Asian Value Circle

AIG to Sell Fund Unit to Richard Li’s Pacific Century

2009-09-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Bloomberg - American International Group Inc., the insurer bailed out by the U.S. government, agreed to sell its external fund management business to Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li’s Pacific Century Group for about $500 million. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=auXjI8yLcBZk

China's cloudy investment picture

2008-06-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

IHT: Everyone agrees that the Chinese economy is growing fast. Where there is a wide difference of opinion is on the ability of corporate China, and especially investors in it, to continue to benefit from that growth if it slows a bit, or even if it does not. Read entire article here.

Lehman and the liars

2008-06-14T08:10:00.001-07:00

An Asia Times columnist talks about the woes plaguing financial institutions today. Read all here.

Lee Shau-kee to turn aggressive in August

2008-06-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

Billionaire investor Lee Shau-kee said his investment strategy will switch to aggressive from defensive in August. Recently, Lee added Datang Power (0991) to his long-term investment portfolio, which also includes CITIC Pacific (0267), Country Garden (2007) and China Overseas Land (0688). For entire story, click here.

Lee Shau-kee bullish on HK shares

2007-11-25T01:35:00.000-08:00

Lee Shau-kee is positive on HK shares. He has reportedly sunk in several billions into the market amidst the volatility. We agree that anytime is a good time to buy, especially if volatility leads to lower entry prices. However, investors should exercise caution to ensure that they enter at a discount to intrinsic value.Read full story here.

Five China Plays For Investing Legends

2007-10-14T03:16:00.000-07:00

Validea uses its models to pick up five exciting Chinese stocks. Find out what they are here.

Star Alliance

2007-09-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

Prof Bruce Greenwald is one of the living stalwarts of value investing. He authored Value Investing: From Graham to Buffett and Beyond. It was reported this week that Prof Greenwald is joining Jeam Marie Eveillard, the lead portfolio manager of First Eagle in a pairing up of two of value investing global leading figures. Read here for an archived interview of Prof Greenwald with The Motley Fool.

Philanthropy & Value Investing

2007-09-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

In a generous act, the daughter of David Dodd announced that she is giving a US$128.5 mil to an independent school in the United States. David Dodd was the mentor of Warren Buffett and he had co authored the seminal Security Analysis with Benjamin Graham. Buffett explains why the Dodd tale is "a very happy story with a happy ending. His long time partner, Charlie Munger also made a fine

Billion dollar investing tips from Warren Buffett

2007-09-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

Warren Buffett's tips are distilled in this reader friendly article by Rediff. The key points are outlined here:Invest in Businesses, Not in StocksOnly Buy Businesses that You UnderstandBuy Companies with Defensible 'Franchise'Hold for the Long TermIgnore Short-Term Fluctuations in PriceBuy Good Businesses When Prices are DownDon't Be an Active TraderDo Not Over-DiversifyInvest Only When There is

Weekend picks: Secrets of Tweedy Browne

2007-09-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

If James Halliday is a name associated with fine wines, then Chris Browne is value investing. Chris Browne foundedTweedy Browne, a firm with US$13 bil under management today. The New York Sun profiles Tweedy Browne's secrets in a good piece.The Fool.com features a piece about investing in special situations, a class of value investing which has enamored Warren Buffett since he was young.

Making Sense of the Sub-Prime Mess

2007-08-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

Fortune spoke to some of the sharpest minds in the business to get their reactions to the sub-prime crisis and to get their insights on the future. These include gurus like Warren Buffett, Bill Miller and Jim Chanos. Enjoy your weekend pick here.

The Prince of Value

2007-08-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

William Patalon, managing editor of Moneymorning.com discusses the investment style of "The Prince", Alwaleed bin Talal Alsaud. The Saudi Prince is one of the shrewdest investor in Asia after bursting to fame with his cash injection into Citicorp in 1991. Read about the key lessons of "The Prince"'s approach and why going global is the way to go.

A Buffett Disciple Shares His Secrets

2007-08-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

Monish Pabrai, managing partner of the Pabrai Investment Funds speaks to Justin Fuller of Morningstar about his Dhandho Investment philosophy. In particular, he explains why the "low risk and high uncertainty" approach can lead to superior returns. Enjoy the video clip here.

Making Money the Warren Buffett Way

2007-08-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

U.S. News has a special feature on Warren Buffett. It offers tips on how to emulate the master and books which make for essential reading.

