Author: sgwealthbuilder

Stocks

OCBC share price (SGX: O39) to rocket with record earnings?

Sign up for only $19.99! My first article of the year will be on OCBC share price (SGX: O39). 2022 is considered by many investors to be a pivotal year as Singapore’s economy continues its path of recovery from the devastating pandemic. Many of us harbour fervent hopes that 2022 will herald the light at end of tunnel for this never-ending crisis. Inevitably, investors’ attention will focus on bank stocks like DBS, OCBC and UOB as they are the bellwether of the economy.

All eyes should be on the full-year financial result, which is expected to be released in the third week of February 2022. Will the result set OCBC share price on fire? Based on 9MFY2021 result, the net profit reached $3.885 billion while the net profit amounted to $1.224 billion in 3QFY2021. Looking at the trend of the past three quarters’ result, there is a strong possibility that 4QFY2021 may hit at least $1.2 billion of profit. If so, then full-year net profit for OCBC could smash a record $5 billion!

OCBC share price

The previous record net profit for OCBC was in FY2019 ($4.87 billion). Unfortunately, that result was released in February 2020, which was right smack in the initial onset of the pandemic.

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Stocks

Singtel share price (SGX: Z74) in perfect storm

Lifetime Membership In my last article on Singtel share price, I wrote that this counter has bottomed out. Yet, following that article, Singtel share price plunged 8.5%, falling from $2.58 to a low of $2.36 on 30 November. Apparently, Omicron variant has emerged out of nowhere to cause the train-wreck of Singtel share price.

Singtel’s sprawling telco businesses are prone to the impact of the pandemic as a significant portion of the Group’s revenue is derived from roaming revenue from tourists. Hence, a protracted pandemic crisis could possibly shake confidence in Singtel share price. Nevertheless, as we entered December, Singtel share price stabilized to $2.40 level as the market digested emerging data on Omicron variant, which is deemed to be highly contagious but less likely to cause severe illnesses among patients.

Singtel share price

For the past two years, I reckon many Singtel investors did not have a good sleep as COVID-19 has caused plenty of uncertainties for Singtel share price. But that’s not all. On 17 December, another bombshell awaited investors. The Group announced that its subsidiary, Singapore Telecom Australia Investments Pty Ltd (“STAI”), has received an unfavorable judgment from the Federal Court of Australia over the acquisition financing of Singtel Optus Pty Limited in 2001.

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Stocks

DBS share price (SGX: D05) on the way to $50?

Lifetime Membership What a roller-coaster ride for investors! This year’s November was one of the most terrifying months in recent years for DBS Bank as it endured market’s reaction to a subpar 9MFY2021 financial result and suffered one of the worst service disruptions in the past decade. Adding the emergence of Omicron variant, we have the perfect storm for DBS share price. But as we approach 2022, DBS share price is poised for an explosive bull run that could see the counter smashing the pivotal $50 mark.

DBS share price

Year-to-date, DBS share price surged 28%. In fact, the majestic run of DBS share price saw the counter hitting a record high of $32.60 on 8 November. However, the wheels came off the wagon after the bank reported a disappointing 9MFY2021 financial result that saw net income interest falling 9% year-on-year. The following Monday (8 November), DBS share price turned bearish.

Suffice to say, the much-publicised outage of DBS online services further dented investors’ confidence on DBS share price. And then Omicron variant arrived to cause DBS share price to plunge to a low of $30 on 30 November. Looking at the data extracted from SGX, it is evident that the massive correction of DBS share price was largely due to short-selling activities.

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Stocks

Jardine C&C share price to storm back in 2022?

Lifetime Membership And then, there are left with four of them. With the delisting of Jardine Strategic from SGX in April 2021, the four affiliated members of the Jardine Matheson group remains in Straits Times Index (STI) – HongKong Land, Dairy Farm, Jardine Matheson Holdings and Jardine C&C. These four “Hong Kong Heavenly Kings” had dominated STI for years and are all part of the Jardine Matheson Group. Recently, a Lifetime Member has requested me to do a research on Jardine C&C share price, which I will gladly do so in this article.

