Excuse me, are you an investor?

We have heard many times the advice that we should diversify our investments to minimise risk. 

For those of us who have read books about Warren Buffett, we would also remember something along the line that diversification is for the "know nothing" investor and for the "know something" investor Warren Buffett, when he identifies something good, he goes in big! 

He doesn't diversify, he concentrates!  







Of course, this is probably viable for us if we were in the same league as Warren Buffett and, of course, if we were in the same league as him, I wouldn't be blogging here and you won't be reading my blog.  

Maybe, there should be at least two more categories of investors: the "know a bit more" investors and the "know a bit more than a bit" investors.





I started out as a "know nothing" investor in my university days and would buy anything analysts recommended.  

Chasing after the flavor of the month was a regular exercise.  I would be very happy if I made money and would be very sad if I lost.  

I had no technique to speak of and did not employ FA or TA.  I did diversify since I must have had more than twenty different stocks in my portfolio at any one time.  

Did that help to reduce risk?  I think not. 

I was constantly worried about whether my stocks would make or lose money.  I didn't know what they were doing most of the time.  I would jump at the slightest noise.  Now, I'm sure just reading this short paragraph has stressed you out.






A couple of years after graduating from university, I did a diploma in business administration.  

One of the things I had to learn was financial accounting and that started me on FA.  I became a "know a bit more" investor.  

My portfolio was still very diversified and it had many counters brought forward from my "know nothing" days.  

It was really time consuming to go through every stock and much of my FA was half baked.

I then read somewhere that if we had more than 10 counters in our portfolio, that's too many.  That made sense.  






I tried to rationalise and drop some counters which were non-performers or loss makers. I tried to concentrate more of my resources in blue chips: ST Engineering, SPH and SFI are some that I do remember.  

I also loaded up big time on Capitaland at one stage but sold way too early because a friend painted a vivid picture of how the property market would not do well then. 

Lesson to take away from this: if you had done your FA well, hold with conviction and if you were not able to do this, hedge by halving your exposure, not abandon the entire position.





I decided that I was "kiasu" but I was also "kiasi".  So, strong dividend payouts became a big plus for me. 

I went in big time on REITs and other forms of trusts for the same reason, attracted by the high yields.  

I also lost big time because of REITs and other forms of trusts in this recent financial meltdown. 

Lesson to take away from this:  if someone just talks about high yields and big discounts to NAV without ever mentioning gearing, make it a point to question him or find out for yourself.





The immediate past financial crisis was in many ways the turning point of my life as a stock market investor.  Burnt badly, I decided to beef up my FA and to learn TA.  

I became a "know a bit more than a bit" investor.  What this means is that I became a bit more rigorous in my FA, depending on myself more than ever compared to listening to other people, and started using TA to find fair entry and exit points. 

I decided to extract the bad investments made in the past and put them in a frozen portfolio as a constant reminder of what I did wrong as well as the type of people I should be wary of.  

I have another portfolio of good investments from the time before the crisis and a portfolio of new investments. 






I am still as "kiasi" as ever and still want to generate a reliable passive income stream from the stock market with less risk.  

I would be very happy once I am able to achieve a passive income stream of 100k a year from the stock market.

Being "kiasu" as well, I want to grow my wealth more rapidly and in my portfolio of new investments, I am actively trading stocks of only three counters and, yes, you guessed it, they are Golden Agriculture, Healthway Medical and Saizen REIT.  Well, I guess I am trading more the former two. 

I have been accumulating units in Saizen REIT and have not sold any yet as I believe that it is still too cheap. 

For the first time in years, I am spending less time monitoring my invesments. I do not have to actively monitor more than the usual three stocks on a daily basis.  

Any time I spend doing FA, most of it is devoted to these three stocks and that gives me enough confidence to put much of my cash in them and because I put much of my cash in them, I am more careful in monitoring them.  It's a loop!  





I am not suggesting that you follow my style.  I am just sharing with you what has worked for me and what has not.  

For sure, I am far from being a "know something" investor like Warren Buffett. 

I do not think I will ever move on from being a "know a bit more than a bit" investor but this is enough for me, for now.


Related posts:
1. Grow your wealth.
2. Rationale for divestment.
3. Monitoring our stocks.
4. 101 investment choices.

A slow day

Something is wrong with Chart Nexus today.  Data for last Friday is missing.  So, I won't bother including the charts today.  Good excuse for me to do less work.

Healthway Medical: Price action formed a wickless black candle, the most bearish of candles.  The bearish crossover on the MACD has accentuated.  Bollinger bands are squeezing.  More downside would not surprise me.  20dMA is support turned resistance at 16.5c.  Supports at 15c and 14c will most likely be tested in time. I did not manage to reduce exposure at the 20dMA today.  Will see what happens tomorrow.

Golden Agriculture: The 20dMA and 50dMA are both flattening.  Might this be the start of some sideways trading?  MFI is in oversold territory and the MACD's buy signal from last Thursday has not been nullified.  20dMA provides resistance at 56c while 50dMA provides near term support at 51.5c.  100dMA which has also flattened is at 48c.  I still believe that if price moves to touch the 20dMA, it would be perfect to reduce some exposure.

Saizen REIT: Price action refused to touch 15.5c today.  Extreme low volume day.  The 50dMA, 100dMA and 200dMA have flattened.  Should we expect sideways trading for a while from now?  MACD has a buy signal, for what it's worth.  MFI is stubbornly at 50%.  Buying momentum is at equilibrium.  This might be a frustrating time for potential buyers and sellers alike.  I am still queueing to accumulate at 15.5c.

Portfolio strategy.

Done my weekly reading of The EDGE.  Goola Warden, Darryl Guppy and Michael Kahn are people whose articles I enjoy reading.  I have also learned a lot about TA from their writings.  In this issue of The EDGE, all of them have gone decidedly bearish about the prospects of global stock markets.  My own reading of the STI shows that the uptrend is still intact but the index is in a rather dicey situation should it not confirm the reversal signal seen in the last session.  With the US market closing in the red in the last session, the STI has to look to the SSE and HSI for leadership and we might agree that it is not all that promising.

