Stocks to buy Now and After the General Election

Yesterday, The Star's StarBiz suggested eight stocks to keep on your radar, good for now as well as post-election, the latter, i.e., if you are banking on the current administration staying in power. (Yes, GE13 is just around the corner if you haven't heard or read about it. Duh!)

These are some stocks that are worth taking a bet on, StarBiz suggested. These are stocks of companies that are doing well but which also have a political flavour one way or the other which could be in the form of government contracts, shareholdings or just personalities involved in their key management or ownership.

The eight stocks are:

1. SapuraKencana Petroleum Bhd
2. Gamuda Bhd
3. CIMB Group Holdings Bhd
4. MyEG Services Bhd
5. Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Bhd
6. Prestariang Bhd
7. Cypark Resources Bhd
8. Handal Resources Bhd

For more info about these companies, read: The Star's Are you thinking what stocks to buy before and after the general elections?


Or perhaps you may want to check out Manchester United stock? It's now under $17 a share. Forbes Magazine says Man U is valued at a record $3.3 billion making them the world’s first sports team to be valued at more than $3 billion.

Last August, shares of the team were offered to the public at $14 but are now just under $17, boosting the wealth of the Glazer family, which has voting control of almost all of the team.

Famed investor George Soros was among those who purchased a stake in the 19-time English champions after shares went public.

Read more: Forbes says Man U valued at record $3.3 billion - Latest - New Straits Times

Manchester United's Shinji Kagawa runs with the ball during their FA Cup fourth round soccer match against Fulham at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England, January 26, 2013. REUTERS/ Phil Noble

Malaysian stock market - opportunity to buy

Do you invest in the stock market? Could this be an opportunity to pick up more stocks?

From The Star:

With the FBM KLCI having dropped by close to 50 points over the last two days, some analysts are seeing a buy opportunity emerge, as prices of blue chips and certain stocks in the oil and gas, property and consumer sectors retrace to attractive levels.

Analysts said that the drop in the last two days was driven mostly by sentiment, rather than real fundamental concerns.

On Monday, the FBM KLCI fell 2.4% or 40.81 points on a volume of 1.83 billion shares valued at RM2.6bil.

This was the single largest daily loss since October 2011.

Buying gold online is convenient and safe

For thousands of years, gold remains a popular commodity, both as an ornament as well as an investment to hedge against inflation and to preserve the purchasing power. Hence, over the years, we have seen the price of gold appreciating vis-a-vis the once-popular US dollar.

Here in this country, it is not easy to buy gold in actual form - ingot or gold coins but thanks to the Internet, an interested gold investor is able to purchase gold ingots and US mint coins easily and all that can be done from the comfort of the home. Hope this answers the much-asked question, Where to buy gold online?

Are there Fake gold bars in Malaysia?

One has to be careful these days with the number of counterfeit products out there in the market. Fake eggs, fake milk powder, among others, and now even fake gold bars. Last month, fake gold bars were discovered in Manhattan, New York, and it has been reported that they have even made their way to England.

A customer in New York bought some gold bars and heard that counterfeit gold bars have been going around so he drilled into several only to find tungsten in them. The procedure was so professionally done that it is believed that an international ring could be involved.

Here, a 10-ounce gold bar costing nearly $18,000 turned out to be a counterfeit valued at just $3,600. It's filled with tungsten which weighs nearly the same as gold but costs just over a dollar an ounce.

From Yahoo..

"I really got sick. It's a big amount of money and I could not believe that somebody was so professional and clever, it's perfect," Fadl, the customer said.

Here's why even the reputable merchant got fooled, as explained by Fox:

What makes it so devious is a real gold bar is purchased with the serial numbers and papers, then it is hollowed out, the gold is sold, the tungsten is put in, then the bar is closed up. That is a sophisticated operation.

The sophisticated operation may be global in scope: Gold bars filled with tungsten showed up in England earlier this year. The Secret Service is investigating the counterfeits in New York.

So the next time you go to pick up some gold bars, you may want to bring along your drill.


Makes you wonder whether these fake gold bars have come to Malaysian shores, doesn't it?


Image source: Video grab from Yahoo!

Gold trading in Malaysia with Genneva

With low bank interest rate and market volatility, many investors in Malaysia are turning to investing in gold for faster and better returns on their investment. Gold is a recommended hedge against inflation protecting the purchasing power going forward.

Two days ago, a gold trading firm Genneva's offices and its affiliates in the country were raided by a joint-team from four NGOs - the police, Bank Negara, the Companies Commission of Malaysia and the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism - for various suspected offences.

