New year resolutions and investment strategies for 2014

A new year a new beginning. Its the first day of 2014. Everyone would be busy at work, school etc. I took leave on this first day to really think and pen my thoughts down for the new year ahead.

I will also be penning down some investment strategies that I would be embarking on for this year.

New year resolutions for 2014

1)  Full time Work
I've been in my current company for 3 years and 3 months. Even though I'll be switching career sometime in the near future, I feel that I should still use my time in my current company to learn and contribute as much as I can. I hope to increase my communication skills and interact with more top level management in my company and also my vendors and contractors. This would enhance even my email writing skills to write in a professional manner.

There will definitely be more projects that I'll be tasked to take this year. I've been given ample opportunities by my managers and director to perform in the company. I hope to deliver my work in quality as what I've always done. There's always a tenancy to be complacent and errors could be made in the process. Its good to maintain a habit to check, double check and triple check.

2) Part time studies
I'm left with only 8 months to graduation. I hope to maintain my above average results and continue to study hard for all my exams. I'll be taking advance macroeconomics for my next semester and it's expected to be a tough module. I'll have to widen my reading outside pf textbook as this module is famous for asking outside textbook questions for the exam.

3) Getting out of my comfort zone
This is a year where I'll be making a very major decision. After I graduate, I'll be sourcing for career opportunities related to my degree. I hope to get into a career related to economics or finance. I've been looking out for possible jobs available since last year. I'll start preparing and apply for those jobs once I graduate. I should also brush up on my interview skills.

4) Health
I feel that having a habit of exercising is important. Jogging is a basic form of exercising. I hope to maintain the habit of jogging at least once a week. Also, eating habits are important too. Eating less oily and fried food will be beneficial in the long run.

5) Family and Friends
This is something we have to constantly remind ourselves to cater time for those people we love. In the midst of my busyness, i will still cater time for my friends and family members.

6) Financial Goals
My goal is to save up an extra capital of 22k for the year 2014. Investment wise, i hope to achieve a passive income from dividends of $1500 for this year. This would mean a stock portfolio of about $30k. I'll elaborate more on my strategies below.



Investment strategies for 2014

The Singapore market has been relatively flat for the year of 2013. Money has been flowing back to the US and Europe region as their economy slowly recovers. Singapore's economy has been stagnant also thus reflecting it in the stock market. Even though Singapore's stock market may be flat, there are some companies which will still benefit from the economic recovery elsewhere.

Focus area for 2014
I'll be cautious on Singapore's property market and stocks that deal with properties This includes REITS which have huge exposure to Singapore's property market. My focus area will be on the shipping, construction and healthcare sector this year. I've wrote on the shipping sector extensively in my previous few blog posts. They are set to benefit from the improved global economic conditions as demand for goods goes up. Dry bulk shipping stocks have more than doubled in the year 2013 while Singapore shipping stocks are still lagging behind.

Construction sector is the next big thing in Singapore. With plans for the new MRT lines, expansion of our existing expressways, plans to build the new Changi Airport terminal 4 and the iconic building Jewel @ Changi, new marina bay CBD. You can see many huge projects are in place.

Healthcare sector is a new focus i have. I'll be researching on more healthcare related stocks and see which ones are suitable for investing for this year. Singapore has an ageing population and people need more of these services. Parkway life Reit has some of the top private hospitals in Singapore. This include Mount Elizabeth hospital and Gleneagles hospital. I'll be watching closely on this and accumulate when the price is right.

I'm also planning to add telecom related stocks to my portfolio. Having been in this industry for the past 3 years, i've the chance to deal with most of the telecommunication companies in Singapore. This gave me a chance to understand the business model and the prospects it has. The telecommunication industry is a stable industry and will be a good investment for income. Their profits have been rather consistent with very minimal risk.

The Japanese economy is of interest to me. I've allocate a portion of my capital for investing into Japanese related stocks believing that their economy will recover as the Yen falls and exports increases. As Japan gets out of its deflationary economy, prices will stop dropping and even start to rise. Their property market will surely benefit from this change. Croesus retail trust and Saizen reit both own significant numbers of properties in Japan. Rental income will also set to rise for these 2 trust. I feel they are a good investment to take advantage of the Japan's economic recovery and also a good investment for income.

I'll be mixing my portfolio with growth and high yield stocks. One is for capital appreciation while the other is for income. I'll also still be trading some stocks for the short term while focusing on long term investment. A portion of my capital is allocated to my CFD account for short term trading. The profits gained from this trading account will be channelled back to my investment account for buying good companies.

This is my focus for the time being. As the year goes along, situation might change. Till then, i'll change and plan accordingly.

Here's wishing you success to your life and investments for the year of 2014.

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