Lian Seng, my stake in the business has also appreciated in value. The total return has been more than satisfactory.

Hock Lian Seng's sound fundamentals might have caught the attention of Mr. Market and its share price recently went ballistic. 

I don't pretend to understand everything but I understand that selling about half of my investment in Hock Lian Seng would make my remaining investment free of cost. This is without taking into account the dividends received over the years too. 

I talked to myself, I listened and I acted accordingly. Spooky!






Hock Lian Seng could possibly announce a DPS of 2.5c sometime in the near future. Based on 52.5c per share, that would give a dividend yield of 4.76%. 

Based on my cost, however, I would get dividend yields of 9.6% to 10.4%.

Wait a minute, since my remaining stake in Hock Lian Seng is free of cost, what should my dividend yield on cost be? Alamak. How to calculate like that?






I shared in a blog many years ago that my investment in First REIT was for keeps. To be fair, there are a few other investments in my portfolio which I feel the same way about.

My blog is not very cerebral in nature because I am not a very intelligent person. I am not being modest here. I am being honest.

Not being very intelligent, I hope to be rewarded by simply staying prudent, pragmatic and patient. 





I believe we don't have to be smart to be rich. If AK can do it, so can you.

Related posts:
1. First REIT: This one is for keeps.
(In five and a half years, I would have recovered my capital. )
2. Don't have to be smart to be rich.
3. Robust order book at 3 year high.

AK might nibble at King Wan Corp. Ltd.

The past few years were characterised by very low interest rates as money supply was ramped up by the U.S. Federal Reserves. Many businesses and individuals probably benefited from this. However, interest rates cannot stay so low for too long.

In preparation for an environment of higher interest rates, I have mentioned a few times before that I am on the lookout for businesses which are net cash or have very low gearing. I would also like to have them pay regular and meaningful dividends. I said the same thing too during an interview I gave recently.

To this end, together with a handful of companies, I have also been keeping an eye on King Wan which is a company introduced to me by Solace, a guest blogger here in ASSI, some time ago. Solace also wrote a very good piece on King Wan then and I have appended the link at the end of this blog.

Of course, it is not enough that a business is in a net cash position or has low gearing. That only represents balance sheet strength. We should also want the company to have earnings visibility.

King Wan is in a net cash position and it also has an order book that would provide earnings visibility until 2018. Just like how I like Hock Lian Seng's order book which provides earnings visibility until 2020, I like the health of King Wan's order book too.

As I invest primarily for income, I am also attracted to King Wan because they pay dividends regularly. A DPS of about 1.5c per year seems undemanding given their more normalised EPS of about 2c.

What do I mean by normalised EPS?

Well, I know that King Wan made quite a bit of money from savvy investments which gave them extraordinary gains at times but it is the health of their core businesses' which is more important in helping to determine sustainability of their dividend payouts.

So, at a price of 30c a share, for example, a 1.5c DPS, representing a pay out ratio of 75%, gives us a dividend yield of 5%. Doesn't sound too bad, right? Then, why did I not buy some of its stock?

Well, as I shared with Solace in a chat before, I have a certain amount of money to be allocated and, after some thought, I decided to put King Wan in the same category as Hock Lian Seng which comparatively gave a higher dividend yield with a lower payout ratio of about 40%.

Am I going to invest in King Wan now, I asked myself, as Hock Lian Seng's stock price has shot through the roof? Why not a nibble?

OK, if Mr. Market should give me a better offer, I might.

Related post:
Tea with Solace: King Wan Corp. Ltd.

Hock Lian Seng: Testing 39.5c resistance.

The last time I blogged about Hock Lian Seng was in December last year. Since then, the stock has seen its price rising almost relentlessly. Drawing some Fibo lines shows that share price is now probably testing the resistance at 39.5c. It is a golden ratio and probably quite a strong resistance.

I have readers asking me if they should sell their investment in Hock Lian Seng in the last month or so. I said it is really up to them.

