The Weekly Roundup – Academy’s Finest is a collection of my favorite blog posts, podcasts and other useful contents that I have enjoyed over the past week.
I will be releasing this series of posts with a short summary of the content for easy summary.
My goals is to share quality content (or what i think are amazing stuff) in an easy to digest format for my readers.
In the meantime, I will also like to pay tribute to these wonderful content creators all around the world, not just here in Singapore.
Please share any great blog posts or podcast episodes with me through the comments section. I value your input and feedback which will in turn allow me to share the most beneficial content.
Without much ado, let’s get started into the Weekly Roundup – Academy’s Finest Vol 4
MY BLOG POSTS THIS WEEK
Venture Corp declined by 4% despite solid Philip Morris 3Q19 results. Here’s why: For those who are familiar with Venture Corp, you are probably aware that Philip Morris is the company’s largest customer. Hence, the operating performance of Venture Corp is in a way intertwined with the success/failure of Philip Morris’s IQOS sales. Despite Philip Morris recording robust 3Q19 IQOS performance, with management reaffirming the product long-term outlook, Venture Corp’s share price declined by a hefty 4% the following day. We suspect this could be due Philip Morris’s guidance that IQOS device sales will now encompass a smaller percentage of overall IQOS sales (from 20% to 15%). We speculate that this is likely the reason why Venture’s share price was sold off. Look out for Venture’s 3Q19 results announcement in November.
How to play the partial offer for Keppel: Temasek seek to acquire a majority stake (51%) in Keppel but has no intention of taking the company private for the time-being. We provided our own analysis of how to play this partial offer for Keppel. Is Keppel undervalued? What are the other stock counters that might be in play because of this move by Temasek?
DIY or Robo? The 1.6% Opportunity Cost Dilemma: We evaluate one of the key portfolio expense that is often being overlooked, particularly if one has investment in overseas counters. Withholding taxes on distributions/dividends can result in “unforeseen” elevated portfolio expenses. We calculated that a DIY approach could result in ALL-IN annual expenses of 0.4% vs. 2.0% for Robo-advisors. Is the convenience of investing through Robo-advisors worth the additional 1.6% compared to a DIY investment approach?
BLOG POSTS
- The Best Advice for Living Forever off your Retirement by thinksaveretire
The team from thinksaveretire propositioned that to live off your retirement, three major elements need to be satisfied: 1) Streamline your lifestyle. The key is to spend money on items that make you happy. 2) Re-evaluate often. Re-evaluate your current expenses and net worth often to assure yourself that you are on-track, if not make the necessary changes accordingly. 3) Always look for opportunities. There are a LOT of opportunities out there that allows you to make money on the side, Don’t think of retirement as an end to earning money.
- My Top 10 Biggest Financial Blunders by Mr Taco Escapes
Mr Taco is someone who has successfully retired at a grand old age of 38 and has a current net worth closing USD3m. Despite such an achievement, his track record ain’t perfect and he listed down his Top 10 biggest financial blunders which we can all learn from. From spending too much money on flavored water, buying fancy clothing to procrastinating on buying a new home, some of these are likely “mistakes” that we can well relate to.
- Why is Temasek acquiring Keppel by Financialhorse
I have written about this topic but it is always refreshing to read about what others think. I have always felt that financial horse articles are well-thought with in-depth analytical information. His conclusion is that Temasek’s acquisition of Keppel is not really the deal we want, but it’s the deal we need. I agree with him. In order for our local yards to stay competitive, status-co is no longer the solution, given how far back we have been trailing our competitors over the past couple of years. Look at the new orders which the Korean yards are winning vs. what our local yards are winning. A cause for concern is definitely warranted!
WRAPPING IT UP
That’s all for this edition of Academy’s Finest. Have a great week ahead everyone!