Previously, I had written an article on HongKong Land. For many Singaporeans, Cycle and Carriage needs no introduction. The company is the authorized dealer for automotive brands like Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Kia and etc. Their business includes automotive distribution, retail and aftermarket services, spanning across Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar. Cycle and Carriage is one of the Direct Motor businesses under Jardine C&C portfolio. However, in analysing Jardine C&C share price, it is important to note the other key businesses of the Group. Take note that Direct Motor contributed to just 30% of Jardine C&C’s underlying profits in 2020.

Jardine C&C share

Although Jardine C&C is listed in SGX and has presence in Singapore through its automotive business, analysing Jardine C&C share price is not so straightforward.

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Money management; personal finance; relationship

Three important money advices

Lifetime Membership Season greetings to all readers of SG Wealth Builder! In the blink of an eye, we are heading toward the third year of the pandemic. It’s incredible how time flies! In this article, I will share my insights on three important money advices. The story is written from the perspective of Christianity but I have adapted the story to reframe it from the angle of wealth building. Note that I am not a Christian and this is definitely not an article meant to spread Christianity. Instead, I believe that readers can benefit very much from this sharing in the course of their financial journey.

In life, we will always receive money advice from well-meaning friends and relatives. Yet, very often, it is only those simple money advices that really withstand the test of time. As a matter of fact, the three money advices contained in this article served me rather well in my financial journey. Thus, I am sharing this article with readers.

money advices

The long journey

Once upon a time, there was a poor young man named David who just got married. The couple lived in a small farm. David wanted a better life for his wife and decided to venture out to find a better job.

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Stocks

Vicom share price lost steam!

Lifetime Membership Being the largest vehicle inspection and testing provider in Singapore, Vicom needs no introduction. In 2019, Vicom share price had been in a splendid form, surging from $6 in January 2019 to cap a high of $7.70 at end of 2019. In June 2020, the completion of the 1-to-4 stock split saw the counter trading at about $8.50 (in terms of pre-stock split level) at end of 2020.

In 2021, Vicom share price continued its fine form till May 2021. Since then, the counter fell to the current $2.05 bandwidth (which is about $8.20 in terms of pre-stock split level). The sudden loss of form of Vicom share price caught some investors by surprise. Is this the end of the road for Vicom share price? A long-time SG Wealth Builder Lifetime Member is concerned about the loss of form for Vicom share price and requested my insight.

Vicom share price

Vicom’s vehicle inspection and testing services are essential services. Thus, this business segment should be immune to the impact of the pandemic. Amid the pandemic, the Group even increased its market share in the vehicle testing business from 74% in 2019 to 75.2% in 2020. In view of this, investors must be wondering what could be the underlying causes for the mystery slump of Vicom share price in 2021.

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Stocks

OCBC share price to rocket with Great Eastern Holdings exit?

Lifetime Membership Will it be 3rd time lucky for OCBC Bank? The venerable bank tried to privatise Great Eastern Holdings (GEH) unsuccessfully in 2004 and 2006. In the 2006 attempt, OCBC Bank managed to raised its stake in Great Eastern to 87.1%. Since then, OCBC Bank has steadily increased its stake to 87.91% as at 31 March 2021. If a privatisation does materialise, what would be the impact on OCBC share price (SGX: O39)?

Under SGX Rule 723 of the Listing Manual, listed companies must ensure that at least 10% of their issued shares must be held by the public. As OCBC currently holds about 12% of Great Eastern, the bank would just need to acquire only 2% more of Great Eastern shares in order to trigger the mandatory delisting requirement. The impetus for the acquisition should be the ailing OCBC share price.

OCBC share price

Year-to-date, OCBC share price has increased by a mere 12.9%. In contrast, DBS share price has surged by a whopping 26.7% year-to-date. Notably, the explosive surge in DBS share price came after its acquisition of 13% stake in Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank in April 2021 and India’s Lakshmi Vilas Bank in November 2020. The acquisitions signalled the growth initiatives of DBS and helped to diversify revenue sources.

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Stocks

SIA share price (SGX: C6L) so bad its good!

Lifetime Membership What a roller coaster ride for SIA investors! From a high of $5.55 on 15 October, SIA share price languished to $5.00 following the torpedo from Omicron variant. Due to the countless twists and turns of the pandemic saga, analyzing the outlook of SIA share price is always a tricky business. Prior to the arrival of Omicron, SIA share price was in bullish form due to the launch of a slew of Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with countries in US and Europe. And then Omicron emerged out of nowhere to wretch the form of SIA share price. Should investors run for their lives?

