Portfolio review (3rd FY) June 2023

 

Today marks the close of my 3rd year investing in the equities market.

Thoughts:

Compared to when I first started, I have grown more cautious, more risk-adverse.

Perhaps it is from having gained more experience and knowledge.

Perhaps it is the current volatile markets and unstable geopolitics.

I've opted for higher cash holdings.

More diversification - smaller exposure on each individual stock.

~

China

No risk no gain.

So much for being risk-adverse hah...

With a confluence of external influences and internal controls, China is as risky a market as it can get in the short term.

Still, I think there is value to be gleaned from less risky options i.e. SOEs

State controlled entities. or well, state-linked.

The Big 4 banks, the telecoms etc.

Choosing these state-affiliated companies reduces exposure to the risk of internal controls.

What's left then, is the external influences.

Curbs, decoupling, export controls, etc.

All of which can derail China's economic recovery, or at least, delay it.

But if there's one people, one party, I'm willing to ride along with, its China.

Will see.

~

Singapore

Many say SGX means Banks + REITs.

On some level, I think they have a point.

On another level, I think flavour of the future can be explored too.

After all, my biggest return to date came from investing in a renewables company.

I think ST Engineering might be the next flavour, but at current valuations, I don't think they're cheap enough to add.

~

Lessons

Some lessons that I learnt this year.

Fundamentals don't mean much in the short term.

If you have the catalysts, prices can rise or crash way beyond what the fundamentals might point to.

So there is value to be gained through rotational plays, and themed plays.

Just don't be the last to leave, because these catalyst driven stocks usually correct back to the fundamental levels in the long run.

~

As always, gentle reminder to dyodd.

Every part of my life

 Dear LORD,

Thank you so much for your grace and mercy.

Thank you so much for your continued compassion on me and my family.

I see you in my life LORD, in every part LORD, everywhere I look, you're there LORD.

Be they the blessings of the rain stopping just before I leave the house, or the problems that arise as admonishments for my disobedience, and even the solutions that appear after as your mercy towards me LORD.

I thank you so much LORD, for being present in every bit of my life.

I thank you so much LORD, for the peace with which you've given me freely.

Your precious grace of salvation LORD, through Jesus Christ your only son, my Lord and Saviour.

I pray to you LORD, if it be in your mercy, if it be in your grace, to allow my family to know you LORD, to love you LORD, with all their hearts and all their souls and all their minds.

Please LORD, I pray only, that through all the steps you've willed for me, I pray LORD, if it be in your mercy LORD, to grant me the courage LORD, to speak your words and do your works, that all glory may be unto you LORD.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

As you will LORD

 Dear LORD,

Thank you so much for your grace and mercy.

Thank you so much for your continued compassion on me and my family.

Thank you so much LORD, for your admonishments, for with every infirmity, I am reminded to set my heart right before you.

I pray to you LORD, help me LORD, guide my steps LORD, that I may walk renewed in Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour, before you LORD, with you LORD, that all glory may be unto you LORD.

But not as I will LORD, as you will LORD.

You have shown me lots of grace and mercy LORD, lots of forgiveness and blessings LORD, again and again. I know LORD, that you have chosen me unto salvation by your grace LORD, despite all of my wretchedness.

But I will not presume LORD, for who can fathom your true plans LORD.

I will submit myself fully to your will LORD, be it salvation or destruction, for I know LORD, with a certainty LORD, that all things will happen for your glory LORD.

I pray only LORD, that if it be in your mercy LORD, that I will have the courage LORD, to speak your words and do your works, through all the steps you've prepared for me LORD.

Help me LORD, set my heart right LORD, that I may love you LORD, with all my heart, and all my soul, and all my mind.

I will watch continually LORD, I will pray continually LORD.

Thank you so much LORD for this grace of salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

Lament

 Dear LORD,

Thank you so much for your grace and mercy.

Thank you so much LORD, for your continued compassion on me and my family.

I lament my weakness LORD, I lament my disobedience LORD, I lament my wretched self LORD.

You've taught me LORD, to set my heart right.

