MAGAZINE CONTENTS
COVER STORY
44 ON TOP OF THEIR GAME
Ridwan Abbas meets three ladies who have been
making their own unique contributions to investing.
IN EVERY ISSUE
06 KEEPING SCORE
08 SMART MOVES
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
12 THE SNOWBALL EFFECT
Year-end outlook for the STI in the wake of the US
financial turmoil
16 OF PHILANTHROPY AND PROFITS
After growing Raffles Education into Asia’s largest private
education group, chairman and chief executive Chew Hua
Seng decides it’s time to give back to society in a big way
19 NICO STEEL REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
From small beginnings in 1994, Nico Steel has climbed its
way to $58 million sales last year
21 WALKING THE GREEN PATH
With the growing demand for environmentally sound
products, Sitra Holdings gets a head start with its
eco-friendly furniture
24 CONQUERING CHINA’S FARMLANDS
China Farm Equipment has proven its mettle in China’s
agricultural machinery sector and industry observers are
taking notice
26 DRIVEN BY DESIGN
Following its successful participation in the Singapore F1,
Kingsmen Creatives Ltd prepares for bigger things to come
28 IPO WATCH
Trump Dragon Distillers go IPO
30 RESTRUCTURING OPPORTUNITIES
How to restructure your portfolio for those holding
non-performing structured notes amid unfavorable
market conditions
32 NEARING ROCK BOTTOM
Why a constructive view on the outlook for US equity
markets still holds despite bearish sentiments
34 AS BEARISH AS IT GETS
Chart Nexus’ Ng Ee Hwa charts STI’s direction in light of
recent market fallout and offers some trading tips
36 A FAIR EXCHANGE
A government programme provides opportunities
for local companies to tap the expertise of their Israeli
counterparts
38 ANALYSTS’ CALL
39 CHOPPY WATERS AHEAD
Asian markets are expected to trend lower – weighed
down by pricey valuations compared to global markets
40 RABOBANK EXPECTS A SILVER LINING IN 2009
Asian stock indices likely to pick up by mid-2009, forecasts
the Dutch bank
41 OFFSHORE OIL SECTOR NOT DAMPENED
BY FALLING PRICES
Analysts remain bullish on the offshore oil and gas sector
as demand for oil exploration and production equipment
are expected to remain high
WEALTH MANAGEMENT
53 A BRAND NAME IN WILL WRITING AND TRUST
SERVICES
Professional will writing and estate planning firm, the
Rockwills group of companies arrives in Singapore
56 BIOTECH PROSPERS
The biotech sector remains defensive amidst market
shake-ups
59 A NEW OPTION FOR HEDGE FUND INVESTORS
A Singaporean-based company opens its doors to high net
worth investors to make profits in US options trading
62 LOOKING BEYOND THE DOOM AND GLOOM
Why it’s time to get out of the equity-based mindset to find
gems amidst the rubble
64 UNCERTAINTY ABOUT HEALTHCARE
FOR THE AGED
Tsao Foundation’s latest poll uncovers low confidence
about retiring in Singapore
66 FLYING SOUTH FOR THE SUNSET
Unlike planning for a vacation, retiring abroad is a lifelong
pursuit
69 HOW TO RESOLVE A PROBLEM WITH YOUR
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
Steps to take should you find yourself in a fix with a
banking, insurance or capital markets institution
72 MARKET INDICATORS
76 WARRANTS BRIEF
77 SCORE BOARD
EXECUTIVE CLASS
85 STICKING TO HER GUNS
Pinnacle International’s Valerie Tan on her unrelenting
passion for the car industry
89 BEDAZZLED
A look at the latest trends in diamonds
92 MAKE WAY FOR THIS MINI TROOPER
The Mini John Cooper Works lives up to its name as a
small car with F1 capabilities
94 WEEKEND BRUNCHES
95 BAGS OF FANCY
96 GADGETS
 KEEPING SCORE
Jitters from the nerve-wrecking market meltdown last month can still be felt today. As uncertainty continues to loom over the prospects of the US economy, dealers reckoned that trading action across the region is expected to go through a roller coaster ride, prompting most investors to stay on the sidelines.
Although we have all heard about the US government rescue package for the ailing fi nancial institutions there, investors remain skeptical on whether the aid will be suffi cient and about its eff ect on the already bulging US deficit.
With tighter credit control, the US economy is expected to shrink. The impact on Asia will then depend on how sharp the decline will be and what other measures the government will introduce to staveoff a prolonged recession. Until then, uncertainty will hover around and global investors will continue to be at the edge of their seats. This month we focus on the fairer sex and their attitudes towards investing. While the general investing principles apply to both men and women, some research in behavioral fi nance have shown that women may actually be the better investor. This is because they are not easily infl uenced by their ego and their conservatism can work in their favour – especially during tumultuous periods in the markets similar as last month’s.
More and more women are dabbling into investments these days. Some even start while still in college, just as men do. In the fi nance sector, an increasing number of women are holding highprofi le positions in the banking and investment sector, earning much more than their male partners. Gone are the days when the family’s fi nances were left only for the men to handle.
While investing is not gender-specific, feedback we received so far indicates the need for an avenue or platform where women investors can communicate with each other and share their investing experiences. We’ve taken up that challenge in this edition as we feature three ladies who play signifi cant roles in the fi nancial services sector. Going forward, we intend to feature more coverage of women in the investment landscape.
Tell us your views. We certainly welcome suggestions you may have on topics you wish to see in the pages of Smart Investor. Looking forward to hear from you!
Azhar Khalid
Publisher & Managing Editor
We
welcome readers' thoughts on investing, the markets, the economy,
this magazine or other related matters. Please email letters* to The
Editoror fax 65-6292 2132.
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