SIA share price

When news of Omicron broke, SIA share price took a hit as the market initially did not have a sense of how deadly or contagious this variant is. The fear then was that Omicron could lead to another wave of crippling lockdowns and borders’ restrictions among countries. The knee jerk reactions could be forgiven due to the lack of data. But recent release by health authorities suggested that this variant may not be as deadly as the Delta variant. In addition to that, Pfizer has claimed that three shots of its vaccines could neutralize Omicron variant based on laboratory tests.

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Stocks

UOB share price (SGX: U11) in power tailwind

Lifetime Membership As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts many boats. The much-anticipated interest rate hikes in 2022 are expected to set fire on local bank stocks, including UOB share price. Despite the buoyant outlook, UOB share price has not reached the record level of $30 last seen in May 2018. This is unlike its peer, DBS share price, which has raced past the $30 mark in July 2021. If UOB share price had matched the form of DBS share price, UOB would have become Singapore’s second largest bank (in terms of market capitalization).

The last time that I covered UOB share price was on 15 May 2020. That was one of the darkest chapters for UOB share price as the global stock markets were reeling from the onset of the pandemic. In Singapore, there were plenty of uncertainties due to the implementation of Circuit Breaker measures. Subsequently, UOB share price staged a U-shaped recovery as the unprecedented three Budget stimulus packages worked their magic.

UOB share priceThe announcement of COVID-19 vaccine in late 2020 had sparked off a rally for UOB share price. Investors were given hope that the vaccine will spell the end of the terrible pandemic. As we entered 2021, we have not seen the light at end of tunnel due to the emergence of variants, the latest being Omicron.

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Gold

Gold price: Singapore government bought bullion!

On 30 November 2021, The Straits Times reported that Singapore government bought gold bullion to add to the national reserves for the first time in 20 years. According to data extracted from Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity reports, the value of gold reserves held Singapore in April 2021 amounted to US$211.7 million and (4.096 million troy ounces). But by June 2021, the amount of gold reserves surged to a staggering US$1.8 billion. Interestingly, the Singapore government bought bullion when gold price has bottomed.

Given that this is the first increase in gold reserve for the first time in decades, it is evident that Singapore government is not a big fan of bullion. Nonetheless, I would say the purchases were shrewd as they were bought after gold price bottomed out in April 2021. Unlike retail investors, central governments bought bullion as a means to diversify reserves. For Singapore government, this is no exception.

Source: BullionStar

Our official reserve assets amounted to US$385 billion in April 2021. However, the reserve soared to US$416 billion as of September 2021. The foreign currency reserves amounted to US$407 billion as of September 2021. As the foreign currency is in US dollar, it makes sense to me that Singapore government bought bullion to diversify the risk against the depreciation of US dollar.

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Stocks

AEM share price (SGX: AWX) in fairytale with Temasek Holdings

Lifetime Membership Will AEM share price become the next fairytale of SGX? Following the release of the 3rd quarter business update, AEM share price (SGX: AWX) has been in rocket form in recent weeks. The bullish form of AEM share price sent the counter to a record high of $5.22 on 30 November. Based on the current run of AEM share price, there is a good chance that the stock could knock iFAST off the perch to become the best performing SGX stock of the year.

Despite the positive business outlook, AEM share price has been rocked by the recent market turmoil caused by the Omicron variant. Amid the market chaos, AEM filed an SGX disclosure that Temasek Holdings purchased 443,700 shares from the market on 25 November. Although the shares were bought before the Omicron variant news, it provided much stabilizing support for AEM share price.

AEM share price

My vision for AEM share price is that it would become a $10 stock in SGX Mainboard. Having a conviction is important in stock investing as it can provide a calming effect when the share price movements are not in your favor. Obviously, the current AEM share price is still some way off my target level but my conviction is not based on blind faith.