What Would Warren Buffett Do?

2007-08-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this CNBC clip on how to apply Warren Buffett's investment philosophy during these times of high market volatility.

Your First Million Is the Toughest

2007-07-20T22:39:00.001-07:00

The guys at Fool.com explains why getting the first million is the toughest. The charts in their article clearly illustrate the power of compounding - widely regarded as the 8th wonder of the world.

Growth vs Value Investing

2007-07-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

The Star paper of Malaysia carries an introductory article on growth and value investing. Click here to read this primer.

Is it ever OK to forget valuation?

2007-07-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

Value investors always ask about the valuation of a company. However, are they circumstances when it is ok to forget valuation? Enjoy this article and tell us if you agree.

Investing & Life

2007-07-18T19:16:00.001-07:00

We always thought that sound investing principles help one in life. Ralph Wanger who runs the Alcorn fund summed it nicely by offering the following in response to a Q&A by Money Magazine.Q. Are the principles of investing helpful elsewhere in life?A. Being disciplined, being honest, having a set of rules and following them no matter what, thinking long term, controlling your emotions - these are

Growth is the other face of sound value investing

2007-07-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

Warren Buffett has said that growth and value investing are joined at the hip. Much of the earlier articles in AVC has focused on value investing. Hence, to provide a different twist, AVC has selected two articles which explores growth investing.First off, is a Fool.com article which profiles four great growth investors.Next, enjoy an AAII piece which discusses the secrets of picking great growth

Pick of the Day: Investing's Smartest Players

2007-07-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

BusinessWeek profiles several top investors and singles out traits which distinguishes them from the crowd. Enjoy the superstars here.

Measuring the Market's Value

2007-07-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

The folks at Morningstar.com dig into the fair value of major indices by calculating market cap weighted averages for the stocks in various US benchmarks. Find out the results here.

Four Investing Gems from Buffett

2007-07-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

Rediff.com singles out four investing gems from Warren Buffett. Full article here

Newsletters' advice often contradictory

2007-07-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

There seems to be no short-cut to riches. Relying on advice in newsletters written by "gurus" appears to be contradictory. Enjoy the Chicago Tribune article here

Invest Like Buffett

2007-07-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

Warren Buffett's main principles are summarized in the following article: Link.Note that this post is not an endorsement of the product on sale at the external site.

Rogers sells out of Emerging Markets and Wall Street banks

2007-07-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Jim Rogers, the ex-partner of George Soros, says he has sold all emerging markets except China. Rogers has been very sharp in investing in commodities in 2003 before the rally started. Today, he thinks soft commodities are the place to be in. Read more here.He also explains that the has gone light on Wall Street banks. Find out the reason here.

Interview with managers of Oak Value

2007-07-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

Fool.com carries an interview with the managers of Oak Value, David Carr and Larry Coat. They chat about their investment style and portfolio. Read story here.

Munger encourages a lifetime of learning

2007-07-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

Charlie Munger, vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, encouraged the USC Law Class of 2007 to “go to bed every night a little wiser” than they woke. “Wisdom acquisition is a moral duty,” said Munger, noting that he and business partner Warren Buffet spend the majority of their time learning through books or from other people. So learn more from Mr Munger here.

How Buffett Bounces Back

2007-07-06T18:43:00.000-07:00

The ability of the "Oracle of Omaha" to recognize and learn from his missteps is one of his greatest strengths as an investor. Read the full story here.

A Weekend Buffett

2007-06-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Warren Buffett's investment philosophy and strategies will be distilled and published by Bloomsbury in May 2008. Bloomsbury, the publisher of Harry Potter, has secured the publishing rights of the book written by Alice Schroeder who is basing it on her extensive conversations with the Sage of Omaha. More about the new book here.Bloomberg has also reported that Buffett's 2007 Charity lunch auction

Value Creators & Destroyers [Morningstar]

2007-06-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

Morningstar points out the companies which created and destroyed the most value in the last 6 months. More here.

A Valued Comeback [Fortune]

2007-06-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

Jean-Marie Eveillard has come back from retirement to take over the reins of First Eagle Funds, his "babies" as a result of the sudden departure of his long time protege Charles de Vaulx. Eveillard is a value mastero. Enjoy this Fortune piece on how he gets the call after enjoying a dinner and stroll on the street of Paris. Read about the comeback here.

