Time

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Hedge funds: Next in line?

Fate of these funds does matter - not just to the rich, but to all investors

NO ONE knows where the next domino will fall amid this financial crisis but the US$2 trillion (S$2.9 trillion) hedge fund industry looks as good a candidate as any.
There has been an exodus of money from the funds in recent weeks, raising fears the industry may collapse.

But no one is talking about a US$700 billion bailout for these guys. No one will be shedding tears if a run on even the biggest 'hedgie' kicks in.

Yet the unthinkable prospect of a bailout could still happen given that some hedge funds are so large, so interlocked with the financial system, that they cannot be allowed to fail.

It has become painfully clear that in this complex global economy, the fate of hedge funds matters, not just to the rich who can afford them, but to all investors.

These funds claim to deliver absolute returns in both rising and falling markets, using strategies like leverage unavailable to other investments. Pension funds, foundations and sovereign wealth funds, including those from Abu Dhabi and Singapore, have invested in hedgies.

But returns this year have averaged a negative 10 per cent, according to Hedge Fund Research. Doomsayers portend the demise of one-third or so of the 12,000 hedge funds worldwide as jittery investors demand their money back.

Hedge funds are facing investor redemptions of between 10 per cent and half of their funds, forcing them to dump shares, bonds and other securities to raise the cash, said the Financial Times.

Hedge funds account for an estimated 30 per cent of equity and bond trades in the US and beyond, according to consultancy Oxford Analytica. So the knock-on effect of their forced selling on financial markets may well be a knock-out.

Asia-focused hedge funds have fared worse than the rest. Many are based in Hong Kong and Singapore, which have been vying to be Asia's hedge fund hub.

Yet the talk of Armageddon has a familiar ring to industry veterans. Hedge funds have gone under then bounced back before. Recall the crises of 1968, 1972, 1986, 1987, 1998 and 2002, says fund manager Ramiz Hasan of Samena Capital.

In Singapore, where the industry of over 170 hedge funds is still relatively young, many hedgies earned their battle scars during the collapse of Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM) in 1998, which sparked a liquidity crisis. The implosion of Amaranth Investors in 2002 tested their mettle as well.

The resilient industry resurfaced each time. But things seem worse now, given the scale of the current financial crisis.

The shock bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers choked many hedge funds of their much-needed assets, which they had pledged to the prime broker in return for loans to make investment bets.

Then there are Collateral Fund Obligations (CFOs) - the hedge fund equivalent of the toxic assets that forced banks to write-down billions. As ratings agencies start downgrading CFOs, several hedge funds may find the value of these assets disappearing.

The ban on short-selling is also tying the hands of hedge funds, which rely on this tool to make big gains by exploiting market inefficiencies.

And then came Oct 1 - or D-Day as Reuters called it - the final date for clients to put in redemption requests to get their money back by the year-end.

Asia-focused funds arguably have the most to fear from redemptions, given that the HFRI Asia ex-Japan Index fell over 20 per cent for the eight months to the end of August - the worst performing index among those tracked by HFRI.

The freefall in overvalued China and India stocks this year was partly to blame for the poor performance.

But about 46 per cent of Asia-Pacific hedge funds are also largely focused on long/short equity strategies that made them more vulnerable to losses when Asian equity markets fell, said Mr Hasan.

Asia-Pacific hedge funds hold US$168 billion in assets - 5 per cent less than a year ago. Poor performance and investor exits caused 70 of the roughly 1,200 hedge funds in Asia to go belly-up in the year to August, up from 59 a year ago, said consultancy Eurekahedge.

Of the 70 shuttered funds, 10 were in Singapore. Interestingly, the failed funds averaged under US$50 million in size.

The minimum size for hedge funds to survive may well be US$100 million in the tough new world of turbulent markets and more regulations, which drive up compliance costs, said Mr Hasan.

One estimate is that funds should be US$500 million or more if they are to enjoy reasonable returns and cover management fees. Just 10 per cent of Asia-Pacific funds are of this size.

The current turmoil will likely lead to consolidation of the industry, with experts predicting the death of more than 1,100 funds this year. The ones that remain are likely to be mega funds with stronger balance sheets and the best fund managers. But the scale of the shake-up is reflected in the fact that even the largest players with over US$30 billion each in assets are wobbling.

Examples include Farallon Capital Management, which fell by 8 per cent; Renaissance Technologies, with a nearly 15 per cent decline; and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, with an 8 per cent drop, according to Absolute Return magazine.

If these funds were to collapse, would they warrant a bailout because they are so large and likely to have an impact on the financial system?

There is already a precedent of a hedge fund bailout - in 1998, LTCM was rescued by the private sector in a deal orchestrated by the New York Federal Exchange. And today's mega funds are far larger than LTCM.

But a bailout is not a likely scenario. The industry will pull through on its own, as it has done many times in the past.

Still, the current financial turmoil has prompted hedge fund managers to relook their business models and make changes. Those left standing when the dust settles on the corpses of the cowboy hedgies will have much bigger financial and risk management muscle, and be backed by a more diversified investor base.

After all, in an industry that thrives on the survival of the fittest, hedge funds live by the mantra that whatever does not kill you only makes you stronger.

Bailout 'not a panacea'

THE federal government's US$700 billion (S$1 trillion) bailout of the financial industry could help homebuilders and mortgage lenders, but is unlikely to bring fast relief to anybody trying to buy or sell a house anytime soon.

The Treasury Department's future purchases of sour mortgages and other securities from banks are designed to inject cash into the credit markets and restore confidence among shaken investors and consumers.

But that may only have a slow and gradual impact on home prices, record foreclosures and the 10-plus-month supply of unsold homes.

'What the bailout does is keeps a bunch of really bad future events from happening,' said Dr Scott Shane, an economics professor at Case Western Reserve University.

'It doesn't make ...what's going on today much better.'

Many analysts say US home prices - down 20 per cent from their peak in July 2006 - still have further to fall, and must hit bottom before demand picks up. The long-awaited bottom in prices could be a year or more away.

'This is a step...to put the grease back into the machinery,' said Mr Gerard Cassidy, an analyst with RBC Captial Markets.

'This is not the panacea.'

The US economic picture continues to worsen. The Labour Department said on Friday employers cut payrolls by 159,000 in September, the largest loss in more than five years, while unemployment remained at 6.1 per cent. The cuts included 35,000 construction jobs.

Mr Jerry Howard, chief executive of the National Association of Home Builders, praised the plan, but said lawmakers need to do more.

The bailout package 'does not address the root problem of housing prices in its totality and Congress is going to have to look at doing something to help establish a floor in the housing market,' Mr Howard said.

It remains a difficult situation for builders and mortgage lenders alike because credit remains tight.

On Friday, the national average interest rate on a 30-year mortgages was 6.2 per cent, down from 6.3 per cent on Thursday and roughly equal to last week, according to financial publisher HSH Associates.

Though the bailout is attracting most of the attention, another change in the mortgage market announced this week is likely to have a more immediate and direct impact on consumers.

Mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are rolling back fee increases imposed to shore up their finances this year.

