Marina Bay Sands

Apr 27, 2010

Marina Bay casino opens

By Lim Wei Chean

The early birds who have come to check out the second casino-resort which is due to open at the auspicious time of 3.18 pm. -- ST PHOTO: BRYAN VAN DER BEEK

SINGAPORE'S second casino - the US$5.5 billion (S$7.5 billion) Marina Bay Sands - opened its doors to the public at the auspicious time of 3.18pm on Wednesday, giving a fresh boost to the city's tourism sector.

Built by US gaming giant Las Vegas Sands, it is the group's first casino in Asia outside Macau. Las Vegas Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson, who flew here for the opening, said he expects to recoup his Singapore investment in five years.

'Most of the high-end players are reputable business people. They have to travel anyway so they typically would travel to the major cities, like Hong Kong and Singapore, wherein they do business,' he told reporters.

Hours before the official opening, earlybirds started streaming into the integrated resort, hoping to be among the first to catch a glimpse of the new tourist attraction. Those waiting to enter the casino were ushered into the Sands Expo and Convention Center to take a queue number and wait in comfort. They were later allowed to enter the casino in the order that they have arrived. This was a measure taken by MBS to prevent a repeat of the overcrowding and crush at the Resorts World Sentosa opening on Feb 14.

Marina Bay Sands was originally set to open at the end of 2009 but faced repeated delays caused by a number of factors, including material and labour shortages and financial problems due to the downturn. It managed to clinch the casino licence only on Monday.

Tuesday's opening includes the casino and 963 out of 2,560 hotel rooms, a portion of the shopping mall, some restaurants, an exhibition and convention centre and the events plaza. The remaining hotel rooms and suites, a skypark and more shops will open on June 23, while a museum, theatres and other stores will start operations later in the year, the management said.

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The early birds catch the worms. But the early worms get caught early.

Keep Your Weight Down

Obesity is extremely bad for you. Your weight can put lots of pressure on your hips and joints which are fragile. The cartilage that cushions them does not grow back once it is thinned out. You need to act now to avoid replacement or treatment as you grow older. Click here to understand more. Your health is priceless.

i-Pad Scam

Beware! There is an i-Pad testing scam going on. If you are invited to join the testing that comes with a reward of an i-Pad, do not join. They are actually going after the password of your email or facebook. Be careful.

Iceland's Volcano

Travel disruptions could continue for months.

By MICHIO KAKU

How long will this disrupting eruption last?

As Europe writhes in agony, millions of people are asking this question, desperately praying for relief from the paralysis of the airline industry caused by an Icelandic volcano.

This eruption is a perfect storm, a combination of wind and ice conditions that has turned an ordinary eruption into a crisis. Last month, the same volcano erupted harmlessly. But last week, magma found a second pathway to the surface, this time beneath a glacier. When hot magma touched ice, it instantly created a burst of steam and produced glassified silicates. The sudden expansion of steam created a colossal explosion that sent billowing clouds of glassified silica ash three to five miles into the air over Europe. The ongoing eruptions of the volcano, which continue unabated, are caused by a series of steam explosions as magma continues to encounter glacial ice.

There are three scenarios for what could come next:

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Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano

1) The best scenario is that over the next few days either the magma spends itself or the ice finally melts. Without ice, the eruption will become an ordinary one. Scientists have tried to send airplanes to the volcano to analyze how much ice is left, but even these airplanes were grounded by the clouds of ash.

2) The most likely scenario is a repeat of the 1821 eruption by the same volcano. That eruption sputtered off and on for 13 months. If this occurs again, European aviation may have to play cat and mouse for several weeks to months. Planes will only fly when the jet stream is blowing a certain direction or when the volcano is relatively quiet. Under this scenario, pilots will be in constant fear of encountering ash, which can shut down a plane's engines and sand blast its windshields to such an extent that it is impossible to see through them. There have been about 90 airplane encounters with volcanic ash since 1980, and in one instance all four of the plane's engines were shut down, almost causing a tragedy.

3) The worse case scenario, which is unlikely, involves this eruption triggering another, larger eruption. There are 35 active volcanoes in Iceland, and one eruption has been known to set off another. The worse case happened in 1783, with an eruption lasting eight months. That eruption killed off much of the livestock and agriculture in Iceland, which in turn caused the death of about 25% of the island's population.

The eruption also eventually killed tens of thousands of people on the Continent. Benjamin Franklin was in Paris at the time and was one of the first to connect the rapid change in local weather that collapsed European agriculture with a volcanic explosion. 1783 became known as the horrible "year without summer." Europe plunged into a period of poverty that lasted for years. Some historians believe that this may have contributed to the French Revolution of 1789.

Unfortunately, our institutional memory lasts a few decades at most, while the cycles of mother Earth are usually measured in centuries or millennia. So for the future we have to appreciate that we humans will be pushed around like pawns as the earth slowly but inexorably changes and shifts.

We may think of volcanoes now as villains. But they are also givers of life. Much of the air we breathe and the ground we walk on can be traced back to ancient volcanic eruptions. And the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago (which paved the way for the coming of humans) might be traced back to a one-two punch caused by an asteroid collision and simultaneous volcanic eruptions.

The fact that humans are about 99.9% genetically identical could, according to one theory, be traced back to the Toba eruption in Indonesia roughly 70,000 years ago. That eruption might have killed off most of the human race, leaving only a few hundred of us to populate the planet. We might, therefore, owe our evolution and very existence to volcanoes.

In the wake of this eruption, there is much to be done. We need a uniform and rigorous international policy to deal with these eruptions. The European Union was caught off guard. There was chaos and unnecessary confusion as nations scrambled by themselves to salvage whatever they could of their airline industry.

We need more active reconnaissance of volcanoes, which at the moment is often left to a handful of lonely scientists. Iceland has to be closely watched, since it lies at the top of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a huge gash that splits the Atlantic Ocean and is slowly pushing the U.S. away from Europe and Africa.

We also need to do more research and use technological advances to strengthen airplane windshields so they don't get sandblasted, and to create advanced filters able to prevent damage to airplane engines.

We humans often think we are so great, with all our high technology. But mother nature easily puts us in our place. Our job is not to fear the disasters that nature hurls but to understand them, figure out where they came from, and eventually master them.

Mr. Kaku, a professor of theoretical physics at City College of New York, is the author of "Physics of the Impossible" (Doubleday, 2008) and host of "Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible," on the Science Channel.

John Paulson

The FRAUD at Goldman Sachs has propelled Paulson to the top. He is now known as the smartest investor in our planet. In reality, is he the greatest investor or is he the greatest confidence man? Only time will tell.

Paulson has made billions of dollars investing in gold. He is still bullish in the yellow metal.

Feeling the heat? Please help to cool our planet.

Of late, the weather has been extremely hot. Even at 6.30 in the morning when I open my window, I can feel the heat outside. And this is despite the fact that the place where I stay has a "Green Lung" nearby and is supposed to be in the cooler part of the town, Bandar Puteri. Here's an interesting article. Please click here to read it and please play your part to help cool our planet. Thanks.

Day-trading? Can You Win?

Henry Blodget | Mar. 29, 2010, 10:02 AM | 14,174 | 111
I have so many charts. So how can I lose?
Image: Steve Price's Flickr
According to one academic study, 4 out of 5 people who do it lose money and only 1 in 100 do it well enough to be described as "predictably profitable."
Most of the folks who do it, in other words, would be far better off working at Burger King.
As is often the case when we bring up these facts, some readers screamed. One said that our brain-damage was made patently obvious by the fact that Wall Street professionals day-trade all day. If day-trading were so dumb, then why would professionals do it?
Here's what that particular reader is missing:
Most Wall Street traders get paid to day-trade other people's money.*
That's a huge difference compared to what most stay-at-home day-traders do.
The average professional trader gets paid somewhere between 1% and 3% of assets per year just to trade those assets all day. The average hedge-fund trader gets paid another 20% on top of that for any "gains" he or she makes (regardless of whether the gains are the result of the trader's trading or the bull market).
The average stay-at-home day-trader, meanwhile, trades his or her own money. And while many of these traders do fine on a gross basis (before costs), once the costs of this trading are deducted (commissions, taxes, research and information, time), their performance is usually downright awful.
The reason so many professionals day-trade, in other words, is that getting paid to day-trade other people's money is one of the best businesses in the world.
Day-trading your OWN money, meanwhile, is one of the worst.
* There's another difference, too, of course: Most Wall Street traders have skills, information, and tools that day-traders can only dream of. Trading is a zero-sum game: Market moves aside, every dollar won by one trader comes out of the pocket of another trader. Day traders competing against Wall Streeters is the equivalent of a college football team (or Pee Wee team, depending on the day-trader's skill) competing against a pro team. Is it possible to win? Yes. But it's highly unlikely (1 in 100). Wall Street's winnings do have to come from somewhere, though, so Wall Street thanks the day traders for playing.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-heres-what-day-traders-dont-get-2010-3#ixzz0lDXAmYMq

William O'Neil

William O'Neil was born in 1933 in Oklahoma City. He is an American entrepreneur, stockbroker and writer. His books: How to Make Money in Stocks and 24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success are among the most popular books about the stock market. According to him, The Battle for Investment Survival is the best book he has ever read.

Excerpt for The Financial edge by Investopedia. com

William O’Neil became famous for his growth stock investment strategy and proprietary CANSLIM methodology that his newspaper, Investor’s Business Daily, went on to popularize.

O’Neil was a pioneer in the use of computers to assess the potential of stocks. As a broker with Hayden, Stone and Co. in the late 1950s he made use of the technology, along with his own CANSLIM set of valuation parameters, to become the firm’s most successful employee.

At age 30 he went on to become the youngest man ever to purchase a seat on the New York Stock Exchange.

O’Neil’s investment approach is focused on buying strong stocks that are currently appreciating in price and selling those that run out of steam. The CANSLIM method assists him to identify where a stock is currently situated on that spectrum.

In 1983, O’Neil launched his newspaper to compete directly with the Wall Street Journal and promote his performance-based stock selection methodology. (To learn more about O'Neil's investment strategy, check out Stock-Picking Strategies: CANSLIM.)

Sweet Potatoes

At the IOI Mall in Bandar Puteri, the Japanese sweet potatoes cost RM7.20 per kg; the local variety cost RM3.80 per kg. I tried them both this morning. I found them almost the same. If you want to buy them, go for the local variety or you will feel cheated.

EPIC

Debts have never gone down well with me. When I see a company with high debts, I will just ignore it. All companies that folded are those with high debts. This is important to remember. A debt to equity ratio of over one is high.

As at 31.12.2009
The key statistics of EPIC are as follows:
Paid-up Cap: RM169,503,000
Share premium: RM82,414,000
Treasury shares (125000 shares)
Other reserves RM188,000
Retained earnings: RM68,461,000
Minority interest: 17,827,000
NTA: RM1.89
EPS: 24.97 sens
1st interim 3.5 sen tax free paid in Oct 2009
2nd interim 2.5 sen less 25% tax payable on 18.05.10; (x-date: 28.04.10)

Revenue for the year is 183,987,000 down 24% from 244,791,000 in the previous year, but operating expenses are down 36%. Profit at 54,588,000 Vs 39,836,000 in the 2008 is commendable although there was some significant provision in 2008.
Current assets which include cash of RM83,388,000 stand at RM146,111,000 while current liabilities stand at RM42,715,000. Long-term debt is RM22,707,000 and short-term debt is RM5,000,000.

Judging from the above figures, the company is a good buy at the last done price of RM1.66 per share. The company has the added advantage of being a GLC under the protection of the Trengganu government. For a more understanding of the company, click here.

If I had 1 million dollars - Wong Yi Fei

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&As)

In my investing career, I have benefited immensely from M&As. Some of the counters that quickly come to mind are: IAC, MIDF, Amanah Cap, Austral Enterprise, FFM, Ranhill Utility, and VADS.
The purpose of M&As is to enhance shareholders value. Whenever there is an announcement of an acquisition or merger, the target company will have a very quick run up in price. If you have the ability to pick counters that are ripe for acquisition or merger, focusing your attention in this area alone can make you rich. Buy and hold is the strategy.
Corporate governance in the capital market is of the utmost importance. Overprotection by giving more powers to the minority shareholders may be bad. No protection is worse. Thus the Securities Commission (SC) must think of ways and means to protect the minority shareholders and at the same time encourage M&As.
Datuk Seri Nazir Razak, the CEO of CIMB, is probably right when he says that M&As activities will drop if the rules are too stringent. If there are no more M&As, then how is the minority shareholder going to benefit.
In this respect, I hope the SC will really come out with something great for both parties. A win-win situation is what is needed.
Accounting fraud is one of the worst type of white collar crimes. Those found doing it should be severely dealt with irrespective of whether they are big fishes or small ones.

Dogs of the Dow

Dogs of the Dow is an investing strategy. This strategy calls for buying at the beginning of the year the 10 DJIA stocks that yield the highest dividends.
According to Investopedia, the strategy was formulated in 1972 and has proven to be successful. If we use the same strategy at Bursa Malaysia, it may turn out to be profitable as well. The only work you need to do is to make the necessary changes in your portfolio when the year begins.

The Stop-Loss - How useful is it?

Stop-Loss is great on paper. In actual trade it is not that great. Nevertheless, if you are a trader, you must have a stop-loss. The purpose of the stop-loss is to limit your loss. The problem is to know exactly where to place it. Some people like to place it at a fixed percentage point below their purchase place. This is not the best of ways. Because each stock is different, it can't be a one-size-fits-all affair. So, before you decide where you want to place your stop-loss, the first thing to do is to figure out exactly where you want to place it. This needs plenty of intelligent hard work. As success or failure depends on it, you need to be extra careful here.

No sane person will drive a car without brakes; no smart trader will enter a trade without a stop-loss. Once you have placed a stop-loss, exercise it when it is hit no matter how painful. If you can't do that, charting is not for you. You must have discipline to succeed. Remember, the first loss is the best loss.

Where's the best place to place your stop-loss? This is more difficult that you think. Because each stock is different, it calls for a different strategy for each stock. This is where the difficulty lies. Is it just below a support level or a certain percentage point below a support level? Lets say the support level is at RM1. Do you place it at 99 sen or 97 sen? If you place it at 97 sen, does it mean that you want to be the first to sell at 97 sen or wait until 97 sen is done and then sell it at the next bid? If your intention is the latter, do be wary that from 97 sen it can go straight down to 92 sen or even lower. If that happens, will you sell at a much lower price than the price you initially set? In a case where your position is big, this happening will sent you into a frenzy panic and throw you out of all rational thoughts. You may also find that all of a sudden, there are no more buyers. This sort of thing can happen. You may lose much more than the limit you set. You have to be prepared for it. The wise thing to do is to have RM1500 when you are prepared to lose RM1000.

Another thing of concerned is that the counter may suddenly be suspended because of too much speculation, manipulation or accounting fraud. Be prepared for all these if you want to trade.

Your so-called friends laugh with you when you laugh, but when you cry, you cry alone.

What is an Ostrich?

An ostrich will hide itself by lying flat against the ground, or run away when frightened. In dangerous situation, it will stick its head in the ground.
In the stock market, an ostrich is referred to as someone who ignores bad news even when bad news is clearly affecting his portfolio. He will ignore the market and pretend not to know anything. It is not advisable to be an ostrich.

Invest, Speculate or Gamble

When you buy shares in the stock market, are you investing, speculating or gambling? Before you answer this question, let's take a look at what is what.
According to Benjamin Graham , an investment operation is one which upon through analysis promises safety of principal and satisfactory return. Operations not meeting these requirements are speculation.
What is speculation?
Engagement in risky business transactions on the chance of quick profit or exchanging money for something involving high risk but also the possibility of high profit is speculation.
What is gambling?
Playing games of chance for money and wagering of money on an event with an uncertain outcome are gambling.
Many people think that if you buy stocks for the long term, you are investing, and if you buy for the short term, you are either speculating or gambling. Actually this is not true. If we go by the definition of Graham, we are investing if we do a through research, are convinced that our principal is safe and that what we buy will give us a satisfactory return before we buy, we are investing. The time factor does not matter. So whether you invest or gamble, it depends on what you have done before you put in your money.
Investing is positive. Speculation is neutral. Gambling is negative.
Gambling can ruin your life. Think of your family before you gamble. There is no way you can outsmart the banker.

2010 will be bullish for Malaysia

Events in the near future will cheer the Malaysian Stock Market further north. On March 30-31, PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak will speak at the "Invest Malaysia" conference. The audience will mainly be foreign and local fund managers. Most probably investor-friendly policies that are bullish for the stock market will be announced. Looks like the Malaysian government is going all out to woo foreign investors to bring in foreign exchange. On June 10, under the 10th Malaysia Plan, more friendly measures will be announced and introduced.
On November 5, last year Forbes said that Sime Darby was in talk with Chinese investors for a possible stake sale. Should this come true, the palm oil sector will benefit. The government was also reported to be lowering its stakes in some big-cap companies later this year. This will generate a great deal of excitement and bring about the much needed stock liquidity in the market.
When "the stars are aligned" many good things will happen.
I look forward to a bullish 2010 for Malaysia.

