Free Seminar by DTI this July 2011

Nope I cant hold up yet a free seminar, I wish I could but I am in the same field as you are. We are all working towards our financial literacy and financially free.

But such seminars offered by the Department of Trade and Industry shouldn't be missed and besides its free.

 source: http://www.dti.gov.ph

I spotted such announcement by a newsletter from Entrepreneur.com.ph I received recently. Below is the link and details of the seminar.

 source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph/

(source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph/ideas-and-opportunities/) 

source:http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph/images//article/ideas_and_opportunities/

Over 30 free seminars to fire up your entrepreneurial spirit: "Check out learning opportunities sponsored by the DTI during the SME Development Week"

Latest data from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) showed that as much as 99.6 percent of the registered businesses in the Philippines fall under the small- and medium-enterprise (SME) category.

To further boost economic activity in the SME field, the DTI annually holds the SME Development Week every second week of July.

“Themed Pinoy SME: Business Tayo! as the rallying call for the SME Development Plan from 2011 to 2016, the SME Summit will showcase lessons from successful entrepreneurs who will be invited as resource speakers and panelists for the plenary sessions,” the DTI said in a statement.

The plenary session will be held on July 7 with topics tackling access to financing, productivity and efficiency, and business development.

Aside from these talks, the DTI and the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) will also be holding free seminars for individuals who are exploring business opportunities. These seminars will be held on July 8 and 9 at the PTTC in Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

The SME Development Week is part of the government’s program to support the growth of SMEs nationwide.

“The government’s goal is to increase the contribution of the SME sector to 40 percent of the GDP (gross domestic product), with two million (individuals) employed in the SME sector by 2016,” the DTI said.

Seminar schedule

Free entrepreneurship program offered by the DTI – Bureau of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development (DTI-BMSMED)

July 8 – Morning Session
How to be an Entrepreneur
Barangay Micro Business Enterprise (BMBE) Law
Awareness on Product Standards Law
Consumer Rights and Protection
How to Acquire a BFAD Certificate

July 8 – Afternoon Session
Integrated Business Licensing
Orientation on HALAL Certification
Orientation on the Cleaner Production for Small Business
Packaging Design and Labeling
Product Design Awareness
Orientation on Registering for Patents, Trademarks and Trade Names

Free business management and skills demonstration sessions offered by the PTTC

July 8
Basic Hilot
E-marketing – Setting up a Webstore
How to Set up a Laundry Business
Perfume and Cologne Making
Exploring Business Opportunities in Kosher Markets
Herbal-Soap Making
Meat Processing 1 & 2
Basic Beadworks
Laundry and Cleaning Aids
Gift-wrapping

July 9
Basic Photography
Flip-flops Making
Managing a Money Changer Shop
Financing and Lending Programs
How to Start a Business
Food Safety
Siopao- and Dimsum Making
No-bake Cakes
Polvoron and Pastillas Making
Buying a Franchise
Apartment/Commercial Stall Rental Business
Perfume and Cologne Making
Advanced Beadworks
Cleaning Aids 2
Flowers and Balloon Arrangement
How to Make Empanada and Pizza Rolls

Participants to the free entrepreneurship training programs will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. For more information, please call DTI-BMSMED at telephone numbers (632) 897-1693 or (632) 751-5076, and PTTC at telephone numbers (632) 468-8962 to 70 or click here for the SME Bulletin.

My Personal Analysis: Atlas Consolidated Mining & Development Corpoation(AT)

 source: http://www.atlasphilippines.com/

Last Friday Atlas Consolidated Mining & Development Corporation(AT) made a voluntary suspension of its shares trading in the stock market.

