A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step 千里之行，始于足下。

[chialc88]

The following was received but unfortunately, valuebuddies private messages was disabled and hence I'm not able to reply.

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Good Evening,

Hi could you share , given your wealth of experience where exactly can i meet such people ,
that i may easily have access to( ex : not like investment clubs in unis)
Also , do you follow a set of certain guidelines to assess the companies before value investing ?
If you do analysis reports on companies before buying them ,
could I please have a copy of your reports to learn from ?
How did you start out looking through companies when just starting out investing ?
If i am not an expert in a certain industry how do i make a conclusion on the feasibility of the growth drivers ?

Thank you.

A desire changes nothing;
A decision changes something;
But a determination changes everything!

[chialc88]

[Image: good.png]Good morning, valuebuddies.
Wake up to another beautiful days.
Hope that you will enjoy a bliss and peaceful day ahead.


I read Ivan Loh's "Profit from Stock tips" - 100 Tips for sensible stock investing
and my notes is as follows:

Page 58
TIP 47: Company's taking on some other type of businesses 
Think Micro Mechanics acquisition of US CMA biz few years ago.

1. Does this new venture have any relation to current biz or totally new area?
   
2. If new area, why is the company shifting away from it's core competency?
   
3. How can this new venture contribute to the current biz?
   
4. Does this allow the company to expand and grow? 
   
5. Does the new product/services have consistent demand?
   
6. Does it ease the cyclical or seasonality of existing biz?
   

1. Does the company have the resources to sustain the new venture?
   
2. Do they have the right people to manage this new biz?
   
3. Could it become a thorny and weighty undertaking?
   

pg 72 TIP 59 Lucky you. How Pareto Principle affects your results
link

Remember: despite having done all the analysis, your stock does not fly;
simply understand that the 20% of Pareto Principle is creating the effect.

pg 74 TIP 60 Three important words
Pick 3 words that you think is most important in investing:

• Competitive Advantage
  
• Warren Buffett
  
• Net profit/income
  
• Stock price
  
• Debt level
  
• Cash flow
  
• Cheap
  
• Analyst reports
  
• Earnings per share
  
• Price to book
  
• Broker's advice
  
• Price to earnings
  
• Potential growth
  
• Tips from friends
  
• Return on equity
  
• Company's products
  
• Chairman's statement
  
• Feels good
  
• Stock price chart trend
  
• Nature of business
  
• Timing the market
  
• Your core competence
  
• Bull market
  
• Margin of safety
  
• Dividend yield
  

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Most likely you will seek the numbers first (most people choice).
Your first concern is to get a valuation of the stocks.

pg109 TIP 84: Start of a Million begins with a dollar. Start investing early

pg 138 has 2 tips which touch my heart
TIP 99: Have "fun" investing to grow your wealth
Only having "fun" that one can continue pushing forward when we make mistake.
My heart pain when many people give up on learning how to invest when they loss $$$.
The "fun" from learning from mistakes is what prevents you from repeating your mistakes
and helps you continue to grow your wealth.

TIP 100: Keeping it simple and sensible
If you hear a tips.
You did some research.
If it make sense to you, then you must take actions.

If it's too complex or does not make sense,
then just forget about it.

You do not have to accept everything that is interesting, new or hot.
All you need to do is to invest wisely by keeping it simple and sensible.

You don't need to be an expert in order to achieve satisfactory investment returns.
But if you aren't, you must recognize your limitations
... Keeping things simple and don't swing for the fences.
   - WB

[chialc88]

Good morning, valuebuddies.
Another beautiful day started with bird chirping and colorful flower blooming.

Ivan Loh's book is "Profit! from Mistakes".
My notes as follows:

pg 47 - Walter Schloss
          "first, understand your strengths and weaknesses,
               and then devise a simple strategy so that you can sleep at night!"


pg 18 - follow the guru (see extract below)

pg 23 - circle of competence

pg 26 - have a clear mind; 
          "am I going to lose my entire life savings by taking this action"

pg 40 - stay alert;
          "aware of the dangers so that you'll never go there"

pg 43 - Charlie Munger
          "never fool yourself, and remember that you are the easiest person to fool"

pg 94 - Itchy finger syndrome

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Just add one of my experience.
I learn from oldman.
To solve the itchy finger syndrome.
Set aside a pool of Tikam $$$.
When you know that you're speculating (aka not investing),
use the Tikam $$$ to hoot.
Win? ride the wave.
Loss? cut loss and never pyramid down.
It works for me during the boring stock accumulation phase.

#1 Mistake, following the guru:
When one senior shared with me on the possibilities of a turnaround for Chartered.
According to his analysis, if the recovery continued,
the stock price would worth a lot more than $2.
For  a few consecutive weeks, he would assure me with his analogy and "research".
And so without any hesitation and research on my own,
I brought into Chartered stock.