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Stocks

DBS Group Holdings share price (SGX: D05) in crisis

Lifetime Membership Troubles come in troops for DBS Group Holdings share price. Looking back, the counter smashed a record high of $32.60 on 5 November following a splendid bull run. It certainly seemed that the sky was the limit for DBS Group Holdings share price. But unexpectedly, the wheels came off the wagon for DBS Group Holdings after the bank reported a subpar 9MFY2021 financial result that saw net income interest falling 9% year-on-year. The following Monday (8 November), DBS Group Holdings share price turned bearish.

Shortly after the release of the latest financial result, the bank suffered one of its worst service disruptions in the past decade, prompting Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to mull taking regulatory actions against the bank in the coming days. The outage led to temporary crisis of confidence on DBS Group Holdings share price.

DBS Group Holdings share price

Just when investors thought that the worst was over for DBS Group Holdings share price, another nightmare unfolded. On 26 November, investors woke up to stunning revelation of a new COVID-19 variant that may be more contagious than the Delta variant. What spooked investors is that the variant could render current vaccines ineffective given its significant mutations. Due to the uncertainties, Straits Times Index (STI) suffered a carnage, and DBS Group Holdings share price was not spared from the market sell-offs.

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Stocks

ISDN share price to rocket to $1.90?

Lifetime Membership Will ISDN share price do an AEM? Since January 2020, ISDN share price has rocketed more than 300% to reach the current $0.75. The meteoric rise of ISDN share price has led investors to compare the counter to fellow SGX peer, AEM. Apart from this, what is the possibility of Temasek Holdings taking a stake in ISDN?

In life, never say never. Temasek Holdings investments in AEM and CSE Global showed that the sovereign wealth fund is open in taking majority stakes in promising home-grown companies listed in SGX mainboard. Like AEM and CSE Global, ISDN is an engineering company that provides technological solutions to its customers. In this article, I will examine the possibility of Temasek Holdings taking a stake in ISDN and the potential impacts on ISDN share price.

ISDN share price

The principal activities of ISDN are mainly on motion control, industrial computing, other specialised engineering solutions and construction of hydropower plants. The Group is listed on SGX Mainboard since 24 November 2005 and achieved a dual primary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 12 January 2017.

In Singapore ISDN share price is largely under the radar of institutional investors. For the past one year, this counter did not feature in any of the monthly top ten institutional net buy or sell lists.

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Stocks

AEM share price (SGX: AWX) to hit $20 with new patent?

Lifetime Membership For the past one week, AEM share price (SGX: AWX) has been in outrageous form. Apparently, the 3rd quarter business update had ignited the rally of AEM share price (SGX: AWX). At the point of writing, this counter is still in red hot form and showing no sign of cooling down. What truly confounded many investors was the fact that net profit for 9MFY2021 had plummeted 33.4% to $53 million. The rise of AEM share price (SGX: AWX) defied all sense of logic as poorer financial result usually leads to lower share price. Against this backdrop, what could be the triggering factor that led to the raging form of AEM share price (SGX: AWX)?

In my view, the sudden burst of form of AEM share price (SGX: AWX) may not be attributed to a potential Nasdaq listing nor the positive outlook for its chip testing business. Although these are important catalysts for AEM share (SGX: AWX), I honestly doubt that they played a part in the recent meteoric rise of 21% in AEM share price (SGX: AWX) in the past one month.

AEM share price AWX

Based on my hypothesis, I think the recent superb form of AEM share price (SGX: AWX) should be due to the application for the patent crucial for its next generation System Level Test platform (patent no: 20210325452).

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Stocks

Singtel share price (SGX: Z74) in Christmas mood!

Lifetime Membership Christmas comes early for Singtel share price (SGX: Z74)! The counter is in buoyant form following the release of a set of stellar first half financial result that saw net profit more than doubled to $954 million. In my last article, I had suggested that winter may be over for Singtel share price (SGX: Z74). On the basis of the latest financial result, it seems that the telco has managed to turnaround.

Singtel share price (SGX: Z74) was also given a boost as the management made a couple of shares buybacks in the past few days. 620,989 shares were bought back on 12 November while 620,500 shares were bought back on 15 November. It is unknown if the shares repurchase will continue in the coming days. Year-to-date, Singtel share price (SGX: Z74) has climbed about 10%.

Singtel share price Z74

Looking at the results, there are several factors that led to the revival of Singtel’s businesses, namely the resumption in regional economic activities and Airtel’s turnaround. If the telco continues to perform like this for the next two quarters, Singtel share price (SGX: Z74) should be able to breakthrough $3.00 – the level at which Singtel share price (SGX: Z74) used to be traded during pre-pandemic period.

