Trading volume was disappointing as it only increased slightly in this last week when the market rallies after the rebound. The average daily trading volume last week was 750 million shares and the previous week’s average was 662 million. Average daily trading volume below 1billion shares are considered weak. The market was slightly bullish because of positive leads locally and internationally. Locally, industrial production and export numbers were growing on-month and jobless rate fell. World Bank confidence about having a positive GDP in year 2010 and increasing foreign participation in the local equity market boost confidence further.

Internationally, governments in developed nations are confident that the global economy is improving and Australia is the first G-20 nation to raise key interest rates since the start of the global financial crisis more than a year ago as the government believes that the emergency low rates are no longer needed. In the world’s largest economy, manufacturing increases and jobless claim declines.

Daily FBMKLCI Chart

The US Dollar continues to slide against major currencies, continuing its down trend. This again has pressured prices of commodities to increase. Price of Gold in COMEX continues to make historical highs and is currently at US$1,050 an ounce, increasing 5% in a month. Crude Oil in NYMEX continues to stay around US$70 a barrel. Rubber futures in TOCOM slightly rose month-to­-month but it jumps about 6% last week to JPY$214.80 a kg. However, Crude Palm Oil futures in Europe Store Exchange declined from EUR 2,200 per metric ton a month ago to EUR 2,030.

The FBMKLCI is well supported by the short term trend. The benchmark index continues to stay above the short to long term 30 to 90-day moving averages despite several pullbacks from the uptrend that started in April. A major correction is yet to be seen in this 6 months bullish trend. Momentum indicators are about to turn bullish again after mixed signals in the past few weeks.

The RSI and Momentum indicators are starting to move away from the middle level and the MACD indicator is about to cross above its trigger line or 9-day moving average. ADX indicator has just started to increase again, showing good strength in momentum last week.

The Bollinger Bands started to expand again with the FBMKLCI penetrating the top bands after testing the middle band two weeks ago. The same situation (the expansion) happened exactly a month ago and the FBMKLCI made new highs for the year. Therefore, we may expect the same to happen again and this time the projection is 1,280 points before it finds the next resistance. The average daily trading range is the same as the previous week.

Price Map - Direction Forecast

The immediate support and resistance levels are still at 1,196 points and 1,230 points respectively. The FBMKLCI is currently testing this resistance level for the second time in a month. The market is set to test newer highs because of the strong bullish reversal and breakout. The next resistance level is between 1,280 and 1,300 points. However, if the market fails to make new highs and the FBMKLI falls below the 1,196 points support level, then the next support level it is going to test is at 1,150 points.

Looking ahead, the leading Ichimoku Cloud indicator continues to contract last week and this indicates that the support for the uptrend is getting thinner. Being a leading technical indicator, a major trend reversal is not expected until the cloud bands cross. Therefore, there is still a chance for the market to maintain its uptrend at least for another month.

The market sentiment is still bullish and the FBMKLCI is expected to rise in the short term to the next resistance level between 1,280 and 1,300 points. This is only valid if the benchmark index stays above the immediate 1,196 points support level. In the longer term, a major correction is expected to take place once the index moves into the next resistance level. My price map/direction forecast chart for FBMKLCI remains the same as last month.

Therefore, current opportunity is only good for short term traders who trades short term profits because the market is expected to test new highs but with a limited upside. However, accumulating shares for the long term (3 to 5 years) may be too risky at current levels as prices are way above the long term average. Opportunity for long term accumulation only exists when the market pulls back to its long term average or below it (a 200-day moving average can be used as a benchmark).

So, longer term investors have to patiently wait for a major correction to happen. My longer term

forecast (1 year) for the FBMKLCI when it goes into a major correction is still at 900 points and therefore accumulating shares when the index moves to this level or slightly above provide a better low risk opportunity for longer term investors.

The meltdown resulted in the collapse of several large banking and financial institutions in the United States and Europe due to weakness originating from the mortgage and mortgage backed securities markets.

However in Asia, many were not too worried about the property market due to the regulated control of the banking system by their country National Bank and the well-established and matured property developers.

As a result of planned developments and sale of property, the Asian property market has remained healthy, despite the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contraction of 6.2 % in the first quarter of 2009.

As an indication of the strength of the property sector, the National Property Information Centre (NAPIC) recorded higher transaction volume of some 4.0% compared with a decline of 17.8 percent in 4th quarter of 2008.

In its study, NAPIC also recorded 79,149 transactions valued at USD 4.701 billion in 1H 2009 with the Residential property sub-sector being the most dominant. Total transaction volumes were 63.8% while total transaction value was 55.1%.

The development of residential property remained promising with upward trends in the completion and starts category but dwindling numbers in new building plan approvals.

Currently, by 1H 2009, the residential property sector recorded an existing supply of 4,230,328 units with and incoming supply of 544,926 units. Planned residential supply is recorded at 669,554 units.

In the demand scenario for the residential sales performances there were lesser units that were launched into the market in the past quarters. However, sales performances during the nine months were between 70% and 85% since the first quarter of 2007.

There were also signs that the Asian property market was affected by global economic and financial crisis but the market has remained healthy overall.

Education        : University of Texas, Austin, 1983–1984

Occupation      : CEO and founder, Dell, Inc.

Net Worth       : Above $12.3 Billion (2009)

Religious         : Judaism

Spouse(s)         : Susan Dell

He’s Michael Dell, the CEO of Dell Computers and one of the greatest entrepreneur of this generation. At 40 years old he’s built one of the most successful companies in the world and he’s one of the world’s youngest billionaires. The company has grown to $32 billion in 18 years. In fact, great leadership is what makes him so highly successful, not technical brain. He was at number 18 on the Forbes’s list of richest people in 2002 and 2004 respectively; while in 2003 he was on 24.

The PC business is full of rags-to-riches stories. But perhaps none is as dramatic as the rise of Dell Computer. He started off his company from his room at the University of Texas with less than $1,000. After being one year at University, he dropped out as his part-time computer business took off.

