30 June 2010 Portfolio Review

this is a review as earlier promised. based on the screen i have got, the portfolio went up 20.11% while the local stock market barometer fell just 3%.

bulk of the gains from the portfolio were either from GMG Global or Etika. the non-performers far are Stratech and to some extent, Biosensors.

a bit about the market for those who are looking for some kind of direction. the answer is quite straightforward - the direction ahead is going to be choppy. it is still the case of things are better but the main movers, the funds, are still a little skittish. hence when money flows here and there, you get alot of volatility.

as i always say on this blog. stay invested and trade as little as possible.

possible scenarios

for those that do keep an eye on what i say, i have forecast that for 2010, it will be up a little compared to 2009. i have still got half a year for things to turn out better but not too much better.

in my opinion, most of the bad news is out of the way. the eurozone crisis really is a distraction and we should we watching out for things in the US. yes, jobs numbers and other important macro economic data have not been so fabulous. however, America still remains an important driver of Singapore's and the World's economy. Furthermore, if you stay invested for another 2 years, you should benefit from the 3rd year of the US presidency effect. watch out for this one.

stocks expensive?

at the risk of sounding that i do not add value, for those who are solely invested in the local market, stick to quality and high dividends. for those who are slightly adventurous, you can do some research on penny stocks. those investing in pennies (rather than trading) can look at those non-China, doing essential functions. I have in mind those that are in the foods as well as offshore and marine sector.

words of advice
i have been rather busy of late but the feeling i get on the ground is that there is no longer that stock market euphoria that had swept the market like towards the end of last year. i think this mean that there is still pockets of hidden gems. going forward, i will try to suggest some names so that readers can do their own research.