THE ASSOCIATION OF BANKS IN SINGAPORE WINS!

Some people have been asking. How? Interest rates will rise boh? Will it be volatile? How will it affect my bank loan?

This afternoon's nugget of news from the Association of Banks in Singapore seem to confirm that.

If rates do not change much and stays at rock bottom lows, what's there need to know about it? 

ABS decides now a good time to charge people for information on the ever changing (and likely) rising SIBOR.

See bor?

See liao bor?

CHANNEL NEWSASIA VS BLOOMBERG

So who's right? Weather versus currency. CNA vs BBG.

CLOSE FIGHT FOR RARE 'GEM' - CONDO SITE IN TOA PAYOH LORONG 4

I work near Toa Payoh. The place has changed little in the last 20 years except for more HDB blocks sprouting up or the older ones being spruced up.

Condo sites for sale are rare in Toa Payoh. I guess that's why the Lorong 4 site is hotly contested. However, it is not an ideal place. Especially with a temple sited so close to it. The noise and smoke is an issue during temple festivities. Do note that the temple is on elevated ground of more than 10 metres.

To get to the Braddell MRT station, you need to cross a road and cut through some blocks. 430 metres according to the Business Times. Not that bad. Unless it rains. There are no sheltered walkways.

For those who drive and intend to get to town for work via the Braddell entrance to CTE, good luck. The Braddell flyover feeds to Braddell Road which leads to CTE. Traffic is a crawl for that few hundred metres.

However, the more interesting plot of land is not the condo site. It is the blocks of HDB flats and carparks which you traverse across to get to Braddell MRT. With about less than 50 years' of lease left and a low built-up area, the site is plum for SERS.

Police Security Command occupies a plot which is slated for further detailed planning by URA. That may prove to be exciting if something commercial is planned for to support the speculated SERS development.

Still, I think it was wise to site the condo land next to the temple. Let the commercial players handle the downsides.

Cheerios.

FEDERAL RESERVE FUNDS RATE TARGET

The Wall Street Journal wrote about the US Federal Reserve's challenge in communicating its plan for the path of rate increases till end-2017.

But chief among my main concerns is the difference between market expectations and the Fed's projections. More than 100bps in end-2017!

Of course, no one party could be right. But what you do in reaction matters.

Cheerios.

BYE BYE RINGGIT?

According to local news outlets, the Malaysian ringgit is in hot demand following fresh lows against the Sing$.

Well, SHTF again today. New lows.

But fret not, the ever kiasu Singaporeans will catch the falling knife over and over again.

Me? I will wait till month's end for Fitch's re-rating of Malaysian debt.

Cheerios.

BLACK SWAN - MERS

News of a suspected case of MERS in Tsing Yi MTR, Hong Kong is spreading this afternoon. 

This is not an unknown 'black swan'. The economic backlash to any countries stricken by such occurrences would be severe.

Can we not relive 2003 again?


Update 11 June 2015: PM Lee visited TTSH's CDC today. I took a gander over there some time ago. It's not a pretty place. Hope we do not have to use it.

The man with the prediction

DATA CENTRES GLUT?

When Keppel DC Reit IPOed, I was a bit excited. 

A data centre sells space, albeit a digital one. Along with services maintain and protect the data as well.

I thought to myself. There's a whole lot of people using tech and online services which requires tonnes of data....email, chat apps and online services etc.

There's bound to be some demand.

But little did I underestimate the supply side of things.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore/telin-singapore-to-build/1896122.html

This just came in yesterday.

Looks like Keppel DC Reit IPOed at the right time. Just before the potential glut of data centres come onto Singapore's shores.

This reminds me of the industrial building/space glut that's all so prevalent right now.

Cheerios.

P.S. Looks like Facebook's Open Compute Project would give data centres a run for their money.

PROPERTY SALES DOLDRUMS RIGHT AT YOUR DOORSTEP

It's fun to receive leaflets or brochures from companies slotted into your mailbox or doorstep.

Not because you require their services or products. But they tell a back story. All the time.

Take this one from Eugene and Brenda for example.

I see the terms 'Award winning agents' and 'More than 680 units transacted' plastered on the brochure.

Seems impressive.

But take a look at their table on the right hand side.

The latest transacted deal was in Dec 2014. What happened in the last 6 months?

It's your guess and mine.

Eat grass?

HEAT MAP

These two maps of the financial world came along my news streams this morning.

I wonder what's USA's move in two week's time?