So, what are we to do?  I have taken much of my profit off the table three weeks ago.  I have been averaging back into the market as prices came down to supports.  Looking ahead, I plan to continue accumulating high yielding counters at attractive valuations.  This remains the core of my investment strategy as my long term aim is to acquire a reliable passive income stream from high yields.

Which high yields would I want to accumulate?  After all, you might remember that I revealed a long list of high yields which I currently own.  Please see:  Grow your wealth and beat inflation.

One high yield which I have been constantly accumulating and will continue to do so is Saizen REIT.  Amongst the S-REITs, it is hard to find another REIT with as compelling a valuation. Having said that, there are a few others which I am keen on and I will keep an eye on.  They are AIMS AMP Capital Industrial REIT, LMIR and Suntec REIT.  Any decline in unit prices of these REITs will be an opportunity for me to further secure yields of >10% p.a. from various sources.

I would be looking out for opportunities to partially divest my remaining investment in Healthway Medical as I stated in a comment to this post: Healthway Medical: Dwindling volume.  I said: "Healthway Medical does look like it is suffering from fatigue of late. With more shares being issued and with the lower target price by DMG, it is probably difficult for the counter to form a new high anytime soon."

I will also be keeping an eye on Golden Agriculture.  If the 100dMA support at 48c breaks, it is very bearish.  Any move up towards the 20dMA at 56c in the near future provides an opportunity to reduce exposure.

I still like the long term fundamentals of Healthway Medical and Golden Agriculture.  However, as Darryl Guppy expressed so well: "Markets are efficient at recording the emotional behaviour of participants.  They are less efficient at reflecting the economic fundamentals."  I have also said that it is important to know when to buy but it is also important to know when to sell: Rationale for partial divestment.

Good luck in the new week!

STI: What now?

In reply to a question from a visitor to my blog, Anthony, on whether the decline in the STI is the beginnings of another bear market, I said, "We will have to pay attention to the trend. The STI, despite its current weakness, is still trading above the channel support. The uptrend is intact. The market is just going through a much needed correction."

I have drawn the channel resistance and support in brown color here.  We see how the price action yesterday formed a white spinning top with the high of the day resisted by the 100dMA.  Index movement stayed within the confines of the up channel.  We now have to see if the reversal signal is confirmed next week.  MFI is still declining, indicating a weakening buying momentum and the index seems poised to enter oversold territory as a new low is inevitably formed.

If the STI does break down, there is some way to fall and I expect the rising 200dMA to provide some support.  That is at 2,550 thereabouts next week.  I have also identified two support levels in red based on candlesticks support and resistance.  Let us hope we never have to test those levels.  Then again, Mr. Market pays scant attention to our hopes.

Healthway Medical: Dwindling volume.

Healthway Medical closed at 16.5c after touching a low of 16c on the back of reduced volume.   Without any significant expansion in trading volume, any upward movement in price is likely to be unsustainable.  In fact, the chances of a downward drift in price is a more likely scenario when volume dries up.

The interest in Healthway Medical's rights also hit a low note today as the price touched an intra day low of 7.5c.  This is a far cry from the first day of trading when it traded as high as 9.5c!  This also means that the purchasers of these rights would be able to own more Healthway Medical's shares at only 15c after paying another 7.5c by 9 Feb 2010, the deadline for the acceptance and payment of the rights.  Why buy the mother share at 16.5c then?

Personally, I see 15c as an important XR support level, followed by 14c.  For anyone who is interested in owning more Healthway Medical's shares at this point in time, buying the rights at 7.5c seems like a better idea than buying the mother share.

DMG and Partners, who initiated coverage of Healthway Medical earlier this month and issued a buy call with a target of 28c has issued a new lower target of 21c yesterday.  They cited the enlarged capital base due to the new shares from the rights issue as well as a share placement exercise as the reasons for lowering the target price.  It may be coincidental but this gels with my XR eventual target price of 21.5c compared with my CR eventual target price of 24c earlier.

Golden Agriculture: Oversold.

Golden Agriculture closed above the 50dMA at 52c, almost forming a dragonfly doji, which is usually a bullish sign.  The MFI declined and dipped into oversold territory today.  We have the conditions for a possible reversal.  Any downside should be restricted by the 100dMA at 48c while initial upside resistance is provided by the 20dMA at 56c.  With all the longer term MAs still rising, although gently, the downside risk for Golden Agriculture seems limited for now.

With recent upgrades of the prospects of crude palm oil (CPO) by RBS Asia Securities and BNP Paribas for 2010, with the former going so far as to say that Golden Agriculture has a fair value of 71c, a floor for the counter at 50c is not unreasonable.

A quick peek at the weekly chart shows an imminent golden cross between the rising 20wMA and the descending 100wMA.  Spotting a probable reversal is always exciting and Golden Agriculture is making my heart beat a little faster.

Saizen REIT: Positive newsflow.

Saizen REIT's CEO bought another 100 lots at 16c yesterday.  Persistent insider buying is a hallmark of this REIT.  A positive development on its loan for YK Keizan has also eliminated the need to draw on a bridging loan which would have entailed considerable interest expense.  YK Keizan's loan would be fully repaid using only internal resources by April.

Saizen REIT closed at 15.5c today.  I might get my wish next week to buy more at this price.  If I am lucky, I might even get to buy more at the 100dMA.  This coincides with a longer term 38.2% Fibo line and is likely to be a strong support.  That's at 15c.

Saizen REIT will be presenting its results on 11 Feb, just before the Chinese New Year.  That gels with my chart reading on a probable breakout timing on the upside.  A narrowing of the Bollinger bands gives some credence to this reading as well.  Initial breakout targets remain at 19c and 21c for now.

Golden Agriculture: Reversal confirmed.

Golden Agriculture closed at 52.5c, confirming the reversal signal given by the inverted hammer yesterday. The critical support at 50c held.  The MACD has a buy signal today with a green histogram after more than 2 weeks' worth of red ones.  MFI is at 29% and this leaves much room for its price to move up if indeed that's the direction in the next few sessions.