I am not ready to sell because I invested in Hock Lian Seng for income and even at 36c a share, a 1.8c dividend per share (DPS) would still mean a 5% dividend yield and that is based on a 40% pay out ratio. Still a pretty good income generator. So, even at 36c, it wasn't a price I would sell at.

Just now, I was alerted by a reader that Hock Lian Seng is declaring a 4c DPS and although I thought a bumper dividend possible before, it is still a pleasant surprise. This means a dividend yield of as much as 16.67% based on my lowest entry price in October 2011.

Over the years, Hock Lian Seng has been a very rewarding income investment for me and the higher DPS declared today is the icing on the cake.

What about the future?

Hock Lian Seng has been winning projects and their order book is now worth about $457 million. Even without new order wins which I think is unlikely, they will be kept busy for many years. This is in line with my initial investment thesis that Hock Lian Seng is a natural beneficiary of our country's escalating investment in infrastructure projects till the year 2030.

Hock Lian Seng has another industrial development property project which will obtain TOP probably in the next month or so. This will mean recognising more net proceeds as the project is almost 90% sold. An interim dividend, perhaps? Well, we can always hope although given the conservative nature of Hock Lian Seng's management, I doubt that it would happen.

Now, let us look at the burr in Hock Lian Seng's side, the Skywoods. Although the Skywoods condominium is less than half sold, I have written a pretty detailed piece before on how Hock Lian Seng's business is much more than just Skywoods. This residential development project, a joint venture, is expected to obtain its TOP sometime in 2016.

Recent transactions for Skywoods.

I would have been quite contented to stay invested in an income generating business that Mr. Market wasn't paying much attention to as I would have liked to build a bigger long position at lower prices. With the attention that Hock Lian Seng is now getting, I feel that its stock is no longer undervalued but, taking everything into consideration, it isn't expensive either.

See financial statement: here.

Related post:
Hock Lian Seng: Robust order book.

Hock Lian Seng: Robust order book at a 3 year high.

I have been a shareholder of Hock Lian Seng's since 2010. 

I accumulated a core position in the stock and also did a bit of trading for extra pocket money. 

In the last couple of years, however, I have mostly been accumulating the stock because I thought Mr. Market was too pessimistic.





The last time I bought more of the stock was in February 2014 at 25.5c a share. 

Before that, I bought more in May 2013, at 26c a share. 

As some readers might have guessed, I developed an interest in Hock Lian Seng because of its attractive dividend payouts. 

Hock Lian Seng pays out about 40% of its earnings as dividends to shareholders every year and the yield is upwards of 5%.

I was waiting for more weakness in its share price to accumulate and since the stock was hardly covered by analysts, I thought the chances were quite good. 

Well, I think I can stop waiting.

Why?



There could be much more interest in the stock now that The EDGE published an article on it and after UOB Kay Hian published a report that highlighted a few points regarding Hock Lian Seng:





1. Company has a net cash position of $88 million or about 58% of its market cap.

2. Its two industrial properties, Ark@Gambas and Ark@KB, in Sembawang and Kaki Bukit are 80% and 99% sold. They are expected to obtain TOP in end 2014 and early 2015, respectively. So, Hock Lian Seng's cash position will improve as it recognises net proceeds of $60 million to $70 million from the projects.


3. Consistent and attractive dividend payout of a third or more of its earnings. Special dividends possible. See point 2.

4. Order book with contracts worth $345 million as at September. This is a 3 year high.






If Hock Lian Seng should attract coverage from more analysts and if they are mostly positive about the stock like I am, I think opportunities to accumulate the stock on weakness could be harder to come by in future.

Click to enlarge.

Looking at the chart, Hock Lian Seng's share price could retrace to 27c, the support provided by the trend line. 

If it should happen, it could be an opportunity for me to buy more although I would have liked to buy at prices lower than that.




Related post:
Hock Lian Seng (My last done analysis in April 2014.).

