Year: 2021

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP Will SIA share price see daylight soon? Confidence in air travel has taken severe knocks following multiple waves of COVID-19 infections in various countries, not to mention the devastating second wave in India. Yet against this backdrop, USA and European countries are seeing drastic drops in COVID-19 infections and deaths due to aggressive vaccination programmes.

In March 2021, I wrote that SIA share price could be in for an explosive destiny following the release of full-year financial result FY20/21. Back then, I had predicted that the full-year losses to be around $3.5 billion but it turned out that the actual losses amounted to $4.2 billion. Prior to the result release, SIA share price suffered some correction, falling from $5.70 in April to the current $4.80.

SIA share price in explosive destiny

SIA share price smashed into rock

SIA share price in darkest chapter

SIA share price faces brutal meltdown

As expected, the correction for SIA share price is limited as most investors had anticipated the record losses prior to the release of the result. The question now is: how would the market react to the $6.2 billion mandatory convertible bonds (MCBs). For sure, the MCBs will strengthen the national carrier’s balance sheet.

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP 27 May 2021 will be destiny day for Singtel share price as the full-year financial result will be unveiled. Yet on 14 May 2021, Singtel management shocked investors by revealing that the results for financial year ended 31 March 2021 are expected to include net exceptional losses of $1.21 billion. Should investors run for their lives before Singtel share price blew up in pieces?

In my opinion, credit must be given to the management for giving retail investors ample warning about the upcoming headwind. Hand on heart, I am impressed by the management’s transparency. With this upfront caveat, at least most investors will be mentally prepared for the 27 May result. However, at the back of most investors’ mind must be the scale of collateral damage on the final dividend.

Widely viewed as a dividend stock, Singtel is extremely popular among Singaporean investors as many retirees depend on this evergreen counter for passive income. For FY2020, underlying net profit declined 13% to $2.46 billion. As a result, the total dividends decreased to 12.25 cents from 17.5 cents in FY2019. With the bombshell revelation of net exceptional losses, I expect Singtel share price to come under severe pressure next week.

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP After I published my investment portfolio in the previous article, an SG Wealth Builder requested me to do a deep dive into another stock in my portfolio – Mapletree Logistics Trust (SGX: M44U). As this counter is my largest investment in 2021 so far, I am more than happy to share an in-depth analysis on this S-REIT.

I have been covering Mapletree Logistics Trust (M44U) since 2018. The reasons for my conviction in this S-REIT are due to the rising unit price and the distributions in recent years. Since IPO, share price has surged from $0.63 to the current $1.90. On the other hand, annual distributions had increased from $0.0686 in FY12/13 to $0.08326 in FY20/21. Loyal investors of Mapletree Logistics Trust (M44U) must be laughing all the way to the bank!

For the uninitiated, Mapletree Logistics Trust (M44U)’s principal strategy is to invest in a diversified portfolio of income-producing logistics real estate as well as real estate-related assets in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific logistics sector. Sovereign wealth fund, Temasek Holdings, has about 33.1% stake in this S-REIT, holding 1.42 billion shares.

During COVID-19, Mapletree Logistics Trust (M44U) went on an aggressive acquisition spree to scale its business across the Asia-Pacific region.

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP As a matter of policy, I do not usually share my stock investment portfolio in this blog. This is because I do not want to create the impression that I am showing off my wealth. However, at the request of an SG Wealth Builder member, I will provide at an update on my investment portfolio as at 12 May 2021. The recent devastating meltdown of AEM share price has dented the market value of my portfolio. So this update will be quite unflattering to say the least.

Given the current crisis of confidence for AEM share price, the thought of cutting losses did cross my mind to be honest. But my portfolio diversification and contra gains helped to mitigate the unrealized losses from AEM. Furthermore, AEM constituted just 11.5% of my portfolio. Henceforth, the damage from the fallout of AEM share price is largely contained. In view of this, I have decided to hold this stock for the time being and give the management the benefits of the doubt to prove themselves.