A new set of Fibo lines show resistance at 56c (38.2%) which happens to coincide with the 20dMA, 58c (50%) and 59.5c (61.8%).

I did not manage to get any at 50c, the critical support level, but that's ok as I have been accumulating shares of Golden Agriculture as its price moved downwards this and last week.

The fundamentals for crude palm oil remains compelling and I would accumulate shares of Golden Agriculture if its price weakens to supports instead of moving up in the near future.

Healthway Medical: Waiting for a pullback.

Healthway Medical closed at 17c on low volume and a declining MFI.  We can see from the line I've drawn on the MFI that the buying momentum did not bounce off the line which would have meant a strong follow through in the buying momentum.  Let us see if the rising 20dMA could push the price higher as the Bollinger bands begin to squeeze.

Trading volume has been on a downward trend since peaking in the first week of trading in 2010 on 7 Jan.  Conventional wisdom is that if volume does not expand meaningfully, any price movement upwards is unlikely to be durable, especially for a counter with a huge float such as this one.

Looking at the weekly chart gives a more sobering picture.  Healthway Medical's recent candlesticks are largely beyond the upper limits of the Bollinger bands and the MFI is firmly entrenched in the overbought region.  In fact, it is getting more overbought by the week.  I will wait for a pullback before accumulating more shares of this company.

Saizen REIT: Still accumulating

I am back in Singapore.  It's nice to have access to the internet without paying more.  It's also nice to be surfing the net with my big LCD screen.  Happy!

My overnight buy queue for Saizen REIT at 16c was filled today.  I would have liked to buy at 15.5c and I still have a queue at that price level.  However, I rationalised that it's only 0.5c.  No big deal.  I am still some way from the target I've set for myself in terms of the number of Saizen REIT units I want to have in my portfolio.  I'll buy in slowly at 16c.  If Saizen REIT does not revisit 15.5c, I would still be accumulating.

Saizen REIT's price action formed a graveston doji today.  I won't be too worried since there was only one trade done at 16.5c and only 7 lots were transacted.  16.5c is now resistance provided by the rising 20dMA.  The flat 100dMA provides support at 15c.  With the MFI forming a higher low, it shows the buying momentum, though weakened, is very much alive.

4 counters

Another down day for the STI as it closed just a few points above the 2,700 support.

Golden Agriculture closed at 50c which I've identified earlier as a critical support.  The black candle day took place with lower volume compared to the last session.  Price action formed a black inverted hammer which, together with the white inverted hammer, are considered possible reversal signals.  This has to take place after a series of down days which is the case here.  We will need confirmation tomorrow.  If the decline continues, the rising 100dMA provides near term support at 48c.

Healthway Medical closed at 17c, forming a dragonfly doji which is usually interpreted as a bullish candlestick.  However, this took place on the back of much reduced volume and a declining MFI which hit 50% today.  The buying momentum is broken but the declining MFI also gives more room for price to move upwards in the event of a reversal.

Q&M Dental is seeing its price retreat, closing at 49.5c, down from the lofty 60c not so long ago on the first trading day of 2010.  It should retreat.  I am not even looking at the charts.  Fundamentally, at 49.5c, it is still very expensive.

Saizen REIT closed at 15.5c, the support level provided by the 50dMA.  Both yesterday and todays' black candles were accompanied by relatively low volume. Rising 100dMA at 15c should limit downside.  15c is also a many times tested candlestick support and resistance level.  I have put in my buy queues.

STI and 3 counters

Asian markets made huge retreats today. HSI and STI are down by 2.38% and 2.54% respectively. The Shanghai Composite is down 2.42% while Taiwan is down by a whopping 3.48%! European markets are all in the red right at this moment.

Where are the supports for the STI? I identified two levels of support for the STI in a previous post. With today's close at 2,740, we are sitting right on the first level of support. Please see:. STI: How low can it go?

With the retreat in the STI happening with such magnitude and strength today, as could be seen in the high trading volume, the next support which is a band between 2,680 to 2,700 could be tested next.

Healthway Medical started the day at 18c only to touch a low of 16.5c before closing at 17c. MFI is declining which suggests that buying momentum is weakening. Price action is directionless at the moment at best.

Golden Agriculture closed at 50.5c as it crashed through the supports at 51.5c and 51c. My overnight buy queues at those levels were filled. The next support level is at 50c, a many times tested candlestick resistance turned support. This support level is critical. . We might see a whipsaw if this support level holds. The rising 100dMA is at 48c.

Saizen REIT's price action formed a solid black candle as it closed at 16c, below the rising 20dMA. My overnight buy queue at 16c was filled. The rising 50dMA will provide near term support at 15.5c next. The pullback is on relatively low volume with. the MFI declining to 50%. The fundamentals have not changed and I will accumulate at the next support level.

Healthway Medical, Golden Agriculture and Saizen REIT.

This is going to be a quick look at Healthway Medical, Golden Agriculture and Saizen REIT.  A quick look is all I might be able to do in the next couple of days as I am on vacation and the internet connection at the hotel is rather pricey. I am writing this after midnight after a nice night out.  I hope I am still writing coherently.

Healthway Medical closed at 17.5c on Monday, the same as the previous session last week.  It is showing resilience as expected.  However, the price moved to touch a high of 18.5c before closing lower.  This formed a candle with a long wick on top.  If you have been following my blog, you might remember that I dislike such candles.  Price is unable to close higher on a day with much higher volume.  Not too positive, you might agree.  OBV and MFI are flat, suggesting a lack of conviction either way.  The MFI is hovering under the overbought region and that suggests that any upside in the immediate term might not be very durable.  Fundamentally, I am not convinced that Healthway Medical should trade at anything higher than 18.5c which is what it is worth, post rights, if it trades at the same valuation as Raffles Medical Group, both in terms of PE ratio as well as P/B value.