2014 full year income from non-REITs.

This is the first time I am blogging about my full year income from investments in non-REITs. As my passive income generated from investments in S-REITs has for many years overshadowed income received from non-REITs, it wasn't very meaningful to blog about the latter.



Now that passive income received from S-REITs took a plunge, it has become more essential to talk to myself about what I have done in the non-REIT space which has shored up dividends received this year, making income contributions by non-REITs a more significant part of my total annual income from the stock market.


Before I continue, readers might want to bear in mind that a few of my investments in the non-REIT space have been with me for many years. They are not all new investments, therefore.

Anyway, non-REITs which have contributed to my passive income in 2014 are:

1. Croesus Retail Trust
2. Hock Lian Seng
3. Perennial China Retail Trust *
4. CapitaMalls Asia *
5. NeraTel
6. Wilmar
7. Yongnam
8. APTT
9. ST Engineering
10. SPH
11. QAF
12. Old Chang Kee
13. K-Green Trust *
14. SATS
15. Ascendas Hospitality Trust
16. Singapura Finance

* Sold and will not contribute any income in 2015.

New or old, I have blogged about all the above stocks before. So, if you should be interested in understanding why and when I invested in these stocks, just do a search for them in my blog and you will find the relevant blog posts.

Of these 16 stocks, I increased my long positions or initiated long positions in the last 12 to 15 months in Croesus Retail Trust, Hock Lian Seng, NeraTel, ST Engineering, SPH, SATS, Ascendas Hospitality Trust and Singapura Finance. 

Apart from Singapura Finance, it is quite obvious that I increased or initiated exposure to these stocks because of their relatively attractive dividend yields. I am still an income investor at heart.

I wouldn't say that all the stocks are of the "good to hold forever" variety but it should be obvious to regular readers that I am not averse to selling a stock if I am no longer impressed by its prospects. 

There are many examples which I have blogged about in the past and examples from this year are Perennial China Retail Trust and K-Green Trust in the list shared earlier.

Anyway, the total amount of dividends from non-REITs in 2014 is beefed up mostly by my rather big investment in Croesus Retail Trust which happened when its unit price took a severe beating shortly after its IPO. 

The relatively large increases to my investments in SPH and NeraTel also helped.

Income from non-REITs in 2014:
S$ 61,752.66

This figure could increase in 2015 despite losing the contributions from Perennial China Retail Trust, CapitaMalls Asia and K-Green Trust. This is because Ascendas Hospitality Trust will make a full year income contribution in 2015.

Of course, it is hard to say at this point in time if I could divest partially or fully some of the investments mentioned here in 2015. 

Indeed, I could also put more money to work in the stock market. So, nothing is set in stone. However, I do know that if valuations should go closer to crisis levels, I will be buying more.

I understand that the stock market could get a bit bumpy but my investments for income should provide me with much comfort and also help to fill my war chest in the meantime.

Related posts:
1. 2014 full year income from S-REITs.
2. AK went shopping in the (stock) market.
3. Be comfortable with being invested.
4. Mystical art of wealth accumulation.
5. Portfolio review: Unexpectedly eventful.
"... my decision to increase my level of investment in SPH and NeraTel last year so that my overall portfolio is less reliant on S-REITs for passive income was pre-emptive. Enlarging investments in Hock Lian Seng and Croesus Retail Trust earlier this year has also helped to reduce reliance on S-REITs for passive income."

25% discount offered by Hock Lian Seng.

I have been receiving quite a number of emails recently offering discounts on asking prices for condominiums in Singapore. It would seem that local developers are feeling the heat and the decline in asking prices could persist for some time to come.

I received another email today and it is for Skywoods condominium which is being jointly developed by Hock Lian Seng, King Wan and TA Corp.

I said in an earlier blog post that the break even price for Skywoods is estimated to be $1,100 psf. So, if you would like to buy a unit in the project, getting a price that is very close to $1,100 psf would be like getting a home built for you at cost with almost no profit for the developer. This is hardly fair to the developer but this is life.