Slim Pickings for Deep Value Manager [Kiplinger.com]

2007-06-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

Scott Barbee runs the Aegis Value fund. He has never had a down year while running the fund for 9 years. Scott says that he has "trouble finding bargains" today. More of Scott's views here.

Pick of the Day: Interview with Monish Pabrai [CNBC]

2007-06-11T04:32:00.001-07:00

Monish Pabrai is the author of two books and is a fund manager who has modelled his approach after that of Warren Buffett. In this interview, he explains his investment strategy as the "less than 1 dollar, few bets, big bets, infrequent bets and copy cats" approach. Enjoy this clip here.If you enjoy this service, please click on ads that interest you on the left sidebar to sustain it! Thank you.

Endowments - David Swenson's style

2007-06-11T04:30:00.000-07:00

David Swenson's runs the Yale Endownment fund. Read about his approach here.

Weekend Picks: Interviews with Soros and Mohd El-Erian [FT]

2007-06-09T02:39:00.000-07:00

In this weekend's top pick, we provide the links to interviews on two great money managers, George Soros and Mohd El-Erian. Soros may be a big champion of the "Open Society" concept but he still offers important views on the yen, emerging markets and private equity. Enjoy.Interviews:George SorosMohd El-Erian

Asia: Hot or Frenzy?

2007-06-07T03:20:00.000-07:00

John Mauldin of Outside the Box writes about Asia. He asks whether Asia is a hot market or a just a wild frenzy.Enjoy today's piece here.

A Unique Approach to Value Investing

2007-06-06T03:27:00.000-07:00

Today, read about the investing approach used at Dunham Small Cap Value Fund. The team specializes in identifying small cap stocks using a bottom-up fundamental stock selection process. They share the key elements of their investing process and sell discipline.Get the lowdown here

Pick of the Day: Why You Should be Terrified [MF]

2007-06-05T04:39:00.000-07:00

Richard Gibbons of the Fool.com explains why an investor today should be terrified:Inverted yield curve;Housing bubble;etcMore here

Topics That Make Money Managers Get All Sentimental [NYT]

2007-06-05T04:36:00.000-07:00

It takes all kinds of investors to make a market, or so it seemed at a conference this week of the crème de la crème of money managers. Typically a reclusive bunch, the managers agreed to offer up a few of their investment ideas to a roomful of attentive money managers in an effort to raise money for pediatric cancer and other childhood diseases.Continued here

Value Proposition

2007-06-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

Mark Sellers is a hedge fund manager in the mould of Warren Buffett. Marketwatch.com explains his technique and singles out several of his choice picks.To read article, click here.

Picks of the Day: Focusing on Buffett's "Sidekicks"

2007-06-01T03:19:00.000-07:00

Sidekick #1: Charlie MungerBuffett's son rates Charlie to be smarter than his dad. Munger is also frequently credited for opening Buffett's eyes beyond traditional value metrics. Read about Charlie Munger here.Sidekick #2: Lou SimpsonLou Simpson runs Geico's US$4 bil equity portfolio, out of limelight for Berkshire Hathaway. Simpson has topped the S&P 500 index by about 7% p.a. in the last three

Mining for Graham's Net Nets

2007-06-01T03:12:00.001-07:00

The Globeandmail.com attempts to search for "net nets" - a value screen based on Benjamin Graham's rules.They report that very few names emerge in both Canada and the U.S., and most of them are small to microcap. The results are consistent with the complaint of many value investors that it is tough to find real bargains in today's market.More here

Overheating of China's stock market structural (AP)

2007-06-01T03:09:00.000-07:00

The Deputy Director general of the market supervision dept at the CSRC acknowledges that there is a "liquidity surplus problem" that is contributing to the overheating of the Chinese stock market.Continued here

Chinese Blood Bath

2007-05-30T03:34:00.000-07:00

This is the correction all market watchers were expecting. And then it happened. The Shanghai A Shares index fell some 6% today after the government tripled the tax on securities transactions.See Bloomberg article here.However, several distinguished individuals do not think that the contraction will affect the international economy as China is "a relatively small casino".Full article here.