Unlike the bailout, which likely will take months to play out, 'it's something that directly impacts mortgage lending right now,' said Mr Guy Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance, a trade publication in Bethesda, Maryland.

Speaking just before President George W. Bush signed the rescue bill, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson pledged to act quickly but wouldn't say how the government would go about purchasing troubled assets.

For homeowners who are behind on their mortgages and facing foreclosure, the bailout bill offers little certainty. It directs the Treasury Department to 'maximise assistance for homeowners' and write up monthly progress reports, but says little else.

Senator Dick Durbin, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, immediately called on the federal government to enact an aggressive loan modification plan in a letter to Secretary Paulson and other officials.

'The federal government now owns or has a controlling interest in a large percentage of the outstanding mortgages in America,' Mr Durbin wrote.

'With that control and influence comes responsibility.'

Friday, October 3, 2008

曾渊沧@股友通讯录 - 九月份

9 月29 日美国众议会否决美国政府提出的7000 亿美元救市方案。当日美股大跌,但本地股市却先大跌而后回稳。
7000 亿美元的救市方案在众议会表决失败后,白宫收回去稍做修改,先送到参议会表决,结果在10 月1 日晚上通过,那是亚洲10 月2 日的早上。但亚洲股市一开市全跌,很明显地对后市仍抱怀疑态度。

第一个担忧当然是担心众议院再次否决方案。

就算方案获得通过,问题还是很大。雷曼兄弟倒闭,全球通过银行购买雷曼兄弟发行的迷你债券的苦债主纷纷指责银行误导投资者,并表示不惜打官司。部分银行为保声誉,已决定与苦债主和解,由银行来赔偿苦债主的损失。因为是银行与苦债主私下的和解协议,我们不知道银行的赔偿比率有多大,但很明显地银行最终成了雷曼兄弟迷你债券的受害者。对银行来说,这是一个惨痛的教训,今后可能不敢再卖这些连自己也不清楚风险何在的衍生工具,衍生工具市场会出现萎缩,最终影响银行利润。

还有,7000 亿美元是不是足够?
这些由房地产按押贷款合约衍生出来的高度复杂的结构性产品与中国的毒牛奶有一个相同的性质,那就是高度扩散。今日,一场毒牛奶,除了可以直接生产出令婴孩肾结石的奶粉外,也使到朱古力、雪糕、牛油、饼干、面包……全部出了问题,扩散范围非常大。同样的,一个出了问题的按押贷款债券,混了其他的优质,非优质的各种金融产品后,也一样令人退避三舍,谁也不敢碰。扩散范围之大,总不良资产是数十万亿美元之数。布斯的7000 亿美元如何足够救市?

整个问题的最终关键是美国的房地产价格是否能止跌回升?
因为目前一切的问题就是始于房地产按押贷款债券。如果房地产价格继续下跌,这个问题也永无解决之道。能真正解决问题的唯一方法就是全美国房地产价格止跌回升。
从乐观的角度来看,美国联邦储备局最终是会再减息以刺激美国房地产价格。什么时候出手?目前美国债券市场利率走势已经显示美国投资者预期减息会发生于这个月,在美国总统选举投票前减息,希望可以刺激经济,协助共和党候选人麦凯恩当选。

目前的市场依然是非常不稳定,除非你是一名赌徒,否则最好是当个旁观者,身边现金多的可以适量增持一点点股票。

The MRT guide to home prices

Buyers increasingly keen on units near stations, which can command up to a 20% premium

HOME seeker Wan Kum Wai is hunting for a flat that is well-located - specifically, within walking distance of an MRT station.

For this convenience, the multimedia designer and his wife Jessie are willing to pay 10 to 20 per cent more than they would for a home a few bus stops away from a station.


‘We don’t drive, and the cost of living is running high,’ he said. ‘We don’t mind paying more because we think this will help us save on transportation costs and other expenses in the long run.’

In an era of sky-high petrol prices, multiplying Electronic Road Pricing gantries and increasing worries over environmental degradation, the all-important ‘location, location, location’ element of a home purchase has taken on a new slant.

While the classic prime districts of 9, 10, 11 are still sought after, home buyers are also increasingly keen on properties near MRT stations.

Apart from non-drivers, MRT-accessible homes also attract buyers with school-going children as well as investors who want to rent the units to expatriates, many of whom rely heavily on public transport, say property agents.

Ms Mylene Kwan, a PropNex agent who is helping Mr Wan find a home, said some of her clients have only one priority: to be near an MRT station.

‘Many of them don’t drive, so it’s very important to these buyers,’ she said.

But such proximity comes at a price.

Ms Kwan estimated that HDB flats with this privilege have their valuations alone jacked up by at least $20,000 or $30,000, and buyers often pay even more in cash on top of that.

The most popular HDB flats near MRT stations are those close to town, such as in the Tiong Bahru, Redhill and Queenstown areas, she said.

But even in the suburbs, a nearby station can give a big boost to prices.

In Woodlands, owners of flats near the MRT station are asking $40,000 to $50,000 above valuation just because of the location, said Ms Rohaizah Ramjan, another PropNex agent.

Whenever these flats come on the market, they get snapped up within two or three weeks, she added. For ‘normal ones’ further from the station, it can take a few months for a sale to be closed.

‘Flats near MRT stations are harder to come by, because owners are comfortable there and don’t want to sell,’ she said. ‘So if a buyer has the budget and they see a well-located flat for sale, they just grab.’

The same principle applies to private property. Condominiums near MRT stations can command a premium of up to 20 per cent over similar units a bit further away, said Mr Eric Cheng, executive director of HSR Property Group.

The price difference stems partly from the convenience of these homes, but is also due to their limited supply, he added.

‘If you look at the whole map of Singapore, I dare say only about half the MRT stations have condos right next door. Of course, they command a premium, a good 10 to 20 per cent above neighbouring properties 10 minutes’ walk away.’

At Tiong Bahru MRT station, for instance, new condos that are at the doorstep of the station - such as Twin Regency and Regency Heights in Kim Tian Road - fetch $1,240 per sq ft (psf) on average.

About five to 10 minutes away, prices average $1,072 psf, or about 15 per cent less, at the equally new The Regency at Tiong Bahru on Chay Yan Street.

‘Most of these units are rarely on the market,’ said Mr Cheng. ‘Even if the owners are not staying in them, they might not want to sell because they can get very high rental returns.’

Still, not all MRT stations are equal. Property values can differ widely between two consecutive stops, such as in the case of Novena and Toa Payoh, where condos around the former are almost double the price of those around the latter, according to an extensive analysis done by property firm Savills Singapore.

Even stations within a few kilometres of each other can see significantly different prices.

Savills’ data showed that condos around the Dhoby Ghaut station, for instance, fetched an average of around $1,600 psf in the first six months of the year. Less than 2km away, condos near the Little India station cost only two-thirds that on average, or $1,071 psf.

‘Apart from the proximity to an MRT station, buyers do look at other factors,’ said Mr Ku Swee Yong, Savills’ director of marketing and business development.

“Equally important is the quality, age and tenure of the project and its facilities, how much the unit can fetch in rentals and what amenities are nearby.”