Source: www.stproperty.sg

 

For those who have been waiting to buy a condominium in Singapore, it is probably time to start looking around as it is now a buyers' market and it looks to be increasingly more so.

Related posts:
1. Hock Lian Seng: Won $221.8 million contract.
2. Buying an apartment: Some considerations.
3. Buying a private property as an owner occupier?
4. Buying a property: Affordability and value for money.

Building an income portfolio is like building a house.

After blogging for so many years, I have received a fair number of emails and comments. 

I have no way of telling how many emails I have received in total thus far but BlogSpot makes it easy to see how many comments have been published.

As I make an effort to reply to all emails and comments, half of the comments published should be my replies. 

I have, by now, received more than 10,000 comments from readers.





As I blog about money management and investing for income frequently, it is no surprise that I should receive emails from readers with questions related to these topics. 

Of course, in my replies, I am mindful to tell readers that I am not a financial advisor and I am just sharing what has worked for me. 

I always say that, in my blog, I am just talking to myself.





Although I have received enthusiastic emails from readers both young and old who were thinking of investing for income for a more secure future, I have also received some which had more pessimistic tones although they were willing to give income investing a try.

Even though it would take a bit more work to encourage these people, I was happy because the writers, despite the pessimism and, maybe, scepticism, decided to take that next step in an effort to possibly improve their lives.

As the saying goes, we can lead horses to water but we cannot make them drink. 

If a horse which was suspicious at first decided to taste the water, we should be happy. 

The proof is in the pudding and, in all likelihood, the horse would then drink.





Today, I received a letter from an institution which I invested money in many years ago. 

It is one of those investments that I almost forget that I have. 

I am reminded once a year of its existence when it is time to receive dividends. 

I remember saying this about Hock Lian Seng as well.

You will see that the amount is not big but I have had this investment for so many years. 

So, it adds up. 

The same goes with many of my other investments.

Although how much we receive from each investment is important, how persistent we are in building our income generating portfolio is even more important.





There are many analogies which I like to use when I talk to people about investing and regular readers are probably familiar with the one about grasshoppers and ants. 

The one I am going to share today is about building a house. 

Building an income generating portfolio is like building a house.

When we make our first investment with the intention to build an income generating portfolio, we have taken the first step in building this metaphorical house. 





Over time, as we make more investments, we are putting in the floors, the walls, the windows, the doors and other things which make the house functional.

When the house is complete, our mission is accomplished. 

We could choose to move in and enjoy the house as it is or continue to add features to make it more comfortable or, even, luxurious. 

We might want to put in a gazebo or, maybe, even a swimming pool, for examples.





What we want in a house is quite subjective. 

Similarly, how much we want in passive income will differ from person to person. 

However, what is not different is the need for time in order to build a dream house, to have a portfolio that generates income which we feel is sufficient for our needs and, maybe, wants.

The Chinese people have a saying: 

万丈高楼平地起

Even skyscrapers start from the ground up. 

Don't ask me about the basements though.

For regular people, our first investment for income might not yield much but make more investments over time and we will see how it all adds up. 





Patience is required.

Like they say, all in good time. 

However, time can only be good for us if we do the right things.

...





Related posts:
1. To be a happy peasant.
2. Save 100% of take home pay.

Portfolio review: Unexpectedly eventful.

At the end of last year, I shared the results of my efforts in the stock market and also my strategy to grow wealth and augment income in the new year. Quite a few things have happened since then. So, I decided to do a review of how things have moved.

In the S-REITs department, the biggest change this year to my portfolio has to be the major divestment in Sabana REIT. My current long position in the REIT is just a bit more than 10% of my investment at its largest. Whatever I have left is free of cost and will continue to generate passive income although on a much smaller scale.