He was born on February 23, 1965. In 1984, the 19-year-old Michael Dell had a simple idea. Why not sell custom-made computers directly to customers? At the time, computer manufacturers sold their machines wholesale to retailers, who marked up the price for consumers. With about $1,000 and an unprecedented idea in the PC industry, Dell found a way to bypass the middleman and sell custom-built PCs directly to customers. Dell assembled computers from cheap surplus parts, and then created the machines to the specifications of his customers.

What makes Dell Computer unique is not what it sells, but rather how it sells it. Dell was first in the PC industry to pioneer the direct-selling model, a method that competitors such as Compaq and Apple Computer are only now starting to embrace. By cutting out the intermediary and creating a direct link between manufacturer and customer, Dell was able to provide customers with computers that cost less and that were more apt to meet customer needs. Prior to this there was absolutely no aspect of customization of the PC. Buying computer invariably involved the presence of a middleman. He also pioneered the industry’s first service and support programs.

Twenty-one years later, the simple idea is considered a revolution in the technology world, and it still working. Dell’s still doing essentially the same made-to-order computers directly to customers but on a scale that now brings in $18 billion a year and employs 25,000 people. Dell’s breathtaking success made him, at age 27 the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company in history, and Fortune magazine named his company one of the most admired firms in America, following General Electric, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft. Dell has offices in over 34 countries and a presence in more than 170 countries. The company’s business clientele includes almost all the companies in the Fortune 500.The company manufactures its PCs in six locations: Texas, Tennessee, Brazil, Ireland, Malaysia, and China.

The next frontier for Dell has been the Web and once again the computer giant seems to be holding its place as a leader in the PC industry. Dell is acknowledged as the largest online commercial seller of computer systems, with $50 million per day in online sales. The value of Dell’s stock is reported to have risen almost 70,000 per cent over the past decade.

It’s important to point out that Michael Dell’s parents wanted him to stop playing with computers in college and get into medical school. But Michael Dell followed a different path. He is today credited for inspiring millions of entrepreneurs to pursue their dream of creating new innovation and not simply do what you are told to do. It’s important that we listen to ourselves and follow the path that we desire. People around us have great intentions, but many times they don’t understand the life and goals of the entrepreneur. Believe in yourself.

There are two key reasons for his continuing success. Dell Corp. is renowned for its ability to drive down prices. The products are affordable because of the company’s hold over their vendors. The other reason is that Dell has been able to leverage the power of the Internet to great advantage. Dell is the largest supplier of PCs over the Internet. He is an IT governor of the World Economic Forum and is a member of the U.S. Business Council. He is also a member of the Computer Systems Policy Project, serves on the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Dell has been honored many times for his extraordinary leadership capabilities, earning the titles of “Entrepreneur of the Year” from Inc. magazine, and “Man of the Year” by PC magazine. He constantly heads the list of the world’s youngest billionaires.

Michael Dell can be painfully shy, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t charismatic. Rarely has a bad word been uttered about his personality. As ‘a visionary, leader, entrepreneur, boss, person, and manager, Michael gets nothing but praise. For good reason too; he proved that a college dropout can fulfill his dreams and succeed. Our advice though, is that unless you have visions of grandeur where you want to build a multi-billion dollar company, stay in school.

Michael Dell explained his secrets of success in an entrepreneurs’ conference in Texas, when he said “First of all, don’t start a business just because everybody else is doing it or it looks like it’s a way to make a lot of money. Start a business because you found something you really love doing and have a passion for Start a business because you found something unique that you can do betty’ than anyone else. And start a business because you really want to make a big contribution to society over a long period of time.”

This is an opportune time for business owners to seriously consider investing in commercial properties, most notably shop houses, office lots and factories, as a means of expanding their operations, utilizing surplus funds or simply to diversify their investment portfolios. Investment in private real estate such as houses for rent may also help positively diversify investment portfolios.

Commercial properties are a good buy at this juncture because business owners can capitalize on the significant drop in mortgage rates which was preceded by some national bank’s cutting of the overnight policy rate to an all-time low of 2% per- annum in February 2009. Borrowers will be able to enjoy the prevailing low rates and save substantially on interest payments by leveraging on the low mortgage rates and lock in at this level for the tenure of their loan.

For risk conscious investors, current alternative investment instruments may prove to be beyond their risk profile in this bearish environment. To mitigate risk, investors should balance their portfolio with a selection of differing investments. As such, some banker and investor believe that commercial properties offer a more stable rental yield. As the latest property induces have shown, demand for commercial spaces has remained relatively constant and unabated compared to other investment vehicles. Properties continue to be excellent assets to hedge against inflation when prices start to rise on the heels of an economic rebound.

While it is ideal for investors to buy at the right time, the right place, and at the right price, most of the time it is all about striking a balance. An estimated 3 million square feet of office space as well as another 3 million square feet of retail space will be added to the Kuala Lumpur landscape this year as a result of launches from the past couple of years. Investors will have ample opportunity to select from diverse locations and types of spaces, and also reap the benefit of numerous freebies offered by developers ranging from free legal costs to discounts in prices. They will also be privy to an array of financing schemes.

Business Mortgage One Account (BMOA) is specifically designed for SMEs and business owners who in the course of their operations will have periods of surplus funds. The BMOA provides a very smart solution for business owners to enjoy savings by using cash in their current account to shorten their loan principal amount, with the added benefit of redrawing with no penalties charges from their surplus payments.

In situations where the SME wishes to ensure his funds are fully optimized for the operating cycle of his business, our SMI One Account is the perfect business mortgage solution because he gets the best of both worlds — funds in his operating account can generate interest credits for the benefit of his business mortgage outstanding.

While we are mindful that property purchases are long-term investments and being fixed assets, are not as liquid as investments in equity; the return on property investment may not be lower than equity investments.

Every 5 hours somewhere in the world a new “McDonald’s” fast food franchise is opening. Can you imagine a business which opened its door in 1955 is still so strong today? Well, its founder Ray Kroc, sure did. Kroc, was no inventor. But he knew a great idea when he saw one. After all, Kroc’s entire life thrived on discovering just the right idea that would live on well after the man himself. From a paper cup salesman, to real estate broker, piano player, and finally, milk shake mixer salesman, he always had an incredible amount of faith in himself.