Mr Ku cited Lavender and Farrer Park MRT stations, separated by just 1.5km in distance but about $200 psf in price

At Lavender, well-equipped condos such as Citylights boosted prices in the vicinity to an average of $1,104 psf in the first six months of the year. But Farrer Park is surrounded by several smaller condos with minimal facilities, so rents and prices tend to be lower, said Mr Ku.

Q3 prices of resale flats up 4.2%; that of private property down 1.8%

Prices of resale flats rose a preliminary 4.2 per cent in the third quarter of this year.

HDB said on Thursday that the figure is just slightly lower than the 4.5 per cent increase in the second quarter.

For the year-to-date, prices of resale flats have risen almost 13 per cent.

HDB said it has to date launched about 5,000 of the planned supply of 8,400 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats for 2008.

Subject to demand, HDB plans to offer another 3,400 new flats under the BTO system in the remaining months in towns such as Punggol, Sengkang and Yishun.

The new BTO flat supply will be in addition to the sale exercises offering balance flats from previous offers.

HDB will provide more details of the BTO flats when the projects are launched.

It said it will continue to monitor the market situation closely, and new sites will be launched based on assessed market demand.

Unlike resale flats, prices of private property declined in the third quarter.

Flash estimates from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) of Singapore, showed that prices fell 1.8 per cent from the second quarter - the first quarterly contraction in more than four years.

URA also released on Thursday the flash estimates of the price changes in the three geographical regions.

For the third quarter, prices of non-landed private residential properties decreased by two per cent in Core Central Region and 2.1 per cent in Rest of Central Region.

Prices of non-landed properties outside the Central Region rose 0.1 per cent.

The flash estimates are compiled based on transaction prices given in caveats lodged during the first ten weeks of the quarter supplemented by information on the number of new units sold.

The statistics will be updated four weeks later when URA releases the full third quarter real estate statistics, when more data on the caveats lodged and the take-up of new projects are captured.

Singapore property investment: Spoilt for choice

Home buyers have a wide range of projects to choose from that will match their lifestyles.

PROPERTY investment requires substantial capital outlay and it takes a longer time to dispose of it compared to other assets like shares, especially in a soft market. Important factors to consider before making a purchase therefore include:

~ Purpose of purchase, ie whether for owner-occupation or investment;
~ Your budget and the price of the property;
~ Surrounding environment;
~ Proximity to amenities such as MRT stations, schools, and shopping centres;
~ Rental and resale values (especially if you are buying for investment);
~ and Reputation of the developer.

Many of these factors are related to location, which is often cited as the most important criterion in property purchase. Besides the traditional prime districts 9, 10 and 11, there are other areas worth considering.

The east coast has always been a favourite among Singaporeans, being close to the city and beach, easily accessible to the airport, and with many amenities like shopping, food and beverage, and the Marina Bay golf course. Faced with high rents in the prime districts, the East Coast has also become a popular alternative with many expatriates.

Joo Chiat and Katong are rich in the culture of Eurasian and Peranakan communities, and their food and architecture. Residents in the East Coast will also enjoy proximity to the Sports Hub when it is completed in a few years’ time. Besides Parkway Parade and Kallang Leisure Park, the Sports Hub will offer 441,000 sq ft of commercial space and the redevelopment of Katong Mall is expected to have about 185 retail units.

There are ample choices of developments to suit different budgets. Developments with sea views such as The Belvedere, Water Place and Sanctuary Green enjoy strong leasing interest with monthly median rentals ranging from $3.80 to $4.50 per sq ft.

The last three years have seen other areas getting popular as they offer alternative quality lifestyle living.

Waterfront living, which in the past had been mostly confined to the east and by the Singapore River, gathered momentum in the last few years with areas like Sentosa Cove, Keppel Bay and Marina Bay coming up.

Sentosa Cove offers luxurious houses and condominiums with sea or canal views, and more than 50 per cent of the buyers are foreigners. Many of the properties are bought as weekend or holiday homes. Keppel Bay offers exhilarating views of Sentosa, ships cruising in and out of the harbour front and pleasure boats berthed at Marina at Keppel Bay.

Since the completion of Caribbean at Keppel Bay in 2004, the Harbourfront area has livened up with many lifestyle amenities such as VivoCity, St James Power Station, Marina at Keppel Bay and Jewel Box at Mount Faber.

Future developments that residents in Sentosa Cove and Keppel Bay can look forward to are the integrated resort at Sentosa and the government’s development of the Southern Ridges and waterfront.

The Southern Ridges, Labrador area and Keppel waterfront will collectively form a major recreational and leisure destination at the southern part of Singapore. Already bridge connections have been made to link the 9km chain of green, open spaces across Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park and Kent Ridge Park. Soon, an elevated boardwalk over the sea will be built skirting the foothills of Bukit Chermin, and connect eastwards to the future promenade at The Reflections at Keppel Bay condominium project and westwards to Labrador Park.

According to URA statistics, Caribbean at Keppel Bay consistently enjoys one of the highest rentals among condominiums islandwide. Its median rent was $6.40 per sq ft in 2Q 2008. The potential supply in the area is fairly limited. Besides the uncompleted The Reflections at Keppel Bay, with 507 units available out of a total 1,129 units as at end 2Q 2008, the only other projects in the pipeline in the area are 307 units on a parcel next to Caribbean at Keppel Bay and 94 units on Keppel Island.

At Marina Bay, there will be plenty of buzz from the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort, Marina Bay Shoppes, and events and activities that are being/will be held in the bay. Marina Bay Shoppes will provide 800,000 sq ft of retail space, close to the one million sq ft in VivoCity. Nearby is the uncompleted Gardens at Marina South which will provide nature relief from the hustle and bustle.

Tiong Bahru, with its MRT station, Tiong Bahru Plaza, conserved buildings, Tiong Bahru market and hawker centre and freehold condominiums like Twin Regency, Regency Suites and The Regency at Tiong Bahru, has a strong following for its convenience of transport and amenities. The area is attractive with many expatriates and working professionals who like the quaint living environment near their workplaces. Monthly rents of Twin Regency, which was completed in 2007, are generally above $4.50 per sq ft.

Other growing fringe city areas are at Selegie and Beach Road/Kallang area. Both are near the Bras Basah/Bugis area which is developing nicely into a bustling arts, cultural, entertainment and education hub. The rich history and conserved shophouses at Beach Road and Kampong Glam offer a variety of experiences with their traditional trades, interesting shops and food outlets. Nearby at Bugis, Illuma will be completed soon by end of the year.

At Selegie, there are upcoming malls like Wilkie Edge, while Tekka Mall is being re-positioned and re-named The Verge. New residential developments include Parc Emily and Parc Mackenzie. Monthly rents of Parc Emily are at least $4.50 per sq ft while some units were recently sold for about $1,100 to $1,200 per sq ft. Projects currently available for sale include Parc Sophia and Mount Sophia Suites, with the latter not fully released.

At the Beach Road/Kallang area, the government plans to develop the Ophir-Rochor corridor into a vibrant office cluster for financial and business institutions that will complement the financial district at Marina Bay and Raffles Place. The Circle Line will further enhance the accessibility and connectivity of the vicinity.

