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Shares in both Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot have risen as there are talks of a possible merger between the two companies. In an article published by Reuters, the president of Peugeot family holding company FFP, Robert Peugeot, told French newspaper Les Echos that he would support a potential deal with Fiat Chrysler Automobile (FCA). “With them, as with others, the planets could be aligned,” Peugeot said. FCA did not comment on the article but its rose by 5.2%. Not surprisingly, Peugeot's stock prices also rose by 2.7%. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have always wanted a merger as the late Sergio Marchionne actively pursued merging FCA with another company. He believed that as production cost and the pace in technology increase, it was only right that companies work together. Meanwhile, the head of PSA Group Carlos Tavares have also voiced out recently that they do not mind mergers and have viewed the likes of Fiat, General Motors, and Jaguar Land Rover as ideal partners.

Many CPF investors get their fingers burnt MOST investors who use Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings to invest would have been better off leaving their money in their Ordinary Accounts, according to the CPF Investment Scheme's (CPFIS) annual profit and loss report. This is despite the good performance of investment funds included in the scheme. In the financial year ended Sept 30 last year, 902,300 investors sold their CPFIS investments. Only 15 per cent of them made a profit larger than the guaranteed annual 2.5 per cent interest rate for Ordinary Account savings. Another 45 per cent made profits of up to 2.5 per cent. The remaining 40 per cent made a loss. Under the scheme, members can invest in CPFIS-included funds such as approved unit trusts and equity funds, as well as other investment products such as stocks and shares. The CPFIS-included funds themselves have performed well. They posted an average return of 5.17 per cent in the first three months of this year, according to a report by research firm Lipper last month. The funds have grown by about 29 per cent over the past three years. But individual investors may perform poorly as a result of investing in riskier instruments instead of CPFIS-included funds, said experts. The gap could reflect a difference in financial knowledge, investment skills and discipline, said Mr Lance Tay, chief executive officer of Tokio Marine Life Insurance Singapore. "This can be improved with increased financial literacy and discipline, or with guidance from financial advisers," he added. Barclays senior economist Leong Wai Ho noted that stocks and shares were subject to many more market fluctuations. "It's better that people stick to professionally guided products like approved funds," he said. "That's more appropriate for something that's supposed to be a person's store of value, their life savings." Earlier this year, Institute of Policy Studies research fellow Christopher Gee argued that the default risk-return balance on CPF savings is good enough for most members. "A lack of adequate financial literacy among CPF members and potential retirees may result in sub-optimal decision-making," he noted. On the one hand, fewer CPFIS investors are making losses now compared with the past decade. From 2004 to 2013, 47 per cent of them incurred realised losses, more than the 40 per cent who made a loss last year. On the other hand, more investors used to earn profits above the 2.5 per cent Ordinary Account interest rate. From 2004 to 2013, 18 per cent of investors did better, compared with 15 per cent in the last financial year. More than 25 per cent did from 1993 to 2004. - See more at: http://business.asiaone.com/news/many-cpf-investors-get-their-fingers-burnt#sthash.QvQulhsB.dpuf