Finally, at the young age of 52 his biggest idea (McDonald’s) was about to emerge. However, Kroc had to muster enough courage in his new idea to once again mortgage his home and borrow lots of money to get it going. He wasn’t a picture of health either. He’d been plagued by years of arthritis, diabetes, lost his bladder and most of his thyroid gland. But, he never lost the courage to persevere and believe in himself. In fact, Ray Kroc was known to say:”The best is ahead of me,” according to those who knew him. The “McDonald’s” brand name is ill^, second most recognizable name in the world, next to “Coca Cola.” Not bad for 52 year old with health problems, huge debts, and tons of dogged determination! Ray Kroc was a simple man with a simple plan to achieve huge success.

Ray’s formula is:

1 Never give up. 2 Always persevere. 3 Don’t forget (No.1) .

Impressed by a small chain of hamburger restaurants based in San Bernardino, California that used the multi-mixers, Ray acquired franchising rights from the owners, the McDonald brothers. He then founded McDonald’s Corporation in 1955. In 1961, he bought out the McDonald brothers for $2.7 million and borrowed at interest rates that eventually made the cost $14 million. It turned out to be a bargain, as McDonald’s grew into the world’s largest quick-service restaurant organization.

In 1963, Kroc’s firm had sold 3 billion burgers, opened its 500th store, and, in a somewhat cynical attempt to target children, chosen Ronald McDonald as the icon of the firm. By 1965, the clown was more familiar to US children than the President.

Opening its 1000th restaurant in 1968, in 1971 Kroc moved the firm into Europe. Creating an enterprise of thousands of almost identical franchises throughout the globe, Kroc was respected in the business community for his high standards and effective leadership.

Under Ray Kroc’s leadership, McDonald’s set standards against which other chains were measured. He created an enterprise comprised of thousands of small businesses, run by independent franchisees that own and operate approximately 85 percent of McDonald’s restaurants. “If you work just for money, you’ll never make it,” Mr. Kroc often said, “but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours.”

Ray Kroc served as chairman of McDonald’s Corporation from its founding in 1955 until 1977, when he was named senior chairman of McDonald’s Corporation in 1977.”We take the hamburger business more seriously than anyone else,” tidy Kroc, said, explaining McDonald’s success. His dedication to strict standards hi’, diligence in providing customers with consistent quality, service, cleanliness and value – and his innovative use of cooking techniques prompted a Harvard Business School professor to describe him as “the service sector’s equivalent Henry Ford.”

Kroc has been the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Horatio Alger Award (1972),The Presidential Star (1972) and American of the Year (1973) presented by Lions International. He was inducted into the Advertising Hall Fame in 1988. Ray Kroc died on January 14, 1984, in San Diego, California.

Whatever it is you’re trying to achieve in your precious and valuable life, we are convinced Ray Kroc’s traits must be present. Especially, belief! If you don’t believe, you won’t achieve.

Reviewing all the elements of the Madoff scandal would require lengthy discussion and may be rather sophisticated for some. However, it makes sense for us to at least know what Ponzi schemes are all about.

“Ponzi” scheme can be summed up as a scheme designed to convince investors to put their money in a fraudulent investment that the schemer eventually runs off with. People often get duped into investing because they are promised a rate of return that is above those they would normally expect with a legitimate investment, and trust the person behind the scheme without much thought. Plenty can be said about Ponzi schemes that have prevailed in the US over the years, but looking at the Malaysian context, we too need to keep a watchful eye on potential “Ponzi” schemes lurking among us.

If any of the following explanations or promises sound familiar to you, then, it is very likely that you have had a brush with scams:

For every investment that you make, you will receive a high return, for instance, 20-30% per month, every month.

1. You are not shown the so-called quality product you are allegedly selling, but you will get paid for every person you recruit or sign up.

1. You are told that the offer is for a limited time and that you MUST invest today.

1. You are told to send some money to foreign banks in foreign currency to claim a prize but you do not remember entering any contest or lucky draws.

1. You receive unsolicited phone calls offering investment opportunities and you have no idea how the company has obtained your phone number.

1. You are offered an investment product that guarantees large profits with no risk.

1. You are asked to invest in an investment scheme but the address and contact information of the investment company offering you big money is located in a foreign bank where you cannot verify its physical location and cannot find information about the company’s license.

1. You are approached by someone who claims to be an agent for foreign trading houses (e.g: based in Macau, Bahamas,  British Virgin islands etc) to trade in foreign indices (e.g. Hang Selig index), commodities (e.g. coffee) or forex (e.g. USS, Yen etc) but you need to deposit some money as a “margin” in some sign currency before a trade can be executed.

If you are face with any of the above situation, keep the following points in mind so as to avoid being swindled :

Protection #1:

Avoid any investment guarantees regular or large profits. Be extremely wary of companies that guarantee large profits or promise high return over a short period of time. You must remember that every investment involves risks and you must have often heard:  “high risk, high return!” Be extra careful, especially if the investment is posed to give you high returns with minimal or no risk.

Protection #2:

Be wary of plans that focus on paying you to recruit others-stead of paying you to sell products and services. Key words that should caution you are “down-line” or “pyramid”.

Protection #3:

Never sign up for an opportunity in a high-pressured situation, as “you have a limited time to join and buy now or miss out”. Remember, if it is a legitimate business, it will still be around tomorrow, next week, next month or next year.

Protection #4:

It is unlikely for you to win a prize or big money if you have not entered into any contest or lottery. It is also highly unlikely for legitimate contests to ask you for money in advance to claim your prize. If you receive a call that says you have won a prize and you need to send some money to a foreign country in order to claim it, just hang up. It is not worth your time and effort to entertain such calls.

Protection #5:

Be skeptical about unsolicited phone calls regarding investments from foreign salespersons or companies in which you are unfamiliar with. The caller may say that he/she is a stock broking company’s representative or an investment adviser from abroad. If this happens, ask for his/her company’s details.

Request for the name of the foreign regulator that governs his/her company; check the foreign regulator’s website for the list of licensed or registered persons. Must always check the credentials of the persons you are dealing with, with the relevant authority before parting with your money.

Protection #6:

Be sure you get the company’s performance track record. Also ask for written information on the investment product and the business, as well as the risks involved the investment. Read the company’s prospectus and annual report thoroughly before investing.