From $4.18 on 29 April to a low of $3.40 on 11 May, AEM share price plunged by a whopping 18.7%. The crash of AEM share price followed the release of Q1FY2021 financial result which saw revenue collapsed 45.4% year-on-year.

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP My last coverage of Hour Glass share price was in June 2019. That was nearly two years ago. Recently, a new member of SG Wealth Builder requested for my insights on the potentials of Hour Glass share price and Cortina share price. In this regard, I thought it is timely to blog about these two counters.

Between the two home-grown luxury watch retailers, Hour Glass has a much bigger market capitalization ($662.7 million) as compared to Cortina ($374.2 million). But what is puzzling to me is that both counters enjoy incredible bull runs from 2020 until now. Given that luxury watch retailers’ business is highly sensitive to economic condition, the performances of Hour Glass share price and Cortina share price have exceeded expectations.

Mind you, the global economy is still struggling under the devastating impacts of COVID-19. In view of this, what could be the key catalysts that turbocharged Hour Glass share price and Cortina share price?

In my opinion, the biggest factor for the explosive runs of Hour Glass share and Cortina share price should be the restored stability of Hong Kong market, which is the world’s largest market for Swiss luxury watches. Back in 2019, Hong Kong was mired in never-ending civil riots, causing plenty of uncertainties among investors.

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP Will AEM share price hit high heavens with a Nasdaq listing? Speculative rumors of a potential listing in Nasdaq had been ongoing for two years. The market rumors went into an overdrive in July 2020 when SGX and Nasdaq entered into an agreement to help companies access capital markets funding in both jurisdictions. While the company has never announced that a listing in Nasdaq is on the cards, my vision is that a listing in Nasdaq should be the endgame for AEM share price.

AEM share price rockets to the moon!

AEM share price to hit $6?

In my memory, the last time that a home-grown company that got listed in Nasdaq was Creative Technologies. In 2007, Creative exited Nasdaq after winning a $100 million patent dispute against Apple. In my opinion, AEM must have learned the painful lessons from the Creative saga and pivoted its business on developing innovative solutions for its customers. This means that in order for AEM to become the defacto “King of Technology”, the company must continuously develop patents to protect its intellectual properties.

Indeed, Non-executive Chairman Loke Wai San is the right man for the right job at the right time. Being trained in engineering, Loke Wai San was the man who led AEM share price out of dark Egypt when the former management of AEM was embroiled in corruption scandal in 2012.

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP 2 November 2020 will be remembered by many investors as the darkest day for Singtel share price. That was the fateful day that Singtel share price crashed to decades low of $2.00. The dismal form of Singtel share price is perhaps a vote of no confidence in the company’s outlook. Nonetheless, Singtel share price fought back from the low to reach a high of $2.40. The turn of Singtel share price came after the digital bank license win in December 2020.

Singtel share price sinks or swims with digital banks

Singtel share price in state of emergency

Singtel share price crashed to 12-year low

Singtel share price braces for bloodbath

On looking back, Singtel share price peaked at a high of $4.40 in April 2015. Incidentally, SingPost share price also peaked at a high of $2.00 in that period. Subsequently, the implosion of the corporate governance over at SingPost had caused the share price of the mailing company to suffer a horrendous meltdown. Being a substantial shareholder of SingPost, Singtel had to dispatch its former Chairman, Simon Israel, to double hat as Chairman of SingPost. Consequently, Singtel share price never recapture the high of $4.40.

Obviously, it is irresponsible to attribute the downfall of Singtel share price to events unfolding at SingPost given that they are two separate entities operating in different sectors.

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP When will Temasek Holdings drop the bombshell? Speculations of a merger between Keppel Offshore Marine (KOM) and Sembcorp Marine had been brewing for years. In fact, the merger appeared to be looming when Temasek Holdings made a partial offer for Keppel Corp in 2019. However, the withdrawal of the partial offer in 2020 threw a spanner in the works. Even so, most investors expect the merger to take place given the potential for synergy and cost savings. In this context, what will the impact for Sembcorp Marine share price if the merger does occur?