Further up at Kallang Riverside, plans are announced in the draft Master Plan 2008 to develop it into a commercial hub with a residential enclave capitalising on the beach and waterfront. Launched at about $1,400 per sq ft last year, The Riverine by the Park, a 96-unit development at Kallang Road, was well-received and fully sold in weeks. A more recent launch is Concourse Skyline with selling price of $1,500-$1,800 per sq ft, which will be able to take advantage of an area that is anticipated to grow into a sought-after mixed commercial and residential area at the city fringe and with waterfront views of the Kallang River and the sea.

Property buyers are now spoilt for choice, as more areas take off, backed by the government’s plan to introduce city living and develop different parts of the island to provide for varied lifestyle needs. Understanding the attractions and potential of each area is therefore important so that it will be easier to sell or rent the property that is purchased and to ensure that there is better capital protection or appreciation.

买在全世界人都恐慌悲伤之时

关注两条关于巴菲特的新闻:

巴菲特18亿入股比亚迪一月内两次认购中国公司

巴菲特:我会在中国大规模投资

有点感触写出:

1、危机过后财富重新分配,佐罗认为考虑问题不要看眼前,只盯住危机来了我该怎么办?我们现在要考虑的是危机过后我们怎么办?巨大的心理恐惧压力释放后,我们怎么使自己的资产十倍百倍的甚至千倍的增长??

2、首先我们描绘一下,危机后迅速财富增值的人是什么样性格习惯的?喜欢坚持?倔强?灵活聪明?傻呼呼?能见风使舵?能见缝插针?我想我宁愿傻呼呼地相信自己!

3、首先我想说,未来最大机会就在于受害最深的行业中的不死鸟。条件转好,由于同类被大批淘汰,它有了更广阔的觅食空间,由于有了灾难的洗礼,它会更有抵御风险能力,展翅高飞只是时间的问题!!比如工行,现在买些它的股票,再工行存同样数目的钱,过五年你比较一下,什么都明白了!什么更安全更好收益呢?考量时间稍稍放长一些。

4、没有别的办法,我们只有持有这样一来的饱受灾难而不能消亡的企业,我们没想逃过这次的暴跌和危机,因此我们坚信能抓住下次的腾飞。

5、和危机来临时候一样,腾飞也是在悄无声息中开始的,当你意识到危机可能已经过去,这样的企业已经慢慢起步了,所以我们倔强傻呼呼地不去理会市场和经济环境。如果我们像巴菲特那样有钱的话,全球性的收购活动也会开始启动的。

6、真佩服老巴,非要买在全世界人都在恐慌甚至悲伤之时!欧洲一大私募卧轨了;美国数万人失业;全世界大许多人都在恐慌和失望中度日如年,而他呢,又兴奋了!大收购可能要开始了,中国,是否会作为重点?为了未来20年做新的储备?一个古稀老头这么振奋、这么有干劲、考虑这么长远,我们呢,难道要被眼前短暂的困难压趴下么?更何况,我们处在伟大、务实、勤勉、自信、发展的中国!!

7、我要学习,要想法有不断地现金流,要有一生买在最恐慌时刻的耐心,这是老巴的精髓,如果企业基本长期不死,就可能有未来发展的大机遇!

8、极少的选择,极少的操作,才能获取最大的收益!

(没事情时候多检讨检查监视自己,也许成功就会更进一步了!)

弱市如何投资?

美国知名的基金经理彼得林奇曾经说过,炒股和减肥一样,决定最终结果的不是头脑而是毅力。毅力,这个词在如今的市场中听起来也许有点不合时宜,在大盘跌去了60%多以后,许多人不知道究竟还有什么可以坚持。

彼得林奇在他的畅销书《战胜华尔街》中,记述了这么一个民间投资组织——全国投资者协会,一个堪称打败了许多专业投资机构的民间团体,他们的投资战绩让很多人艳羡,整个80年代,在投资者协会注册登记的大多数俱乐部会员的投资业绩都超过了标准普尔500指数,而同期3/4的股票基金没有跑赢大盘。

这些俱乐部成功的关键因素之一是,他们按照一个固定的时间表定期进行投资,由此避免了对市场是涨是跌的无用猜测,并且杜绝了一时冲动的买入或卖出造成的破坏性后果。彼得林奇曾要求富达基金技术部门做了以下统计,结果证实了这种定期定额的投资方法确实相当有效。

“统计显示,如果你在这52年期间,每年的1月31日都定期定额追加1000美元,52年后,你所投资的52000美元将会增值到3554227美元。如果你够有勇气,可以在每次股市下跌超过10%后,再追加1000美元。这52年中股市下跌10%以上共有31次,这样加上每年年初投资的1000美元,你的总投资为83000美元,经过52年后会增值到6295000美元。”彼得林奇指出,如果执行一个定期定额投资计划,而且不管股市涨跌如何都始终坚持,你就会得到丰厚的回报,而如果在大多数投资者吓得纷纷卖出股票时再追加投资,你就会得到更加丰厚的回报。

投资者协会的10000家俱乐部正是这样,自始至终严格遵守定期定额投资的铁律,不管是1987年10月股市崩盘之后,还是关于世界末日即将来临以及银行系统即将崩溃的预言铺天盖地的时候,他们完全无视这些恐慌性言论,继续坚持买入股票。

许多投资者都把系统性崩盘看成是灭顶之灾,但彼得林奇是这样理解的,“每当我对目前的大局感到忧虑和失望时,我就会努力让自己关注于更大的大局”,即用更长更远的眼光来看股市,“在过去的70年里,曾发生过40次超过10%的大跌,其中有13次属于令人恐怖的暴跌,每当股市大跌,我对未来忧虑之时,我就会回忆过去历史上发生过的40次大跌,来安抚自己那颗有些恐惧的心,我告诉自己,大跌其实是好事,让我们又有一次好机会,以很低的价格买入那些很优秀的公司股票”。

“如果要说成功的投资有什么秘诀,我想,是安全边际。”

在价值投资中,有一个非常重要的概念,即安全边际。我们甚至可以说,价值投资之父,本-格雷厄姆所建立的价值投资体系的核心就是安全边际的运用。而价值投资中对企业价值进行分析和估值,以及由此带出的对上市公司的基本面分析,最终都是为在投资决策过程中应用更好的安全边际。

简单的说,安全边际的准则就是要求投资者在投资一项生意或者某种股票的时候,买入价格与内在价值之间的折价空间。当你准备买入一只内在价值为100块的股票时,你为自己留下的潜在收益空间就是你这次投资的安全边际,如果你预期的基本收益要达到30块,那么你就应当以低于70块的价格买入。拥有安全边际的投资,就像有些喜欢购物的人,看上了某件200块的衣服,但要等到商店打折季节到来的时候,再以5折买入一样。

听起来似乎很简单,但是投资和购买打折商品有着明显的不同,到了促销季节,商品自然会给予明确的折扣;而股票价格进入下跌市场时,往往是一个持续、存在反复并且缓慢的过程。市场和股价的波动会提供给我们足够的安全边际的空间吗?