Genneva’s Singapore subsidiary was also raided.

Anxious Genneva Malaysia investors and trading agents thronged the company's headquarters in Jalan Kuchai Maju 6 and its Penang hub to find out if their savings are safe in the wake of the raid. Many of them had invested large sums of money in the company's gold trading scheme. More..

Worried investors hope Genneva will be allowed to resume business soon.

A doctor has invested RM400,000 a year ago and has received an average return of RM8,000 monthly. The money is used to fund his son's tertiary education in London. Another daughter has just enrolled in a college in Kuala Lumpur.

Another investor said she depends on the returns on this gold investment for her family needs as she does not have any other income.

Yet another needs the monthly return to fund medical bills.

This is how it works at Genneva Malaysia S/B: (Click to enlarge image)

Background of Genneva Malaysia Sdn Bhd

According to the Gold Bullion Entrepreneurs Association of (GBEAM), there are no clear guidelines regulating any aspect of gold trading in the country and that the trade has been unregulated since the 1980s.

The association believes in the business model by Genneva Malaysia Sdn Bhd as it was based on a genuine platform.

“The action taken by Bank Negara could be based on a misunderstanding. GBEAM hopes that the Government will provide clearer guidelines to gold traders in the future,” the association said in a statement yesterday.


Image source: The Star


Related articles:
- Three Genneva directors, ex-director ordered to defend money-laundering charges
- Six Genneva personnel slapped with over 900 money laundering charges
- Genneva sets ‘gold medal’ record

Investing for Retirement

Inflation being what it is, the amount of money we are saving for retirement may not be sufficient to sustain our daily living when the time comes. Investing money wisely to protect the purchasing power is no longer an option but a necessity.

With bank rates at what they are, a diversified investment portfolio that includes gold investment and annuity rates fixed income accounts are two better options for retirement. From what I see, rates offered on annuity accounts are twice as good as rates offered by banks and there are many different types of income annuities, one to suit every need. Investing in gold is another sure way to combat the negative forces of inflation.

Buying gold online

Most of us do some shopping online, some regularly shop online while a small number of us even shop online 100% of the time choosing not to go through the hassle of driving to a physical store thus avoiding traffic jams and long queues at the checkout counter. And for some, shopping online could be the best thing that's ever happened!

We buy books, clothes, shoes, household items, kitchenware, insurance, movie tickets, watches, CDs, DVDs, medications, exercise equipment and lots of others online. Perhaps, it's now time that we also buy gold coin online. Besides the price factor, the next stumbling block to buying gold (or silver and other precious metals) is that it is not that convenient. Wouldn't you agree? For instance, over here, in order to buy gold, one has to go to a bank, open an account by filling in a form before ownership of gold can happen. Maybe it's the same procedure in other countries, I don't know.

I just received an email about a vending machine for buying gold coins in many denominations but that is only in Abu Dhabi. I'm pretty sure this convenience won't happen anywhere else in the world for a long time or perhaps never at all. If you are looking to buying gold online or to buy gold coin, the next best thing would be buying it online. Buying gold online offers many advantages especially if you are shopping with Oxbridge House where they have experts to help you with your transaction whether it's for an investment or a collection.

Insurance plan that pays immediate annuities

Not sure if this type of insurance is available here in Malaysia but over in the U.S., there is such an insurance plan called single premium immediate annuities or simply "immediate annuities."

What this means is that this insurance product requires only a single payment and after that the insurance company pays you a pension for the rest of your life.

Single-premium immediate annuities are most useful for individuals or couples who are already at retirement age. A retiree can use his/her savings to purchase an immediate annuity, which will ensure steady income for his/her entire retirement, no matter how long he/she lives.

All that glitters is Gold

Gold does not go out of style. Despite its high price, goldsmith shops here are still doing good business. People buy gold jewelry as gifts for weddings and new arrivals to the family or simply to add to one's collection though people don't flaunt them so much these days for safety reasons.

Investors, however, are looking at another angle to owning gold. Gold is and has been for centuries been used to preserve one's wealth hedging against inflation, now more urgently needed than ever. You can start small and slowly build up your investment portfolio. You can buy gold coins to start with or open a gold investment account with a bank here.

Spot gold is around US$1,412 per ounce. As for the Ringgit, Ringgit is quoted at 3.0555 to the US dollar.