Commercial property sales have slowed in the U.S. this year—but Chinese investors are continuing to plow money into the market. So far in 2016, Chinese companies have purchased or are buying 47 U.S. properties worth $9.3 billion, according to deal tracker Real Capital Analytics. That makes them the most active foreign buyers in the U.S., with more than double Canada’s $4.2 billion worth of deals. By contrast, for all of last year Chinese investors did 71 U.S. deals worth $6 billion. Chinese investment abroad has soared as the Chinese economy has slumped over the past year. Investors are looking abroad to protect their wealth against the volatility at home, analysts said. In the most recent high-profile transaction, China Life Insurance Group Co. last week provided an unspecified piece of the equity toward the purchase of the Manhattan office tower at 1285 Sixth Ave. in New York, according to people familiar with the matter. A venture led by developer Scott Rechler including China Life paid $1.65 billion for the 1.8 million-square-foot building, whose tenants include UBS Group AG and the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Mr. Rechler said his firm, RXR Realty LLC, attracted participation from institutional investors because it was able to convince UBS, which occupies about half of the building’s space, to renew its commitment through 2032. Other investors were wary of buying the building as long as UBS’s status was uncertain, especially with signs cropping up of a market slowdown. “That chilled other investors,” Mr. Rechler said. ‘They’re parking more capital in the safe locations in the West. ’ —Jim Costello The Chinese are streaming into the U.S. even as overall deal activity slows. In the four months of 2016, all investors purchased $135.9 billion worth of commercial property, compared with $171.4 billion during the same period last year, Real Capital said. The slowdown comes six years into a bull market for commercial property. Many investors have moved to the sidelines because they believe values, which have risen steadily since 2009, might level off or even begin falling. Debt financing also has become more difficult to obtain. As of May 10, Wall Street has issued just $28.5 billion in commercial mortgage-backed securities, compared with $44.1 billion during the same time last year, according to Commercial Mortgage Alert, a trade publication. But buyers from Asia, the Middle East and other parts of the world often are more motivated than domestic U.S. investors. Many are eager to diversity. Others are concerned about risk in their own countries. Until 2012, the Chinese government prohibited the country’s insurance companies from buying foreign property. With those restrictions lifted they are flexing their muscles throughout the world. Last year, China Life made its first U.S. investment along with Ping An Insurance Co. They purchased a majority stake in a $500 million Boston development in the city’s popular Seaport District. Mr. Costello said foreign investors used to focus on buying trophy assets such as New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel, but lately have been expanding out of downtowns in top cities in a search for higher yields. Last week, the sovereign-wealth fund of Bahrain purchased a 49% stake in a portfolio of seven office buildings between Phoenix and Dallas. The deal valued the 1.2 million-square-foot portfolio at about $250 million. Mr. Rechler, for his part, has garnered a reputation as a good market timer. He sold his earlier real-estate company for $6.5 billion in early 2007 as storm clouds were forming over the economy and then started buying property just as the market began to recover in mid-2009. His RXR Realty controls 87 commercial properties and had $12.7 billion of assets under management as of the end of last year. Mr. Rechler initially wasn’t interested in 1285 Sixth Ave. when it was put on the market last year by J.P. Morgan Asset Management and AXA Financial Inc. But he began talks after he came up with a plan to add value to the property by extending UBS’s lease. To execute that plan, Mr. Rechler first had to deal with UBS’s neighbor, Paul, Weiss, which had an option to take more space in the building. As long as that option hung out there, UBS wouldn’t renew. Mr. Rechler eliminated that problem by cutting a deal with the law firm to modify its expansion option. He also agreed to sell some Paul, Weiss partners stakes in the building, according to people familiar with the matter. Besides China Life, Mr. Rechler’s group included New York developerDavid Werner, who at one point was competing against Mr. Rechler for the property. J.P. Morgan and AXA were represented by Doug Harmon and Adam Spies of Eastdil Secured.

Hi Chaps, I am interested to know more property investment members on the forum and discuss about your your property investment approaches, how you manage your property etc. Just a sharing thread where everyone can tap on each others experiences/know how. Feel free to chip in or even if you are not vested but want to find out more. I am currently vested in residential and industrial properties, I will kick off with the below. What I look for in no particular priorities - Focus mainly on districts 3, 5, 10, 11 - Areas with upcoming MRT stations - Old properties with unused plot ratio - Areas near schools or business parks. Issues faced till date - Termites - Air Con breakdowns - Stuff stolen on property belonging to tenants - Bad maintenance by the tenant Keen to find out more about - Retail Property investment - Overseas investments - Property Auctions - Medical Suites - Districts you believe with upcoming potential

Taken from https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/investors-set-lose-70m-005446418--sector.html The collapse of the British arm of Brazilian property developer EcoHouse could see Singaporean investors losing as much as S$50million, and investors worldwide close to S$70million. Speaking to British newspaper The Financial Times, British-based Brazilian lawyer Renata Sa, who is representing 400 Singapore investors as well as other investors from around the world in two class actions, said: This should be a wake-up call. It is known that action is being taken against the Brazil arm of the EcoHouse operations, as well as real estate agencies and financial advisors in the United Kingdom who were responsible for handling an Escrow account. EcoHouse sold more than 1,000 individual investments in Singapore and Southeast Asia during 2012 and 2013. The British company was the subject of a creditors voluntary liquidation last month, at which PricewaterhouseCoopers was nominated as the liquidating company. The Brazil company is not, as far is known, in liquidation although media reports suggest progress is at a standstill following alleged tax irregularities and a police raid last year. Many Singapore and Asia investors have sales and purchase agreements with the Brazilian company, and not with the U.K. company which is facing liquidation this month. Flamboyant company founder, Anthony Armstrong-Emery, is reported to be in the Middle East attempting to raise additional funds, but time to save the EcoHouse empire, and with it millions of dollars and investment, appears to be fading fast. According to the British newspaper, EcoHouse has blamed the unexpected intervention of the Brazilian Police on malicious, inaccurate and fanciful allegations by competitors and former landowners. Funds worth more than S$65 million said to be being investigated. British Police are also taking an interest, with an investigation reportedly taking place by the Fraud and Linked Crime Online Team of the Metropolitan Police. It estimated some 200 complaints have been made from the U.K. with a value of some totally S$14 million. EcoHouse was the best-selling single overseas property investment in Singapore during 2012, and with its offices at Suntec Tower, which have since closed, it attracted many small-time and first-time overseas property investors in Southeast Asia with promises of 20 percent returns in 12-months on its S$46,000 social housing property investments. Many investors purchased multiple units while other clubbed together with family and friends to buy a single property. PropertyGurus attempts for comment from the company at all its known contact points have so farbeen unsuccessful.