Protection #7:

Do not provide any financial or personal information before you establish that the company is legitimate. Do not be afraid to ask questions; the more you ask the better! Always demand an explanation for something you do not understand. If in doubt, do not invest. Make sure you obtain solid information about the investment, the company and the salespersons/agents.

Protection #8:

Always check against the regulator’s website, for example, the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) website (www.sc.com.my) for information on investor’s alerts, or the list of licensed intermediary companies etc before investing.

Finally, equip yourself with financial and investment knowledge so that you are protected from investment scams. Always remember, “Not all that glitters is gold!”

What came as a surprise was the speed that the estate administration process kicked into motion. Here is the brief timeline: MJ passed away on 25 June and the first series of court hearings began four days later. On 1 July, MJ’s Will dated 7 July 2002 was filed with Los Angeles County Superior Court, which became a public document and almost instantly became of public interest. All these took place even before the memorial arrangements were finalized.

In summary, MJ, in his five-paged Will appointed three of his close aides to be his executors; his mother to be the first named guardian and failing which his close friend, singer Diana Ross, would be the substitute guardian. The Will also make mention of a living trust which he created prior to the Will which is known as Michael Jackson Family Trust (“MJFT”) whereby his mother, children and certain charities are the named beneficiaries. Pursuant to the Will, the executors will ultimately “shepherd” all the assets in the estate into. The MJFT, which details are of course, key private and confidential inheritance taxes are still in many countries and this often is the paramount reason why people consider creating trust(s) in addition to a Will.

For MJ’s case, his estate would be looking at Federal Inheritance Tax that could possibly be as high as 45% in addition to the probate fees (to be based on the gross value of the estate) which is value of the estate) which is also applicable in the state of California. Fortunately, neither of such taxes is applicable in Malaysia.

It seems that MJ was well advised in terms of his estate affairs. However many are skeptical of his actual net worth bearing in mind he has been entangled with numerous lawsuits in the past which was later settled out of court with massive sums being paid out as settlement. At the time of his death, it was reported that he has an existing USD300 million loan with Barclays Bank. No doubt, many observers belief that he may be heavily in debt but he certainly is not broke. It is estimated that his interests in Sony / ATV alone is worth approximately USD 1 billion on top of royalties which will be channeled into his estate or trust (which is yet to be determined) is also extremely significant.

The executors would now have to determine what are the assets belonging to the estate. There could be a possibility that the aforementioned valuable assets might have been settled into or assigned to the MJFT which means that there is a possibility that the estate’s assets are significantly less as compared to the existing debts in such circumstance. If the estate has insufficient assets to settle all the debts, the estate would be technically insolvent. In all likelihood when this happens, the creditors would embark on a hunting spree to claw back as many assets as possible. This would possibly include tracing the assets that was previously settled or assigned into the MJFT and if this materializes, the assets held by the MJFT may be vulnerable.

Translating the above into Malaysian context, the fundamental principles of estate planning are very much similar. Generally, a Will is where a testator bequeaths his/her assets to the selected beneficiaries, appoints guardian(s) for his/her minor children and appoints person(s) whom he/she trusts to be the executor(s) of the estate. The testator may also make provisions for testamentary trust(s) if certain assets are to be held on trust for a period of time, in accordance to the testator’s instructions. However, one need to be mindful that all debts and liabilities would have to be settled by the estate before any bequeaths can be fulfilled. In addition, a Will also becomes a public document the moment it is filed in the court for the application of probate. Therefore, if there are certain assets, which are to, given to selected individuals who details are to remain private, living trusts would be the available option to establish such arrangements.

Died    : April 5, 1992 (aged 74)in Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.

Occupation      : Former Chairman, Wal-Mart

Net worth        : US$58.6 bn (1992 Forbes 400), $128.0 billion (2008), according to Wealthy historical figures 2008.

When a person from Berryville, Arkansas, began opening discount stores outside towns where Sam Walton ran variety stories, he saw what was coming. So, on July 2,1962, at age 44, he opened his first Wal-Mart store, in Rogers, Arkansas. Discounting had hit America in a big way.

Once committed to discounting, Walton began a fight that lasted for the rest of his life. That is to drive costs out of the merchandising system wherever they lay – in the stores, in the manufacturer’s profit margins and with the middleman – all with a view to reducing the prices down, down, and down. Using that formula, which reduced the prices drastically, Wal-Mart sales grew at a relentless pace. Walton hit the road to open stores wherever he saw opportunity. In fact, he would see the layout of the places in his low-flying airplane. When he found the right place in intersections he would touch down, buy a piece of farmland and order up another Wal-Mart store.

As the chain began to take off, Walton made major adjustments to manage the growth. Meanwhile, as early as 1966, when he had 20 stores, he attended the IBM Computer School in order to hire the smartest guy in the class who would computerize his operations. He understood the need for computerizing his merchandise control. Today, Wal-Mart’s computer database is second only to the Pentagon’s in capacity, and though he is rarely remembered that way, Walton may have been the first true information-age CEO.

To his great delight, Walton spent much of his career largely unnoticed by the public or the press. In fact, hardly anyone had ever heard of him when, in 1985, Forbes magazine determined that his 39 per cent ownership of Rd Mart’s stock made him the richest man in America. After that, the first wave 01 attention focused on Walton as a famous retailer. His extraordinary charisma had motivated hundreds of thousands of employees to believe in what Wal-Mart could accomplish, and many of them had traded the company’s stock to wealth. It was truly the American Dream.

Sam Walton was born on March 29,1918 to Thomas Gibson and Nancy Lee Walton near Kingfisher, Oklahoma. In Oklahoma, they owned and lived on a farm until 1923.The Walton family then decided that the farm was not profitable enough to raise a family on. So, Sam and James (Sam’s younger brother born in 1921) had decided they would go back to being a Farm Loan Appraisers. Once this job started the Walton family moved out of Oklahoma and moved from town to town in Missouri. This would traumatize most children but for the Walton boys, it was no big deal. This could be seen when Sam was in 8th grade at Shelbina he became the youngest boy in the state’s history to become an Eagle Scout and this was only a stepping stone to his journey of accomplishments.