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Stocks

AEM share price (SGX: AWX) to rocket to $8.30?

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP Hurry! The train is leaving! What a swashbuckling return in form for AEM share price (SGX: AWX). Following the release of the 3rd quarter business update on 10 November, the counter surged 4.5% the next trading day. As of 12 November, AEM share price (SGX: AWX) rocketed 9% to hit a record high of $4.78. Can anything stop AEM share price (SGX: AWX)?

Although net profit for 9MFY2021 plummeted 33.4% to $53 million, the latest business update revealed a glowing outlook for AEM share (SGX: AWX).

AEM share price AWX

In the business update, the management raised the full-year revenue guidance to between $525 million and $550 million. For AEM to meet this revenue guidance, the Group needs to achieve about $200 million in the 4th quarter. The management has a strong track record of meeting its revenue guidance, so I am confident that AEM is able to meet this target. However, the key sentence in the business update that could turbocharge AEM share price (SGX: AWX) is “the Group expects the ramp to continue through 4Q2021 and into FY2022”.

Based on the above statement, AEM should be raking in about $200 million of revenue in each quarter of FY2022 due to the volume ramp of their test platforms to key customer, Intel.

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Stocks

Here’s why Raffles Medical share price (SGX: BSL) plunged 12%

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP My last coverage on Raffles Medical share price (SGX: BSL) was in June 2020. Back then, the counter was recovering from the initial impact of the pandemic. Nonetheless, Raffles Medical share price (SGX: BSL) remained sluggish for most of 2020 until news of vaccines broke out in November 2020. Since then, global roll-out of vaccine programmes and easing of border restrictions led to Raffles Medical share price (SGX: BSL) rocketing to a near-record high of $1.55 in October 2021.

Unexpectedly, the bullish form Raffles Medical share price (SGX: BSL) was brought to a screeching halt when the shares plunged 12% to reach a low of $1.35 on 3 November 2021. To be honest, the volatility of Raffles Medical share price (SGX: BSL) is rather rare and it prompted a Lifetime Member of SG Wealth Builder to seek an insight from me.

Raffles Medical share price BSL

There are analysts who claimed that the recent correction of Raffles Medical share price (SGX: BSL) is due to the revised on-arrival COVID PCR test requirements for travellers arriving in or transiting through Singapore (from 7 Oct 2021 onwards, travellers from CAT II, III & IV countries do not need to do on-arrival PCR tests). For perspective, Raffles Medical conducted over 600,000 COVID-9 tests and screened more than six million travellers in 2020.

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Stocks

OCBC share price (SGX: O39) went AWOL

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP It seems that OCBC share price (SGX: O39) have lost its way. On 3 November 2021, the local bank released a set of financial result that saw 3rd quarter’s net profit rose by an impressive 19% year-on-year to reach $1.22 billion. Nine months’ net profit rose by a staggering 58% to $3.88 billion. With such a solid performance, most investors would have popped the champagne. Yet OCBC share price (SGX: O39) confounded investors by retreating 0.75% on that fateful day.

To be honest, the tepid performance of OCBC share price (SGX: O39) is truly bizarre. Like many investors, I had expected plenty of fireworks for OCBC share price (SGX: O39) following the release of the excellent 3rd quarter business update. I do think that it is reasonable to expect OCBC share price (SGX: O39) when you see such good result. But then again, Man proposes, God disposes. OCBC share price (SGX: O39) went missing in action instead.

OCBC share price O39

The trend of OCBC share price (SGX: O39) is eerily similar to that of Wilmar, another Straits Times Index heavyweight. In October 2020, Wilmar share price suffered an explosive meltdown following the hugely successful listing of Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co.,

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Stocks

Mapletree Logistics Trust share price (SGX: M44U) in rock and roll

Lifetime Membership Will the latest financial result set fire on Mapletree Logistics Trust share price (SGX: M44U)? The counter has been in buoyant mood in recent days following the release of a set of stellar financial result that saw 1st half gross revenue increasing 24.4% year-on-year to $328 million while net property income surged 21.4% to hit $289 million. Amount distributable to unitholders increased 19.2% to $186 million.

