Dec 10 Sharebuilder additions

16 shares of F&N at $6.17 and 31 shares of STI ETF at $3.22

Sold Gallant Venture

We sold our 10,000 shares of Gallant Venture on 10 December 2010 at $0.37 apiece, representing a 37% gain from our investment price of $0.27 in October this year. Gallant Venture has been a "hot" stock recently, with Kim Eng citing a $0.75 target price. While the stock looks still looks cheap relative to book value, we are not terribly confident about management's ability to translate its undervalued landbank into cashflow over the next few years, that is to say, our investment in Gallant Venture was slightly speculative.

While we tend to avoid speculative purchases, our investment in Gallant Venture appeared to have sufficient downside protection, with substantial upside potential should positive newsflow trigger a re-rating. The company does not have the quality which will render it a longer-term investment prospect in our opinion, and we are also mindful that the company does not have a solid business model. The strong gains have come over just under 2 months, and we find this 37% return sufficient to justify a sell.

 

Portfolio gains 0.5% in Nov 10, STI up 0.2%

In a largely flat month for the benchmark Straits Times Index, our portfolio gained 0.5% in November 2010, outpacing the 0.2% return for the STI. This comes even as we hold 13.7% of the portfolio's assets in cash, and on a year-to-date basis, the portfolio is up 6.2% (net of accrued performance fees), attaining its 6% annual target one month early.

Noble Group was a strong contributor to the portfolio, gaining 10.2% in November, while Memtech rose 9.5%. Keppel Corp benefitted from renewed interest in the offshore drilling segment, while Tat Hong and Mermaid suffered with declines of 10.7% and 11% respectively. Wells Fargo remains our second-largest holding, and gained 6.6% in the month.