The Ghost Writer

4.5/5

A smart and dark political commentary about government conspiracies. It's a pity that Golden Village didn't carry this title. Shaw and Cathay are presently screening at limited small cinema halls - I watched the movie at Shaw.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

2.5/5

Too few turning-back-time scenes. Prince of Persia has failed to manage gamers' expectations.

Criticism on Technology Stocks

"I'm thoroughly convinced there's no franchise to these businesses. Product cycles are so fast that it's difficult for them to make money. There's no barrier to new competitors." -- Jim Craig

Practicality

In the 1970s, Tom Bailey said: "If you can't wear it and you can't eat it, don't buy it (the stock)".

I find wisdom in his sentence. There are too many dubious stocks that are not worth our investment. For Bailey's statement to stay relevant in 2010, I'm revising it to: "If you can't wear it, eat it or use it... don't buy its stock."

Value Investing

"When you buy a stock, you're not buying a piece of paper; you're buying part of a business. There's often a huge spread between the intrinsic value of the business and the price that a frequently manic stock market is putting on the paper. Buy a stock significantly above intrinsic value and you court a loss. Buy below intrinsic value and you have a good chance of making money over the long haul, with little risk of taking a permanent hit on your capital." -- Benjamin Graham

Once A Gangster

2/5

A parody of Young and Dangerous and Infernal Affairs films. Got some funny scenes but the whole movie suffers from poor story development.

Ip Man 2

4.5/5

Some scenes really jot the emotions of nationalism. The movie ends with a pleasant surprise but will Ip Man 3 materialize?

Starhill Global has Annualized Dividend Yield of 11.9%

Last done at SG$0.535, Starhill Global REIT has an annualized (2006-2009) dividend yield of 11.9% (Rights in July '09 not factored). To put it in perspective, our local banks' annual interest rate can be as low as 0.125%.

Last week, YTL Pacific Star's REIT Management; Property Management; and REIT Management Holdings have been renamed to contain the phrase Starhill Global. This demonstrates the alignment of various stakeholders.

Presently, Starhill Global REIT invests shopping malls in Singapore (Wisma Atria and Ngee Ann City), China, Japan and Australia. Pending acquisition is the Starhill Gallery and Lot 10 malls in Kuala Lumpur. It is the most diversified retail REIT in SGX - very apt of the word, Global.

The Losers

4/5

Jensen (Chris Evans) is also going to be Captain America next year!

Shrek: The Final Chapter

4/5

Entertaining - an amazing feat for being Shrek's third sequel.

Iron Man 2

4.5/5

Robert Downey Jr. continues to ooze with charisma in this Iron Man sequel.

District 13: Ultimatum

4/5

Even though District 13: Ultimatum has poorly dubbed English language, it is still entertaining with a layer of social commentary on racism.

Robin Hood

2/5

Robin Hood is a boring action mess that spans over a duration of 2 hours 20 minutes.

Dividend-Paying Stocks are Back in Fashion

A long history of consistent dividends to shareholders is tangible proof that the company has more good years ahead.

Paying consistent dividends to shareholders demonstrates a high degree of assurance and company stability because cash is real. Dividends derived from company's earnings are recorded as paid. Annual reports and company's financial health can be manipulated but not dividend payments!

Predictable dividend records motivate shareholders to look forward to the next payment, usually every three, six or twelve months. This simply translates to a stronger base of supporters. E.g. ceteris paribus, Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) share price rose steadily because dividends are paid consistently since 7th May 1987.

Most Non-Dividend-Paying Stocks (except Google Inc, Berkshire Hathaway Inc, etc) that hoard cash to conduct acquisitions and/or buy back stock and/or reward its Board of Directors, have historically performed poorer. Why? Impatient shareholders will sell their positions due to little or no stock appreciation. Unhappy shareholders will sell their positions due to unthoughtful management of company profits.