Golden Agriculture's bullish reversal candle in the last session was not confirmed on Monday.  It has also formed a candle with a long wick on top which I dislike.  Price closed lower today at 53.5c.  However, unlike Healthway Medical, volume was much reduced yesterday with MFI declining to the 50% level.  At this level, there is more room for price to move higher if a reversal comes along.  Of course, MFI could continue to move lower and if the price decline stalls or moderates as this happens, it is actually a positive. OBV continues to decline but more gently, suggesting that distribution might be moderating. I would accumulate Golden Agriculture at the next support levels I identified in earlier posts.

Saizen REIT's price closed unchanged and it seems that the rising 20dMA is providing some support at this point in time.  Volume shrank while MFI continued its decline.  OBV has flattened.  What is interesting is the declining MFI.  This suggests a lack of buying momentum but if this continues to lower without any corresponding decline in price, it is actually a positive.  I would keep an eye on this.  Saizen REIT is still a counter I will continue to accumulate at supports.  This REIT, I firmly believe, is going to be re-rated upwards in time and when that happens, the market will recognise its value in the usual way.

Have a good Tuesday, everyone.

Grow your wealth and beat inflation

In some interviews earlier in the year, Marc Faber said that the meteoric rise in global stock markets in 2009 was a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a lot of money and that 2010 should be a year of capital preservation (ie. not to lose money). Marc also said that, on average, it is still possible to get about 10% gain from the stockmarket this year.

People who know me would know that I have a lot of respect for Marc and I take his advice to heart. However, I believe that if we use fundamental analysis and choose to invest in companies with strong fundamentals that are still below their intrinsic value, coupled with technical analysis to determine fair entry and exit points, we could make more than 10% capital gain this year.
Stockmarket analysts.

Does this mean that we have to take on risk? Of course, there are risks involved. There is no free lunch in this world. Risk has to be managed, not feared. Easier said than done? After all, it's only human to feel fear.
Risks and rewards: TA and FA

Then, let this be an inspiration: "The rich would act in spite of fear. The poor would let fear stop them." I read this in a book while browsing in a bookshop recently. I cannot remember the title now. If we are petrified by fear, we would never do anything in times of adversity.  At the height of the bear market when the VIX was making new highs, when everyone was fearful of buying more shares, that would have been the best time to gradually accumulate shares of good companies.
Bungee jumping, anyone?

Convinced?  So, what do we do?  There are many suggestions by financial analysts on what to do with your money depending on your risk appetite and how to get better returns than fixed deposits in the banks. Frankly, to get better returns than fixed deposits is quite easy. A one year fixed deposit now pays as much as 0.8% per annum, the last time I check. There are also suggestions to leave our money in money market funds which pay 1.3% per annum, thereabouts. Lower risk than equities and higher returns than fixed deposits, though not guaranteed.

For me, the more important thing is how to get better returns that will protect us from the wealth erosion effect of inflation! A rather benign inflation rate could be about 3% per annum. So, if we leave our money in the bank, more than the contingency cash required for six months of expenses in case our regular source of income is terminated, we are doing ourselves a grave injustice with an interest of only 0.125% per annum in the banks. If we leave our money in a fixed deposit or a money market fund, our wealth is still shrinking as the returns lag inflation.
Be a pragmatist and prosper in 2010.

I wrote about capital gains and high yields in various articles in this blog.  I have shared my thoughts on inflation and investments in gold and real estate too.  On a daily basis, barring the days I'm away from home, I've shared my analyses on price movements of certain counters.  These analyses would hopefully contribute to capital gains.  It seems that I'm neglecting high yields.  After all, the theme of my blog is: "Have a more secure financial future in an uncertain world by creating a stream of reliable passive income with high yields." 
High yield portfolio.
Real estate as hedge against inflation.
Gold as an insurance against inflation.

I guess why I'm not writing as much about high yields is because they don't really have to be actively managed as much.  I am receiving dividends from a portfolio of high yields at this time on a quarterly, half-yearly and yearly basis, depending on the stock.  This is something which people who are relatively risk averse, who want to grow their wealth, fearing the effects of inflation could consider.

My portfolio of high yields at this moment include:
SPH
ST Engineering
Cambridge Industrial Trust
CitySpring
First REIT
FSL Trust
K-REIT
LMIR
AIMS AMP Cap Ind REIT
MIIF
Suntec REIT
HWT
Frasers Commercial Trust
Saizen REIT

These high yields are not all created equal and some were bought at prices I would rather forget.  Many, however, I am happy to say, I have purchased at much lower prices in the last twelve months.  The constant passive income they have provided me with makes me happier.

The profits I made from trading in the stockmarket, I make it a point to apportion some of it towards accumulating high yields.  The high yields I have been accumulating in the last few months were SPH, AIMS AMP Cap Ind REIT and Saizen REIT.  I have written extensively about these high yields.  So, I shan't say more here.
Passive income with high yields - Saizen REIT.
AIMS AMP Cap Ind REIT.
 
We have a responsibility to ourselves and the people we care for to have a secure financial future.  This is something we have to consciously work towards.  It is the responsible thing to do.  The journey is likely to be filled with obstacles but treat each one as a learning experience and grow with each step.  A good dose of luck doesn't hurt as well.  Good luck to us all.

STI: How low can it go?

With the Dow down 216.9 (-2.09%) at 10,172.98 and the S&P down 24.72 (-2.21%) at 1,091,76, it is likely that the bloodbath will continue next week in the Asian markets. Crude oil is down to US$74.23, that is down US$1.85 or 2.43%. Crude palm oil (CPO) on 22 Jan closed at RM2,455, down RM33 or 1.33%.

The flood of negative price action is psychologically daunting for investors and longer term traders alike. Investors are likely to wait for prices to go even lower before committing more capital while longer term traders are likely to wait for clearer signs as to whether the trend is still up or reversing before taking fresh positions. The one group that might benefit are the short term traders who might short the market as the chances of further downside is definitely greater.

Having said this, generally, the longer term uptrend is intact and investors would do well to hold on to their positions and ride out this rough patch. Of course, not all stocks are created equal, certain counters such as Healthway Medical are expected to be more resilient while certain counters such as Yanlord might sink much more.