Make Firstrade Your Online Broker

In this day and age, distance is no longer an issue when it comes to achieving the things you want to do. Take investments for instance. You can now conduct online trading even if you are in the remotest region of the earth. All you need is the Internet connection.

Talking about online trading, Firstrade is the company you would want to seriously take a look at if stock trading is up your alley or if you are seriously looking out for investment avenues.

Firstrade, with 25 years of service, is a leading online investment firm offering a full line-up of investment products and powerful tools designed to help investors take control of their financial future. Their range of investment products include Stocks, Options, Mutual Funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) Fixed Incomes, Bonds, and more.

With their complete suite of investment products, low pricing but offering maximum value, excellent customer care for over 25 years, and powerful tools including customisable account dashboard, this online broker has been rated one of the best online brokers by major industry publications including Barron's, Forbes, and Smart Money. How does a 3-second trade execution guarantee grab you? What about no fee IRAs and low margin rates, no account minimum, no hidden fees? All these at Firstrade!

Get a Free copy of all you need to know about Gold

When people talk about investment, gold and the price of gold are most likely to be included in the discussion especially if investment is for retirement or how to preserve wealth and saving for the future. These days, a smart investment portfolio would be to include gold either in coins or bullions.

Gold has for centuries been a much-prized precious metal. Gold is the ultimate asset. It is the purest form of money, and the oldest, most durable wealth-preserving asset on the planet. We have seen gold price escalating from year to year and investors nowadays are placing physical gold in IRA's. If you had purchased $25,000 of gold bullion coins in the early 70’s and held on to it during the oil crisis, inflation, the various recession cycles, the tech and Internet bubble, 911, and a real estate bubble you could sell that gold today for $524,999.00. Alright, maybe you were not born yet (the 70's) but you get the picture.

Governments can’t devalue gold. It has no debts, no board of directors, no politicians or central bankers that can mess with its value. That’s why gold has survived every economy history has ever witnessed, and preserved investors’ purchasing power over a span of thousands of years.

If you need to find current gold prices and gold charts online, just key in common search terms such as gold prices, gold price, price of gold, gold spot, and spot gold. With the fluctuating dollar, gold is the answer, an asset that can preserve your wealth and protect your purchasing power. You can get a free copy of everything you need to know about gold, gold prices, investment, etc.

Buy Gold at United States Gold Bureau

I've had a few queries as to where one can buy gold coins. There are many sources to buy gold coins. One of the best sources is the United States Gold Bureau where you can purchase silver, gold or other precious metals and coins. You have a choice for your purchase to be personally delivered to you immediately or have them conveniently and safely stored at an independent bank or depository.

Why the United States Gold Bureau? United States Gold Bureau is home to a large and dedicated staff of hard asset professionals committed to serving your precious metals investment needs and being America’s best dealer with a convenient market and competitive precious metals prices.But

Inflation and the decreasing value of paper currency are slowly but surely eroding our wealth. And if we want to safeguard our hard-earned savings preserving our purchasing power as a result, investing in precious metals especially in silver and gold is the wisest move. For centuries, gold and silver have been recognised as wealth preservers. Now may be the best time to buy gold and silver in view of increasing prices of these precious metals.

Online Trading with Firstrade

Technology has accelerated our pace of life. The Internet has enabled us to do a lot more online at the click of the mouse. We do banking, paying bills, shopping and lots more other activities online these days.

Time is money. That is the reason why online trading is fast catching on. If you’ve been thinking about getting into stock trading or looking at ways to save or increase your savings or retirement fund, you may want to check out Firstrade.com.

Firstrade.com is an online brokerage firm that allows customers to trade Stocks, Options, Mutual Funds, ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds), Fixed Income, Reinvestment of Dividends at competitive rates. They have been in the business for 20 years and is a highly-rated investment company.

At Firstrade, you will be provided with your own online broker who will be able to help you out with anything you do not understand about stocks, mutual funds and the like.

Gold Price

A look at the price of Gold..

Click image to enlarge

(Image courtesy of usagold.com)

Related article:
Dollar’s Drop Lifts Shares, Gold and Oil
Gold keeps on surging, hits new high of $1,119
Gold: how high can the price go?

All That Glitters is Gold in the End

Gold, who can resist owning it. It is a precious metal loved from over the centuries and is getting more popular today as the man on the street sees real value in this precious metal.

Gold in the form of gold coins or gold bullion can be purchased and are much sought after as one of the ways to preserve savings and the purchasing power in the face of inflation.