And yet I struggle still.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

I am weak and wretched LORD, please let the power of Jesus Christ rest upon me. 

But not as I will LORD, as you will LORD.

I pray only LORD, if it be in your mercy, that you would give me the courage LORD, to speak your words and do your works, in all things that you've willed for me. 

I thank you all the more LORD, for this precious grace of salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour, for without which I would never have this hope of salvation to look towards.

I pray to you LORD, let this translate into strength LORD, let this translate into courage LORD, that I may set my heart right, to love you LORD, with all my heart, and all my soul, and all my mind. That I may resist the temptations of this world LORD, weak as my flesh may be, I will watch continually LORD, and pray continually LORD, for your grace and mercy, that I may walk renewed in Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour, that I may walk renewed before you LORD, with you LORD.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

Love God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind

 Dear LORD,

Thank you so much for your grace and mercy.

Thank you so much for reminding me once more that I have to set my heart right.

That I have to love you with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind.

I will love you LORD, with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind.

I know not LORD, what you have planned for me on my sojourn on this earth, but I know LORD, that all will be unto your glory.

I pray to you only LORD, that you would give me the courage LORD, to do your works and say your words in all matters, that all glory may be unto you LORD.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

The greatest commandment

 Dear LORD,

Thank you so much for your grace and mercy. 

Thank you so much for your daily Word. 

I am so sorry LORD, that I’ve forgotten your greatest commandment to us. 

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like into it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

All these while LORD, I’ve been struggling to obey your Word. And you’ve showed me once more LORD, of what I’ve forgotten. To love you LORD, with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind.

Help me LORD, as I clave to you LORD.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

 

With GOD all things are possible

 Dear LORD,

Thank you so much for your grace and mercy. 

Thank you so much for this grace of salvation LORD, for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. For without this saving grace LORD, I would never be saved. 

I am too weak LORD, to resist the temptations of this world. Please help me LORD, I pray to you, please help me LORD. 

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name. May all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen. 

Most precious grace

 Dear LORD,

Thank you so much for your grace and mercy, for your continued compassion on me and my family.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Your grace LORD, your most precious grace.

For without which, I would never be saved, none of us would be saved.

Thank you so much for having given freely the grace of salvation, even to someone as wretched as I am.

Help me LORD, I pray to you, please help me LORD, that I may walk renewed before you.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

Trust in GOD

 Dear LORD,

Thank you so much for your grace and mercy.

Thank you LORD, for your daily word, your daily bread.

Thank you LORD, for your daily blessings and admonishments.

Thank you LORD for your continued compassion on me and my family.

Help me LORD to resist the temptations of this world, that I may walk renewed before you LORD.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

I trust in you LORD, my LORD, my GOD.

Regardless of what has been planned for me, I trust in you LORD.

Please give me the strength LORD, the courage LORD, that I may speak your words and do your works, that all glory may be unto you.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

 Dear LORD,

Thank you so much for your grace and mercy.

For having sent Jesus Christ, your only son, to be tempted as we have, and has resisted temptations, and died pure and blameless, for our sins, and resurrected again to be brought back to your side as our Lord and Saviour, that we too may through faith, through your grace, be reconciled to you.

I pray for your forgiveness once more LORD, for having stumbled again and again. So hard are the temptations of this world.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

With you LORD, all things are possible.

Please help me LORD, that a person as wretched as I am, as weak as I am, as helpless as I am, may walk renewed before you, with you, that all glory may be unto you.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

Chart: STI Index

 

Personal views:

• Mid-term bearish
• Looking de-risk further if bounce near top of downtrend line
• Re-entry levels near 29xx and 25xx

Gentle reminder to dyodd.

Fear not

Dear LORD,

Thank you so much for your grace and mercy.

For carrying me whenever I stumble.

Help me LORD, with you by my side LORD, give me the courage LORD, to do your works, and speak your words, that all glory may be unto you.

Isaiah 41: Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

All glory to my LORD

 Dear LORD,

Thank you for guiding my steps, for building my faith, for cementing my resolve, for reminding me once more of the old depraved me that you have redeemed with your only son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Thank you so much LORD, for this grace of salvation, for without which, I would never be saved. Not by my works, no, but by your grace LORD, that I am saved.

