Finances

Continue looking good on the global outlook, particularly Asia Pacific region as the direct beneficiary  of global economic recovery, this new fund would invest into those companies based on its attractive intrinsic value. However, the road to recovery is not as straight-forward. The recent market sell down is a very good example. Market volatility was another concern for investors, which many of us cannot stomach it. Any solutions for that? Yes... with this new fund... The Eastspring Investment Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) Target Return fund aims to provide investors with at least 8% per annum growth over medium to long term whilst managing the downside risk of investments in Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) region. By employing a value investing strategy, the fund aims to deliver the return regardless of market conditions . The fund manager when managing these type of portfolios will strike a balance between achieving capital appreciation and mitigating downside risks. In general, the fu...

After the Budget 2015, investors are bracing for the first trading day tomorrow. Before the opening session kicks off, what's the potential counters should investors focus on? How to relate those counters with Budget 2015 ? The biggest beneficiaries... Obviously, one of the biggest beneficiaries was construction sector with the announcements of various highways, MRT and LRT projects. Meanwhile, we can break it down to a few potential counters: Gamuda : Another MRT line from Selayang to Putrajaya with an estimated RM23bil. With its expertise in tunneling works and PDP role of existing MRT line, Gamuda is the favorite to clinch the job again. Bina Puri, Sunway and TRC : These are another few companies which already clinched some construction jobs for current MRT or LRT projects. The new line announced would definitely benefiting these counters, since they already have the experiences and also cost advantages. IJM : When mentioned about the RM5bil West Coast Expressway (WCE) proj...

The much awaited Budget 2015 was presented by our Prime Minister at Cabinet today. Looking on are hopeful Malaysians with their never ended wish lists, which already submitted via various channels. Does your wishes being addressed in the budget? The People's Economy... This is the title for Budget 2015, which referring to an economy that based on the daily lives of the rakyat. Very obvious, this is to address the concerns of the rakyat towards the implementation of GST soon. What's in it? Here, we only highlighting a few key points which related closely with most Malaysians: Several infrastructure projects will be implemented: Sungai Besi - Ulu Klang Expressway (SUKE) West Coast Expressway from Taiping to Banting Damansara - Shah Alam Highway (DASH) Eastern Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE) East Coast railway line along Gemas-Mentakab, Jerantut-Sungai Yu and Gua Musang-Tumpat 2nd MRT Line from Selayang to Putrajaya LRT 3 Project, linking Bandar Utama to Shah Alam and Klang O...

In anticipation of rising interest rate environment, would fixed-rate loans be a better option for borrowers? To recap, Bank Negara Malaysia, for the first time since 2011, raised the benchmark reference rate OPR to 3.25% in July 2014. While many anticipate that there will be another round of hiking soon, should loan borrowers opt for fixed rate loan? What is Fixed-Rate loan? By fixing your interest rate upfront, fixed rate loans protect borrowers from future increases in Base Lending Rate (BLR). In other word, the repayment amount will not be changed during the entire loan period. Who is suitable for fixed rate loan? Perhaps, if you are looking to avoid any volatility , in terms of interest rate movements, you may opt for fixed rate loan. However, it's not necessarily so in terms of paying lower interest rate.  Why say so? Normally, the interest rate on a fixed rate loan was set slightly above what you would be quoted for a floating rate. So, if the financial institutions ...