In the last session, the STI gapped down and traded lower for most of the day but did a dramatic u-turn and closed higher, forming a white candle which looks promising. Promising because a possible reversal pattern which chartists call a "morning star" might appear if the index opens and closes higher in the next session. Confirmation is still required.

However, with the return of heightened volatility as could be seen in the widening of the Bollinger bands, a lack of buying momentum as could be seen in the rapidly declining MFI and the continuing distribution as could be seen in the declining OBV, it would be no wonder if buyers hold back in the next session, which could send the STI lower.

Now, the question is how much lower will the STI go if it does continue sinking? To answer this question, I have decided to draw three sets of Fibo lines for the STI's chart. For the visually challenged, please don't click on the chart. My eyes watered after a few minutes of looking at it.

From the three sets of Fibo lines, we can see where some of the Fibo lines are so close to each other that they overlap or almost do so. From these lines, I see strong supports at 2730-2740 and 2680-2700. Another 5% downside, it seems, cannot be ruled out from the last session's close of 2,819. Time to bring out the warchests? Maybe. May Lady Luck smile on us.

Healthway Medical: Strength

Healthway Medical's price action exhibited relative strength as it closed higher on a white candle day at 17.5c. This level is actually the XR adjusted level of the previous eventual target of 19.5c. All the more impressive. The new eventual target for the counter is 21.5c if 17.5c is taken out. Notice that the volumes on down days are actually lower than the volumes on up days for this week. That is a positive. The MACD has a buy signal today too.

The only negative I can spot is in the weekly chart which shows the MFI in overbought territory for the third week running. Conventional wisdom is that a counter cannot stay overbought forever but it can last quite long in extremely bullish cases.

I repurchased a chunk of Healthway Medical's shares at 16.5c and I would be quite happy to see it fly higher. If it sinks lower, I would carry on repurchasing as my current investment is only 40% of what it was originally before the counter ran up.

Saizen REIT: Accumulation mode

Like the broader market, Saizen REIT retreated today. Opening at 17c, it reached a low of 16c before closing at 16.5c. This is also on the back of higher volume. MFI and OBV are in decline, suggesting a lack of buying momentum.

Taking a look at the weekly chart, we see that the 20wMA is flat, coinciding with the 38.2% Fibo line at 15c. Expect 15c to be a strong suppot. With today's heavy volume selldown and the negative divergence between price and volume seen on the weekly chart, further decline in price to possibly test 15c cannot be ruled out.

I put in a queue last night to buy at the 16c support level. That was filled. I will put in a buy queue tonight at the next support level.

Golden Agriculture: White hammer!

Golden Agriculture gapped down and sank rapidly, hitting a low of 52c on heavy volume. Impressively, it closed at 54.5c, forming a white hammer in the process! A white hammer appearing after a series of down days is usually promising. We might have a reversal next week. We will need confirmation in the next session.

MFI, a momentum oscillator, is declining and almost at the 50% mark. OBV is still in decline which suggests distribution is still very much alive. Despite a lack of buying momentum and accumulation, price action managed to form a white hammer. This suggests some strong underlying support for the counter: the selldown was well absorbed.

As is my style to buy at supports when prices are moving down in an uptrend, I put in a buy queue at 54c, which I identified as a gap support, last night. Of course, it was filled. My other queue at 51.5c was not filled. Missed by 0.5c. Sometimes, hedging by queueing at one bid above support could be rewarding.

STI: Rejoins the channel

The air is buzzing with excitement or it might be panic. It depends on whether we are asset light or asset heavy at this point in time.

On 13 Jan, I blogged:
"The previous uptrend channel resistance for the STI should now provide support at 2,860 through early next week. If the index breaks this support, it would rejoin the channel. Having said this, with the 20dMA, 50dMA and 100dMA all rising and each within 70 points of each other, more or less. The outlook for STI's uptrend is still good. The correction will be a good opportunity to accumulate shares of good companies as prices move closer to supports."

With the STI now just a tad above 2,800 this morning, the index has rejoined the channel. The uptrend is still intact. If the index breaks the uptrend channel support, then, I would worry. For a look at the chart, please refer to: Confirming the signs.

On 15 Jan, I blogged:
"To me, the recent ups and downs of the STI is a sign that a correction is probably going to happen. A 3000 points initial target which so many analysts have talked about is so near and yet so far. The market is grudging and unwilling to give bulls the satisfaction (yet). Analysts have also talked about a 3300 points eventual target for the STI by end 2010. That's a mere 10% from where we are now." Please see: STI: Up or down?

The correction which we have been anticipating has descended upon us. This is an opportunity to accumulate at supports and I am doing just that. Good luck to us all.

Healthway Medical: Share placement

The Board of Directors of Healthway Medical Corporation Limited (the “Company”) wishes to announce that the Company is in advanced discussions with a major international financial institution (“FI”) for an equity and debt funding package (the “Funding”) of up to US$25 million. The terms and conditions of the Funding have been substantially agreed between the Company and the FI. The Funding is, inter alia, subject to the FI’s board approval. The FI’s board is expected to meet and
decide on the Funding by end February 2010.....

.... The Company will convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (“EGM”) to seek the approval of the shareholders of the Company (the “Shareholders”) on the above transactions. This EGM is expected to be held in the first quarter of 2010.

As the Funding and the Placement are still subject to the FI’s board approval and/or Shareholders’ approval at the EGM, the Company wishes to state that there is no assurance that approval of the FI’s board and/or the Shareholders will be obtained and the Funding and the placement will be undertaken.

Healthway Medical is attracting the attention of international financial institutions now which is good. They are doing a share placement which is bad as it does not allow minority shareholders to participate.

Healthway Medical: Time-table

Shares traded ex-rights : 19 January 2010 from 9.00 a.m.

Books Closure Date : 21 January 2010 at 5.00 p.m.

Despatch of Offer Information Statements, the AREs or the : 26 January 2010
PALs (as the case may be) to Entitled Shareholders

Commencement of trading of “nil-paid” Rights : 26 January 2010 from 9.00 a.m.

Last date and time for splitting Rights : 29 January 2010 at 5.00 p.m.

Last date and time for trading of “nil-paid” Rights : 3 February 2010 at 5.00 p.m.

