CDP
| Security | # shares | Price S$ | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| DBS | 440 | 50.52 | 3.98 |
| UOB | 400 | 35.19 | 2.52 |
| OCBC Bank | 700 | 16.74 | 2.10 |
| SGX | 3,200 | 16.57 | 9.48 |
| ST Engineering | 6,900 | 7.68 | 9.48 |
| Powermatic Data | 13,800 | 2.59 | 6.39 |
| TheHourGlass | 19,600 | 2.01 | 7.05 |
| Sheng Siong | 19,100 | 2.03 | 6.94 |
| Micro-Mechanics | 18,400 | 1.80 | 5.93 |
| VICOM Ltd | 21,500 | 1.60 | 6.15 |
| UMS | 31,200 | 1.38 | 7.70 |
| Credit Bureau Asia | 30,100 | 1.36 | 7.33 |
| Riverstone | 40,500 | 0.72 | 5.22 |
| Nanofilm | 36,100 | 0.73 | 4.71 |
| HRnetGroup | 21,900 | 0.70 | 2.74 |
| TalkMed Group | 34,500 | 0.455 | 2.81 |
| China Sunsine | 41,800 | 0.735 | 5.50 |
| Kimly | 27,000 | 0.365 | 1.76 |
| HC Surgical | 35,500 | 0.33 | 2.10 |
YTD Dividends Received = S$12,707
YTD SBL Fees Received = S$253
Trades
None
SRS
| Security | # shares | Price S$ | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| TheHourGlass | 5,000 | 2.01 | 7.12 |
| Micro-Mechanics | 5,400 | 1.81 | 6.93 |
| Nanofilm | 12,500 | 0.73 | 6.47 |
| HRnetGroup | 7,500 | 0.70 | 3.72 |
| HC Surgical | 19,500 | 0.33 | 4.56 |
| NetLink NBN Trust | 108,000 | 0.93 | 71.20 |
Trades
None
Singapore Savings Bonds
| Security | Amount | Coupon Now |
|---|---|---|
| GX22120S | S$14,000 | 3.28% |
| GX23010Z | S$15,000 | 2.95% |
| GX23110V | S$20,000 | 3.21% |
| GX23120Z | S$20,000 | 3.30% |
| GX24060A | S$20,000 | 3.26% |
| GX24070S | S$20,000 | 3.26% |
| GX24080W | S$20,000 | 3.19% |
YTD Coupons Received = S$2,939
Speculative Play
| Security | # shares | Price US$ |
|---|---|---|
| Kep Pacific Oak REIT | 70,000 | 0.22 |
Trades
None
Commentary:
In a flash, August passed us by. The stock indices experienced a tailwind and ended higher for the month. The S&P 500 Index closed at 6460.26, up 1.91 percent MoM. The local Straits Times Index closed at 4269.70, up 2.30 percent MoM. It looks like the Singapore market has found favour with investors again.
The U.S. Fed is in the limelight again as the board meets on September 17 to decide the direction in interest rate. CME Group's FedWatch indicates that the market is pricing in a 87 percent probability of rate cut. Despite how U.S. President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would like the interest rate to be much lower, the Fed is unlikely to cut interest rate swiftly and significantly, barring any unexpected circumstance.
Locally, DBS stock broke an all-time high past S$50 Other stocks in my watchlist also climbed to new yearly highs. The market is on a tear at the moment, and it certainly isn't the appropriate time to buy. The momentum and FOMO can make the market go higher, of course. However, I am conscious that the price level at which I invest my hard-earned money can make a difference to my eventual portfolio return. Ultimately, bull runs can't go on forever. So I am going to wait for retracement and hold on to cash for now.
At the same time, I am watching one particular company as recent bad earnings result had caused the stock price to slide down significantly. When the opportunity is right, I will take a bite.
Lately, several of my team mates across the Asia Pacific succumbed to illness. One of them even took an extended medical leave due to depression. (That makes TWO colleagues out of office because of mental distress.) This trend is most likely attributed to the stressful workload and the demanding enterprise clients which we have to deal with.
That said, I feel my colleagues are taking their job a tad too seriously. No offence, but I think they may have overestimated the value of their work contribution. No one is indispensible to the company. To put it bluntly, the world in crisis is NOT waiting for them to save the day.
Sure, all of us aspire to a high professional standard and provide the best service possible. But it doesn't mean to do it at the expense of our health. Worrying doesn't help either. Over the years, I have come to the realisation that there are many things in life that are beyond my control.
Here are some examples:
(1) a bug in our firm's software code caused financial loss to our client, and I had to explain the root cause and preventative measures to the angry client;
(2) I expect my two kids to be prim and proper in public, but boys being boys, they tend to horse around and chatter noisily with each other;
(3) on many mornings, I share the same MRT ride with a cranky old man who parrots the next station name (inaccurately, I should say) and bangs on the train door. There goes my peaceful commute to work.
In these circumstances, I have little to no influence on the outcome. In fact, it is clear that my sphere of influence in life is very small. There is just so much I can do to change things. However, as long as I put in my best effort on those matters that are within my control, it is good enough.
A maxim that I often quote to myself is:
So long as I am diligent in my duties, I am happy, no matter the end result. I am just a small cog in a big wheel, so what? Self-care is of utmost importance if we want to complete this life journey.