It has not been a bed of roses for Mapletree Logistics Trust share price (SGX: M44U) in 2021. The counter crashed from $2.00 in January to a low of $1.78 in March. To be frank, I could not explain the root cause for the correction of Mapletree Logistics Trust share price (SGX: M44U). So far, there were no equity financing nor were there any adverse news affecting Mapletree Logistics Trust share price (SGX: M44U). Hence, the tepid performance of Mapletree Logistics Trust share price (SGX: M44U) had been puzzling.

Mapletree Logistics Trust share price M44U

Year-to-date, Mapletree Logistics Trust share price (SGX: M44U) increased by a mere 1.5% only. This is despite the S-REIT continuing to deliver good financial results for the past few quarters. Looking back, one of the plausible reasons for the lethargic trend of Mapletree Logistics Trust share price (SGX: M44U) could be due to the lack of interest from institutional fund houses.

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Self improvement

Selling combs to monk

Lifetime Membership  The story of selling combs to monk is an age-old story that never fails to inspire me to become a better version of wealth builder. Most people regard it as a motivational story for salesmen to achieve sales target. But I see it as otherwise because the learning points can also be applied in investing, career development and entrepreneurship.

I have adapted the story for the sake of my followers. But before proceeding, readers must note that this article is not meant to mock any religion nor aim to make fun of any professionals. My objective is to inspire readers to learn how to be better wealth builders. In today’s context, this is important because hard work alone would get you nowhere in this competitive society.

sell

Once upon a time, a merchant who owned a comb factory in Singapore wanted to penetrate the huge China. Thus, he advertised for a position of Regional Sales Manager in the newspaper. Understandably, many applicants applied for the job. Therefore, during the interview sessions, he asked the applicants on how they would sell combs to monks. Many of the candidates were stumped by his question because we all know monks do not need combs.

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Stocks

SGX stocks on ice and fire with energy crisis

Lifetime Membership As the saying goes, one man’s poison is another man’s meat. While the energy crisis in China threatens to derail the country’s economic growth, it has inadvertently led to an increased in demand for oil. As a matter of fact, crude oil price is currently trading at a 3-year high of US$81.33 per barrel. Against this backdrop, what is the implication for SGX stocks?

For SGX stocks in the oil and gas sector, the current oil price boom is like a cup of hot chocolate amid the fierce winter. The last time that oil price was so buoyant was in October 2014. That was seven years ago. Since then, the emergence of US shale oil and supply glut from Organization of Petroleum Producing Countries (OPEC) caused oil price to plunge by a devastating 70%. The lowest point for crude oil price had to be April 2020. That was the peak of the pandemic which saw demand for oil vaporized due to the global lockdowns.

SGX stocks

Looking back, the meltdown of crude oil price and the fallout from the pandemic had been a turning point for many SGX stocks in the oil and gas sector. Big boys like Keppel Corp and Sembcorp Marine had signed a non-binding MOU in June 2021 to merge their oil-rig building businesses.

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Stocks

SIA share price (SGX: C6L) in explosive form

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP Christmas comes early for investors as SIA share price (SGX: C6L) went on a rampage following news of the launch of the eight Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with countries in US and Europe. Surely, it is a case of being at the right time and right place for SIA share price (SGX: C6L). The year-end festive season is traditionally SIA’s best quarter as travel demands typically increase with the December school holidays. So is it really the proverbial “U-shape” recovery or yet another false dawn for SIA share (SGX: C6L)?

Expectation of a long-awaited recovery for SIA share price (SGX: C6L) has reached an almost hysterical level for many investors. After all, we are talking about Singapore Airlines, the pride of our nation.

SIA share price C6L

For SIA investors, it must have been a bitter sweet feeling. The rights issues and the two tranches of Mandatory Convertible Bonds (MCBs) had diluted the share’s value to the $3.50 bandwidth in 2020. That was really the darkest chapter for SIA share price (SGX: C6L) as air travel was decimated by the devastating pandemic with no ends in sight. Subsequently, the revelation of a 90% effective vaccine (Pfizer) sent SIA share price (SGX: C6L) soaring by 21% in November 2020.

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Stocks

OCBC share price (SGX: O39) to rocket to Mars!