Irrational Exuberance in China [Fundsupermart.com]

2007-05-29T04:50:00.000-07:00

Whilst the Shanghai Composite Index may have closed above the 4300 level for the first time today, many analysts are calling for a correction in the near term.Yale Professor, Robert Shiller, who correctly called the 2000 dot com boom a bubble, has said a high degree of "irrational exuberance" among investors could lead to a major correction in the Chinese market in the next few months, which

Prem Watsa [Canadian Financial Post]

2007-05-29T04:36:00.000-07:00

Read about Prem Watsa, the man behind Fairfax Financial holdings. Prem has successfully modelled his approach after Buffett's.Continued here

Politicizing China's stock market bubble

2007-05-29T04:34:00.000-07:00

The ATtimes says that in China, nearly everything can be easily politicized. The stock markets are no exception. As the stock-market bubble continues to inflate, some people are now tempted to make political interpretations.According to one theory, what keeps the retail investors and speculators bullish is their belief that the government won't take harsh measures to prick the bubble before or

The Chinese Rally

2007-05-28T03:31:00.000-07:00

In the last few posts, we have featured articles on the great Chinese stock market boom. Today, the Shanghai benchmark broke 4000 points for the first time. See this BBC article.In the wake of this rally, the Chinese Education ministry has also warned college students not to dabble in the stock market. More here.

The Dangers of Discarding Value [Fool.com]

2007-05-28T03:30:00.000-07:00

A Fool.com columnist attempts to discuss style drift - specifically drifting from value investing. He cites Bill Miller's Value Trust as an example.Full story here.

Setting the Standard for Ethical Business [LJWorld.com]

2007-05-25T17:55:00.000-07:00

Besides behind one of the world's richest duo, Buffett and Munger have clearly set the bar very high on doing businesses the ethical and wholesome way. Enjoy this Dolph Simons piece on the humble Omaha tag team.

Wanted: A Central Banker who can curb market mania [NYT]

2007-05-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

First, it was warnings from Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan. Then it was one of Asia's top businessman, Li Kah Shing. Now ex US Federal Reserve governor, Alan Greenspan, has also chimed in by calling the Chinese market "clearly unsustainable".Read about the continuing Chinese mania here

Bill Miller lagging S&P [thestreet.com]

2007-05-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

The legendary Legg Mason Value Trust manager, Bill Miller is lagging the S&P 500 index this year to date. However, don't rule him out just yet for he has a track record of pulling ahead even in the last few days of the year.Your first weekend piece here

Why Bubbles benefit the Economy

2007-05-25T04:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, Daniel Gross argues that bubbles like the Internet mania or a real estate bubble can be beneficial to the American economy. Although, personally, I am not sure about the investor's pockets though... Find out more here.

What's my Guru talking about? [Fool.com]

2007-05-25T04:27:00.001-07:00

Warren Buffett, the king of stock picking, advocating indexing? Isn't that puzzling? Unravel the mystery here

Not all Chinese investors know what they are doing

2007-05-25T04:24:00.000-07:00

The results of a new survey in China indicates that few investors know how stock markets work...Continued here

Value Investing in Brazil?

2007-05-24T04:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, value investing works all over the world; as long as you got Ben Graham's first principles right and grounded. Tarpon is an asset management firm in Brazil which invests "the value way". The team at the helm has decided to shoot for an IPO on the Brazilian BOVESPA.Here are some links on Tarpon & its IPO:Company siteIPO News

Women shoes are hotter than ICBC

2007-05-24T04:05:00.000-07:00

If you thought the IPO of ICBC was hot? Have a re-think...Demand for Belle's recent IPO in HK exceeded the 411.4 billion dollars of shares ordered by Hong Kong individuals in the sale of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, at $22 billion the world's biggest. It also trades at a premium to SGX listed Hongguo.Enjoy this IHT/Bloomberg piece here

Pick of the Day: Buffett speaks to Charlie Rose

2007-05-23T04:42:00.000-07:00

Warren Buffett sits down with Charlie Rose in this interview of 10 May 2007. He talks about the performance of Berkshire Hathaway in 2006, his charity lunches that he auctions on eBay and much more.Watch the Exclusive Video here

A Growth Sector Too Dangerous to Ignore

2007-05-23T04:40:00.000-07:00

Andrew Gordon's of the Investor's Daily Edge writes that chinese imports of minerals from nickel to coal are continuing to prop up commodity prices. China also remains as the number-one buyer of U.S. government bonds, which is how the U.S. government raises money to pay off its debts. That allows the US to keep buying boatloads of cheap Chinese imports, which help put a lid on inflation here.More