In a bizarre turn of event, Sembcorp Marine will become the global top oil-rig builder following Keppel Corp’s announcement to exit the business within two to three years. Whether this development will enable light at end of tunnel for Sembcorp marine share price is subjected to debate. Nonetheless, the move to pivot its business in the renewable energy industry is encouraging.

Sembcorp Marine share price & the Big Boys

Looking at the SGX Market Depth data (16 April), it seems that Sembcorp Marine share price enjoys good support from the big boys. As can be seen from the above data, there is 91 queue orders of 7,987,600 shares.

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP Will the coming financial result set DBS Group share price on fire? While OCBC share price is on a roll following three consecutive of net profit growth, things had not been so rosy at DBS Group. In third quarter, the bank announced a stunning 22% decline in net profit for 4QFY2020 on a quarter-to-quarter basis. Against this backdrop, DBS Group share price could be at an intriguing cross-road.

Unlike OCBC and UOB, DBS Bank should be viewed as a pure-play growth stock. This is because its key businesses are entrenched mainly in banking and wealth management sectors. On the other hand, OCBC and UOB are known to have substantial stakes in non-financial sectors like property development (UOL), stock brokerage (UOB Kay Hian), insurance (Great Eastern), etc. In view of this, DBS Group share price movements are highly sensitive to macro-economic conditions and also its top-line growth.

Indeed, DBS Group share price explosive surge since November 2020 was largely due to the COVID-19 vaccination, which ignited hopes of global economic recovery in 2021. Arising from this, institutional funds started to rotate out of technology stocks and poured funds into bank stocks, pushing DBS Group share price to nearly the record high of $30 (pre-COVID level).

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP OCBC share price is ready to rock again! In my previous article written on 5 February 2021, I wrote that OCBC share price could remain sluggish if the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)’s measure on bank share buybacks is firmly set in place. Since that fateful article, the management retaliated by launching a series of shares buybacks. For sure, the slew of share buybacks by OCBC caught me by surprise. Nonetheless, the moves provided good support for the bullish run of OCBC share price.

Although the current bullish form of OCBC share price should be attributed mainly to the improving economic conditions, the resumption of the share buybacks will bode well for OCBC share price. In comparison to DBS and UOB, OCBC is considered the most aggressive when it comes to share buybacks in recent years. In fact, the series of share buybacks in March and April 2020 enabled OCBC share price to make a swift recovery from the low of $7.80.

Incidentally, the share buybacks also occurred at a time when Deputy President and Head of Global Wholesale Banking Helen Wong will take over as Group CEO from April 15. With a recovering OCBC share price, it seems that the new CEO will start her tenure on a positive note.

SIGN UP FOR $10 TO UNLOCK ALL ARTICLES! Amid the onset of pandemic, many S-REITs have been adversely impacted due to the lockdowns in global cities and travel restrictions. Among the badly hit sectors are those S-REITs with core businesses in shopping malls and hospitality. Mapletree Logistics Trust (M44U) is one of the few S-REITs that bucked the trend.

Since the onset of COVID-19, Mapletree Logistics Trust (M44U) went on a crazy acquisition spree. Within the span of a year, the portfolio increased from 145 to 163 properties comprising 52 properties in Singapore, 9 in Hong Kong SAR, 18 in Japan, 30 in China, 12 in Australia, 15 in Malaysia, 18 in South Korea, 7 in Vietnam and 2 in India. The total value of assets under management is approximately $10.6 billion.

MLT share price at record high

Mapletree Logistics Trust in amazing form

Crazy Rich Mapletree Logistics Trust

Scary growth project of Mapletree Logistics Trust

In FY20/21, Mapletree Logistics Trust(M44U) acquired 18 properties, as compared to nine in FY19/20. The aggressive acquisition spree indicates that the management is confident of a global economy recovery in 2021. Indeed, despite the recent resurgence of COVID-19 infections, Mapletree Logistics Trust portfolio remains resilient.