[extract] We all know that Saab has filed for bankruptcy and the future of the Swedish automaker is uncertain. Swedish laws allow a bankrupt company to come out of bankruptcy if someone or some company injects the necessary amount of money in order to save it. There were reports that the Turkish government might be interested in the Swedish company. And at the same time, Chinese company Youngman has acquired Saab

Wenzhou investors create Singapore property purchase boom http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-print-c...mp;MainCatID=11 Staff Reporter 2011-11-02 11:36 (GMT+8) Attracted to Singapore's progressive investment environment which boasts high returns and low borrowing rates, Chinese citizens have quickly become the largest property investors in the Southeast Asian country, with several buyers from Wenzhou making quick buys. According to the Wenzhou Economic Daily, tourists from the city in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang have been purchasing property during their trips to Singapore this year. Amey, a Chinese immigrant from Wenzhou who helped broker several deals compared the manner of her compatriots to people buying cabbages at a market. Amey moved to Singapore nearly a decade ago where she now owns a trading company. The recent buying phenomenon has also turned her into a part-time real estate agent. In addition to buyers who initially came to Singapore on their holidays, people from Wenzhou have been calling Amey every few days enquiring about properties to purchase since last year. After helping sell 10 properties worth a total of 100 million yuan (US$15.7 million) this year, Amey can now negotiate a better price for her countrymen. Buyers from Wenzhou, according to Sandy, a sales manager for Chinese customers at the Far East Organization, Singapore's largest private property developer, are very straightforward and make decisions quickly, with some of them placing orders after just a few phone calls. Hu Jianke, who is from a Wenzhou-based property agency, said it is not surprising that Singapore has become a popular location for property investors because of its political stability, strong currency and reputation for being a garden city. Even though Singapore has seen the most active property investments among Southeast Asian countries, experts said it is actually a fairly stable market and investors should not expect massive profit growth from real estate there. Hu Jianke concurred that Singapore was more suitable for immigration investors than for speculators seeking a quick profit as the local market was not prone to fluctuations. With this in mind, Hu said Wenzhou investors should consider the purpose of their investments rather than merely jumping on the bandwagon by entering the market. Copyright

Let's see what Tharman and co does for Singaporeans. If DBS HK pays the Hongkongers back, will DBS SG do the same? One can argue that they are separate corporate entities under different country governance. HK banks to repay Lehman minibond investors HONG KONG: Hong Kong banks that sold minibonds linked to now-bankrupt Lehman Brothers have agreed to repay tens of thousands of investors up to 96.5 per cent of their investment, regulators said Sunday. The 16 banks will buy back a large chunk of the financial products at the centre of a major scandal in Hong Kong, after they were sold to more than 40,000 investors before their value tanked when the US bank went bankrupt in 2008. Investors ploughed a total of HK$15.7 billion ($2 billion) of their savings into minibonds and other complex products backed by Lehman Brothers. Welcoming the deal the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and Hong Kong Monetary Authority said the agreement "will provide substantial recoveries for all customers" holding the products. "This outcome would have been seen as impossible in the months following the collapse of Lehman and demonstrates the value of good regulators responding efficiently and robustly when things go wrong," SFC chief executive Martin Wheatley said in a statement. The HKMA said investors would recover 85 to 96.5 per cent of their initial investment, up from 60 to 70 per cent in an earlier agreement. The deal must first be approved by at least 75 per cent of noteholders at meetings expected to be held in May, receivers PricewaterhouseCoopers said in a statement on its website. The move should draw a line under a saga over compensation for the thousands of investors -- many of them retirees -- who bought the minibonds on the understanding their money was safe. Investors accused the banks of misselling the complex products, sparking a protracted tussle between customers, regulators and the banks over the minibonds buyback. The 16 banks include Bank of China (Hong Kong), Bank of Communications Co. (Hong Kong) and the Bank of East Asia. A spokesman for Hong Kong's government said: "The government is pleased with the high rate of recovery in the value of the Minibond collateral." Former Wall Street behemoth Lehman Brothers collapsed in September 2008 under mountains of debt, leaving investors reeling and sending shockwave across the global financial system. -AFP/wk

