Athena Trader

Source: SSGL website I decided to cover Sheng Siong Group Ltd ("SSGL") since I am considering it although there is not much action on the stock price. I used to patronize Sheng Siong as it was close to my workplace. After we shifted back to HQ, I forgot all about it until it's 2011 IPO which ACCICB was recommending a buy to his customers.  I realized that it has been a while since I covered a local stock and I suspect my current followers are probably more interested in SSGL than say Pernod Ricard SA which I am also working on. Personally, we shop at NTUC and Cold Storage so I took a look at Dairy Farm International Holdings  Ltd ("DFIHL") which I should cover in a later post. SSGL is very well covered by analysts and local bloggers alike so here goes my take on SSGL.  SSGL is ranked third in terms of number of supermarket outlets after rivals NTUC and Dairy Farm Group which owns supermarket chains like Giant, Cold Storage, Jasons Marketplace in Si...

Source: Kewpie website I have been looking at food manufacturers for a while and Kewpie Corp. ("Kewpie") caught my eye. Not because of the logo which is a doll created by artist and illustrator Rose O'Neill but because this is by far the most delicious mayonnaise I've ever had. Apparently many people agree as this is one of the most popular brands in the market and when you google japanese mayonnaise, the search result gives you Kewpie!  We have to thank Toichiro Nakashima for this wonderful mayonnaise and it is heartening to know that the family still remains as the majority shareholder with 21.8%. I spotted Amane Nakashima who is a senior MD, Head of Compliance and Internal Audit and wonder whether he's part of the family.   I believe in continutity in family businesses except in cases where you can no longer bring the company to the next level and professional hires are required.  Kewpie operates in various business segments and the condiments pr...

Source: JTI website I did some pretty intensive and detailed research on the tobacco industry and was pretty impressed with the stock performance of the big boys such as British American Tobacco ("BAT"), Philip Morris  International ("PMI") and last but not least Japan Tobacco Inc ("JTI"). Among the three, PMI was out as its on NYSE and the hours are totally opposite from ours. BAT was also considered but the charges are absolutely exorbitant and ACCICB has been going on and on about how much we spent on charges and how we should never do UK stocks anymore. I don't mind since it means one less exchange to monitor and I don't have to comb through it to find suitable stocks. Seriously, you need a lot of money to make a little money on the stock market, assuming that you don't screw things up. Thus, I don't advocate quitting your day job to do this full time unless you have some serious experience to do so. ACCICB had major concern...

Source: Sanrio Co Ltd website The allure of Hello Kitty cannot be denied as it captures the hearts of young and old, male and female alike and it transcends across generations. Sanrio doesn't need any introductions and the company is making new changes to its strategies which I believe would be beneficial in the long term. It is changing its business model as it moves away from product licensing to space licensing. Increasingly it is going to manufacture its own products rather than through licensing which is a good move, as we can all remember what happened to Pierre Cardin which ultimately undermined its brand value.  However the latest earnings release did not hit the mark as sales in North American and Europe were blah, domestic sales went on a plateau and Asian sales while good did not lift the company. That surprised me as Sanrio is celebrating its 40th year anniversary this year and yet it did not do wonders for its sales. Is it because there are so many n...

Source: Unicharm Corp website As Christmas approaches in less than 2 months away, I start thinking of how my year has been and what the next year will hold for me. It also makes me lazy as I always felt that Christmas is a time to rest and enjoy thus I think I will be writing lesser in the months to come. I don't think I'll be missed except maybe for my 1 and only follower on Google+! Meanwhile, research continues as ACCICB and I continue to search and identify suitable stocks that would be added to our portfolio and this is where I chanced upon Unicharm Corp, a manufacturer of baby care products, feminine care products and pet care products. They own brands such as Moony and Mamy Poko (baby diapers), Sofy (sanitary napkins) and Hartz (pet food, toys and toiletry products).  The 1 year stock chart looks amazing and their financials show that they have recorded increased net sales for the past consecutive 12 years and record operating income for the past 7 years. The...

Image credits Yakult website I grew up with Yakult as did most kids and visiting the Yakult factory was one of my favorite memories of all time. Needless to say, we drink Yakult whenever we are overseas on holiday and have problems digesting our food. I didn't know until ACCICB told me that Vitagen is only sold in Singapore and Malaysia whereas Yakult is sold in 33 countries and regions. Strangely though, we drink Vitagen at home for many years but have recently switched to Yakult as it tastes better despite it being of a lesser amount. I've also tested Yakult Ace Light which has 30% lesser calories, a lighter taste and costs about 80 cents more and concluded that we'll stick to the original Yakult.  Yakult operations in Japan though include a pharmaceuticals business as well as a cosmetics business, which represent a small % of their business and is loss making at the moment. The interesting thing about Japanese companies is that they have a business plan for ...