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP Crisis? What crisis? Being the oldest bank in Singapore, OCBC has seen the ebbs and flows of Singapore financial landscape, overcoming crises after crises for nearly 100 years. The unfolding pandemic crisis is no exception. Yet as we enter the endemic phase, uncertainties engulfed OCBC share price (SGX: O39) over concerns of potential exposure over the China’s Evergrande Group.

OCBC owns two banks in China – Wing Hang Bank and a 20% stake in Bank of Ningbo. Thus, it is not unreasonable for investors to be worried over the potential fallout from the embattled Evergrande Group. To make matters worse, the bank had not made any official clarifications that it does not carry any bad debts from Evergrande, probably due to the banking secrecy law. Arising from the uncertainties, OCBC share price (SGX: O39) turned bearish from August to September 2021.

OCBC share price O39

Nonetheless, the lethargic form of OCBC share price (SGX: O39) did not last long as Monetary Authority Singapore (MAS) confirmed that Singapore banks have “insignificant” exposure to Evergrande. Following this revelation, OCBC share price (SGX: O39) surged 3.5% from 5 October to reach $11.90 on 14 October. On the basis of the current form, it seems that OCBC share price (SGX: O39) will recover lost ground and could smash past $14 by year end.

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Stocks

Medtecs share price (SGX: 546) in bloody crash

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP What a devastating train-wreck for Medtecs share price (SGX: 546)! After reaching an incredible record high of $1.80 on 21 August 2020, Medtecs share price (SGX: 546) collapsed 78% to reach the current low of $0.40. What the hell has happened to this healthcare product provider?

The meteoric rise of Medtecs share price (SGX: 546) on the back of an unprecedented health crisis created one of the amazing fairy-tales in Singapore stock market. Prior to COVID-19, Medtecs share price (SGX: 546) was trading at merely $0.08 (similar to current Sembcorp Marine share price). With the onset of COVID-19, Medtecs share price (SGX: 546) turbocharged to high heavens. Those who exited at the highest price would have laughed their way to the bank. On the other hand, those who entered at the highest would have lost their pants when the stock crashed.

Medtecs share price

Buying into a hype always carry risks but I have to be honest with readers of SG Wealth Builder. When Medtecs share price (SGX: 546) was surging in 2020, I was actually contemplating to adopt a “hit-and-run” strategy for this counter. Ultimately, after much consideration, I chose to invest in AEM instead. The reason for writing this article is because a long-time Lifetime Member of SG Wealth Builder has requested an insight on the fall of Medtecs share price (SGX: 546).

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Stocks

Singtel share price (SGX: Z74) to rocket to the moon!

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP It seems that winter may be over for Singtel share price (SGX: Z74). The counter has been on a bullish form in recent weeks following the announcement of its A$1.9 billion divestment of Australia Tower Network (ATN), a wholly-owned subsidiary which operates Optus’ passive telecommunications tower infrastructure. To put the icing on the cake, Singtel is also creating a regional data centre to capture digital growth. Has Singtel share price (SGX: Z74) reached a turnaround?

Singtel share price Z74

Singtel share price (SGX: Z74) has been on such a trashy form for the past two years that many investors have been left wondering will there be light at end of tunnel for this counter. Nevertheless, the revelation of three new pivots by CEO Yuen Kuan Moon on 27 May 2021 provided much hope for investors. The latest deals affirmed the management’s resolve to execute the CEO’s vision for Singtel growth.

In my previous article, it was highlighted that Singtel’ strategy is to focus on 5G network business, transforming NCS into a B2B powerhouse in Asia and divesting the telco infrastructure assets. Indeed, for the ATN divestment, the management shared that the proceeds will be used to fund “the rollout of 5G and other growth initiatives, including expanding the B2B digital services business in Singapore and Australia through NCS”.

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Money management; personal finance; Investment

SG Wealth Builder Special Offer

Lifetime Membership Since 2010, I have been blogging about money and stocks in SG Wealth Builder. My spouse often asked why am I doing this through the years. After all, I am not compensated for the sharing and my blogging had led to a lot of sacrifice of my family time. Indeed, if I am doing this merely for fame or money, this blog would not have sustained till now. I am talking about 11 years of blogging, not 11 months.