Also in the S-REITs department, I took part in AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT's rights issue and tried to get more excess rights but without much success. Recently, I sold a small percentage of my investment, believing that it was the right thing to do as its unit price ran up, post rights. This REIT is still my largest investment in S-REITs. Having said this, passive income received from this REIT will shrink some 15% this year, given the dilution from the recent rights issue.

In the Business Trusts department, I decided to divest completely my investment in Perennial China Retail Trust after receiving another round of income distribution which I concluded was unsustainable. This was before the takeover offer by St. James.

Also in the Business Trusts department, in late January, I more than doubled my investment in Croesus Retail Trust, believing that, trading at a discount to valuation and offering an attractive income distribution, it is a more dependable passive income generator than Perennial China Retail Trust. Although its relatively high level of gearing is a concern for some, there is unlikely to be any nasty surprises in the area of financing over the next few years.

In other stocks, I added to my long positions in Yongnam and Hock Lian Seng. Yongnam hit a rough patch, as expected. However, things are likely to improve later this year and probably the next. It is a leader in what it does and it has a very good track record. Last year's performance was exceptionally bad and probably would not be repeated. I like how Yongnam started to pay meaningful dividends in recent years and this is likely to continue, conditions permitting.

Hock Lian Seng, like Yongnam, is in the construction sector and also like Yongnam, I expect it to be a beneficiary of increased spending on infrastructure projects in the country. Already, Hock Lian Seng won two major projects which have bumped up its order book and will provide earnings visibility for some time to come. There will probably be more order wins in future. Of course, Hock Lian Seng also pays meaningful dividends which I like.

One stock which I have been waiting for an opportunity to accumulate was CapitaMalls Asia. Well, it is a pity that it will be taken private by its parent, CapitaLand, which offered $2.22 a share. I feel that it is a fair enough price which, perhaps, suggests that the price at IPO was unfair but I will let readers draw their own conclusions in this contentious issue. My acceptance form has been sent out.

A stock which I have turned more cautious on is Marco Polo Marine. Recent developments mean that the business is now somewhat different from what I envisioned it to be in my initial investment thesis. Not giving enough consideration to how the tugs and barges could be a drag on overall performance before, I decided to trim my exposure to the stock. Things could improve in future but, for now, the level of clarity has lowered.

The first few months of the year have turned out to be a bit more eventful than expected on the investment front. My war chest is now fuller through some divestments as well as dividends received. I do not have any immediate plans for the funds and I will probably just hold on to them for now. After all, I had felt that I was too much invested in the stock market and had desired a bigger cash position.

Of course, if I were to keep the status quo, I will, for sure, receive a much lower level of income from my investments in S-REITs this year. How much lower? I guess we will know by end of the year.

Having said this, my decision to increase my level of investment in SPH and NeraTel last year so that my overall portfolio is less reliant on S-REITs for passive income was pre-emptive. Enlarging investments in Hock Lian Seng and Croesus Retail Trust earlier this year has also helped to reduce reliance on S-REITs for passive income.

What next? I certainly do not know if the economy will do well or if it would suffer a decline in the next few years. However, I do know that I am staying invested as long as my investments have reasonably sturdy fundamentals and, preferably, are able to generate reasonably good income for me. They don't have to be stellar performers and I don't have a problem with getting rich slowly.

I will simply wait for Mr. Market to feel depressed enough to sell more to me at prices I cannot refuse while I collect regular dividends in the meantime.

Related posts:
1. A strategy to grow wealth and augment income.
2. Sabana REIT: 1Q 2014 DPU 1.88c.
3. AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT: $1.425.
4. Perennial China Retail Trust: Fully divested.
5. Croesus Retail Trust: DPU above forecast.
6. Yongnam: DPS of 0.6c.
7. Hock Lian Seng: $221.8 million contract.
8. CapitaMalls Asia: Farewell.
9. Marco Polo Marine: Price weakness.
10. SPH: Within expectations.
11. NeraTel: A very good investment.