Sorry for the rant!
Back to happier stuff - August was a happy month because we celebrated three birthdays in the family - my elder son's, my wife's and mine. As with past birthdays, the first thing I did on my birthday was to go for a scheduled health screening. The reason is if there is any bad news about my body, I want to know as soon as possible.
Actually, the doctor just called me last Saturday regarding the health screening. They found two mildly suspicious nodules in my thyroid. For the moment, they are not cancerous but the doctor recommended to go for another ultrasound in four to six months' time. My cholesterol level is slightly on the high side, and the usual advice is to cut down on fried food (which I am fond of). The bizarre observation was my ECG. My heart rate is abnormally low at 40 beats per minute! Strangely, I don't have any bout of giddiness or chest pain. While the doctor recommended to see a cardiologist for a more in-depth prognosis, I opted to monitor for the time being. If I do feel something wrong, I will book an appointment.
During the most recent National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the average life-span of a Singaporean is 84 years old, while the average health-span is 74 years old. This means the last ten years of our lives are spent in illness. I want to stretch my health-span as long as possible, so that I can fulfill my post-retirement dream, and that is to travel and see the world.
I do my best to stay in shape, with daily morning static exercises such as push ups and sit ups, and a 5.5 km run twice a week. I drag my boys along for the run so that they can keep fit too. I have seen a visible improvement in their running speed over the months, which I am glad.
Signing off. Till next time, take care my friends!
The U.S. Fed is in the limelight again as the board meets on September 17 to decide the direction in interest rate. CME Group's FedWatch indicates that the market is pricing in a 87 percent probability of rate cut. Despite how U.S. President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would like the interest rate to be much lower, the Fed is unlikely to cut interest rate swiftly and significantly, barring any unexpected circumstance.
Locally, DBS stock broke an all-time high past S$50 Other stocks in my watchlist also climbed to new yearly highs. The market is on a tear at the moment, and it certainly isn't the appropriate time to buy. The momentum and FOMO can make the market go higher, of course. However, I am conscious that the price level at which I invest my hard-earned money can make a difference to my eventual portfolio return. Ultimately, bull runs can't go on forever. So I am going to wait for retracement and hold on to cash for now.
At the same time, I am watching one particular company as recent bad earnings result had caused the stock price to slide down significantly. When the opportunity is right, I will take a bite.
Lately, several of my team mates across the Asia Pacific succumbed to illness. One of them even took an extended medical leave due to depression. (That makes TWO colleagues out of office because of mental distress.) This trend is most likely attributed to the stressful workload and the demanding enterprise clients which we have to deal with.
That said, I feel my colleagues are taking their job a tad too seriously. No offence, but I think they may have overestimated the value of their work contribution. No one is indispensible to the company. To put it bluntly, the world in crisis is NOT waiting for them to save the day.
Sure, all of us aspire to a high professional standard and provide the best service possible. But it doesn't mean to do it at the expense of our health. Worrying doesn't help either. Over the years, I have come to the realisation that there are many things in life that are beyond my control.
Here are some examples:
(1) a bug in our firm's software code caused financial loss to our client, and I had to explain the root cause and preventative measures to the angry client;
(2) I expect my two kids to be prim and proper in public, but boys being boys, they tend to horse around and chatter noisily with each other;
(3) on many mornings, I share the same MRT ride with a cranky old man who parrots the next station name (inaccurately, I should say) and bangs on the train door. There goes my peaceful commute to work.
In these circumstances, I have little to no influence on the outcome. In fact, it is clear that my sphere of influence in life is very small. There is just so much I can do to change things. However, as long as I put in my best effort on those matters that are within my control, it is good enough.
A maxim that I often quote to myself is:
A good's day work for a good day's pay.
So long as I am diligent in my duties, I am happy, no matter the end result. I am just a small cog in a big wheel, so what? Self-care is of utmost importance if we want to complete this life journey.
Sorry for the rant!
Back to happier stuff - August was a happy month because we celebrated three birthdays in the family - my elder son's, my wife's and mine. As with past birthdays, the first thing I did on my birthday was to go for a scheduled health screening. The reason is if there is any bad news about my body, I want to know as soon as possible.
Actually, the doctor just called me last Saturday regarding the health screening. They found two mildly suspicious nodules in my thyroid. For the moment, they are not cancerous but the doctor recommended to go for another ultrasound in four to six months' time. My cholesterol level is slightly on the high side, and the usual advice is to cut down on fried food (which I am fond of). The bizarre observation was my ECG. My heart rate is abnormally low at 40 beats per minute! Strangely, I don't have any bout of giddiness or chest pain. While the doctor recommended to see a cardiologist for a more in-depth prognosis, I opted to monitor for the time being. If I do feel something wrong, I will book an appointment.
During the most recent National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the average life-span of a Singaporean is 84 years old, while the average health-span is 74 years old. This means the last ten years of our lives are spent in illness. I want to stretch my health-span as long as possible, so that I can fulfill my post-retirement dream, and that is to travel and see the world.
I do my best to stay in shape, with daily morning static exercises such as push ups and sit ups, and a 5.5 km run twice a week. I drag my boys along for the run so that they can keep fit too. I have seen a visible improvement in their running speed over the months, which I am glad.
Signing off. Till next time, take care my friends!
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