A beauty is a joy forever

Health Care Reformed Bill (HCRB)

America's HCRB is now law. It is designed to transfer money from the rich to the poor. Some thirty-two million people will benefit from this legislation. Everyone in the land has to buy medical-health-care insurance from now on.
The danger of this law is that people may become less concerned with their health when they know that they are medically taken care of when sick.
The obvious beneficiaries of this reform are hospitals, drug makers, medical devise manufacturers, doctors and nurses. As for insurance companies, the impact is uncertain to negative. They will have more business. But the terms and regulations may be less favorable to them.
At Bursa, KPJ, AHealth, CCMBio and Pharma may benefit.

Are you in sinful investing?

What are sinful stocks? Stocks that are associated with gambling, alcohol, tobacco, firearms and pornography are classified as sinful socks. On the other side of the coin, we have what we called Socially Responsible Investing (SRI). Each side has their own fans and support.
There are others who couldn't care less. Whether it is sinful investing or SRI investing, it does not mean anything to them. So long as the investment is yielding a good return they will go for it. Just as, they are guys who like teasing young ladies, there are others who like pleasing them. Really, it all a matter of choice depending on the individual.
Gambling is actually bad for society. Gambling is generally associated with gangsterism, illegal money lending with exorbitant interest rate, robbery, confidence men, illegal sex and prostitution.
Alcohol and tobacco are habit-forming. A person taking them can become addicted and suffer health impairment as well.
Is it right to classified firearms under sinful stocks? No doubt, firearms such as warplanes, mines, bombs, guns and cannons have killed millions of people, but they are also needed to keep peace.
Supporters of SRI investing are normally people who are concerned in ethical values. Industries associated with medicines, water, electricity, climate change, food, building materials and housing are classified under SRI.
For me, SRI investing is the preferred choice.

FimaCorp

FimaCorp after breacing its overhead resistance has been moving from stregth to strength in light volume. The writer is of the view that this stock has a long way to move higher. The stock is fundamentally sound. (Please refer to my previous post.)
I believe the stock will hit RM6 per share by the end of the year.
There are two adages. One is that what goes up must come down. The other is that what goes up is likely to go up higher. Both are true. In this case, my opinion is that the latter will apply.

(The idea expressed above is that of the writer. You don't have to agree with him. As usual, you buy, sell or hold at your own risk absolutely.)

Invest in Women and make profit from men

Invest in women and make money from man.
Those who study technical analysis will know that a double bottom looks like a "W" and a double top looks like an "M". When you see a double bottom with a breakout with volume, it is actually a good time to buy. When you see a double top with a downside breakout, it is a good time take profit.

Are your stocks safe?

At the Malaysian Investor website, we can email to the SIDC (Securities Industry Development Corporation) to ask a question. Some time ago I did that. I asked them whether my portfolio in my CDS a/c were safe or not should the broker firm that was not a public listed Company (PLC) went into bankruptcy. They have not given me a reply. This is really disappointing. They encourage us to write to them. But they don't bother to reply.
Once I had an account with a broker firm that went bust. That was many many years ago. My stocks in my CDS account with that broker firm that was a PLC were not affected.
My question is: Is there a difference between a broker firm that is a PLC and one that is not a PLC as far as securities rules and regulations are concerned? In dealing with the latter, are we adequately protected? I believe many people would like to be 100% sure regarding this.
All comments are welcome.

Peter Lynch

Probably you have heard of Peter Lynch. But did you know that in 13 years, from 1977 to
1990, the Fidelity Magellan Fund he managed grew from $20m to a whopping $14b?!
One of his famous buy, Subaru, was already up twentyfold when he bought the stock and he made sevenfold after that.

Quotes from Peter are as follows:
"Go for a business that any idiot can run – because sooner or later, any idiot is probably going to run it."

"If you stay half-alert, you can pick the spectacular performers right from your place of business or out of the neighborhood shopping mall, and long before Wall Street discovers them."

"Investing without research is like playing stud poker and never looking at the cards."

"Absent a lot of surprises, stocks are relatively predictable over twenty years. As to whether they're going to be higher or lower in two to three years, you might as well flip a coin to decide."

"If you spend more than 13 minutes analyzing economic and market forecasts, you've wasted 10 minutes.

His philosophy is:
• Know what you own.
• It's futile to predict the economy and interest rates.
• You have plenty of time to identify and recognize exceptional companies.
• Avoid long shots.
• Good management is very important - buy good businesses.
• Be flexible and humble, and learn from mistakes.
• Before you make a purchase, you should be able to explain why you're buying.
• There's always something to worry about.

His publications are:
• "One Up On Wall Street" by Peter Lynch with John Rothchild (1989)
• "Beating The Street"Peter Lynch with John Rothchild (1993)
• "Learn To Earn"Peter Lynch with John Rothchild (1996)

A five-star resort at Sanya

Sanya has many 5-star resorts. This is one of them.

The Goddess of Mercy at Sanya, China

The Guan Yin Bodhisativa also known as Goddess of Mercy is 325 feet high. It is 45 feet higher than the Statue of Liberty.

The Stock Market - How It Begins

In 1653 immigrants from Netherlands built a wall on a site to protect possible attacks from Indians. In this location, they started the stock market. Thirty-two years later, a street was built to replace the wall. This is how Wall Street came about.

Before the infamous crash of 1929, people made tons of money trading and investing in the stock markets. There were absolutely no risk until then. Everyone was happy holding stocks as investments. The 1929 crash completely changed this scenario. After one particular crash in 1987, the government intervened to give more protections to investors. Unfortunately, to a great extent, this has not been successful.

The market continues to experience wild swings every now and then. A severe downturn can wipe out your lifetime savings and investments in a short period of time.

However, the market is still a very lucrative place to put your money in. What is important is that you must educate yourself in the investment world. If you are unable to spot a good opportunity and know how to identify a good stock, making money in the stock market will continue to be a fantasy for you.

There is no short cut to riches. You have to work for it.