这一点无须投资者担心,打开交易软件,随便找一只股票,看看它过去两年的股价变化情况,恐怕很多股票在这一段期间的最高价和最低价都有着几倍的差距。以A股著名的酒类上市公司贵州茅台为例,2006年9月12日,贵州茅台的收盘价是43.8元;在2008年1月15日,它的股价最高达到了230.55元。前后时间不到2年,股价发生了近6倍的变化。而2006年和2007年两年的业绩增长不到2倍,就算以2008年预期每股收益4.8元的高水平来和2006年业绩来进行对比,后者也不过是前者的3倍。为何股价变化范围远大于业绩变化范围呢?(为了阐述的方便,我们假设公司前后3年的业绩增长速度稳定,即公司合理估值水平不变。)排除业绩变化的影响后,这种公司股价的额外波动来自于哪里呢?

答案是市场。市场情绪的变化,或者说本质上市场流动性的变化带来了这种额外的波动。市场情绪会反映到股票的估值上,上升市场中估值被不断调高,下跌市场中估值水平则被不断调低。

股票市场上的盈利和亏损都会影响到市场的情绪,赢利导致贪婪;亏损导致恐惧。上升中的市场很容易吸引更多资金的注入,尤其是在牛市的最后阶段,巨大的财富效应似乎传遍了社会的每一个角落,更多的个人投资者将他们的储蓄变成了股票,然后开始幻想每天坐着数钱的日子。上升市场中不断涌入的新资金使得市场更加亢奋,流动性的增加帮助股票从最开始的折价销售变成高溢价销售。从轻度溢价到高溢价是一个非理性并且疯狂的过程,一个正常人绝对不会听说超市里面的面包涨了20%就冲去买面包;但他却会因为听说别人的股票涨了20%冲去买股票。

而当股价开始下落的时候,刚刚经历过上升市场的多数人是不会卖出股票的,他们相信股价还会上涨的;当股价下跌到一定程度,多数人开始亏损了,也很难卖出股票承认亏损,多数人还是会希望股价回升;然后股价继续下落,到了让他们不能忍受并且恐惧的地步,于是人们在损失最严重的时候纷纷卖出,唯恐落后他人一步而遭受更大损失。而且很多遭受过损失的人首先考虑的是如何挽回损失,于是他们开始寻找一些表现好的股票的,然后买入,结果又遭遇同样的亏损过程。在无数个这样的微观过程下,股价必然会经历一个高溢价到合理再到低估的历程。

所以,股价总是在围绕着股票的内在价值不断的上下波动,而股价真正停留在合理价值的

时间极少。这也是为什么像巴菲特这样信奉价值投资的人相信市场总是在犯错误,“格雷厄姆的价值投资理论就是建立在这一个前提下的:首先,他相信市场经常给予股票错误的价格。这种错误的价格往往是由人们情感的恐惧和贪婪引起。一旦乐观,贪婪就使股价超越它的内在价值,形成溢价。相反,恐惧又让价格跌落在内在价值之下,形成低估。”从价值投资的创设开始,就指出了股价的变化并不是以合理价值作为运动边界的。市场的波动一定会让股价不断地被高估,再不断地被低估。

另外,市场上多数参与者经常忘记股票实际代表着公司的价值,在他们眼中,股票不过是来回买卖的标的物。这样的市场参与者越多,整个市场的股价波动就会越激烈。而对寻求安全边际的价值投资者来说,这样的市场也就意味更大的机会,买入时能够获得更大的安全边际,卖出时也能够获得更高的溢价。

安全边际是价值投资所应该牢记的第三条准则。在拥有足够的安全边际时买入,在高度溢价时卖出,然后耐心等待新的安全边际的出现,这是价值投资者应该做的事情。

保险公司成“金融风暴”下一波?

全球保险巨头美国国际集团(AIG)身陷次贷危机还未解决,国内的保险业是否能“独善其身”产生了怀疑。原全国人大常委会副委员长、著名经济学家成思危表示,金融风险会逐渐传递,下一步是保险公司。而中国保监会主席吴定富向新华社表示,由于我国保险业尚未放开投资海外金融衍生品的限制,因此没有直接受到大的影响,但次贷危机提供了深刻的风险警示。
  
保险业因持债身陷危机
成思危在央视一个访谈节目上表示,近期发生的华尔街金融风暴,是因一系列因素逐级放大、火上加油造成愈演愈烈。银行、投资银行、基金和保险都是美国金融资金链条的一环,现在银行和基金都遭殃了,保险公司将是下一波危机爆发的焦点。因为为了取得信用保险,一些基金的投资者就跟保险公司联系,而保险公司又买了一些MBS(即贷款抵押证券等)。所以,保险公司的隐患还未暴露出来。

对此,中山大学金融系教授黄伟指出,成思危分析得有一定道理。美国金融体系是自成一体,而且将风险分散到全球,因此次贷发生后,全球都很恐慌。但是,目前AIG出现了问题不是承保业务出问题,而是投资出现了巨大亏损,如同AIG在全球保险业有多少还未暴露出来,因此这个风险还未可知,不过肯定是存在的。

平安保险触雷股价大跌
富通9月15日发表公告称,该公司持有雷曼兄弟债券1.37亿欧元,逆回购交易2.70亿欧元,CDS交易产生的损失700万欧元。受此影响,富通股价出现大幅度下跌。而平安保险因购买欧洲富通集团股份,间接持有雷曼兄弟债券,平保投资额浮亏逾140亿元,因此给市场带来较大心理影响,平安股价一路下挫。但是,其他两家保险公司并未“触雷”。据悉,在当前3家A股上市保险公司中,保监会仅批准了中国人寿和中国平安的QDII额度,分别为相应公司上年末总资产的2%和15%。记者发现,中国人寿和中国太保都未投资雷曼兄弟、AIG、美林的相关债券。中国太保之所以没有QDII额度,原因是监管层本来计划在其完成H股上市之后再批准其投资额度。

专家建议推进存款保险
成思危认为,为防止AIG的危机在中国重演,国内当前应加紧推出存款保险,因为存款保险是一颗定心丸。金融危机最怕的就是银行挤兑,任何银行不可能把所有存款都放在自己手里,都把它贷出去了,如果大家都去银行提款,那就必然会造成严重的问题。美国早就对10万美元以下的存款户实行保险制度,因此,尽管美国这次金融风暴来得这么厉害,银行并没有受到挤兑等等影响。

今年3月份,有消息传出,央行正在紧锣密鼓准备这项工作,有望今年建立起存款保险机构。如今,由于次贷危机的升级,业内外对存款保险制度更为迫切。黄伟认为,存款保险制度的建立必须是新的独立的存款保险机构,否则在央行、银监会、财政部等部门间实现协调“相当困难”。从亚洲国家的经验看,基本都是建立独立的机构。

金融风暴带来三大启示
美国次贷危机给国际化业务已具相当规模的中资银行带了一定的损失。有关人士指出,由于我国金融改革的滞后性和国内市场的非理性,金融创新理应减缓步伐,甚至更有人认为股指期货和融资融券不宜即时推出。