SIGN UP FOR $10 TO UNLOCK ALL ARTICLES! Every dog has its day. Recently, Hong Fok share price stole the limelight when the counter surged to a 14-year high following an article in The Straits Times claiming that Hong Fok share price could be undervalued. Yes, you are right, its 14-year high. At the point of writing, Hong Fok share price is trading at $1.05. The last time that Hong Fok share price was trading at $1.05 was in 2007.

The incredible surge of Hong Fok share price should be the work of the big boys. It is almost impossible for retail investors to push up the stock in such a manner. At least not in SGX. Question now is whether it is too late for retail investors to jump on the bandwagon.

Recently, one of the long-time members of this blog requested for a review on Hong Fok share price. I am more than happy to do a coverage on Hong Fok share price as this is one of the privileges of being a member of this blog. If you are keen to ask for coverage on certain investment products or stocks, do sign up for SG Wealth Builder membership!

SIGN UP FOR $10 TO UNLOCK ALL ARTICLES! What a comeback! The recent tech rout has caused AEM share price to plummet from $4.60 in February to a low of $3.70 in March. The bearish sentiments for the tech sector are due to investors rotating out of tech into cyclical stocks. Nevertheless, AEM share price stormed back in style on 23 March following news that Intel would reinvest US$20 billion to build two new chip factories in Arizona.

Being a long-time equipment testing supplier of Intel, AEM share price is intricately linked to developments at Intel. Investors would recall that in July 2020, AEM share price suffered meltdown following news of Intel’s announcement of delay in production of 7nm-based CPU for about 6 months.

The recent announcement by the new Intel CEO boosted AEM share price because the US giant is planning to become a manufacturing partner for other chip designers. Previously, Intel has always design and manufacture its own chips. The latest move would see Intel building chips for Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Qualcomm. There are even talks of Intel re-capturing Apple.

AEM share price to hit $6?

AEM share price ready for Nasdaq listing?

AEM share price worth $10?

SIGN UP FOR $10 TO UNLOCK ALL ARTICLES! Since the implosion of the pandemic in 2020, the US stock market had witnessed a frenzy of trading activities among retail investors. The spike in retail trading was largely due to the volatility seen in the market. In addition, the pandemic had resulted in lockdowns in various global cities. This led to prevalent work-from-home trends among retail investors, who have more opportunities to trade from the comfort of their homes. The shift led to a proliferation of low-cost investment platforms like Robinhood. The latest one to arrive in Singapore is Moomoo Trading (Futu).

Recently, one of the long-time members of this blog requested for a review on Moomoo Trading (Futu) platform. I am more than happy to do a coverage on the platform as this is one of the privileges of being a member of this blog. If you are keen to ask for coverage on certain investment products or stocks, do sign up for SG Wealth Builder membership! I will try my best to do an objective and balanced review.

As this topic is requested by a blog member, I must put a disclaimer that this article is not sponsored nor reviewed by Moomoo Trading (Futu).

SIGN UP FOR $10 TO UNLOCK ALL ARTICLES! It’s like an intriguing plot straight out of Hong Kong’s TVB drama. The unfolding Sincere Property saga has rocked Singapore’s leading property giant, City Developments Limited (CDL), which announced an impairment loss of $1.78 billion due to investments in the Chinese property developer. The impairment contributed to the Group’s worst full-year financial performance in its operating history. Arising from this crisis, investors must be sweating on the kind of collateral damages that would be inflicted on CDL share price.

Investors first smelled blood for CDL share price in October 2020 when former director Kwek Leng Peck resigned after purported disagreements with the board over the Sincere investments. Consequently, the market reacted violently over Mr Kwek’s resignation, sending CDL share price spiralling out of control.

Can CDL share price shake the blues?