I even asked one of my friends to do likewise.
Well, you probably would have guess it,
the price started coming down not too long after that
and continued to trend downwards.
Eventually, my friend and I had to sell the stock at a deep loss.

#2 Stay focus, stay within your circle of competence
Knowing your Circle of competence will assist to create awareness before you invest.
How many times have you bought something or invested into a stock but only to regret later?
"What an investor needs is the ability to correctly evaluate selected businesses.
Note that word "selected". 
You don't have to be an expert on every company.
You only need to be able to evaluate companies within your circle of competence.
The size of that circle is not very important; 
knowing its boundaries, however, is vital"
- WB letter @ 28 Feb 1997

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I started my job in largest European IT company.
Then, to the largest US IT company
and then largest Asia IT company.

What's my circle of competence?

[chialc88]

Sean Seah Financial Joy 
- Achieving Financial Freedom Faster and Happier.

Imagine that a good friend of yours meets up with you one weekend.
She has brought along a gentleman who is sourcing for a few partners to invest into his business,
so that he can expand overseas.

He is asking for $20,000 in return for a share in his business, 
and your friend had already taken part in it.

What will you do if you have $20,000 in your financial freedom account,
which you would like to grow but have not started investing yet?
Te opportunity has arrived:

Will you:

1. Reject the offer immediately, and put your money somewhere safer?
   
2. Invest, since your friend has already invested and you trust her?
   
3. Ask questions about the investment, do your due diligence, then decide after that?
   

LoveFool:

[chialc88]

[Image: Success-Stories.jpg?resize=1170%2C390]


Is there going to be a stock market crash?
Can we predict when the stock market will crash?
Can we protect our portfolio & profit from the crash? 
- AK


What do you think after watching the video?
What are you going to do?

[chialc88]

明天会更好 tomorrow will be better esok akan lebih baikநாளை சிறப்பாக இருக்கும்



@KM airport waiting for MU5093
I saw a mother with a teenager (about 16) and wanted to pen down 100% as much details as possible.
I am really touched.

Packed my bag (mainly winter clothing).
Packed a sleeping bag (slipper, blanket, H20).

I'm looking for ticket counter as I did not have my boarding pass.

"Excuse me.  I'm going to SGP. Where can I get a card? like this?" (Show my CD boarding pass).
"go to 3rd floor and then security check in."
  
A woman wearing spec interrupted.
  "We are going to SGP.  Where to go?"

"go to 3rd floor."
  "We were told to go directly to 2nd floor."
"you have your boarding pass and all ready?"
  "yes."
"go to 2nd floor directly."
  
"I don't have boarding pass."
"go to 3rd floor. Counter J to G, security check."

I met both going into a lift.
Both pushing trolley and almost occupied the whole space.
I step in and mother gives instruction to kid in English.

They out to 2nd floor and I continue to 3rd.

I gotten my boarding pass (no Q) and go in (no Q), custom (no Q)
and saw both at least 10 bags at 2nd floor immigration.

Fidgeting on the ground.
Mother gives instruction to kid to take this bag, and sling that bag like this, like that.

I cut Q.

IO gives me a Departure card and asked me to fill up at the side.

I saw the kid put down the bags that he is holding and reached for his passport and ticket.
Mother still at the last place I saw taking her bags.

The kid left 2 bags behind and walk forward to give his passport to the IO.

He turn back and wanted to retrieved his bag.

"Where are you going? Stand here. You can not go back. This is immigration."

The kid stand still and look quite lost.

Mother catch up and stand behind.

"You must wait for your passport and ticket. 
  Keep properly as these are very important documents."
Mother reminded the kid.

I take my time to fill up my departure card.

Kid go pass IO counter and it's mother's turn. 

Mother handed over her passport and walk back to retrieve those bags left behind by her kid.

Again, she was stopped by the IO.

Mother explained and pointed to the bags left behind and then go back to take the bags.

When she come back to the IO counter.
Now, it's the IO that told her off:
"You must wait for your passport and ticket.
   These are very important documents and you must keep it properly."

Mother really fidgeting (with documents and bags and bags and bags).

I asked, why don't you check in your luggage?
Mother replied already, six big bags.
You should know how many things to carry to cater for the kid.

I cleared IO quickly and again hop on to the custom quickly.
I have no intention to help them carry their bags and I must beat them to clear the custom first.
... my instinct tell me to do...

I get out of the custom and look back thru the door out of curiosity.
Seriously, I wanted to see how custom reacts to their hand carry items.

There were 6 custom officer manning.
2 of them were at the scanner.

The moment their main luggage go thru the scanner,
the girl at the scanner exclaimed:
"Wo de ma ya!"

10 mins later, the kid hand carries were cleared (pending the mother's).
One custom officer ask him to get a trolley (pointing to my direction).

He took off like a leopard.
He fidget with the ipad (which mounted prominently on the trolley and couldn't get it out from the lined trolleys.