金融创新要继续
长江证券分析师苏冬认则认为,次贷危机引起大家对金融安全的忧虑是正常的,但不能因噎废食,成为中国推迟金融创新的一个借口。美国发生次贷危机是因为金融衍生工具中杠杆使用过度,属于“过犹不及”,而中国却相反,金融衍生工具严重缺乏,极大制约了资本市场的融资、价格发现及其它功能。正是缺少了诸如股指期货这样的工具,中国证券市场才表现出暴涨暴跌的弊端。 花旗银行(中国)有限公司商业银行部总经理张之皓认同此说法。他指出,现在中国的钱全部由银行口子出去,极大地加剧了银行的风险,企业、居民、宏观经济、外汇所有不好的因素都反应在银行的账目上,一旦银行发生危机,后果不堪设想。因此,应加快资本市场的金融创新,让股市、银行、私募基金、保险都能发挥相应的资产配置功能,而不要让银行变成万能的“神”。

杠杆泡沫要不得
“为何次贷危机中最先倒闭是投行,而不是商业银行。这是因为投行的利润源泉是杠杆,而房地产也是使用杠杆最多的行业,当遇到危机,杠杆是很脆弱的,因此投行的亏损急剧放大,最后只能面临破产。”张之皓告诉记者。国务院发展研究中心金融研究所副所长巴曙松认为,从国际经济环境看,美国经济金融体系在此之前是一个靠杠杆放大不断推动泡沫形成的过程。

据悉,一般银行的资本充足率要在8%以上,相当于12.5倍的杠杆,华尔街投行的杠杆却到了30倍,这是史无前例的。美林的杠杆率从2003年的15倍飙升至去年的28倍,摩根士丹利达33倍,高盛亦有28倍。史无前例的30倍杠杆意味着什么?赚1%相当于30%股本金的回报,但风险来了后,亏损3.3%即意味着破产。

风险管理要加强
中山大学岭南学院金融系主任陆军则认为,从这次倒闭或被兼并的金融机构来看,金融机构特别是投行在信用风险、市场风险、流动性风险以及资产集中风险的管理方面,内部控制上都有严重缺失。对中外金融机构来说,都需要改进对各类风险的评估;要有一套严格的风险管理的政策与程序;对市场风险与流动性风险要做压力测试;加强资本充足率管理;对各种可能风险出现后要有处理的预案。

Buffett says economy needs immediate help

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said the nation has been hit with an "economic Pearl Harbor," and the government must respond quickly.
Buffett talked about the nation's ongoing financial woes in an appearance on the "The Charlie Rose Show" that aired Wednesday night on PBS stations.

"This really is an economic Pearl Harbor," Buffett said. "That sounds melodramatic, but I've never used that phrase before. And this really is one."

Buffett's spokeswoman did not immediately respond to messages left Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

Buffett said the nation's economic problems are already starting to be felt by furniture and jewelry stores such as the ones owned by Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

The billionaire predicts that the rest of the "Main Street" economy will start to have problems if the government's financial bailout plan doesn't pass Congress soon.

"In my adult lifetime, I don't think I've ever seen people as fearful economically as they are now," the 78-year-old Buffett said.

The fear in the marketplace has allowed Buffett to make several sizable investments over the past month in proven companies that needed cash quickly. And Berkshire, which had $31.2 billion cash on hand at the end of June, was ready to invest because, Buffett says, he always tries to be greedy when others are fearful.

But Buffett said in an interview with CNBC Wednesday that if Congress doesn't approve the bailout plan soon, then "I will have done some dumb things."

Berkshire, based in Omaha, Neb., announced Wednesday afternoon it would buy $3 billion of preferred shares of General Electric Co., which carry a 10 percent dividend. The terms are similar to those Buffett struck with Goldman Sachs last week when Berkshire invested $5 billion in preferred Goldman Sachs shares with a 10 percent dividend.

Berkshire also has the option to buy $3 billion worth of GE common shares for $22.25 each and an additional $5 billion in Goldman Sachs common stock for $115 per share at any time over five years.

Buffett said he was approached about the GE investment Wednesday morning by someone at Goldman. And Buffett quickly decided to invest in GE because he's familiar with the company and confident in its long-term prospects.

"It was an attractive investment," Buffett said.

Both GE and Goldman appeared to want Buffett's endorsement of their companies as much as Berkshire Hathaway's cash, so they were willing to grant concessions. Morningstar analyst Justin Fuller said Berkshire will receive $800 million a year in dividends on the preferred stock in GE and Goldman for at least the next three years.

"The terms for Berkshire are just incredibly attractive," Fuller said.

Investment fund manager Whitney Tilson, who founded T2 Partners LLC, said Buffett's backing may help Goldman and GE regain the market's confidence, and that may prove crucial.

"This is a market where companies have literally gone under because of a lack of confidence," Tilson said.

Buffett and his company will certainly benefit if Congress passes the $700 billion bailout plan. But he told Charlie Rose that the main beneficiary of the bailout will be the U.S. economy, not Wall Street or investors like him.

Buffett compared the U.S. economy to a top athlete who has suffered a sudden and severe heart attack. He said the proper response to such a heart attack is to use a defibrillator as soon as possible, not argue about the precise placement of the paddles or argue about whether the athlete should have taken blood pressure medication beforehand.

And Buffett said taxpayers will eventually turn a profit on the $700 billion plan if the bailout passes and the U.S. government buys mortgage debt at market prices.

"We are not spending the money. If we buy these assets intelligently, the United States Treasury will make money," Buffett said.

But Buffett warned that taxpayers shouldn't expect immediate results from the bailout plan, because it may take several years for the economy to recover.

"The recession is going to get worse," Buffett said. "I don't want to hold out false hopes that -- by some magic bullet -- that things will turn around in a couple months."

Buffett has said for several months that the economy is in a recession because most Americans aren't doing as well today as before. The technical definition of a recession most economists use is two consecutive quarters of negative growth in the nation's gross domestic product.

投资的秘密——眼光+耐心+运气

投资的秘密往往是秘而不宣的。但这并不妨碍人们公开讨论投资的秘密。在对这个问题的公开讨论中,也可谓仁者见仁,智者见智。有没有带共性性质的成功的秘密呢?据我十多年的股票投资经验,答案是有,而且我还认为还可以把投资成功的秘密简单地概括为四个字——眼光+耐心。当然,或许这只是占九成。也许还有一层,那就是运气。

关于眼光

在西方的记载史中,最早因有眼光而赚得大钱的恐怕首先要数古希腊的哲学家泰勒斯。据亚里士多德的《政治学》载,泰勒斯因为精通天象,有年冬天发现来年橄榄要丰收,就订租了许多榨橄榄油的榨油器,来年又租出去,赚了一大笔钱。“泰勒斯眼光”也因此而名垂青史。