Following Mr Kwek’s resignation in October 2020, CDL share price fell from $7.70 to a low of $6.20. The correction represented almost 20% of CDL share price, so you can imagine the kind of seismic impact that Mr Kwek’s resignation inflicted on CDL share price. Since his departure, two more directors resigned over the fallout from the Sincere saga.

In retrospect, the recovery of CDL share price since November 2020 was largely due to the rollout of COVID-19 vaccination across global cities.

Sign up for only $19.99! My last article on SIA share price was on 22 May 2020. Back then, there were plenty of uncertainties for SIA share price due to the devastating COVID-19 pandemic and the massive $8.8 billion rights issue. In view of these circumstances, I felt that it would be unfair to judge the performance of SIA share price. Now that things had pretty settled down, I think it is time opportune to provide an update on the outlook for SIA share price.

In the blink of an eye, it has been one year since the initial pandemic outbreak. The world is still struggling with multiple waves of COVID-19 infections and travel restrictions are still imposed strictly across most countries. But in November 2020, the sudden announcement of vaccine ignited plenty of hope of recovery for the travel industry, causing SIA share price to jump from $3.40 to the current $5.60. Has SIA share price really bottomed out?

SIA share price smashed into rock

SIA share price in darkest chapter

SIA share price faces brutal meltdown

SIA share price to rock or melt with Special Share?

I have always maintained that our government will fight to the very end for SIA share price.

Sign up for only $19.99! My last coverage on Keppel DC REIT (AJBU) share price was on 7 February 2020. Back then, the counter was on a mighty form, surging from $2.00 to $2.33. Then, the 20 March market rout sent Keppel DC REIT (AJBU) share price tumbling to a low of $1.90. Thereafter, the share price steadily climbed to a high of $3.00 in October 2020 but unexpectedly tapered off to $2.70 toward the end of the year.

The beginning of 2021 saw Keppel DC REIT (AJBU) share price resuming its bullish form. However, the splendid run was recently halted by the devastating technology stocks sell-offs by the big boys. The massive US$1.9 trillion stimulus package by the US government led to a so-called rotation among institutional investors into valued stocks which had been walloped by coronavirus in 2020.

The volatility of Keppel DC REIT (AJBU) share price may have caused some concerns among investors. Being part of the prestigious Straits Times Index (STI), has the blue chip really lost its shine? Apparently, a member of SG Wealth Builder is concerned enough to seek my insights on Keppel DC REIT (AJBU) share price.

To put things into perspective, this is not the first time that Keppel DC REIT (AJBU) share price went into the correction territory.

Sign up for only $19.99! Amid the dearth of mega IPOs and a slew of delisting in SGX mainboard, Nanofilm Technologies’ explosive debut on 30 October 2020 certainly created a mighty buzz among Singapore investment community. In my memory, the last home-grown company that had debut with such fanfare was NetLink NBN Trust in 2017. Question now: is Nanofilm (MZH) share price overvalued?

Indeed, Nanofilm (MZH) share price made a strong start with an opening price of $2.77 and an intra-day high of $3.02. With solid support from a stellar group of institutional investors like Temasek Holdings, AIA, Credit Suisse, investing in this company seems like a no-brainer. Or is it so? Admittedly, I had been keen to invest in this stock but a review of its financial performances made me think that Nanofilm (MZH) share price could be grossly overvalued.

Before examining the valuation of Nanofilm (MZH) share price in details, let me give a brief overview of the company’s profile. Nanofilm is a nanotechnology solution provider with three business units – advanced material surface solutions, production and supply of nanoproducts and manufacture of industrial equipment. Nanofilm’s solutions can be adaptable for use in smartphones, automotive, printing, computers and wearables.

Sign up for only $19.99! In February 2021, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order to address a global semiconductor shortage. The recent explosive demand for chips arises because of supply chain disruption caused by pandemic. The shortage has resulted in serious production bottlenecks in US automobile industry. To add fuel to fire, the US-China trade saw companies like Apple and Sony hoarding chips for their electronic products. In view of this massive demand for computer chips, would AEM (AWX) share price rise to smash past $6?