As Sam Walton grew up he was always an ambitious boy. He had to help support his family, along with his father and brother because money was lacking due to the depression. Sam’s job was to milk the family cow, bottle the milk, and then deliver the surplus to customers. He would go off to deliver newspapers afterwards. When he graduated from high school he was voted the “Most Versatile Boy” in his class. During this time it would have been easy for Sam to just give up on school and go to work full time. Seeing how his family was struggling to make ends meet, he decided he was going to stay in school and attend the University of Missouri.

As Sam grew up and anyone could see how determined he was to succeed and as time passed he went from being a poor town boy to the richest man in the world. Sam Walton had instituted 10 rules for success, and the 10th rule explains how he achieved all this. It says, “Swim upstream. Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everybody is doing it one way, there is a good chance you can find your niche by going exactly the opposite direction.”

Watson did force a lot of people to change the way they made a living. His use of informational technology to cut costs quickly traveled to all kinds of companies; and his pioneering retailing concepts paved the way for a new breed of  “category killer” retailers like Barnes & Nobles.(Category killer is a term used in marketing to describe a product that has a distinct competitive advantage that competing firms find it almost impossible to operate profitably in that industry.) This wave of low- overhead selling continues to accelerate. The Internet, in fact, is its latest addition. One can only wonder what a young cyber Sam would set out to accomplish if he were just getting started now.

The company went public (1970), and thanks to a unique decentralized and Sam’s charismatic leadership and celebrated hands-on management style, it grew faster in the 1980s. In 1991 Wal-Mart became the nation’s largest retailer with 1700 stores, and he was reported by distribution system Forbes to be the richest man in the country. He was president and chief executive officer until 1988 and chairman until his death. The family business empire included Arkansas and Oklahoma banks and newspapers. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom shortly before his death in 1992. In 1999 Wal-Mart took over the ASDA group (the second largest super market chain) in the UK.

A clear violation below its neckline support at RM0.60 may see a downside breakout with a potential target to RM0.37 as measured from the distance between the recent high of RM0.825 to the neckline support. However it must overcome its strong support at RM0.47 which corresponds to a classical support and the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement from its Oct 2008 low to its recent June 2009 high. Immediate resistance now is at RM0.66 which also coincides to its 50-day moving average followed by a stronger resistance at RM0.715.

A successful scholarship at the California Institute of Technology was followed by a Masters from Stanford University and a stint at Apple Computer. It was while he was there that Sabeer Bhatia found something that would sooner than later transform his life and revolutionize the world of internet: The Hotmail had arrived!

Frustrated by a corporate e-mail system which did not allow them to communicate privately, Bhatia and his college friend and colleague Jack Smith hit upon the idea of a simple, free and secure way of talking on the net. They called it Hotmail.

Before Hotmail was launched, Bhatia worked for Apple Computer, and then a start­up company, FirePower Systems. Jack Smith, his founding partner at Hotmail, was his colleague and buddy at the two firms.

The idea for a free email company did not come out of the blue, Bhatia explained. For over a year Smith and Bhatia toyed with the idea of a Web based database server and tried to interest venture capitalists in their first venture, JavaSoft. However, realizing that the response was lukewarm, Bhatia and Smith were looking for another idea when they hit upon a Web based email server rather than a database server.

Sabeer was only 27 when he decided he was not going to work for others. He said he was making ‘money‘ when he worked for others, but he wanted to make much more than that by working for himself. He was also aware of the advice someone gave him that the biggest risk in life was not to take a risk at all.

He feared that had he continued working for others, he might not have had the guts to start something of his own. So, with Jack Smith, he decided to chase what many people in the Silicon Valley thought was a crazy idea, a free email service.

Together, the two men raised about $300,000 for their venture. While soon other free email services jumped in, Hotmail remained at the top because it was markedly different from competitors. One didn’t need to download software and install it in the computer to access the email.

It was so revolutionary that in less than two years of founding it, Bill Gates, who’s Microsoft, had its own email service, and wanted to buy Hotmail. The prudent Sabers, who had as a school boy sold sandwiches to make pocket money, took his time on the initial $160 million offer and then closed the deal at a cool $400 million.

Selling his company to Microsoft was yet another gamble for Bhatia. And, getting out of Microsoft and planning yet another venture is another daring step. While it took America Online over six years to build up its customer base, Hotmail grabbed over 11 million subscribers in just two years. “Our strength was we solved the problem that other companies created,” he had said in an earlier interview.”We did not restrict people to access their email from just the computer on which the software was installed.”

“And because we were not restrictive, there was global access for Hotmail account holders. They could do it as easily in India as here in California or any other country in the world.” Even in the digital age, someone had commented, the American Dream lives on.

Sabeer Bhatia’s innovation brought an unshakable belief in the transforming power of technology in his home country, India. No wonder, then, that 30 per cent of the software engineers in US corporations hail from India. The Times of India daily recently named him as one of the Indians of the Century, a honor which, he shares with the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammad All Jinnah and Sunil Gavaskar, the famous cricketer of yesteryears.

He was raised a Hindu and in a way he was one, but he does not believe blindly in destiny. He tries to make his own destiny.”In the long run, it boils down to a simple fact,” he says, “How much of faith does one have in oneself.”

With his Ferraris and an apartment overlooking San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Sabeer Bhatia had it all. Work hard; play hard seemed to be his motto. 18-hour days in the office were complemented by a frantic social life: he told one newspaper,” from 6 p.m. Friday until Sunday, I’ll be partying in New York.”

“I don’t want to be branded Mr. Hotmail for the rest of my life”, he said recently and there is no doubt that his dynamic blend of East and West will make itself known again sooner or later.

He was chosen for the ‘Entrepreneur of the year’ award (1977) by the venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and named to the “Elite 100″, the Upside magazine’s list of top trendsetters in the New Economy. He was also the recipient ofthe”TR100″award, presented by MIT to 100 young innovators who are expected to have the greatest impact on technology in the next few years, and selected by the San Jose Mercury News and POV magazine as one of the ten most successful entrepreneurs of 1998.

With annual revenues of more than $10 billion, the company is ranked 195 on ill^, Fortune 500 and was added to the Global 500 at number 441.