Atlas is one of the companies under the Ramos Group of the well known National Bookstore chain and Anglo Philippine Holdings. The said voluntary suspension was in connection to the reported buy out of their Singaporean partner in the Carmen Copper Corporation in Toledo City(click here for more on this). The deal is said to be at $390 million of which AT will finance through additional shares and borrowings.

 source: http://www.atlasphilippines.com/

The share price of AT surged and closed on Thursday at Php 20.00; a 5.37% rise from Wednesday's close at Php 19.24. The suspension will last up to Monday, June 27, after the company's Board meeting regarding the structure of the said capital raising for the purchase.

 

source: 

Carmen Copper Corporation, a subsidiary of Atlas, has contributed much of the company's 52% increase of first quarter revenue as compared to the same period last year. Such has caught attention of most investors and the news on its buyout of its Singaporean partners to Carmen Copper even drove the price of the stock last Thursday. 

Below is a graph of AT's price surge:

Though a typical mining company with high Debt to Equity ratio due to massive capital expenditure and a deficit due to some years of non-productivity, this new event might be a possible turn arround for AT. If such Carmen Copper site will have a better than expected production and shipments of copper to their primary customers in China and Korea will be continues, price share of AT may even go further up. The suspension will be lifted up on Monday and we will see on Tuesday if such news of buyout will further make AT's price higher.

Again fundamentally, AT have a not so good looking Current ratio and Debt to Equity due to its line of business. Technically it is about to enter overbought levels marked by its sudden price surged. If the price trend breaks out further up those who were able to get AT at Php 18.00 level will be lucky when they are able to sell such at Php 22.00 in the short term.  

The New Philippine Bills

I really haven't seen these new bills yet I hope when I go on vacation in the Philippines I will have the chance to get a hold of each new Philippine Piso bill.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!! INVESTING IN PHILIPPINES!!!!!

source: http://glamourousbeauty.blogspot.com

Yup time flies as they say, I have been blogging about stock investing and other personal finance topics in the Philippines for a year now.

Some were good and I know some are not that good but after a year I have become a better blogger as well as a better stock investor. I guess it is time for me to remove my description as a newbie investor but to think of it we are all students for life. There is room for improvement thus I will continue on learning about investing and personal finance and share it to you guys here in my humble blog.

The Philippine stock market and the stock market in general has been in a roller coaster ride. There is the lingering Greek and Europe Debt Crisis and America's Falling economy, the tragedy in Japan,  the Arab Region Uprisings, and other news that seem to pull down the stock market. Coupled with these are also good news that uplifted the economies of other nations. 

Several times the Philippine Stock Index(PSEi) defied the DOW. 

Right now we are in the expected correction/consolidation. It is expected that the market will be in this standstill/downtrend mode for about two months. But these times are the best time to buy stocks. 

TEL has gone down as low as Php 2,000.00 per share level and that is a buying opportunity. In times of turmoil most people are afraid. But the best time to enter the stock market is when everyone is backing out... so that you can command your price. It is risky for you don't know when will the market get back to its feet thus we should only put our money on fundamentally sound companies.

So I hope your interest in the stock market grows... maybe you are a Filipino like me and want to invest in the Philippine Stock Market so let's invest in our beloved country. If you are in the other parts of the world do invest in your local stock market and help your country's economy. 

You don't need millions to invest in the stock market. I was able to invest in the stock market...so can you.

Some reviews of my site from http://www.linkreferral.com

Our Reviews "good site, will be back...." mike linkreferral.blogspot.com "i Found good site and I got all knowledge for investing in Philipines." Mehreen 4orexmanagement.blogspot.com/ Get your own reviews, free traffic at click here

Fundamental side: What are FINANCIAL STATEMENTS?

source: http://www.nysscpa.org

I have been saying so many things about stocks, analysis, and some weird words that you might have just known through me or probably through the newspaper(again if you want to learn about stock investing our suggestion is for you to read the Business section of the newspaper)

Back in the forum I regularly contribute to we termed these infusion of new and out of the ordinary words as "nosebleed" because by the  time you finished reading it your head starts spinning, your eyes go from left to right and back ten more times and when you can't handle it anymore specially the "English"(that is how we termed it when an ordinary not so "sosyal" guys like us can't keep up with one's English) your nose as a figure of speech will bleed thus the term "nosebleed."

And here I am giving you a new word along with my word of the day post, FINANCIAL STATEMENTS or better known as FS.

What are they anyway?


What? "THEY" meaning not only one but many?

Yup Financial Statements is a collective term for financial reports and schedules that relay the company's financial and some non-financial information. There is a lot of this reports and schedules but as a rule they are contained into 4 separate reports. Basically these are the condensed form of the transaction of the entire company. Being an accountant I already got used to the volume of transactions  a company makes in a year and to have it in one year is really a "nosebleed" that is why we have Financial reports which turns a volume of a year work into 4 - 10 sheets of reports and if you need a guide in deciphering such about another 20-1000 pages of notes.

This is just an introduction of a number of series of post about Financial statements. Again you might ask me "is this necessary in my stock investing?" Well if you want to know what is the company's financial health as a value investor then you need to learn this stuff. I know it is a "nosebleed" but this is one of Warren Buffett's  ways how he earned billions.

Now let us get you acquainted with the 4 Basic Financial Reports and The Notes to Financial Statements

1. Balance Sheet

This is also known as statement of financial position(due to the new accounting rules the entire world is following, the IFRS). What does this report tell you? It tells us about the financial condition of the company at a given time that is why some will say this phrase when presenting this report " as of December 20XX."

source: http://www.forum4finance.com

It tells us how much money the company has, the receivables they have, the properties they have, the other investments they have, the current liabilities they have, the long term debts they have, and the capital or equity they have. Now why do you need these information? These info will help you determined if the company can still go on business for the next coming years, if the the company has enough to sustain its expansion projects and if it is able to pay off its debts and pay you, the investor, dividends. 

2. Profit and Loss

This too has other aliases like Income Statement, Statement of Performance(again IFRS), Earnings or Loss Statement, Operating Statement and others. This report particularly gives us one important info, that is the company's capability to generate profit for a period of time thus you will hear this phrase when this report is presented "for the period ending December 20XX." 

Some termed this profit as bottom line, results of operation, net income, and others. But this report tells us more. It also tells us where did the company get its earnings(for those that have segment reporting), how much have they spent to operate( by looking at the details of the operating expenses), and sometimes details on transaction that are not part of the operating cycle that affects the profitability of the company like extra ordinary loss brought about by disasters, financial loss from investments that the company place extra funds, and others.

3. Statement of Cashflow

This statement details how the company used/generated its cash and how the company arrived at an ending cash in the balance sheet. basically it is divided into three sections: Cash generated/use in operating activities, Cash generated/use in investing activities, and Cash generated/use in financing activities.

4. Statement of Changes in Equity

Also known as Statement of Retained Earnings, it details the changes in the Equity section of the company just like the Statement of Cashflow. It details the changes in the number of stocks, the changes in the amount of invested capital, the changes brought about by dividends, additional income/loss as forwarded from the profit and loss thus increasing or decreasing the companies Retained earnings(Surplus) or Deficit, and other changes brought about by changes in the equity.

5. Notes to Financial Statements 

Again this is an additional to the above statements that will help you decipher the different total amounts presented in the reports. It could be from 1 page to more than 1,000 pages depending on the complexity of the company. These notes may include discussions on how the company did there operations, other investment ventures, some recognition principles adopted per the current accounting standards, some notes on judicial proceedings of the company and the likelihood of such, and other notes that the company may deem appropriate to help investors like you and me make a decision to invest in their company.

I guess this introduction got quite long, I would from time to time discuss one of this in a separate post so that you have a clear idea about these and at the same time explain the concept so that you wont be putting too much time in learning these statements. Once you get the idea behind it it would be easy for you to analyze these financial information.