或许可以这样说,眼光就是对事物变化的洞见。

在股票世界中,我常常把眼光定义为“发现自己能把握的将会上涨的股票”。人们用很多种方法发现去“将会上涨的股票”,其中有基本分析方面的,也有技术分析方面的,还有市场分析方面的。比如,认为股价低于每股股东权益,且愈低愈好。这里,每股股东价权益=每股净资产+每股资本公积金+每股未分配利润。也就是说“两高一低”(两高:高净资产、高未分配利润;一低:低市价)的股票,具有投资价值。又如,股票总市值低于股票内在价值,且愈低愈好。还如,年投资收益率高于银行存款利率的个股,且愈高愈好。每年的分红除以股价即可得到年投资收益率。这主要考察公司的分红记录后作出今后分红的预测。以上都是有可能上涨的股票。显然,懂一点财会知识,可以帮助我们发现那些将会上涨的股票。在技术分析、市场分析中也还有很多种方法。

帮助我们发现将会上涨的股票,远远不等于就能发现将会上涨的股票。甚至于可以这样说,即使你把以上关于帮助我们发现将会上涨的股票的所有知识,即基本分析、技术分析、市场分析的理论倒背如流,你可能发现的将会是长期盘整或者是下跌的股票,而不是将会上涨的股票。在我看来,发现将会上涨的股票更多的是靠个人的直觉。这种直觉不是偶尔心血来潮的结果,而是长期实战经验积累后对市场的悟性或灵性。这里,“长期”是一个比较宽泛的概念:五年、十年甚至是十多年。除非是超级天才,我想至少得需要五、六年以上。也就是说,一个人至少得需要五、六年时间,才有可能培养起自己对股票的直觉。不怕露丑,我对股票产生直觉起码在十年以上,这还不包括我先前有二、三十多年学习和钻研财经的时间。当然,这可能是因为自己头脑太笨的缘故。

另一方面,在将会上涨的股票中,可以说很多都不是某个个人自己“能把握的”。在很多情况下,即使我们发现了那些将会上涨的股票,甚至重仓或满仓买进了会上涨的股票,但在它上涨前或刚刚上涨时,我们就卖掉了它。这些都是不属于自己“能把握的”。我曾经有篇标题叫《黑马似梦》的文章,说的就是这种情况。如果世界上真有缘分存在的话,那么这些股票都是属于那种有缘无分的股票。

椐我的经验,那种自己能把握的将会上涨的股票或者说有缘有分的股票,少得可怜。如果说,在所有的股票中,将会上涨的股票只占20%的话,那么,自己能把握的将会上涨的股票又只占你所发现的将会上涨的股票总数中的20%左右,甚至于还不足20%。

为什么呢?因为要发现“自己能把握的”股票,需要认识自己,特别是战胜自己,而这是很难的事情。俗话说,“人贵有自知之明”。我发现,在这个世界上,真有自知之明的人,是很少的,正因为少所以“贵”,即很珍贵的,很宝贵。人有自知之明就很贵,那就更别说有“自胜之明”了。

p; 我觉得,“将会上涨的股票”,对于一位理性的投资者来说,是不难发现的。因此,在这个定义中,后者比前者重要得多,也困难得多。换句话说,在发现“自己能把握的”与发现“将会上涨的股票”中,我觉得最难的是“自己能把握的”。

关于耐心

在一个营销报告会现场的舞台的正中央的位置上,吊着一个巨大的铁球,舞台上放了几种大小不同的铁锤。一位老者介绍了用铁锤把大铁球敲打得荡起来的规则。很快就有两位年轻人抡起大铁锤砸向大铁球。但大铁球却无动于衷。没敲几下,两位年轻人就累得大汗淋漓、气喘吁吁。当人们认为再怎样敲打也无济于事时,那位老者拿起一把小铁锤,对准大铁球敲打起来。敲一下,停一下,敲敲停停,很有节奏。人们觉得奇怪,用铁锤尚不能把大铁球敲打得荡起来,难道用小铁锤能把大铁球敲打得荡起来?时间慢慢地过去,十分钟、二十分钟、三十分钟,台下的人们开始失去耐性,躁动起来,还有不少人开始离场。但那位老者却仍在那里一锤又一锤地敲打铁球,全神贯注的态度依然如旧。大概四十分钟后,一位前排的观众突然大叫起来——— “球动了!”人们果真发现在小锤的不断敲打下,大铁球开始摆动起来,而且摆动的幅度不小,连吊球的架子都发出了声响。这声响虽然不大,但却震撼了看众们的心灵。

最后老者开口了。他只说了一句话:在成功的道路上,你有没有耐心去等待成功的降临?如果不能,你只好用一生的耐心去面对失败了。

  我觉得,生活需要耐心,股市更需要耐心。在股市中,每年都有80%以上的人像舞台上的那些年轻人抡起几大锤之后便告放弃一样,这些人都只是股市中的匆匆过客。像那位老者那样简单而不失耐心地敲打的股民,也就是说能够打动股市这只“铁球”的股民,实在不多。

这里,有必要把恒心从耐心中分离出来。一般而言,恒心是指那种时间持续得长一些的耐心。据我的经验,别说发展,就是我们要在在股市中生存下来,似乎更需要恒心。

有必要讲一件真人真事。很久以前,在荷兰的一个小镇上来了一位只有初中文化的青年农民,他的差事是替镇政府看守大门。这个青年业余时间不下棋打牌,也不喝酒聊天,而是选择了打磨镜片的爱好。虽然磨镜片又费时又费工,可他却乐此不疲。就这样他磨呀磨,在枯燥和乏味中一磨就是60年!在这60年中,他一直是做门卫,一直是磨镜片,甚至从没有出过这个小镇,然而正是他的专心和锲而不舍,他磨出的复合镜片的放大倍数竟然超过了当地专业的技师。凭借自己磨研的镜片,他发明了显微镜,揭开了当时科技尚未知晓的微生物世界的面纱。结果他名声大震,被授予巴黎科学院院士头衔。英国女王访问荷兰时,还专程到小镇去拜访过他。他就是荷兰的著名科学家列文虎克。

没有接受过高等教育的列文虎克之所以能够取得成功,道理很简单,就是选择了自己的方向以后,用自己的耐心和毅力几十年如一日地走下去。其实股市投资又何尝不是这样呢?假如你有足够的耐心并能够持之以恒,你同样可以取得成功。

巴菲特讲过的几句话值得投资人永远记住:“钱在这里从活跃的投资者流向有耐心的投资者。许多精力旺盛的有进取心的投资人的财富渐渐消失。”他还这样描述过他的长期持有理念:“如果你没有持有一种股票10年的准备,那么连10分钟都不要持有这种股票。”“巴菲特购买一种股票绝不在意来年就能赚多少钱,而是在意它未来5至10年能赚多少钱。”他常说的一句口头禅是:“拥有一只股票,期待它下个星期就上涨是十分愚蠢的”。
上,很多股民拥有一只股票,期待它上涨的时间不是下个星期,而是明天,甚至于上午买进,期待它下午就能上涨。这种没有耐心或者缺少耐心的想法,几乎注定了一个人投资的失败生涯。