Turtles make easy meat of sheep & lemmings

What are turtles? Turtles are trained traders. They are savvy and skillful in their trading. The sheep and lemmings are easy meat for them.
In 1983, two famous commodity traders, Richard Dennis and Bill Eckhardt did not see eye to eye in respect of trading. Richard was of the opinion that a trader could be trained to trade profitably while Bill said that a trader's skill was inborn. So, they decided to have a experiment.
Two groups of people were each given $2m to trade. One group was given professional training before they commenced. The other group was not given any training at all. Over time, the trained group was far more superior making over 80% annually. Thus, if you want to be successful in your trading, make sure your are a turtle and not a sheep or lemming.

Lemmings

In the animal kingdom, lemmings are herbivorous rodents. In the stock market, lemmings are followers of investments that eventually go bust.
Many people believe that lemmings commit mass suicide periodically. Actually, this is not so. It's true that lemmings breed rapidly and once every 3 to 4 years, they mass migrate in search of food and shelter. As they attempted to cross rivers or lakes or even an ocean, many of them drowned.

Casinos are not sure money

If you think that casinos are sure money, think again. In 2009 the major casinos in Nevada lost $6.8b. To know more about this, read the article appended below:

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada's major casinos posted a net loss of $6.8 billion in fiscal year 2009, a 1,040 percent plunge from the $721 million earned in the prior year, according to a report released Friday.

The annual "Gaming Abstract" issued by the state Gaming Control Board tracks casinos statewide that gross $1 million or more in gambling revenue.

It's only the second time the state's biggest casinos had a loss. It's also the largest in history, providing more sobering evidence of how Nevada's tourist-driven economy has been walloped by the global recession. The last loss was in 2002, right after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when casinos lost $33.5 million, said Control Board analyst Frank Streshley.

"This is a reflection of the recession," he said. "Even those visitors who did come to the state spent substantially less than they did two years ago." In 2007, casino's had a record net income of $2.3 billion.

The 260 casinos included in the latest report for the fiscal year ended June 30 had total revenue of $22 billion. Of that, $10.5 billion came from gambling revenue, which declined 12.7 percent.

Room revenue fell 16.6 percent to $4.3 billion; food, down 9.3 percent to $3.2 billion; and beverage, down 0.3 percent to $1.3 billion, according to the report.

Higher costs also ate into profits. General and administrative expenses increased $5.4 billion, or nearly 54 percent, over 2008. Included in that was bad debt expenses, which jumped 126 percent to $4.1 million; and $621 million in interest expenses, a 29 percent increase.

The report also said the major casinos in 2009 employed 177,397, roughly 25,000 fewer people than the year before.

A breakdown showed Clark County, with 149 casinos large casinos, had a combined net loss of $6.5 billion.

Thirty-two casinos in northern Nevada's Washoe County had a combined net loss of $47.4 million.

Statewide, the casinos paid $778.7 million in state gambling taxes and fees, representing 7.4 percent of their gambling revenue.

The unaudited report tracks gains - or in this case losses - after various expenses and state taxes - but not federal taxes or extraordinary expenses - are deducted from gross revenues.

Elko County's 18 casinos in northeast Nevada, a rich mining region that has withstood the recession, were the only ones to report a net income, a combined total of $36.2 million, the report said.

Five casinos along the South Shore of Lake Tahoe had a net loss of $260 million.

How's Genting Singapore after the initial fanfare? If you are in the stock, I wish you good luck; you may need it.

Bulls, Bears and Sheep

Bulls are those who buy in anticipation of a rise in price. Bears are those who sell in anticipation of a drop in price. But those who sell, may in actual fact, not bears. They may sell because of other reasons, like for example, they may be in urgent need of money or they may have spotted another stock which they think is better and wish to switch counters.
What are sheep? Sheep are neither bulls nor bears. They are followers; they act emotionally on the suggestions of friends or family members or remisers; they are naive, lack knowledge and do not have any strategies to trade or invest.
Sheep normally come in late in a bull market when the market is the talk of the town. They are normally fattened for the slaughter house.

KPJ is going for the number 1 spot in the world

The man or woman at the top obviously makes the difference. Success or failure depends on him or her to a great extent.
Integrity without competency is useless. It doesn't add value. Competency without integrity is worst. The company makes money, but the money does not come to you, the minority shareholders. If a company makes good money but gives out very little dividends or no dividends, beware of two things. 1)The company's account may not reflect the true state of the financial standing of the company; it actually could not afford to pay out a good dividend. 2) there is lack of integrity; the interest of the minority shareholders is not considered. I normally avoid this type of company.
Competency with integrity is the best. KPJ is the typical example. From 2009 to date hereof, it has paid 230 units of Al Aqar Reit worth RM230, RM170 gross dividend, bonus issue of 500 units of 50 sen each, and 625 units of free warrants for every 1000 shares of RM1 each that you hold. And now it has proposed a dividend of 10 sen. Good earnings, great pay-out, and great potentials, that's KPJ! No wonder Datin Paduka Siti Sa'diah, the CEO of KPJ, gets the title: the best CEO of 2009.

KPJ has Great Potential

Siti Sa'diah is Malaysia's CEO of the year 2009. KPJ targets RM2b revenue in 2012 from RM1.4b currently. KPJ wants to be the world number 1. Those who bought KPJ at the beginning of 2009 or earlier and adopted the buy-and-hold strategy are laughing all the way to the bank. Click here to read more.

Ask a question

Do you know that if you have a question to ask you can do so here: http://www.min.com.my/min/index.aspx
Go to the website, scroll down the screen. At the bottom on the right, click on Select at I want to....There are also some good articles at the site for your investing education.

What you should know about earnings

Earnings are the life blood of a company. Without earnings, a company cannot survive. Earnings are referred to as the net earnings after tax. When you look at earnings, you must look at earnings per share (EPS) which is the net earnings divided by the number of shares issued. Many people look at total earnings without considering the paid-up capital and the par value of the share. This is not the correct way.
Another thing you should pay attention is whether there is any one-time gain , like the selling of an asset for example, that is included in the net earnings. Because such earning is unlikely to happen in the following year, the EPS should be adjusted if such earning is there.
Earnings and dividends are the most studied figures in an analysis as they are the ultimate determinants of the share price. If the earnings beat the estimates of analysts by a significant margin, the share price will normally surge.

