Cory Diary : Spending

One of the most darning task to me is to track my expenses. Tried a number of times to track it but just do not have the patience to continue despite being a fan of spreadsheet with the formulas everywhere to compute my investments and net worth almost instantaneously with currency fluctuation, equities, bank saving to pensions.I do spend little on myself materialistically. I do buy computers and gadgets occasionally. Some travels, books and gifts, relatively expensive restaurants, taxi, good massage and parental allowances...da da da de da.

Then it dawn on me that since i have high saving rate naturally, there is no need to track them at all. Silly me !

In 2014, my Net worth increase is more than my Annual Salary Income including AWS. Technically speaking i save every penny i earned. I did this before but what so special for 2014 is not due to my investment returns but Annual Variable Bonuses. To top it off i have a strong increment as well for a person planning to retire early....

You see, I have been putting in some amount of "Strategic Investment" into my work and was duly rewarded by my bosses for leading some alignment tasks and supporting transformation works. Though this pulled me off from focusing in my investments and some white hairs to show. However there's some synergy moving my portfolio to be more passive based which should works out well in years to come.

Privately though i do have a problem of over saving (by nature) which needs to be fixed in 2015. A good problem. :)











Cheers

Cory
2 Jan'15

Cory Diary : Dividend Returns

When i started investing many years ago it was for the gamble and quick money. Dabbled in Warrants in the days when they are extremely popular. Made some good money ~ (updated for privacy)  in/out trading them despite my business work schedule. It was days where the market only knows how to climb.

Danger of Warrants

I did fell once where my "Tang" expired and went with my $1500 in smoke. I remembered my broker screams at me pondering whether i know what the hell it is but i kind of laughed it off in my head. I learned later that 6 months before expiry, i need to be careful. She is still my broker today.

As i got bolder over the years, i plough into larger part of my little saving. Those days I had colleagues who lamented to me how desperate they are to get into the market but they just do not have enough saving. I learned from it.


Soon after, i got burned in an S-Chip counter.16K lost LOL. Why i laugh ? Well, by then i learn to read announcements and annual reports. Despite all the indications that is a "FRAUD" even from public announcements, i continued to hold. I was hoping that the CEO can't be that stupid to give silly excuses. I learned it does.

As my salary goes up, so are my knowledge in the market. My investment grows till 2008 GFC Epic. Even then i was numbed to the daily horror news. I learned about market timing.

S-Chip Scandals

2008 GFC

When the market recovered, my 2009 profits doubled my 2008 losses. Then i entered 2011 and see the how rocky the market can be and chance encounter with Value Investing. I learned to rebalance my portfolio. By then my portfolio has already skyrocketed with my saving and profits.

Value Investing

Is only in 2012 that i really think about stability and more predictable growing returns to support my retirement. This is tougher to grasp for me but i learn more about Reit and the power of strong business model that can protect my investments.

Dividend Play

Learning never stop as i continue to seek new ideas and knowledge. I have become less risk averse actually. And Fd, Index, Wider Portfolio, Bonds and fixed instruments, Large Blue Cap, Currency Balance and Reits have a good present today in my investment. I am still working and mind you ! Is great to see bonus. :)

Last but not least, my Dividends. Manage to swing it back to a little new high.
Looking forward to 2015.

(updated for privacy)

Cory
27 Dec 2014

Cory Diary : SEMBCORP IND

Oil ! Oil ! Oil! Crashed. Many people may have thank Saudi Arabia that we have an Oil Crisis except this time is for lower price. As a matter of fact, Shale Oil and Gas is the cause of main disruption with maturing technology that break OPEC monopoly who works in "cahoots" with few other key players that not always play fair.

Is there gem right now ? Let's me try to investigate SEMBCORP IND today.

Capital Gain
The worst SBI price is about 2.11 during 2008 Global Financial Crisis. This is not. A lower oil price is good for the economy. We have 10 years of growth when oil price stays low. However it can be a nervous investment for the new investors who never see it for Oil Support Industry. The Monthly Chart indicate 4.0-4.1 range as resistance. And appears reached. Weekly Chart will be in the region of 3.89. Down side seems limited i guess but market sentiments are hardly predictable. Volume is weakening.

Dividend Yield
2014 declared dividend ~ 0.22. That's on the high side i feel. Let's MOS to 0.15.
3.5% yield roughly. That's 35k for a Million for a rather consistent performing counter.

Business Segment
This is not fly by night company.

Sembcorp Industries was incorporated in Singapore on 20 May 1998 to act as the 
holding company for the merger between Singapore Technologies Industries 
Corporation (STIC) and Sembawang Corporation. On 22 July 1998, it assumed its 
present name. The merger was effective on 3 October 1998.

i. Utilities


ii. Marine & Offshore Engineering
This business focuses principally on repair, building and conversion of ships 
and rigs, and offshore engineering.


iii. Environmental Management


iv. Industrial Parks

After Thoughts
Every crisis can be an opportunity. Will this be one of them ?
Long term with a back mirror will we regret ?
What's the down side ?
Can it be a long term hold and forget ?
Time to nibble slowly ?

Here's my novice notes today. Hope you like it. May we prospers till we go to dust.


Cory
17th Dec 2014