Notes from BRK's AGM

2007-05-23T04:36:00.000-07:00

On May 5th, Lindsay Torbett attended the 2007 Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) shareholder meeting (a.k.a. “Woodstock for Capitalists”) with 27,000 attendees in Omaha, Nebraska. Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, (Buffett’s “partner” and Vice-chairman) shared their wisdom and advice on investment success in a 6 hour Q&A session.Access the notes here

Value Investing in Today's Markets

2007-05-22T04:13:00.000-07:00

The irony couldn't have been lost on the 350 people who gathered for the Value Investing Congress West in Hollywood last week. Normally, a crowd is the last place a serious value investor wants to be. True value typically is found in investments that are hidden gems, things that are underappreciated and unwanted.But in today's streaking stock market, there's very little that no one wants. And

How Buffet, Graham and Others Gave Me Religion

2007-05-22T04:12:00.000-07:00

I'm here to spread the good investing news, the Word that investing like a grownup with the lessons of Buffett, Siegel, Swenson and Graham saved me and it can save you too.My conversion came at a great cost. For a time, like many of you after the crash that began in 2000, I had lost a lot of money on paper and jeopardized mine and my loved one's futures. But I got religion, worked hard, and today

Railroads bask in Buffett's flavor

2007-05-22T04:04:00.000-07:00

By JOSH FUNK, AP Business WriterOMAHA, Neb. - Freight railroads and their investors can feel confident no new railroads will try to create a competing network — the cost is too high.That enduring competitive advantage, combined with strong demand from shippers, is part of why billionaire Warren Buffett ‘s company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., invested in three freight railroads. But investors who are

The $300 Trillion Time Bomb (Portfolio.com)

2007-05-22T04:02:00.000-07:00

If Warren Buffett can't figure out derivatives, can anybody? For hundreds of years, the way to solve problems in the financial market was clear: Get Wall Street’s titans in one place and knock heads. It took only 24 brokers gathered under a buttonwood tree to form what became the New York Stock Exchange. J. Pierpont Morgan locked several dozen bankers inside his famous library on Madison Avenue

Property boom driving Singapore (BBC News)

2007-05-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

Singapore's economy grew faster than expected in the first three months of 2007, led by an ongoing property and service sector boom.Continued here

Bershire's Latest Holdings

2007-05-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

View Berkshire Hathaway's latest holdings (as filed with the US SEC)

Li Ka Shing warns of Chinese bubble

2007-05-21T04:02:00.000-07:00

HONG KONG- Li Ka-Shing, the richest Chinese man, and also the Chairman of the Hong Kong-based Cheung Kong Holdings, Ltd., said on May 17, the bubble phenomenon has emerged in China's stock market. Li is worried that the bubble will burst and has advised investors to only purchase what they can afford.Continued here

Booming China Stock tests Govt's will

2007-05-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Rising to a record high immediately after the central bank hiked interest rates, China's booming stock market has entered a battle of wills with the government -- a battle that it may well lose.Millions of Chinese investors, trading on mobile phones or in brokerage halls around the country, shrugged off the central bank's monetary tightening, which was partly designed to

In China, land of red-hot stocks, B-shares are white-hot (AFP)

2007-05-21T03:58:00.000-07:00

May 21, 2007These days, Zhang Nin gladly sacrifices her short lunch breaks so she canqueue up at the bank and buy US dollars for local currency. The 24-year-oldmarketing executive at a Shanghai wine company needs the money to buyhard-currency B-shares, which recently have emerged as an even hottercommodity than the sizzling local-currency A-shares. "I bought someB-shares on Tuesday and two days

Lampert took big stake in Citigroup: SEC filing

2007-05-20T02:31:00.000-07:00

By Alistair Barr & David Weidner, MarketWatch Last Update: 2:05 PM ET May 16, 2007 NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Hedge fund manager Eddie Lampert has taken a stake valued at about $800 million in Citigroup Inc., a move that is driving up the stock and increasing speculation he may lead the charge for a break up

Wally on BRK and Dell

2007-05-20T02:29:00.001-07:00

Wally Weitz is the other Oracle of Omaha. He shares his views on Berkshire Hathaway and Dell on Bloomberg TV.Watch Video here

1st-Time Investors Buy Up Chinese Stocks

2007-05-20T02:26:00.000-07:00

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer