Bonds In Conversation : Trials & Tributes

There were 2 people in my life who had shaped me to become me today. I would not recommend either of them to anyone but I want to pay tribute to the both of them today because they are both gone from this earth now.

One of them was my mother and the other, my ex boss. Life with them would make the Survivor TV series child’s play, but looking back now, I would not have missed a single moment of it.

Alright. It has resulted in me being a big time softie with all people who have worked with and under me for all time. For that, I apologise to them that I could not have been harsher and more demanding, to bring out the best of their mettle. I just do not have the resolve.

These 2 women passed off this year. My mom earlier in May, and my ex boss, just 3 days ago. The world has suffered grave loss and the universe, as I know it, will never be the same.

You see, the spirit of the risk taker is not something acquired from a guidebook or an instructive course. It is a cumulation of meditative calm and carefully honed acumen that comes with deep intuition that in turn comes from life’s knocks and pitfalls.

It is a disgrace that I have turned out this way then so lets change the topic to bonds, where I am here to provide a small helping hand with, as I would like to think I am.

Olam is, for now, safely ensconced under Temasek’s protective umbrella at least, till the execution of their new bond/warrant issue scheduled for February 2013. Prices are well off their lows while the stock price closed at a new 3 year low of 1.405 on 14th Dec.

BID OFFER LOW
OLAMSP 6 10/25/22 SGD 85 87 82
OLAMSP 5 3/4 09/20/17 USD 92 93.25 84
OLAMSP 2 1/2 09/06/13 SGD 95.5 97 96.35
OLAMSP 5.8 07/17/19 SGD 87.5 89.5 82.35
OLAMSP 7 09/29/49 SGD 82 85 75.5
OLAMSP 6 08/10/18 SGD 89.5 91.5 87.7
OLAMSP 3 02/25/13 SGD 98.5 100 97.65
OLAMSP 7 1/2 08/12/20 USD 88 90 84.35
OLAMSP 4.07 02/12/13 SGD 98.5 100 98.5

Qualifer : I cannot verify the lows dealt or the bid and offers.

This week has been an eventful week. We saw APPLE shares at new lows not seen since Feb this year while China drags her peripheral stock markets up (Australia and Hong Kong). FOMC delivered on extending Operation Twist (or whatever they are calling it now). Eurozone outlook for 2013 turning quite grim but masked by the Greece bailout approval. UBS cut their CHF deposit rate to -1% effectively killing the safe haven players. Japan is having their elections tomorrow. And the Mayan apocalypse is less than a week away on 21 Dec which also happens to be the fiscal cliff’s deadline.

There is an undercurrent here. Look out for our 2013 Interest Rate Outlook.

Meanwhile, here is a table of this year’s major issues. With the US Treasury sell off, most prices are not holding up too well.

Weekly Corps