The global shortage of semiconductors takes place at a time when US policymakers are about to unleash another stimulus package, estimated at a whopping US$1.9 trillion. Based on historical trends, the stimulus is expected to lead to another bull run in the stock market. So I am of the view that AEM (AWX) share price should enjoy another splendid run in the coming weeks.

AEM share price ready for Nasdaq listing?

AEM share price worth $10?

AEM share price rocked by Intel

AEM share price to rocket to $5.00?

Note that this is an opinion article and not meant to be a financial advice. Please do your due diligence or engage financial advisors before investing in the stock market.

Sign up for only $19.99! In my last article, I wrote that I have exited Sembcorp (U96) at $1.85 in December 2020. Indeed, the stock never really hit above $1.85 since my exit. But on 23 Feb, both Sembcorp (U96) and Sembcorp Marine (S51) share prices unexpectedly stirred back to life to increase marginally upon the release of full-year financial results for FY2020. What on earth has happened?

Given that Sembcorp (U96) suffered almost $1 billion of losses, a member of SG Wealth Builder wrote in to enquire why Sembcorp (U96) did not suffer a catastrophic meltdown but rose slightly instead. I will share my view on Sembcorp Marine briefly and then provide an in-depth analysis on Sembcorp (U96).

In my opinion, it is within expectation that Sembcorp Marine would incur heavy losses for FY2020 as COVID-19 led to various project stoppages and delays. Certainly, it is not light at end of tunnel yet. But the $2.1 billion rights issue had provided a crucial lifeline to Sembcorp Marine. In addition, Sembcorp Marine is also pivoting its business to green energy as the Group is actively tendering for more than 10 projects in Renewable Energy and Gas Solutions. These are certainly encouraging news for Sembcorp Marine investors.

Recently, one of the members of SG Wealth Builder wrote in to seek my opinion on the outlook for US stocks. Apparently, there is a lot of literature floating around stating that US stocks are in for a “lost decade”. As a matter of fact, even veteran investor, Charlie Munger, has weighed in and mentioned something to that effect.

How does a lost decade for US stocks affect retail investors and what sort of actions should we undertake against such backdrop?

This is not the first time that someone suggested that US stocks are poised to suffer a massive correction in 2021. In fact, a few members had expressed concerns that a “holocaust” for US stocks could be looming given the recent record highs of Dow Jones, S&P 500 and NASDAQ. Should investors run for their lives?

Obviously, no one can predict the future and trying to predict the future directions of US stocks is getting difficult nowadays with so much volatility ongoing in the market. Nonetheless, in this article, I will share a balanced and pragmatic outlook of US stocks.

Note that this is an opinion article and not meant to be a financial advice. Please do your due diligence or engage financial advisors before investing in US stocks.

Sign up for only $19.99! Many investors claim that the best time to buy a stock is when the price has reached bottom. After all, when one reaches the bottom of the cliff, the only way to go is upwards. In this regard, has DBS share price (SGX: D05) bottomed out or has it gotten ahead of its business fundamentals?

Being one of the leading lights of SGX, DBS share price (SGX: D05) is considered a key barometer of local stock market performance. Amid the disruptions caused by COVID-19 pandemic, many investors scrutinize DBS share price (SGX: D05) for signs of economic recovery.

For sure, 2020 had been such a horrible year for everyone with the implosion of COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the devastating economic impacts of coronavirus, it took only nine months for DBS share price (SGX: D05) to stage a U-shape recovery. By December, the stock has recovered back to the pre COVID-19 levels (the stock was trading around $25 in the latter half of 2019).

DBS Group Holdings riding the storm

DBS Group Holdings share price & Piyush Gupta

In all honesty, the performance of DBS share price (SGX: D05) in the past six months had exceeded my expectations.

Sign up for only $19.99! How high will Parkway Life REIT go? Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital S-REIT acquired another nursing home in Japan, divested a non-core property in Japan and also delivered an impressive set of full-year financial result. These events helped to turbo-charge the unit price of Parkway Life REIT to wonderland. At the going rate, this counter is behaving more like a growth stock instead of a REIT.