I am totally confused by this Lehman Brothers Saga here goes many Lehman brothers invetors claim blur, got tricked but in reality everything is written in black and white before you sign on the dotted line some investors, yes those who dont understand written English but some of this group of investors are hardcore investors i understand from brokers that during the span of the Lehman Brothers investment note, some years these same investors gotten more than 10% dividend each year yet they want their 100% capital investment back something i dont understand now is if this is the case, can we go to MAS and try to our money back from all those failed investment tell me I wrong please this financial world is really screwed up, people are just so greedy

From STOMP: http://talkback.stomp.com.sg/forums/showth...397#post2479397 SDP going all out to make sure Obama knows that Singapore is not just about PAP! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An Appeal to President Obama for APEC To: President OBAMA Through American Embassy 27 Napier Road Singapore 258508 Main Tel. No: (65) 6476-9100 Main Fax No: (65) 6476-9340 Mr President, As you grace our country with your presence during these APEC meetings, we beseech you to take some time off your meeting schedule to meet with MAS Chariman Goh Chok Tong, Finance Minister Tharman and bank CEOs to discuss compensation measures for minibond holders and investors that have lost entire life savings due to your predecessor’s failure to bailout Lehman Brothers in 2008. A total of S$375 million (US$258 million) worth of Lehman-linked structured products was sold to 8,000 retail investors who did not have the financial acumen to understand the risks of these complicated products. The total number of structured products, which value evaporated overnight, is closer to S$500 Million. Our misplaced faith in the US banking and financial regulatory system, together with predatory sales tactics, had left us exposed to the whims and fancies of ruthless bankers and the former Treasury Sec. Hank Paulson. Minibonds investors in Singapore have been filing complaints and lawsuits against various financial institutions, but many lack the resources to proceed with the lengthy and costly litigation process. The spillover damage has also been hefty. Eight town councils in Singapore – institutions entrusted with funds meant for the maintenance and running of Public Housing facilities – had about S$16 million invested in troubled structured products. The effort of some (e.g. Great Eastern Life) to redeem the original capital injection value of these products is but a drop of water in an ocean of judiciary irresponsibility. While three of the US biggest banks have exited the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) – a fund meant to save financial institutions from collapse – and handed out US$29.7 billion in bonuses, Singaporean investors are left wondering where was the Lehman Brothers Rescue? Here in Singapore, investors holding credit-linked notes linked to Lehman Brothers had received no coupon payments (as of Oct this year) toward the end of the grace period. Yet another event of default as US banks trade TARP funds for bonuses. Many people have the mistaken impression that investors have been assisted by the Singapore to get a fair compensation. This is the impression is forged by the streams of feel good press statements that misguide the uninformed reader. The truth is, Singaporean investors have been shortchanged. Less than 20% has been compensated, while our neighbours in Hong Kong and Taiwan are getting more headway as 777 Singaporean investors continue to be ignored by Prime Minister Lee who declined to meet the investors or to delegate his officials to resolve this issue. Not much else has transpired as Singaporeans are ignorant of their human or contractual rights and unable to seek redress outside of governmental assistance due to years of a nanny state under the Lees. Former CEO of NTUC INCOME Mr Tan Kin Lian had been an earlier crusader for our rights and we thank him for it. It heartens me that our plight is not forgotten and that Mr Yap Keng Ho is reigniting the spirit of justice. A few affected investors and I are standing behind Mr Yap’s open call for resolution and invitation to gather at Speakers’ Corner. In the spirit of American’s 1st amendment, we will gather at Hong Lim Park and make our demands heard. Demands that the US be held culpable for its fair share in this debacle. Mr President, Although you did not preside over this debacle, the current injustice is within your reach to fix. Yours Sincerely, Anthony Lee ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lehman Bonds' victims must use Obama this week to make demands Minibond & other Lehman victims should Demand Obama to RePAY during APEC Yes! I am calling on the minibond victims & other victims to get organized and protest at Speakers Corner where you can conduct demonstration lawfully. :-) Demand Obama to Repay You, yes with US tax payers' funds and not SGP tax payers funds. I had disagreed to have Singaporean tax payers fund or SGP public funds or SGP Banks' funds to be scooped out to repay you. This is unfair for Singaporean public interest and not their fault at all. It is bank & MAS & Minister of Finance's fault (Ass Loong Son). Your money was sucked to the USA by Wall Street Scum Lehmen Bros. The USA should be made responsible to compensate you. You should list US secretary of finance & Obama as defendant if you want to file class action lawsuit - my suggestion. When Obama found that your angers are against him, then he will check with famiLEE LEEgime officially to find out that you had been treated so unfairly. :-) You have to push Obama because he can kick the famiLEE LEEgime for you, if there is a person that can do it for you, it would be Obama, not that I need to flatter him at all. That's the basic strategy I am offering you, you have a chance this week to exploit Obama. Do it within the next few days! KengHo Yap http://uncleyap-news.blogspot.com/20...use-obama.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 08 November 2009 Dear Yap Keng Ho REGISTRATION FOR USAGE/ACTIVITY AT SPEAKERS’ CORNER BOOKING ID: DM-08112009-2 DATE: 08/11/2009 to 20/11/2009 EVENT TYPE: Demonstration Your application has been successfully registered. We seek your kind cooperation in helping to keep Hong Lim Park litter-free. Please print this page as proof of your registration and bring it on the day of your activity. Yours sincerely, National Parks Board