Over the years, the value of gold and other precious metal bullion has increased hundreds of times thus making them, gold, especially, an asset to have in one's retirement account. Ever thought about buying a gold coin a month? In a year, you would be having twelve gold coins.

The Gold Coin Gain site says it all:

Gold is the ultimate asset. It is the purest form of money, and the oldest, most durable wealth-preserving asset on the planet. Governments can’t devalue it. It has no debts, no board of directors, no politicians or central bankers that can mess with its value. That’s why gold has survived every economy history has ever witnessed, and preserved investors’ purchasing power over a span of some 5000 years.

Securing One's Future with Gold Purchase

The share market is up and people are talking about it. Gold is up too and people are talking about it. Strange that when share market is down and gold is down, there is less talk about them.

At a dinner function last night, one of the topics that came up was, you guessed it.. share market and gold and how the latter would be one of the ways to preserve one's savings and purchasing power.

Gold bullion can be purchased from various sources. One of them is through Monex Deposit Company (MDC) that has been America’s gold, silver and precious metals investment leader and they have a large and dedicated staff of hard asset professionals committed to serving every customer's needs.

You can purchase silver, gold or other precious metals and coins for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository. Now is as good as any time to buy gold for a more secure future.

Buying Gold to Preserve Wealth and Purchasing Power

In an earlier post, we talked about the Dow Jones and the local share market. We even talked about investing in gold to preserve one's savings. In fact, buying gold has been recognized for centuries as one of the best ways to preserve one's wealth and purchasing power.

You can buy gold , silver or other precious metals and coins for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository through Monex Deposit Company (MDC). For over 30 years, the Monex companies have been America’s investment leader for gold, silver and precious metals.

Gold is available in coin or ingot form as an investment product. Ingots are generally gold ingots of pure bullion cast in a convenient size and shape. Coins have a currency value or they are actually defined as ingots.

If it is silver you are interested in, silver is also available in coin or ingot form. Ingots are generally silver ingots of pure bullion cast in a convenient size and shape. Like gold coins, silver coins have a currency value or they are actually defined as ingots.

There may never be a better time for buying silver bullion than right now as world demand for silver now exceeds annual production, and has been every year since 1990.

Dow’s Rally hit above 10,000 Points

Even though the Dow is some 4,000 points off its record high, hitting 10,000 points on Wednesday has caused an impact in Asian markets and markets elsewhere. KLSE recorded a double-digit gain yesterday though it's in the red a little today. Japan’s Nikkei index rose more than 2 percent after the opening before sliding back some.

Picture below shows Specialists Michael Scavone, left, and Michael Sollitto reacted as the Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed 10,000 on Wednesday for the first time in over a year.


If the share market is not for you, perhaps investing in gold would be another option; some say a better and probably a safer bet. Currently, gold price is hovering at around $1065 an ounce.


Source: NY Times

Gold to Hit USD1500 An Ounce!

If you have been collecting or investing in gold jewelry or gold coins, your collection is now worth a tidy sum as the price of gold is currently hovering around USD1000.

Precious metal experts are predicting it will go up to USD1500. (More people might be heading Mersing way to pan for gold?)

I have no idea whether pawnshops here are doing a brisk business but in the US, pawnshops are seeing a rush of gold sellers - office workers, retirees and many others bringing their jewelry in jewelry boxes, even safe deposit boxes to cash in on the high price of gold.

There is good reason now to get rid of pieces of jewelry they find outdated, broken, or simply will not be worn again. Coins and other hand-me-down pieces also find their way to the pawnshops. There are even gold parties, where people gather to sell their jewelry.

Cashing in may be due to the need for cash resulting from the softening of the economy. Gas price being at $3.60 per gallon may be a big factor in people converting from jewelry to cash to fill their gas tanks. Some seniors pawn their gold items in order to make it through until their next Social Security checks arrive.

The price of silver has also gone up - from $6 per troy ounce two years ago to more than $20 now.

Investment Strategies

The Malaysian bourse went south the day after the election but has picked up since. The wiser experienced investors or retailers would have made a profit or maybe a tidy sum picking up the better stocks.

What about those who are not so well-versed in investment strategies? Experts have time and time again advised against dabbling in stocks without a good understanding of the fundamentals. The better alternative would be to invest in something more concrete and more tangible such as silver or other precious metals.

Did you know that Monex Deposit Company (MDC) can help you purchase silver or other precious metals for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository? Their experts are trained to grow your wealth or at least ensure your financial resources are hedged against inflation and currency fluctuations to preserve your wealth.