How Barclay ABN Amro Takeover Deal Affects Asia

The merging banks will cut jobs in Europe. I think we will see more workers go on strikes in Europe despite it is a good excuse to merge and fire workers. More jobs will go to Asia, especially outsource to India. Singapore may get a slice of the influx jobs from Europe.

I guess this is what's happening... merge the banks, fire some people, transfer key people to work in Asia.

So why is this happening? Could it be the strong euro? Wages in Europe are definitely high when compared with India. Seems like not only Singapore faces low wage competition from India and China.

Still, I think we have a few more good years ahead before the next crisis comes.

Indonesia-Singapore Extradition & Defence Pacts

Now that the Indonesia-Singapore extradition get out of the way, many people are expecting the sand and granite supply shortage will be solved soon. Construction related counters will continue with their rising trend.



Cheaper Sand and Granite for Construction Industry

Here's what I am HOPING... BBR will go up to $0.40 within next 12 months. Liang Huat will shoot to $0.30 within 6 months. I have vested interest in both these counters. I have been holding on to these construction related shares since 1999. If you have been in the Singapore stock market for that long also, you'll know that I still lose money even if I got what I hoped for!

If you do not have any construction related shares, you may like to start monitoring their movement. The construction industry has started to boom and will continue for at least another 3 to 5 years. With long term plan to use sustainable construction material, structural steel supplier and distributors will have good time ahead and earning for these companies will increase - so will the share price.

Possible Negative Effects of Indonesia-Singapore Extradiction Pact

Now that rich crooks from Indonesia cannot hide in Singapore, they will flee along with their monies. I heard rumors that many Singapore-based banks have millions of dollar of deposits from Indonesia citizens. Some of these monies will disappear, and effects some banks in Singapore. So you still have little time left to exit financial related stock. You may also want to be ready to short the SiMSCI.