He walk back a few steps empty handed (which I anticipated).

I signalled him to wait and then take out one trolley from the line.
Then, my instinct kicked in and put out one more trolley and signal him to take both.

He pushed both trolleys as fast as possible back.

I saw he tried to put his bags on to the trolley (very small) with no luck.
He struggled and a custom officer helped him to sling them on the handle (of the trolley).
He follow suit.

Custom is no joke.
The officer quizzed and took out the items (small and big) to inspect.
When in doubt, put back and scan again.

repeated to clear his mothers' items.

In between, a few people was stuck behind them.

I search for the boarding gate and stand at a prominent place such that when both come out, they will be able to see me (walking).

Waited. waited. waited and they are out with the trolleys and bags.

I make sure that they see me and walking towards my direction that I turn my head.

I walk quickly ahead and looks for dinner.
no luck.

Go toilet then fill up my empty water bottle.

Noticed that the mother had searched and found 20RMB to buy orange juice.

Go ahead and next saw them at the waiting area.

Mother kept talking to the son.
I felt so much love in the air.

---

When the Q was formed, I did not noticed them.
Likely they are taking their own sweat time to take their hand carries.

Quickly, a long Q was formed by a group of school children.

Saw the kid walk to join the long Q from behind, mother 5 steps behind.
I quietly counted... 15 pieces of hand carries.
They are definitely ready to board the plane with inflated neck pillars (one each).

Then, disaster strike!
The kid's inflated neck pillar drop on the floor.

You could sense the great and deepest frustration from the kid.
He just stand still (frozen) and sighs.
The world is collapsing (I imagine that he had to empty his hand to pick up and then....) 

I charged up (before he put down his hand carries).
I wrap it around the telescoping columns of his hand luggage and ask him whether this is ok?

He nodded with a poker face but I can sense the great relieve in his body.

I seated and wait patiently.

As the receptionist signalled me to board, I reluctantly walk up and hand over my boarding pass.

I know that it's going to be a slow boarding process with them in front of me.

Why rush?

[chialc88]

Happy Deepavali - Best wishes to all who celebrate the festival of lights


With the volatility kick in with a clear downtrends,
wish all valuebuddies take the time to truely understand your temperaments
and enjoy your investment journey.

[chialc88]

19th Jan 2019 BTS in Singapore.

Good morning valuebuddies.

The usual sunshine and bird chirping happily all around us.

Spotted any changing trends?

Extracted from Straits Times:

[chialc88]

此佳节 祝大家新年快乐
Wish everyone a perfect prosperous pig year!

Really appreciate the help of all valuebuddies in all these years.
To illustrate, take a look at my desktop here:



It's not mine creation.
I saw and thought that it's an excellent wallpaper.
Different people will read this differently.
For me, it's simply a reminder a few key entry price for my favourite blue chips.

An excellent piece of arts that I see and use it almost everyday.

感恩 Thank you very much Terima kasih  நன்றி

---

FY18 is very tough.
2 well know financial bloggers declared that their return on investment since 2014 till end 2018 is practically 
zero.

Both joked that they shoud simply put the money into the bank and do all the fun things; totally ignoring the stock market.

Now, if you look carefully at their trades/track records:
1. All their profits were wiped out in FY18.
2. In fact, their performance match STI results aka not different if they buy STI index.

And, of course, if you look at your own trades/records,
very likely you will "achieve" similar result

... unless you brought Best World, Micro Mechanics or Powermatics Data.

Again, all these stocks were great ideas from our valuebuddies.
I benefited tremendously from your generous sharing.

感恩

---

My FY18 was saved by Specuvestor.
Without him, I won't be having current state of mind.

You see, FY17 was a good year for  me (likely you too).
Moving into FY18, I felt invincible and was charging ahead.

Specuvestor prompted me to be careful.

From my trading record, it should be sometime in Mar 2018.
As per my trading record, my buying pattern slow down since Mar 2018.

My highest 5DD price for the record is $2.09.
100 shares and that's how slow I was buying.

感恩 A job well done (of coaching me).


Last but not least, 
my top 3 stocks is still MM, Straco and ifast despite MM current low price of 
$1.62, it's still my #1 stocks.

Wish all our valuebuddies a prosperous year in 2019.

Enjoy:

[chialc88]

感恩 Thank you very much Terima kasih  நன்றி

Yesterday, as usual, woke up by the chirping sounds and crickets.

Feb 2019 is unusually cool at night and dry in the day.

Tonight, if you have some time, look up and survey the sky.

If you're lucky, the Orion belt will be there for you.

If you're down under, then Southern Cross and the entire Milky river will be there for you too.

I was glad to see Tooh Fee San in Straits Time.
Hair all white but face features recognisable.

At the same time, I was sad to read about Bernard Fong.

All I can say is 感恩 Thank you very much Terima kasih  நன்றி


I don't know what hurts you

But I can feel it too.