Last date and time for acceptance of and payment for Rights : 9 February 2010 at 5.00 p.m. (9.30
Shares and excess application p.m. for Electronic Applications)

Last date and time for renunciation of and payment for Rights : 9 February 2010 at 5.00 p.m.
Shares

Expected date for issuance of Rights Shares : 22 February 2010

Expected date for the listing and commencement of trading of : 23 February 2010
the Rights Shares

Healthway Medical and Saizen REIT

Healthway Medical: A low volume pull-back today with price closing at 16c. MACD seems certain to form a bearish crossover. MFI has formed a lower high today as it formed a higher low yesterday. There is no momentum either way, it would seem. If this continues, it actually favours the bears as price is more likely to drift lower than to float higher in such instances. Support at 15c is still valid.

Saizen REIT: MFI is moving higher but the index is still not overbought. OBV is moving higher too which indicates continuing accumulation although slight. Supports provided by the rising 20dMA at 16.5c and the rising 50dMA at 15.5c. I continue to like the REIT's fundamentals and I see limited downside while upside potential remains attractive.Saizen REIT: Accumulate at supports.

Golden Agriculture: High volume sell down

Golden Agriculture broke support provided by the 50% Fibo line at 56.5c to close at 55.5c after touching an intra-day low of 55c. This is on the back of pretty high volume and it seems that the negatives from lower crude oil and crude palm oil prices yesterday were too much to bear. Price is now supported by the rising 20dMA. With this type of high volume movements, there is usually some momentum and expectation is for the price to move lower tomorrow to test supports at 54.5c (38.2% Fibo line) and 54c (gap support). If those break, the next supports are at 51.5c (gap support) and a band between 50c to 51c (many times tested resistance turned supports).

Longer term fundamentals are still good. After selling off 90% of my position by the time it hit 62c last week, today I bought a chunk of Golden Agriculture's shares at the 20dMA support. This was a buy queue I put in last night. I will continue accumulating on further weakness.

Golden Agriculture: A tale of two crudes

I was watching Bloomberg on TV while vacationing and some technical analyst said that US$80 for crude oil is in the bag and would happen before the week ends. There is also news out of Venezuela that Chavez might have to do something drastic to handle a crisis in the country and that might send crude oil up to US$100! That would make Darryl Guppy happy.

Crude oil moved to the lowest in 2010 on Tuesday, 19 Jan, while crude palm oil trades at the lowest level in 8 weeks today at RM2,444, down RM46 or 1.85%. Short term weakness providing a chance to accumulate? Maybe.

Technically, the 50% Fibo line at 56.5c seems to be providing near term support. If this counter is also doing a correction using time, it would be waiting for the 20dMA to catch up and the 20dMA would be at the 50% Fibo line sometime in the next couple of sessions. The 20dMA also coincides with an uptrend line and this reinforces the near term support.

If the 20dMA support gives way, Golden Agriculture should find support at 54.5c, the 38.2% Fibo line and at 54c which is a gap support.

Healthway Medical: XR

Healthway Medical's share price seems to be holding up pretty well even after XR. However, today's price action formed a doji after the previous two white candle days. That is always "iffy".

The MFI has formed a higher low which suggests that buying momentum exists but it is very close to crossing into the overbought region. We still do not see a buy signal on the MACD and I get a feeling that the counter is consolidating, doing a correction using time. If this is right, the price is unlikely to decline very much further and is waiting for the 20dMA to catch up before moving higher.

Adjustments have been made to the chart after the counter went XR on 19 Jan. So, I've redrawn the Fibo lines and we have a support level at 15c (61.8%) which is where the 20dMA is headed towards by end of this week. Downside should be limited to 15c if the counter is indeed doing a correction using time. New eventual target is also adjusted for XR and is now at 21.5c (down from 24c) as indicated by the 161.8% Fibo line.

I have repurchased some shares at 16.5c as a hedge. I will now wait to see if the counter is indeed doing a correction using time or if it would correct in price to hit 15c.

Rationale for partial divestment

Amongst the three counters I am actively monitoring, I remain heavily vested in only one counter: Saizen REIT. I have divested 90% of my position in Golden Agriculture and 80% of my position in Healthway Medical in the recent run up in prices.

From 4 Jan, the first trading day of 2010, Golden Agriculture raced from 51c to a high of 65.5c for a gain of 14.5c or 28%. Healthway Medical blasted through the roof as it started the year at 14c and hit 19.5c for a gain of 5.5c or 39%! In both instances, partial divestments took place at every resistance level as the prices rose.

Now, have I changed my mind about these two counters? No, of course not. The fundamentals and prospects are still good over the longer term. I just feel that the market became a little too enthusiastic and sent prices up too high and too quickly. I liken it to a sprinter who is able to run very quickly over short distances but the speed is unsustainable over longer distances.

Knowing which companies' shares to buy and when to buy them is important but knowing when to sell the shares is equally important. For sure, if we simply hold on to the shares till they reach the zenith before selling is one way. However, to grow our wealth more quickly, selling at resistance levels and repurchasing at supports for the next leg up could be more rewarding. It is with that mentality that I partially divested my shares of Golden Agriculture and Healthway Medical.

What about Saizen REIT? It started the year at 15c and reached a high of 18c for a gain of 3c or 20%. Not too mean either. I identified Saizen REIT as a yield counter for regular passive income. Conservatively, I expect a yield in excess of 10% per annum from middle of 2010. With that in mind, I am not too keen on divesting my investment in Saizen REIT unless the price is extremely compelling. Three portfolios and three counters: future gains and passive income.

The stock market climbs a wall of worries and goes down a river of hope or so the saying goes. Basically, it means that prices do not go up or down in straight lines. If the prices go up without a break, it means that the wall of worries is non-existent. I would worry in such an instance! It usually means that the market is euphoric and we have buyers rushing in en masse.

When we have almost full participation in the market, there is very little fuel left to push it higher. That is when the market reverts to the mean. Anytime, when too many people shift to one side of the boat, a shift back to the other side is necessary to maintain equilibrium.