Also if you need such statements for the listed companies in the Philippine Stock Exchange you visit their website www.pse.com.ph and look for the company and you can find their latest filed reports under the Corporate Information link.  

Cup and handle: Technical side

source: http://ammegan.tblog.com

Ever heard some friends who say they are seeing a cup and handle formation?

Weird huh? But what is that cup and handle they talk about?

I am not a full Technical guy but let me enlighten you about this wonder most Technicians and Chartist call CUP AND HANDLE formation. Below is a graph of FPH(First Philippine Holdings)

Here is what our friendly Investopedia.com say  about CUP AND HANDLE:

A cup-and-handle pattern resembles the shape of a tea cup on a chart. This is a bullish continuation pattern where the upward trend has paused, and traded down, but will continue in an upward direction upon the completion of the pattern. This pattern can range from several months to a year, but its general form remains the same. 

Note that a cup and handle pattern is a pattern in which the stock is generally on the uptrend and due to correction or consolidation it dipped down forming a cup. Though there is a deep correction investors who believe in the stock hold onto it thus after the dip it rises back to form the cup part of the pattern.

In our example FPH enjoyed a brief comeback from the cup and handle formation due to the correction that the market is in right now. But if you noticed it there was a small downtrend after the cup formation thus completing the cup and handle.

But lots of chartist have various interpretations and view on a cup and handle formation. Also such formation may take a short period or a long period lasting to months and even years.

Not all cup and handle pattern go to the expected reversals thus I warn anyone who reads the chart to do check it and do some calculations. As always check volume if it confirms it. When a formation is forseen and the volume picks up there is a great likelihood that such pattern will lead to reversal.

Bible qoutes of the day: Proverbs 21:5

http://translate.google.com

Proverbs 21:5


The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenty; but the thoughts of everyone who is hasty only to poverty. 

Learn the virtue of diligence.  Who is diligent then?

Diligent means constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything. Same is true in the stock market. 

We already knew that the stock market is not only graphs and monetary value, there is some more to it thus you need to constantly learn so that you can finally do your trades is if it is your second nature. Rushing to place a buy without researching first a stocks fundamental side is a bad move as well us buying on impulse because the news said its price has gone from a low price to a high price. 

Remember the truth that I have been saying: No one can accurately predict the stock market only probable outcomes. There will be time that you have this hunch but you hesitated to place a buy or sell order and after sometime the price have gone up or suddenly collapse and you suddenly thought you could have profited by no. But that how it is, risk is there. That is why you have to be diligent in learning the ways and psychology of the stock market.   

Don't be ashamed to ask but at the same time don't rely on somebody else opinion. You got to have your own after thinking it over.

So read, investigate, analyze, take a deep breath and place that bid or sell, if it turns out right you profit and if not you at least gained an invaluable knowledge which can help you do better in the next trade.   

Buying Time

 source: http://www.fortunewatch.com

Ever wonder what are the reactions of various people that are transacting in the stock market today?

Corrections and consolidation are the most feared days by people who have just stepped in a new purchase because such market trend affects nearly all stocks. Thus it seems that they entered the market at a high price; if they could have waited a little longer they could have bought the shares at a lower price.

But again we all knew that the stock market is a very volatile place to place money. One day prices could be up the next will be down; but why do we invest in it even though we knew of such?

For newbies in the stock market correction is the best time to enter(though as many will say there are no such thing as best time to enter the stock market thus anytime is the best time). A little more and prices will near their bottom prices: buyer's time as we say.

That is why it is important to leave some free cash. When time like this come one must pocket gains and for stocks that have potential growth in the next months but dragged by the current situation it is best to cost average but up to some extent, you can't lose further money by keeping on putting money on a stock when you know its price wont be recovering soon. Just wait for its bottom price and buy a considerable amount so that you can lower your average cost to catch up when its price rises.

Again nobody can accurately predict what is to happen in the stock market, but with wise guidance and decisions you can even make money out of the bad and rainy days of the market.