Keck Seng (Stock Code 3476)

The FBMKLCI closed at 876.75 on 31 Dec 2008. Accordingly to the annual report of Keck Seng, it had investment in quoted shares that had a market value ofRM360,967 millions.
Yesterday, the FMKLCI closed at 1317.94. Using these figures to assess the market value of its share investment, the portfolio should have a market value of about RM542,278 millions. This is only a rough estimate because about 75% of the shares are outside Malaysia. What I understand is that they are mostly invested Wilmar International, Singapore which is under Robert Kuok. Assets-wise, Keck Seng is very rich. The problem is when is Keck Seng going to unlock the value of its assets. Keep in mind that they have 10,000 acres of land in South Johor. These lands will become more and more valuable as the development of Iskandar Malaysia becomes a reality.
Key Statistics of Keck Seng as at 31.12.2009 are:
Share Cap: 241,393
Reserve: 951,913
Long term borrowings: Zero
Short term borrowings: 23,887
Cash and short term investment: 351,852
Current assets: 635,587
Current Liabilities: 122.946
Earnings per share: 42 sen
Last Done: 4.78

So what do you think of Keng Seng as an investment? What's on your mind? All comments are welcome.

Reading the Annual Report

When you look at a woman, which part of her anatomy do you look at first? Is it her face, her bosom or her bottom? It is all a matter of choice. It doesn't matter so long as you get to look at the whole picture. Now, when you look into an annual report, it is the same. Which statement do you prefer to see first. Is it the income statement, the cash flow statement or the balance sheet? Personally, I go straight for the balance sheet to find out what the company has and what it owes others. If I don't find things attractive there, I will just close the report, avoid the stock and move on.
The things that I pay attention in the balance sheet are: Paid-up capital, par value per share, retained earnings, current assets, and current liabilities. I pay special attention to its cash position and how much debt it has. If its debt is too high, when compared to its equity, I will normally lower the grading of the stock. Don't forget that all companies that folded are those with very high debt.
From the balance sheet, I go to the income statement , the cash flow statement, and then the CEO's statement, or Chairman's statement. If both are available, I'll read them both and also the notes in the annual report to ascertain that the company is not involved in any litigation. Lastly, I will go to the page that shows the names of the majority shareholders. A strong major shareholder is a advantage. Take the case of YTL Cement whose major shareholder is YTL Corp.
Things to consider when assessing a company are as follows: a) Calibre of management; b) Modal of business; c) Earnings per share; d) Dividend yield; e) Cash and debt position; f) Barrier of entry; and g) sustainability of profit.

Iskandar Malaysia

Iskandar Malaysia covers 2, 217 sq kilometers. This is nearly 3 times the size of Singapore. (1 sq km = 247.105 qcres).
Nusajaya Medical Park, a subsidiary of UEM Land has a joint venture with Columbia Asia to build a 70-bed hospital in Afiat Healthpark in Nusajaya. Toward this end, a sale and purhase agreement has been entered between UEM Land & Columbia Asia involving the sale of a piece of land of more than 1 hectare for RM4.818 million in 2008. This will roughly give you an idea how much lands cost in the region.

Keck Seng

Resort World Singapore (RWS) is already up and running. It commenced business on 14 Feb 2010. According to reports in the media, it is now raking in millions of dollars daily (whether this is true or not is uncertain). Come April 27, 2010, Marina Bay Sands, also in Singapore, will commenced business. These two casinos will definitely boost the tourism industry of Singapore. Because of the close proximity of Iskandar Malaysia (IM) to Singapore, the IM is sure to benefit tremendously from these developments in Singapore.

We do have a master plan to develop the IM. But so far, it's all thunder and no rain; all talk and no action. Is there anything that is up and running; anything that we can be proud of to tell the world, so far? Time is of the essence and speed is everything. I think we have too many red tapes to deal with. If we want to achieve Vision 2020, please buck up. Time and tide wait for no man.

Keck Seng has no less than 10,000 acres of land in South Johor. The lands have not been revalued since 1980. Once they are revalued and the land value is unlocked, the price of Keck Seng will explode. I hold some shares in Keck Seng. I hope it will not be too long before Keck Seng reward its minority shareholders.

Predictions

Accept Full Responsibility

One thing you must learn, not only in the stock market, but in life as well, is to take full responsibility for all your actions. This means that whether you fail or succeed you must not blame others.

In my younger days I went into a joint venture with partners that I chose. Unfortunately that venture didn't turn out well. It failed miserably because of poor management and lack of integrity. The venture eventually folded and we went our separate ways. We are still friends even though I didn't like the ways they ran the business. If there is anyone to blame, it is myself. I picked the wrong partners; it was my lack of foresight.

I learned one very useful lesson in this failure. "Never depend on others to make money for you. If you can't be hands on to manage the business, don't go into it."
In the stock market, it is very easy to blame your broker or someone for that 'sure tip'
when the trade turned sour. But there is one thing you must not forget. It is your decision to listen to the tip after all. So,next time you are tempted to buy a stock because of a strong tip, remember to take full responsibility for your actions.

Research well before you buy.

Lake at Taman Wawasan, Puchong

What a sight for sore eye! Can't the Subang Jaya Municipal Council do something about this? What is our town councillor doing?
This lake should be converted into a fishing spot that can become an asset of the town instead of a liability. The park at Jalan Wawasan 4/6 is also littered with bottles, old shoes, old umbrellas and all kinds of rubbish. What the hell is our government doing? What happened to all our tax money?
What will foreigners say when they come here?

