Daily Archives: 28 Aug 2009

Fair-value change hits Second Chance

RETAIL-cum-properties group Second Chance Properties yesterday reported a 95.4 per cent plunge in net profit to $628,000 for its financial fourth quarter ended June 30, 2009 – from $13.5 million for Q4 FY2008.

The chief cause was a Q4 shift in fair value changes for properties – to a $1.32 million deficit from a $13.8 million gain for the previous Q4.

The Q4 results would have been worse if not for a 97 per cent fall in deficit on fair valuation of securities held for trading – to $230,000 from $7.64 million.

Not helping was a 39.8 per cent dive in Q4 revenue to $9.3 million and an even bigger 55.1 per cent drop in gross profit to $4.86 million.

The Q4 performance resulted in a 56.7 per cent plunge in net profit to $10.4 million for the full year ended June 30, 2009 – from FY2008’s $24.1 Continue reading

Sentiment, not liquidity, driving asset prices: C Suisse

THE recent sharp rebound in asset prices in Asia is not due to loose monetary conditions or a deluge of foreign capital, a senior economist at Credit Suisse says in a report.

Rather, improving sentiment among investors is likely the main driving force behind the recent run-up in equity and property prices, according to Credit Suisse economist Cem Karacadag.

In a separate report, Citigroup’s Singapore equity strategist Chua Hak Bin says he now believes the Straits Times Index could reach 3,000 points by the end of March next year, buoyed by better economic data in the next few months.

‘This economic recovery will continue to look V-shaped in coming months, as third-quarter gross domestic product and job growth continue to show a definite improvement,’ he says. Continue reading