In fact, the visionary entrepreneur was not able to attend college. In 2000, Ii’ presented the University of St.Thomas with a gift of $50 million – the largest gift to the school’s 115 – year history and largest donation ever reported by a Minnesota College or University. Schulze has a special liking for this university; because this is the university he wanted to go but could not!

Schulze, grew up in the St. Thomas neighborhood and attended Nativity of Our Lord School, about a mile from the campus. He had intended to enroll at St. Thomas after schooling, but service in the Minnesota Air National Guard and work for his father’s electronics distribution company derailed his plans. Schulze, an entrepreneur, used all his assets to follow his dream and opened a small audio – components store, Sound of Music, in 1966. It expanded and evolved into what we know as Best Buy that today employs more than 60,000 nationwide through 354 stores in 37 states. Meanwhile, St. Thomas University awarded him an honorary doctor of laws degree in December 1998. It is Minnesota’s largest private university, and enrolls some 10,000 students.

The company is spending an estimated $80 million a year on what it is calling “customer centricity,” a massive effort to identify and serve its most profitable shoppers by rebuilding stores, adding staff and upgrading wares. Best Buy has little choice. It also has some experience in navigating through the most treacherous storms.

lo 1966, Schulze opened the Sound of Music, an audio specialty store in St Paul, Minnesota. The company grew over the following years, expanding to nine locations by 1980. In 1981, Schulze’s most successful store was destroyed by a tornado. The tornado ripped through its largest store, in St. Paul, resulting in a $200,000 loss for the year and a near – brush with bankruptcy. “We’d forgotten to buy business – interruption insurance,” says Schulze. The water – damaged goods were sold at a “best buy” sale. Not only ‘BEST BUY’ became the company’s permanent name, similar ‘Tornado Sales’ became an annual Sound of Music event. Best Buy’s first superstore opened in 1984, a carbon copy of Circuit City Stores, which was then nearly 40 times its size. A year later Best Buy went public and began a climb that sent it past its chief rival in 1995; it has enjoyed the lead ever since.

Then came the next calamity – a 1989 price war with Highland Superstores, which hurt Best Buy’s bottom line and shoved Highland into bankruptcy. Emerging from this victorious, Best Buy remodeled its stories: open ceilings, concrete floors, fluorescent tube lighting. Staff on commission gave way to hourly employees who did their best to make themselves invisible to shoppers simply wanting cheap electronics. Best Buy grew rapidly from sales of $240 million in 1987 to $7.2 billion in 1996.Who knew the digital revolution could be such a rush? Best Buy did – and it’s selling more pricey gadgets and hook up services than anybody.

It operates retail stores and commercial Web sites under the various brand names, such as Best Buy, Future Shop, Magnolia Audio Video, and Geek Squad, as well as an outlet store on e-Bay. As of July 15, 2004, the company had 619 United States Best Buy stores, 22 Magnolia Audio Video stores in the United States, 109 Future Shop stores and 19 Canadian Best Buy stores internationally. The company is based in Richfield, Minnesota.

Alma Mater     : London School of Economics

Occupation      : Entrepreneur

Net Worth       : GBP £1.29 billion

Stelios is the man who introduced low-cost flying in Britain, and today he is a big guy with a personal fortune of $650 million. But he drives to his favorite casino in Monte Carlo in a tiny, orange (his favorite color) Smart car. He does not gamble, at least not in the casino.

Stelios single-handedly built the easy Jet, the orange-liveried airline from scratch and took on the mighty British airways head on. It might have seemed a surprise move, but the seed for starting a budget airline had germinated much earlier. When Stelios was a student he went to a conference where billionaire Branson was speaking, told him his easy Jet idea and asked him to back him.

Branson was wary not only of budget airlines, but he did not like Stelios’ plan to build a base at Luton, a small town in England located 50km north of central London. Branson said no.

In 1995 Stelios launched easy Jet on his own, from Luton, using two rented 737s with the reservations number in orange on the side, crew in orange sweatshirts, and £29 one-way fares to Glasgow. He advertised as ‘fly to Scotland for the price of a pair of jeans. Cynics thought it vulgar and said no one would fly from Luton. They were wrong. Vulgar orange, along with the brand name and prices that so undercut British Airways’ three-figure fares, proved alluring even to business travelers.

The young Stelios traveled in the mid-eighties to London to study at the London School of Economics. After obtaining a masters at the London Business School in 1988, he returned to Greece to join his father’s shipping empire and the opportunity for a life of opulence and hedonism. (“hedonism” subscribes to a theory that pleasure is the highest good, or whatever causes pleasure is right.)

But two events in the early nineties changed his life. In April 1991 when he is in aged 22, was the chief executive of his father’s business, their tanker, Haven, New up off Genoa, killing five crew members and disgorging up to 50,000 tons of (oil into the sea – arguably the Mediterranean’s worst-ever ecological disaster.

The Haven disaster shaped his attitude to safety, influencing him to buy brand new Boeings as soon as he could after setting up his airline. One of his favorite mottoes is still : “if you think safety is expensive, try an accident.”

Then, in 1992, with the events of the Haven disaster still making headlines in Italian media, Stelios began to wean himself from his father’s business. He set ill his own shipping company, Stelmar Tankers. However, there was a big reluctance from his father to let Stelios go his own way. They clashed over business style, Stelios saying things like “we need computers” and his father “sticking to a very traditional style.” It marked the beginning of his flight from the gilded cage, as he has described it. He was still maintaining good relationships with his father and consulted him on important issues. He finally persuaded his father to lend him 5 million and in 1995 came to London to start easy Jet. Today, easy Jet is flying to 44 European destinations, and carries eight million people annually.

He is known as a “serial entrepreneur”, who likes to create businesses, not manage them. He would like to build the business, but does not want to deal will, stockbrokers, market analysts and the administration of it all.

For instance, in 2003, he launched easyCinema in London. It is called the world’s first no-frills cinema. Seats are booked online or by phone. The earlier you book the less you pay. From their own computers, customers print a barcode which they scan at the turnstiles to get into the theatre. There are computers in the cinema itself so that customers can book online while they are there. So there is no need for box office. Another advantage is that the movie-goers can bring their own popcorn and other eatables that are much cheaper than the prices charged by regular cinemas, and movie tickets cost only 20 dollar each.