Be Smart Don't Smoke

Beyond dispute, smoking is bad for your health. Smoking is open burning. It contributes much to global warming.
There was a time when smoking was considered and generally accepted as smart. This type of mentality has changed. Smoking is no longer smart. Look at the ministers of our country. Which one of them smoke? None, right? Smart people don't smoke now.
So, why don't you stop smoking? "I tried, but I couldn't stop the habit," is the normal answer. What nonsense! There is no way one can give up drinking water. But to give up smoking is really not that difficult. I was a smoker; many of my friends were smokers. We have all given up. So why not you?
Cigarettes are expensive these days. Assuming that you spend RM10 for smoking each day. That means you have to spend RM3650 in a year. Do you know that to get RM3650 a year as interest from the bank, you need to deposit with the bank RM182,500!! (Banks pay 2% interest per year)
So it goes to reason that the moment you stop smoking, you have gotten yourself a winning tottery ticket of Rm182,500! Doesn't this mean anything to you?

Once you stop smoking, your food will taste better, your drinks will taste sweeter, your health will improve, and you will have a better sex life. So be smart, be healthy, be a non-smoker. I was a smoker; I gave up for the same reason.
If you like this article, please email it to your friends. Thanks.

Day Traders

Day Traders are the darlings of remisers and broker firms. Without them, the commissions generated in the market would be greatly reduced. These group of people should be given free lunch everyday.

A Day Trader normally makes several trades a day and closed out his positions all within the same day. Day traders do know care about the fundamental aspects of the stocks they buy. The smart ones who study charts closely and follow price trend or patterns may have a chance to win. Sadly the majority of day traders are not proficient and professional enough to make a profit. They play on margins and before long, many of them, not only say bye bye to their hard-earned cash but also gotten themselves in debt.

If you want to be a Day Trader, learn the trick of the trade first or you will be tricked in the trade.

Money Money Money

I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain't it sad
And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me
That's too bad
In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a wealthy man
I wouldn't have to work at all, I'd fool around and have a ball

Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world

A man like that is hard to find but I can't get him off my mind
Ain't it sad
And if he happens to be free I bet he wouldn't fancy me
That's too bad
So I must leave, I'll have to go
To Las Vegas or Monaco
And win a fortune in a game, my life will never be the same

Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world

Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world

It's a rich man's world

Cult Stock

What is a Cult Stock?

A Cult Stock is a stock that has insignificant fundamental value but a large investor following. People are lured to cult stocks because of big stories, normally regarding big contracts about to be signed or newest discovery in oil, gold or drugs that can do wonders.

The majority of Mesdaq counters (now renamed AEC counters) are Cult Stocks. Many people got their fingers burned buying there counters. Don't go for Cult Stocks. The odds of winning buying Cult Stocks are heavily against you.

World's Billionaires

Bill Gates lost $18 billions in 2008 but regained the tittle as the world's richest man in 2009. What happened to Warren Buffett? Read here.

Bear Raid

What is a Bear Raid (BR)?

A BR is a strategy to push down the price of a stock. Only a big trader or a cartel of traders is able to do this. Many people will suffer devastating loss of money in a BR. Accordingly to security law, a BR is illegal and the manipulators can be fined or imprisoned.
In countries where short selling is legal, a BR usually commenced with short selling followed by heavy aggressive selling and the spreading of negative rumors. These activities cause the prices of the targeted stocks to plummet. When the prices have dropped to a sufficiently low level, the manipulators will buy back the stock.
If you are a proficient chart reader, you should be able to detect these selling and buying activities. The BR is the opposite of the Pump & Dump strategy. Savvy investors and smart traders are able to profit from these manipulations. Can you?

Bear Hug

Do you know what is a Bear Hug? In stock market jargon, a Bear Hug is a very generous offer made by one company to take over another company. A Bear Hug is usually made when there is doubt that the target company will be willing to sell. When a Bear Hug is made, the deal would normally be done because the management of the target company is legally obliged to look after its shareholders.

Red Crabs

Do these crabs have any economic value? They should be turned into fertilizers, if not food.

Never trade without a stop-loss

The certain way to profit is to limit the impact of your bad decision and maximize your good ones.
-Dr Steve Sjuggerud

Excercising your trailing stop, no matter how painful, is the right thing to do if you are a trader.

Wang Yung-ching

Taiwan's second richest man has to pay $645 million inheritance tax. I wonder how come such a rich man is not able to manage his tax competently. Read more here.

There is a time to reap and a time to sow

Brutus:
There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures. (Shakespere)

Using the above quote as an analogy, clearly there is a time to reap and a time to sow.

Buffett said, " Our favourite holding period is forever." Please don't take him too literally. His number 1 rule is not to lose money. But in 2008, he lost billions when he bought Conoco Phillips when oil was over $100.

Even great man can be dead wrong. It's easy to get swept up in a great rally when excitement is immense.

Euphoria is your enemy. Take heed!

Cash Flow Statement

Cash is the king, they say. If a company does not have enough cash to pay its staff or workers, it will be in trouble. All utility bills, phone bills or payments for raw materials must also be settled in time. Therefore it is essential that you look into the Cash Flow Statement (CFS) to see how money flows in and out of the company. Avoid companies that have cash flow problems.

The CFS is one of the three important financial statements in an annual report. The other two are the Balance Sheet and the Income Statement. If you have not studied accounting before, reading and understanding these statements will not be easy.

Nothing of value is ever achieved without hard work. So, no matter how hard it is, you must upgrade yourself if you want to become competent to compete with others in the stock market. Don't forget that some of the finest brains are there.

Solitude

Oh Solitude! this must be thy charm that sages have seen in thy face.

FimaCor (Stock Code 3107)

FimaCorp (Stock Code:3107)

Right on the heels of Plenitude is FimaCorp which announces excellent 3Q result. For the 3 months ended 31.12.2009, EPS jump to 25.06 sens while revenue goes up to 75,497. This compares well to 54,801 in the preceding year's corresponding period.

FimaCorp is in the business of trading and producing security and financial documents. It has income from rental and management of commercial properties. It is also in oil palm production and processing. It has 6,374 hectares of oil palm in Indonesia of which 5,656 hectares are matured.