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssFinanci...UST585520090722 HONG KONG, July 22 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's securities watchdog said on Wednesday that 16 banks had agreed to pay about HK$6.3 billion ($813 million) to compensate eligible investors who lost money on structured products or minibonds offered by collapsed U.S. bank Lehman Brothers. "The agreement that we have reached today will enable the vast majority of investors who hold minibonds to receive a substantial return of their capital," said Securities and Futures Commission Chairman Martin Wheatley. "The total amount that they'll receive will be equal to or greater than what they could otherwise recover at current market values," he told reporters following an SFC meeting with the banks. More than 30,000 Hong Kong residents ploughed nearly $2.5 billion into the derivative products which failed as Lehman Brothers collapsed last September. If the agreement is accepted by investors, "the vast majority of them will be able to get back 70 percent or more of their original investments," Financial Secretary John Tsang said in a statement following the SFC announcement. The agreement will put an end to more than 10 months of distress for investors, and will also enable the banks to resume their normal operation, Tsang added. Many of the investors blamed the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) for allowing local banks to sell the products without making investors aware they were risky products. They took to the streets, staging a number of protests in the past year and prompting a government inquiry. The HKMA and the Securities and Futures Commission have since made separate recommendations on how to better protect investors. They include forcing banks to separate their deposit-taking and retail investment businesses. Minibond distributors Sun Hung Kai Financial (0086.HK) and KGI Asia earlier this year agreed to compensate investors in full. Investors in Singapore and Indonesia also lost money on the products. Singapore investors have only been compensated for about a third of their investments. (US$1 = HK$7.75) (Reporting by Nerilyn Tenorio, Donny Kwok and Susan Fenton , Editing by Tomasz Janowski)

anyone here or anyone you know is part of the 58% and yet still remain unsatisfied and greedy for more compensation??? how abt those 42% who do not get any compensation, do you LL, suck thumb (honest mistake, life goes on) or you still insist you should get compensation despite knowing the definition of "investment"???

Investors of failed structured products to know outcome of complaints by mid-Jan SINGAPORE : The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Wednesday said investors who have bought failed structured products will know the outcome of their complaints by the middle of January. Investors had alleged that distributors had mis-sold the products and misrepresented the risks. Minibond investor Ismail Deen was told last week that his complaint is still being looked into. He is one of nearly 5,000 investors who have complained to 10 financial institutions (FIs). Like Mr Ismail, most investors of DBS High Notes 5, Lehman Minibonds and the Jubilee Series notes will get some answers by mid-January. Final checks are being done on some complaints. Shane Tregillis, deputy managing director, Market Conduct Group, MAS, said: "That is to take into account the recommendations of the independent persons and to make sure they have taken into account any investigation findings, and also to check for consistency." MAS said 9-in-10 complainants have been interviewed. FIs have also decided on 80 per cent of the cases, but have yet to inform investors. For clear-cut cases though, investors have already been told of the outcome. The central bank has been working with financial institutions in the past 10 weeks. Mr Tregillis said: "We have been visiting, checking ourselves just to ensure the process, looking at the teams... the FIs have put in place in recent weeks, some of them are up to 100 people." MAS said the FIs will review the complaints in a non-legalistic manner and it will be based on principles of fairness. However, they are expected to take legal defence if the investors decide to take them to court. The central bank also said investors should be prepared to bear responsibility for their investment decisions. - CNA/ms what outcome, no case means no case liao... compensate to those who do not understand the meaning of "investment"? compensate to those who do not understand english at all? then u will see sudden surge of ppl claim dun understand english, all switch to their native language liao compensate to those who "teh gong" and hope to receive some form of compensation???