After turning various industries upside down by launching the likes of easy Jet, easy Car and easyCinema, the Stelios’s easyGroup has now set its sights on one of the missing links in its travel to Entertainment Empire, that is accommodation. With easy affordable prices, the scheme called, easy Dorm was launched in London last year, (New York and Paris could be next, according to USA Today).

EasyDorm will concentrate on providing accommodation only, and will not offer a restaurant or other services. Bedding and toiletries will be available for purchase for those customers who do not bring their own. Rooms will consist of pre-fabricated fiberglass units (nothing to break, no dirt accumulation), and come with a shower unit, a lavatory and floor mattresses inspired by Japanese style bedding. An extra charge applies for those who choose not to clean their own room. These budget hotels would cost only $5 a night.

Stelios visits Athens to see his aging mother and sick father frequently. After all, he has to prove to his proud father that he made $1.6 billion out of the $ 5m his father gave his son, albeit reluctantly, years ago.

As it continues to notch up 52-week highs, investors finally recognize this as a growth stock. We have revised our price target to 60 cent, continuing to recommend a BUY.

Seasonally, the Apr-08 quarter is the weakest quarter in a year. Yet, revenues grew 28.7%YoY and were also up 3.9% QoQ on seasonally low sales volume. The reason is that sales in the Feb-Apr 08 months last year were affected by inflation taking a severe toll on consumer spending; hence 4Q-08 sales formed a low base for comparison. Operating profits rose 76.1% YoY and 10.3% QoQ. Operating profit margins improved sharply to record levels at 19.7% compared to 14.4% in 4Q-08, a weak quarter. NTPM’s raising of product prices by 15% in Jul-09 to offset rising costs proved fortuitous as material costs subsequently fell. Net rose a strong 76.2% YoY and also 22.1% QoQ.

Operating profit margins improved from a year ago due to recycled newsprint prices continuing to fall from depressed levels in preceding quarters. But a continuing fall in subsequent FY10 quarters is not imputed in our forward forecasts.

Higher working capital requirements in inventory costs and receivables boosted net gearing, which rose from 0.15x in Apr-08 to 0.158x in Apr-09 but this has eased from 0.20X in Jan-0-9 and is manageable.

FYE Apr010, sales are forecast to continue to climb at 11.9%, driven by the full year effect of the price increase and a marginal 4% volume gain. NTPM’s dividend yield is sustainable at 5.5% after the 4-for-5 bonus issue.

Recommendation

We have raised our forecast for FY EApr010 earnings to RM51.7m, also representing

+11.9% growth. Valuation remains undemanding at 8.7X PER. The share’s defensive quality comes from its retention of an astonishing stranglehold on the facial tissue market in the country with 70% market share, and the low price stature of the product. The share price has risen 70.4% in the YTD period, but the promised yield is still at least 5.5%, at our recommended threshold yield for income stocks, giving an anticipated 12-month total return of 28%.BUY.

To some poor investors, the markets actually started to crack in early 2008 and then “changed” rapidly in the second half of 2008. But then you thought had a good, solid mutual or unit trust fund managed by a big institution with other great products printed on their glossy brochure. The equity fund you bought at the peak in the previous Bull Run was a solid investment you thought it could do no wrong.

Well, you thought you did everything right and you subscribed the popular buy-and-hold mentality. You didn’t believe that the buy and hold mentality benefits the fund institutions that manage the assets and the sales agents more than you. So the expert who is paid to take care of your investment failed to spot the downside despite all the red flags because he or she was stuck comfortably in the world of decoupling and you watched the fund slide into darkness, even buying more units on the way down to average down your losses.

When the dust finally settled for a while and even with the dead cat bounce you have seen so far, you are still stuck with about 30% losses and part of it belongs to your retirement funds. Suddenly, even your private banker who had lost all the credibility isn’t as confident or brash as he normally is. Your financial planner has also been avoiding you.

You have learned that you need several disciplines in place to improve your long term investing performance. Managing downside risk is one important trick to learn. You have realized that you need to be truly diversified by investing in different asset classes such as equities, commodities and currencies on the planet using different investment styles.

More importantly, you have realized that getting the big picture right is critical. How do you diversify when all asset classes are moving, in tandem? This was a key many faced at the height of the financial crisis in 2008, when all asset classes were collapsing together, but is a concern that remains today whether we like it or not.

Any of our clients who have benefited from our valuable advisory services over the years will tell you that we have long held concerns over the increased tendency for the values of different asset classes to move up or down) in the same direction at the same time regardless of all the beautiful fundamental stories hyped by the shill in the brokerage industry.

We never subscribe totally to long-only or traditional investment positions for our client investment strategy. We know from past experience that alternative investment strategies with low correlation equities and bonds can add tremendous value to any investment portfolio ranging from conservative to aggressive (different investors have different risk tolerances, investment horizons, etc).

Many geniuses in town have continued with play down the role of alternative investments as a true diversifies for any global portfolio at any time to the extent of labeling them as purely speculative.

Client interests should always come first d we have no choice but to grow up. Local investors on the street have been brainwashed for decades that the stock market and traditional investment vehicles are the only realistic ways to build wealth. To invest all your wealth in the stock market either directly or indirectly, that is foolishness, in my view.

I know that there is still a lot of skepticism about the alternative stuff mainly due to lack of exposure. To some institutions that are a little behind the curve, alternative investments should not be viewed as pure imams and a threat to their traditional business models.

The recent global stock rebound was just another dead cat bounce. Never believe in everything that is written here. You should have your own sense of the markets and your own opinions oldie kinds of opportunities you’re looking for. To the mind of this financial writer, global stock markets will chart new lows over the coming months. This is based on our own work. I’m far for being perfect and I may not be right about everything, but I’m willing to hold and defend my independent view.

To some traders, markets have continued to move mysteriously. At the time of writing this missive, the stock markets have continued to deteriorate technically. However, China seems to be an exception in this – for now. I could offer all sorts of other predictions, but what’s the point.