The financial position of this small cap stock is extremely strong. Cash and bank balances at 87,691 has jumped 272.58% from a year ago. For a more understanding of this company, you can read it at Google Finance.

As usual, buy, sell or hold at your own risk. Good luck.

Oprah Winfrey

With an estimated net worth of over $1 billion, an Academy Award nomination, an Emmy-winning hit talk show, an XM satellite radio show, successful magazines (O, The Oprah Magazine, along with O at Home), and a cable channel (Oxygen Media, which she co-founded), Winfrey is an international media phenomenon. But even Winfrey, whom some considered so powerful that her campaigning for President Obama sealed him the election, has been vulnerable as of late. First, her school for girls in South Africa was hit with the second sexual harassment scandal in two years. Then she took a drubbing inNewsweek for supposedly giving a platform to dicey new age medicines. And, over the years, her ratings, though still the highest on daytime TV, continue to dwindle. Nevertheless, Oprah is still considered one of the most powerful forces in television--and the world.

PRESS RELEASE Date: 23 February 2010

PLENITUDE SECOND QUARTER RESULTS JUMP THREEFOLD ON STRONG PROPERTY SALES - Q2/10 Revenue jumps 202% while Net Profit surges 126% -

Kuala Lumpur, 23 February 2010 – Plenitude Berhad (“Plenitude” or the “Group”) reported an impressive threefold jump in its second quarter revenue for financial year ending 30 June 2010.

The Company announced its second quarter results ended 31 December 2009 (Q210) with a net profit of RM23.1 million or equivalent to 126% surge from the previous year’s corresponding quarter. The reported quarter revenue jumped to RM109.4 million, an increase of 202% from the previous year’s corresponding quarter.

According to Plenitude Executive Chairman Madam Chua Elsie, the strong demand and return of consumer confidence in the property market has benefited Plenitude particularly properties in Puchong, Johor and Penang which contributed substantially to this quarter’s performance.

“Our maiden luxury project in Penang, Bayu Ferringhi was in great demand and to date, only a few Bumiputra units of the condominium are available” she said. The subsequent launch of the 2 1⁄2 storey semi-detached homes in November 2009 to much fanfare by celebrity guest Phua Chu Kang also garnered much interest and sales.

“During this reporting quarter, our development in Puchong namely Taman Putra Prima also did exceptionally well. The high demand for our new launch, Phase 8A which consists of 197 units double storey terrace houses set a record sale for our subsidiary where all the units were sold out within two months from the launch date. The commercial development of 2 and 3 storey shop offices have also been sold out. We are of course extremely excited and driven by these developments,” added Mdm Chua.

Page 1 of 2PLENITUDE SECOND QUARTER RESULTS JUMP THREEFOLD ON STRONG PROPERTY SALES

“Sales for our other townships in Sungai Petani, Kedah and Taman Desa Tebrau, Johor also continue to rise. The attractive low interest rates offered by banks have also supported the increase in sales,” commented Mdm Chua.

“Plenitude’s continued strategy of prudent management, selection of strategic product launches have proven to be key factors in delivering our financial results today”

“We are pleased with our Company’s results for this reporting quarter as it continues to showcase the dedication and commitment of our team in delivering results to shareholders. We continue to stress on providing high quality products and services to our customers and we believe we have built a good and solid reputation in the market place,” she added

The cumulative half yearly results for financial year 2010 saw a profit after tax of RM34.9 million over revenue of RM167.3 million. This represented an overall increase of 49% and 61% in net profit and revenue respectively. Drawn on fundamental growth, Plenitude is poised to develop positively as the uptrend continues.

Given this positive environment, the cumulative half year earnings per share also soared to 25.83 sen compared to 17.38 sen for the same period last year.

Plenitude

Plenitude is poised to rise tomorrow following the release of excellent quarterly result. To the management of Plenitude, I say, Bravo, Well Done, Keep Up Your Good Work!

Telekom

On September 28, 2007, TM announced a revamp of its corporate structure, de-merging its fixed-line and mobile businesses into two separate companies: "FixedCo" and "RegionCo". FixedCo will comprise its domestic fixed-line business, internet service provider and other ancillary businesses. RegionCo will comprise Celcom, its domestic cellular operator, and all of its international operations. The de-merger exercise is scheduled to be completed by Q1 2008 and both FixedCo and RegionCo will be listed on Bursa Malaysia by June 2008.^[4][5]

On December 10, 2007, TM announced a special dividend amounting to RM 1.6 billion to its shareholder. TM further added that after the demerger, Fixed Co. will adopt a dividend policy of a minimum RM700mil or up to 90% of normalized net profit, whichever is higher.^[6]

On April 11, 2008, Telekom Malaysia announced that TM International will be listed on the Bursa Malaysia by April 28, 2008.^[7] TM International is renamed as Axiata Group Berhad in May 2009.

Dialog Telekom customer base as of end 2008 was 5.5 millions

(The above article is an excerpt from Wikipedia)

As at 31.12.2009, the key statistics of TM are as follows:

Share Capital: 3,5343m. Total capital and reserve: 6,987.5m. Par value per share: RM1. Borrowings: 6,713.2m Cash & Cash Balances: 3,249m. Current assets: 6,180. Current liabilities: 4,441m. EPS: 18.30. Net assets per share: RM1.92. Last done price: RM3.35 per share.

TM has just announced a final dividend of 13 sen per share. Whether this is tax free or not, is not known yet. Earlier, it has paid an interim dividend of 10 sen per share. TM is paying more than it earns. Is this a reflection that it is confident of its future earnings? Of interest is that TM has a dividend policy of paying out RM700 million or 90% of its normalized earnings yearly. For those who are looking for good yield and safety of principal, this stock merits consideration.

Value your life; always wear your seat belt

http://www.tinyurl.com/embr...

Resort World Sentosa (RWS)

Will RWS be a roaring success? It's casino commenced business in the lunar year of the tiger on the 14 Feb 2010.

Genting Singapore

Does this chart look bearish to you?