In an article I read this morning by ETF Guide, it says,"Investors Intelligence tracks the recommendation of different market advisors. As of the most recent poll, 53.4% of all advisors are bullish. 30.7% of advisors are longer term bullish...... " It went on to say that even the market high of October 2007 did not get such a positive response. This is a wake up call and contrarians are taking note. Marc Faber is probably one of the first to sound the warning and I talked about this in a post yesterday: STI: Up or down?

Right, this is where I sign off. I will be going away for a short holiday from tomorrow and will not be adding new posts for a few days. Thanks for the overwhelming support so far and I hope my posts have been useful and in some cases, maybe, inspiring. I wish everyone the best of luck and, remember, always hedge and come back often.

Golden Agriculture: As per expectations

Golden Agriculture is behaving according to expectations. Closing at 57c on lower volume suggests that if the price retreats to the gap support at 54c, we should expect some strong support. Although if 54c gives way, the steeper orange color trendline would be violated and the gentler green color trendline would come into play. The latter, incidentally, coincides with the 38.2% Fibo line at 50.5c and should be a very strong support. I am going to accumulate on the way down at supports as the longer term fundamentals of crude palm oil remain intact.

Healthway Medical: Decline continues

On 13 Jan, I said, "Even though the continuing sideways movement in price is taking place on the back of reducing volume, without any significant buying up activity, price is likely to lower in time." Healthway Medical: A grave situation?

Today, Healthway Medical closed at 17.5c on relatively low volume. For people who are waiting to accumulate Healthway Medical shares and would like to hedge, one bid above the support provided by the 61.8% Fibo line seems like a fair proposition. I like accumulating shares at support levels on the way down. 61.8% Fibo support at 16.5c looks attainable as the declining OBV tells me that distribution is underway.

Saizen REIT: Accumulate at supports

Saizen REIT retreated from 18c to close at the resistance turned support level of 17c today. An overnight buy queue at 17c which I put in as a hedge was done. I like accumulating shares when they are consolidating or coming off their highs to hit supports. With a high of 18c achieved in the last session, I have drawn the new support levels using Fibo lines. If the support at 17c gives way, next supports are to be found at 16c (61.8%) and 15.5c (50%). Of course, I will be accumulating at those levels as well.

Upside targets remain at 19c and 21c. Eventual target is at 24c.

STI: Up or down?

Looking into crystal balls can be hazardous to health because they give you signs of what might be and not what will be. Usually cryptic and sometimes perverse, it's best to avoid these magical objects. However, being human, I have the failings of our kind, the type of failings which got us kicked out of Paradise in the first instance.

In a post dated 12 Jan, I wondered if a correction was at hand and on 13 Jan, it looked as if a correction was underway. For a recap, please seeConfirming the signs. However, on 14 Jan, things did a u-turn and that got people wondering if there would be more upside to come.

To me, the recent ups and downs of the STI is a sign that a correction is probably going to happen. A 3000 points initial target which so many analysts have talked about is so near and yet so far. The market is grudging and unwilling to give bulls the satisfaction (yet). Analysts have also talked about a 3300 points eventual target for the STI by end 2010. That's a mere 10% from where we are now.

Marc Faber, in an interview with Yahoo! Finance on 13 Jan said that he is no longer bullish on stocks because everyone is now bullish on stocks. Marc is a shrewd contrarian who has been proven right time and time again. He made the observation that many stocks' prices are flattening out and that once the momentum fizzles out, momentum players who are in the market for the upward momentum and not to hold long term positions, will pull out and they will pull out fast! We will then have a correction in earnest. It would be prudent for us to take Marc's views seriously.

What are we to do? I suggest keeping an eye on the newsflow and on the STI at the same time for signs.

During the recent multi-months recovery from the market bottom, we saw how streams of bad news were brushed aside as the market powered upwards. That was a powerful sign that a cyclical bull was charging back. It was a sign which many ignored much to their regret later on. At best, disbelievers missed out on a money making opportunity of a lifetime. At worst, shortists were caught with their pants down and lost their pants in the process (and some even got spanked on their backsides).

If we get a constant stream of positive newsflow and the STI hardly budges but a slight whiff of negative news sends it down, the signs are clear: a correction is not far away.

A saying from Warren Buffet now rings clear in my mind: Be fearful when others are greedy! That is a generalisation like many of his sayings. It serves to inform and not to instruct. That's where many would be Buffets got it wrong. They think his sayings are instructions.

Personally, I believe in being a pragmatist and not being overly bullish or bearish. I believe in hedging. I have taken some profit off the table, leaving some long positions in the market in case it decides to go higher. After all, crystal balls reveal only part of the picture, leaving us to form our own conclusions and, usually, we see what we want to see.

Video added on 11 Feb 2010:

SPH, Healthway Medical and Golden Agriculture

SPH
After the positive newsflow yesterday, SPH powered upwards to $3.82 forming a wickless white candle today. This effectively broke the resistance provided by the declining 200wMA at $3.80. As the white candle day took place on the back of very much higher volume, the target of $4.00 which I identified in earlier posts looks attainable. This is especially so with the MFI rising rapidly today but has yet to reach the overbought region. To those who hedged and bought some when SPH was at support ($3.60 to $3.62) recently, congratulations.

Healthway Medical
A black candle day and Healthway Medical closed lower at 18c on higher volume. The gravestone doji was a harbinger of bad news, after all. MFI continues to decline and is emerging out of the overbought region. Expectation is for the weakness to continue. Support levels identified in an earlier post are still valid.Healthway Medical: Black spinning top.

Golden Agriculture
A white candle day on reduced volume does not impress me. Unable to gap close on a white canlde day is a bearish sign and the gap resistance at 61.5c remains. I am still of the view that the price will weaken and, therefore, I shall wait to accumulate at supports on the way down. If the price should rise instead and the gap resistance is taken out, initial resistance would be the recent high of 65.5c and the eventual target is 69c.