Thank you so much LORD, I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

Watch and Pray

 Dear LORD,

Thank you so much for your grace and mercy.

Today I came so close to falling back into the temptations of this world again.

And I am brought to remembrance of Matthews 26.

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Thank you so much for your reminders, be they through blessings or admonishments.

Every infirmity I suffer, I count it a blessing.

For I am driven constantly to seek you, to pray to you, to talk to you, to cleave to you.

Thank you so much LORD, for guiding my steps, for keeping me away from temptations, for helping me to resist temptations, that I may walk renewed with you, before you.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

Praying for directions

Dear LORD,

These few days I've been reading the books through Samuel to Chronicles.

And one of the things that stood out for me, was David's diligent seeking of your guidance before he committed to action.

For myself, I've had much doubt over whether it was right, or meant for me, to be creating this blog.

And today I prayed to you for directions.

I wasn't sure how you would show me, but you did, through your Word.

Shortly after my prayer, as I was reading your Word in listed order, I came to 1 Chronicles 16.

David was singing a psalm of thanksgiving to you, of praises to you.

Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.

10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

14 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;

16 Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;

17 And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,

18 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;

19 When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.

20 And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people;

21 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,

22 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

23 Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation.

24 Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.

25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.

26 For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.

28 Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

30 Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.

32 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.

33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth.

34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.

36 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.

And I realised that perhaps, this was your answer to my prayers.

Please guide me LORD, as I fill this blog with my testimonies of your works through me, of your Word to the world, of your saving grace to all those who will believe.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

Living Renewed

 Dear LORD,

I am so sorry LORD, for having fallen into temptations again and again.

Thank you so much LORD, for your grace of salvation, for without which, I would never be saved. Not by my works LORD, but by your precious grace.

Thank you for reminding me once more, through blessings and admonishments that I have to leave my old self behind, and live renewed unto you, in you, with you, before you.

Please help guide my steps LORD, to obey you, to trust in you, to fear you, to worship you, to love you, with all my heart and all my soul.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name.

May all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

Resist Temptations

Dear LORD,

Thank you so much for your grace and mercy, for without which, I would never be saved.

Resisting temptations remain a struggle.

If I had to pay a proverbial penny for every temptation I fall into, I think I would be the most indebted person in the world.

Such is the deplorable state of my body of death.

Thank you so much LORD, for the grace with which you've given freely, the grace of salvation by your will LORD, and not by my works.

Please help me LORD, that I not use this as an excuse to continue in my old ways LORD, but to live renewed before you LORD, with you LORD, that all glory may be unto you LORD. 

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.

God and me

Bible Understanding

Genesis: Creator and creation

Old Testament: Lord and servant

New Testament: Father and son 

Prayers to the Lord

 Dear LORD,

Thank you for your grace and mercy,

Thank you for your daily blessings and admonishments,

Thank you for your daily Word, for the daily bread,

Thank you for your continued compassion on me and my family.

Thank you so much for the grace LORD, for which you've chosen us unto salvation, not by our works LORD, but by your grace. Thank you for having sent Jesus Christ, your only son, to be tempted as we have, to have resisted and overcame temptations, to have died on the cross for our sins LORD, pure and blameless, and resurrected again to be brought back by your side, that we too, may be reconciled to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour,  through our faith, through your grace.

Please guide my steps LORD, please help me to put on the armour of faith LORD, the armour of grace LORD, the armour of truth LORD, the armour of love LORD, that I may resist the temptations of this world, resist the temptations of the flesh, as my Lord and Saviour has resisted, that I may walk renewed, before you LORD, with you LORD.

Please help me LORD, to submit myself to you LORD, to love you LORD, to obey you LORD, to fear you LORD, to trust in you LORD, to worship you LORD, with all my heart and all my soul.

Please give me the courage LORD to speak your Word, and do your works, that all glory may be unto you.

I pray and thank all this in Jesus most precious name, may all glory be unto my LORD, my GOD, my CREATOR, my HEAVENLY FATHER, forever and ever, amen.