Many bloggers would tell you that building a blog from scratches requires a tremendous amount of effort and time. Sometimes, after years of blogging, there is no guarantee that a blogger can find success in the readership. Along the way, I have seen so many promising bloggers giving up and turned to commenting in other investment forums instead.

The sole reason for the sustainability of SG Wealth Builder is passion. I love doing stock research and sharing my ideas with others. And I love writing because I always thought that to be able to inspire or create a change in others is a form of calling.

At certain stages in my life, I did consider giving up blogging because of my family and career commitments.

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Stocks

Sembcorp Marine share price (SGX: S51) in $500 million mystery

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP It turns out that the mandatory offer by Temasek Holdings is a “non-event” for Sembcorp Marine share price (SGX: S51). Following the controversial $1.5 billion rights issue, Temasek Holdings’ stake in Sembcorp Marine increased to 46.6%. Consequently, this triggered the mandatory general offer in accordance with Rule 14 of the Singapore Code on Takeovers and Mergers. True to its words, the offer price from Temasek Holdings remains at $0.08 per share. Given that the current Sembcorp Marine share price (SGX: S51) is higher than the offer price, the chance of privatisation is extremely remote.

Sembcorp Marine share price S51

There has been so many twists and turns for Sembcorp Marine share price (SGX: S51) that investors must feel like the past two years had been a terrifying nightmare. Question now is when will this nightmare end? Will there ever be light at end of tunnel for Sembcorp Marine share price (SGX: S51)?

The next baptism of fire for Sembcorp Marine share price (SGX: S51) should be the upcoming proposed merger with Keppel Offshore and Marine (KOM). As part of the deal, Sembcorp Marine and KOM will combine to form a new listed entity. The newly listed stock would provide an opportunity to “reset” the ailing Sembcorp Marine share price (SGX: S51).

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Stocks

SGX share price (SGX: S68) in biggest crisis

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP Can CEO Loh Boon Chye make Singapore Exchange great again? Since the onset of the pandemic, SGX share price (SGX: S68) rocketed from a low of $8.20 in July 2020 to a mighty high of $12.05 on 4 August 2021. The bubble finally burst for SGX share price (SGX: S68) when the bourse announced a full-year financial result that saw net profit dropping 6% on year-on-year basis. While the drop is not alarming, the market reacted – SGX share price (SGX: S68) crashed by a staggering 18% by the end of August from the high of $12.05.

SGX share price S68

To put things into perspective, SGX share price (SGX: S68) thrives on crisis. In fact, the previous record high of SGX share price (SGX: S68) was $15.90 recorded in October 2007. That was the period of the Great Financial Crisis. Back in 2007, the average daily trading value was $1.6 billion and there were 46 new equity listings. Fast forward 14 years later, the average daily trading value shrunk to $1.4 billion while there were only 10 equity listings.

Yet the most worrisome thing about SGX share price (SGX: S68) is not really the short-term volatility. Rather, it is the devastating long-term decline of SGX that gives investors the jitters.

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Stocks

AEM share price (SGX: AWX) to rocket with Nasdaq IPO!

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP When former Minister of Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing visited AEM last year, it was a harbinger of things to come for AEM share price (SGX: AWX). With Temasek Holdings now officially onboard as the biggest shareholder of AEM, the narrative for AEM share price (SGX: AWX) has changed. For a Singaporean company to make it internationally, we need a Singapore Inc approach. After all, AEM is a home-grown company. The next step forward should be a Nasdaq IPO to enhance AEM’s visibility.

AEM share price AWX

The entry of Temasek Holdings, coupled with the presence of institutional investors like Morgan Stanley, Aberdeen Standard Investment (Asia) and Malaysia Employees Provident Fund, also means that the stars are finally aligned for AEM to IPO in Nasdaq. If so, AEM could be the first homegrown company to be dual-listed in SGX and Nasdaq in recent years, thereby turbocharging AEM share price (SGX: AWX) to high heavens. Non-executive Chairman Loke Wai San, who had rescued AEM from collapse in 2012, should know that the support from Temasek Holdings will be helpful in the IPO journey.

Temasek’s investment comes at a time when Temasek, MAS, EDB and SGX recently announced initiatives to help high growth technology companies raise funds through dual-listing in overseas exchanges and SPACs.

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