Saizen REIT impresses

Saizen REIT broke the 17c resistance level, forming a wickless white candle and closing at 18c in the process. This is on the back of very much higher volume and, if the move is confirmed in the next session, effectively turns the 17c resistance into support in the near term. The rising MFI is on the way to forming a higher high. As the index is not overbought yet, a follow through in the next session might see the initial target of 19c tested.

Please refer to my post on 11 Jan for a recap. In that post, I said "if 17c is taken out convincingly, the initial target is 19c. The rapidly declining 100wMA at 21c should put a cap on gains should 19c be taken out this week."Saizen REIT: Sell signal negated. If 21c is taken out, I see an eventual target of 24c which was a candlestick support level that gave way decisively in October 2008 and is now a gap resistance.

Saizen REIT is one of the three counters I've identified in the last few months that would help to build my wealth in 2010. Its fundamentals have strengthened and the market will recognise this in the usual way. Three portfolios and three counters: future gains and passive income

AusGroup closed unchanged

AusGroup closed unchanged at 68.5c, forming an inverted black hammer in the process. This was after forming a doji yesterday. Both candlesticks are signs of a possible reversal. Volume on both days were relatively low which suggests that the selling pressure is probably easing and AusGroup has found support. The flattening 100dMA happens to be at 68.5c. Over a longer term, the MFI is still uptrending and the counter's current weakness might just be temporary. The fast rising 200dMA is a positive. A hedge at 68.5c for someone who does not yet have a position in this counter is not a bad idea. To accumulate, I always like to buy on the way down at every support level. 68.5c looks like one to me. If 68.5c breaks, the next support is at 66c.

Resistance is provided by the rising 200wMA at 74.5c which also happens to be the most recent high achieved on 5 Jan 10. Overcoming this resistance level would give an intial target of 78.5c and an eventual target of 83c, a candlestick support level which broke decisively in June 2008.

Golden Agriculture: A choppy journey

My blog is pretty new but if you have been following my writings for at least the last week or so, you would know that I'm big on Golden Agriculture. In a post on Christmas Day, I wrote about three portfolios and three counters. One of the counters is Golden Agriculture which I called a cyclical counter as it is most sensitive of the three (the other two being Healthway Medical, a growth counter, and Saizen REIT, a yield counter) to economic cycles.

In that post, I said, "Currently at 49c. This is the second largest crude palm oil (CPO) producer in the region. It is heavily levered to the price of CPO compared to Wilmar which has a greater percentage of income from downstream activities. Whether we look at PE, ROA, ROE or Gross Margin, Golden Agriculture looks better than Wilmar. With the improving global economy, the demand for CPO has increased. With the rising price of crude oil, there will be a further increase in demand for CPO as an important source of biofuel. The journey up will be choppy which makes this a perfect counter for trading."Three portfolios and three counters: future gains and passive income

If anyone who were not vested before had taken a position in Golden Agriculture then and sold in the last few sessions at resistance levels on the way up, say at 54c and 62c, he would have made a handsome profit. I know it reached a high of 65.5c but few would have been able to time it that well.

From my earlier chart reading, I said we might soon have a golden opportunity to load up on Golden Agriculture again with a correction in price as true to expectations, the ride is choppy.Golden Agriculture: A golden opportunity.

Crude oil has been trading lower and is down at US$79.13 as of now. Crude palm oil (CPO) has been down for a few sessions now, closing at RM2,510 in the last session, down 1.8%. There is concern that rising production and lower exports may drive stock levels to a new record high. Apparently, America is having a good harvest of soybeans as well which will help put a lid on the price of CPO as a greater availability of soyoil will dampen the demand for CPO.

With such negative newsflow and as Golden Agriculture is the most levered to the price of CPO amongst all the CPO companies listed in Singapore, it will bear the brunt of lowered expectations. With a bearish chart to boot, I would be surprised if Golden Agriculture does not test those support levels identified in my earlier posts.

SPH: Net income in Q1 doubles

SPH delivered a set of impressive results, as expected, as first-quarter net income rose to $144.7 million from $73 million a year earlier. This is likely to give its share price a bit of a push upwards tomorrow despite the bland technicals.

Rising 100dMA provides support at $3.62 and with the positive news flow, it should limit any downside. If price closes above $3.69, a many times tested resistance level tomorrow, it would likely move up to test the resistance provided by the declining 200wMA at $3.80. Breaking $3.80 would give a target of $4.00.

Healthway Medical: A grave situation?

Towards the last half hour of the trading day, it was quite apparent that the bears have won the day. There were too many sellers with almost no buyers and price closed at 18.5c to form a gravestone doji. Selling down activity accounted for 24.6m shares while buying up activity accounted for a paltry 1.2m shares.

The steep uptrend seems ultimately unsustainable. Sell signal on the MACD is confirmed while the MFI moved lower, remaining overbought. Even though the continuing sideways movement in price is taking place on the back of reducing volume, without any significant buying up activity, price is likely to lower in time.

Strategy: I have divested more of my position in Healthway Medical in the last half hour of the trading day. What remains is 20% of my original investment. I now look forward to accumulating at supports as the expectation is for the counter to do a correction in price.

Golden Agriculture: A golden opportunity

Golden Agriculture confirmed the bearish signals seen yesterday with a gap down today. Opening at the psychologically important 60c level, it quickly turned that into a resistance level, resulting in a black candle day on rather high volume. Sell signal is confirmed on the MACD. The MFI continues to decline, moving out of the overbought territory in the process. The counter is no longer overbought but such black candle days usually have some momentum and the expectation is for a further decline in price. A major support level is at 54c.

Despite the fall in price, the uptrend for Golden Agriculture is still intact. I have drawn three trendline supports in blue, orange and purple colors. Comparing the high achieved just three sessions ago with the trendline supports, we get an idea of how the rapid rise in price was not sustainable. It would be nice to see the blue trendline tested sometime in the next few sessions and holding, failing which the orange trendline comes into play. With improving fundamentals, I do not expect Golden Agriculture to fall to test the purple trendline but, of course, nothing is for sure.

Strategy: This correction presents a golden opportunity to accumulate. Having divested 90% of my position at every resistance level on the way up, I will now accumulate at every support level on the way down.