Investors should always look through a different lens, and ask if there’s anything positive we can take away from another round of turmoil? As for long-only equity strategy, it’s not all gloom. Selectivity is going to be important. Are profits guaranteed? Of course not!

In the financial game, there are always the markets are heading next as our usual game plan is to be able to make money regardless of economic and market conditions at various risk levels. I think that the next few weeks and months will not only be very interesting, but also very important. Patience is a virtue as markets could remain trapped in a trading range for weeks before the next big move.

So what? Although action by governments around the world has ensured that the global economy will stay in business, the reality is markets and environments will continue to surprise you on the downside and the upside.

Warren Buffet is famously quoted as saying, “Only when the tide runs out do you see who’s been swimming naked.” It is always better to anticipate risks than to ignore them. Informed caution is our area of expertise and our strong absolute performance in 2008 is a testimony of our hard work.

Died    : December 15, 1966 (aged 65) in Burbank, California, U.S.

Occupation      : Film producer, Co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, formerly known as Walt Disney Productions

Spouse(s)         : Lillian Bounds (1925-1966)

Walt Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, and animator. One of the most well-known motion picture producers in the world, Disney was also the cartoon artist of comic books and newspaper-comic strips, the creator of an American-based theme park called Disneyland, and is the co-founder with his brother Roy O.Disney of Walt Disney Company. He created the most famous Mickey Mouse, wearing red shorts and yellow shoes, and the mouse has evolved from being simply a character in cartoons to become one of the most recognizable symbols in the world.

He became interested in personalizing animal’s character after carelessly killing a small owl as a young boy. He felt deeply sorry and guilty and vowed never again to kill a living creature. Disney worked as a paperboy as a youth.

At age 16, during World War I, he lied about his age to join the American Red Cross. He soon returned home, where he won a scholarship to the Kansas City Art Institute. There, he met a fellow animator, Ub Iwerks. The two soon set up their own company. In the early 20s, they made a series of animated shorts for the Newman theater chain, entitled “Newman’s Laugh-O-Grams’.’ Their company soon went bankrupt, however. The two then went to Hollywood in 1923.

They started work on a new series, about a live-action little girl who journeys to a world of animated characters. Entitled the “Alice Comedies”  they were distributed by Margaret Winkler. Walt was backed up financially by Winkler and his brother Roy. Hundreds of “Alice Comedies” were produced between 1923 and 1927, before they lost popularity.

Walt then started work on a series around a new animated character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. This series was successful, but in 1928, Walt discovered that Margaret Winkler and her husband, Charles Mintz, had stolen the rights to the character away from him. They’d also stolen all his animators, except for Ub Iwerks. While taking the train home, Walt started scribbling on a piece of paper. The result of these scribbles was a mouse named Mickey. With only Walt and Ub to animate, and Walt’s wife Lilly and Roy’s wife Edna to ink in the animation cells, three Mickey Mouse cartoons were quickly produced. The first two didn’t sell, so Walt added synchronized sound to the last one, Steamboat Willie (1928), and it was immediately picked up. It became the first cartoon to use synchronize sound. With Walt as the voice of Mickey, it premiered to great success.

Many more cartoons followed. Walt was now in the big time, but he didn’t stop creating new ideas. In 1929, he created the ‘Silly Symphonies, a cartoon series that didn’t have a continuous character. They were another success. One of them, Flowers and Trees (1932), was the first cartoon to be produced in color and the first cartoon to win an Oscar; another, Three Little Pigs. The Silly Symphonies stopped coming out in 1939, but Mickey and friends, (including Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, and plenty more), were still going strong and still very popular.

In 1934, Walt started work on another new idea: a cartoon that ran the length of a feature film. Everyone in Hollywood was calling it “Disney’s Folly; but Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) was anything but, winning critical raves, the adoration of the public, and one big and seven little special Oscars for Walt. Now Walt listed animated features among his ever-growing list of accomplishments.

While continuing to produce cartoon shorts, he also started producing more of the animated features. Pinnochio (1940), Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942) were all successes; In the mid-40s, he began producing “packaged features; essentially a group of shorts put together to run feature length, but by 1950 he was back with animated features that stuck to one story, with Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), and Peter Pan (1953). In 1950, he also started producing live-action films, with Treasure Island (1950). These began taking on greater importance throughout the 50s and 60s, but Walt continued to produce animated features, including Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959), and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). In 1955, he even opened a theme park in southern California: Disneyland. It was a place where children and their parents could take rides, just explore, and meet the familiar animated characters, all in a clean, safe environment. It was another great success.

Walt also became one of the first producers of films to venture into television, with his series “Disneyland” (1954) which he began in 1954 to promote his theme park. He also produced “The Mickey Mouse Club” (1955) and “Zorro” (1957).To top it all off, Walt came out with the lavish musical fantasy Mary Poppins (1964), which mixed live-action with animation. It is considered by many to be his magnum opus. Even after that, Walt continued to forge onward, with plans to build a new theme park and an experimental prototype city in Florida. He never did finish those plans, however; in 1966, he contracted lung cancer. He died in December at age 65. But not even his death, it seemed, could stop him. Roy carried on plans to build the Florida theme park, and it premiered in 1971 under the name Walt Disney World. What’s more, his company continues to flourish, still producing animated and live-action films and overseeing the still-growing empire started by one man: Walt Disney, who will never be forgotten.

President Jimmy Carter once said, “Mickey Mouse is the symbol of goodwill, surpassing all languages and cultures. When one sees Mickey Mouse, they see happiness.” When Disney was in the fifth grade, he memorized the Gettysburg address (Abraham Lincoln’s greatest speech in the American history during the American civil war in 1863) and surprised everyone by arriving at school dressed as Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of United States. His costume consisted of his father’s old hat and a homemade beard. Little wonder that years later when his studio created the first fully functioning audio-animatronics human figure for the 1964 New York World Fair, the figure looked like Abraham Lincoln.

Walt Disney holds the record of winning the most Academy (Oscar) Awards: 32, a feat that is impossible to beat. The Mickey Mouse logo now identifies an institution whose $22 billion in annual sales make it the world’s largest media company. But it is important to remember what Walt Disney said once, “I hope we will never lose sight of one thing that it was all started by a mouse.”