The interesting thing about Parkway Life REIT is that the counter is not just performing like a growth stock, it also has an impressive 13-year track record of DPU growth since IPO. Indeed, this sounds incredible as there are not many such stocks in Singapore Exchange. But I am not joking. The graph below depicts the kind of growth for Parkway Life REIT.

Source: Parkway Life REIT

Question now is: will Parkway Life REIT hit $5 in 2021? On the basis of the current form, hitting $5 is not considered to be “mission impossible”. Frankly, I have been a long-time admirer of Parkway Life REIT. But if the counter really reached such a level, does it represent any value for money for investors to enter? In this article, I will share my analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on the financial performance of Parkway Life REIT.

Sign up for only $19.99! The last time that I covered Alibaba was in January 2019. Back then, Alibaba had not yet launched a secondary listing in Hong Kong and the former British colony was in complete turmoil with the unrelenting civil protests. To make matters worse, the company’s US stock was reeling from the devastating fallout from the US-China trade war. Since then, Alibaba (HKG: 9988) was listed in Hong Kong but the landscape has turned significantly darker with the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. And then, there is the Ant Group IPO fiasco.

Given the series of unfortunate events, is it the right time to invest in Alibaba (9988) now?

Alibaba share price in wonderland with Temasek Holdings

Dark side of Alibaba Group

Recently, a member wrote in to ask for my insights on the leading Chinese e-commerce giant. Indeed, investing in Alibaba (9988) has not been easy because of the unfolding events. But if investors are willing to invest in this stock for the long-term, Alibaba (9988) could be a good match for Amazon stock, which surged 10-fold in value from 2015 to 2021.

The enduring form of Amazon proved that e-commerce is here to stay. In my opinion, this sector will only keep growing exponentially due to lifestyle trending and global digitization.

Sign up for only $19.99! What a way for OCBC share to start the year. On 8 January 2021, OCBC stunned investors by announcing the retirement of former CEO Samuel Tsien. Prior to this, there was no hint of succession planning for the CEO position. Nonetheless, the market cheered the news and sent OCBC share price surging 7%, rising from $10.10 to a high of $10.80 on 8 January 2021. Will the new CEO, Ms Helen Wong, ignited sparks for OCBC share price?

Hands on heart, I have nothing against Samuel Tsien. In fact, I quite like him. Over the past decade, OCBC has emerged as the number two bank in Singapore, much thanks to the acquisitions of Hong Kong’s Wing Hang Bank, Barclays Wealth and Investment businesses in Singapore and Australia and National Australia’s Wealth and Investment businesses in Singapore and Australia. These mergers and acquisitions led to rising OCBC share price during Samuel Tsien’s tenure.

Although Samuel Tsien’s tenure in OCBC had been defined by successful merger and acquisitions, the final lap of his helm saw OCBC share price losing form due to the 2019’s US-China trade war and the 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic. Admittedly, I had lost patience with this counter.

Sign up for only $19.99! Could this be the beginning of the end? The recent GameStop share price saga has upended the conventional wisdom in stock markets. For centuries, the big boys had always ruled the financial markets. Based on my knowledge, there was no precedent in which retail investors win the big boys. But in the last week of January 2021, the world has witnessed an extra-ordinary event in which the big boys of Wall Street was thrashed by the retail investors.

In late January 2021, there were reports of US hedge funds losing billions in assets after retail traders drove up prices of shares that were being heavily shorted by the big boys. GameStop share price, a loss-making video game retailer in US, had become a key battleground between the retail investors and the hedge funds.

Without taking sides, I am more worried about the implications out of this saga. When the big boys need to cover their short selling losses, they would have to deleverage and sell their liquid assets, namely the blue chips. As Dow Jones is dominated by thirty blue chips, the sell-offs by the big boys had caused the index to plunge 600 points on 30 January 2021.