耐心:在熊市中筑就股市涅槃

耐心,我认为是在熊市中筑就的股市涅槃。

牛市是令人快乐的,这种快乐不仅不会给人带来耐心,往往会膨胀人的野心。也就是说,熊市才是股市涅槃的土壤,才是耐心存在的条件。

在股市的熊市中,股价一个劲地直朝下垮,人心会咋样?人心都是肉长的,我想开始都会很心痛。这有点象歌利王用刀割释迦牟尼佛或忍辱仙人那样。只不过忍辱仙人被割的是肉,而股民此时被割的是心。在这个时候,忍辱仙人不生瞋恨,而我们往往会生瞋恨,比如会骂天、骂地、骂人。这是一种经历,是一种体验,其实也是一种修炼,甚至可以说更是一种修炼。

据记载,释迦牟尼佛曾说:“我前生为忍辱仙人。那个时候歌利王出来打猎,带了不少宫娥彩女。他打猎之后睡了个午觉。这些宫娥彩女没有事就出来转转玩。只见有一个青年男子在那里打座,很庄严很清净。有人过去问他在做什么,他就回答说打座。问他为啥要打座,他说了点道理。大家觉得他的话很有道理,便请教他,他也给大家解释。这样一来,人越听越多,很多人都围过来,听他说法。歌利王睡醒觉后一看,宫娥彩女都不在了,唉!大吃一惊,于是去找,发现都围着一个青年男子,坐在那听他说法。这时,歌利王作为男人的那种嫉妒心就燃起来了。

“你是干什么的?什么妖鬼?你敢调戏引诱我的妇女。”

“我哪里是引诱,是她们自己来找我,听我讲话的……”

“你是干什么的?”

“我在修忍辱,我是忍辱仙人。”

“你修忍辱?那我拉你一刀你忍不忍?”

“你拉我一刀,我,无我相无人相,不生瞋恨。”

于是歌利王给他一刀,拉下一块肉:“你恨不恨?”

“不恨!”歌利王再拉一刀,“不恨!”于是就开始了节节肢解……

《金刚经》里谈到了这个具体的事例。节节肢解之后,歌利王看这个忍辱仙人始终不生瞋恨,才明白佛真的是这样的大慈大悲。

怎样才不会生瞋恨呢?当我们经历过多次熊市后,也就是说经过多次修炼的我们,可能会与以往有些不同,比如说再也不会那样心痛了,这时我们也就不大瞋恨了。有句股谚叫“新股民怕跌,老股民怕涨”,言下之意老股民是不大怕跌的。到这时,老股民就真的有点象忍辱仙人或释迦牟尼佛了。

为啥呢?我觉得是因为我们修成了股市涅槃。涅槃是佛学术语,大意就是彼岸,它不增不减,不垢不净。涅槃分为有余涅槃和无余涅槃。有余涅槃是罗汉境界,不彻底;无余涅槃是佛境界,是非常彻底的。在股市中,我们就是修成了不彻底的有余涅槃也很不错。

我认识一位刘姓股民,我估计他已经修成了股市涅槃。他在“网易”上市后不久满仓购买了网易股票,买价大概是15美元左右。买后网易股价就一路下跌,用他的话叫“一江春水向东流”,不时还来点暴跌,他叫“飞流直下三千尺”,最低的时候网易股价还跌到过0.60美元,但刘姓股民还是哈哈连天,用他的话说叫“早就习惯了”。今年网易股价狂涨到70多美元时,刘姓股民还是哈哈连天,无动于衷。这不是股市涅槃又能是啥呢?

筑就了股市涅槃的人多半是一个寂寞、孤独的人。或者说,一个有耐心的人,肯定是一个耐得住寂寞、耐得住孤独的人。“自古圣贤皆寂寞”,“从来高人多孤独”。与多数人害怕或恐惧寂寞、孤独不同,《乌合之众》一书讲到要如何体会孤独的快乐。其实,我也觉得孤独是一种特殊的力量。如果你体会到了孤独感并且体会到了孤独感是快乐的,那么恭喜你,你的心灵是一定是强大的。在股市这个嘈杂的市场里,是最应该自守孤独的地方。请记住:知止而后能定,定而后能静,静而后能安,安而后能虑,虑而后能得。是否可以这样说,一个成功的投资人必须是一个耐得住寂寞、耐得住孤独的人。”

眼光和耐心谁更重要

其实,我觉得这个问题似乎没有多大的意义。因为,在我的眼里,眼光和耐心并不是截然分开的。眼光中的自己“能把握的” 含义中,实际上已经隐含了耐心这一前提。自己不能把握,怎么可能会握有耐心呢?而耐心似乎又必须以眼光为条件。换句话说,如果一个人鼠目寸光,他只会看重眼前的利益,这样的人会具有耐心么?

如果硬要将眼光和耐心区别开来,那么我认为两者比较起来,耐心是最重要的。甚至于可以这样说,与眼光比较起来,耐心要占到七、八分以上,有时甚至要占到九分以上。也就是说,投资的成败与否,主要取决于一个人是否具有耐心。

还是在2001年,我在发现大盘见顶的同时,很容易地发现了上海机场的投资价值,并以此在“上海热线”网上发表过《买只股票跳舞去,管它冬夏与春秋》(上海热线2002年5月15日),在《新证券》报纸和《金融市场》杂志上发表了《我的半次操作》,在我的《股市野狐禅》专著等书或文章中,都公开说过自己满仓买进了机场转债,可以毫不谦虚地说,这是有眼光的。不过,只赚了百分之十左右,我就陆续卖光了它。但至今上证指数下跌了近千点,上海机场却翻了一倍多。显然,这是缺少耐心的缘故。在我的股民经历中,我发现了不少牛股,但真有耐心持有者,很少很少。观察我身边的股民及股友,有眼光的不少,但有耐心的却很少,有恒心者那就少得可怜了。这就是说,有十年以上股龄的股民,只是凤毛麟角的了。

如果你想投资,永远得记住这个公式:眼光+耐心。你当然得训练眼光,但更得筑就耐心。至于运气,那是可遇而不可求的。

股市中70%的人赔钱的必然性及合理性

经济学里有一个 abc 法则,它是由意大利经济学家“巴雷特”发明、发现的。
巴雷特在研究资本主义社会的财富分配时发现这样一个规律:即,占全社会 10 — 20 的少数人(富人),共拥有整个社会财富的 60 — 70 (称 a 类人),占全社会 60 — 70 的多数人(穷人),共拥有整个社会财富的 10 — 20 (称 c 类人),另外 20% 左右的人(中产阶级)则拥有整个社会财富的 20% 左右(称 b 类人)。这是社会规律,不可改变。或者说,总体比例或许会有些许差别,但大的规律不会变化。这种规律,也是健康社会发展的基础。

我们国家在中提出平均主义,共同富裕,妄想违背这一规律,结果把经济搞的一塌糊,不但没有共富,反而使共穷!而改革开放后,尤其是目前,我们国家在社会财富的占有上,实际上也在向上述规律靠拢!而这种富人、穷人、中产阶级占有社会财富的巨大差异性规律被遵守,也是导致我们国家近些年经济快速发展的一个重要原因!

以上我们讲的abc分类法,后来人们发现,在经济、管理、财务等很多领域的很多现象,都符合这一规律。比如。构成汽车的零部件有成千上万种,但其中有 10 — 20% 零件(少数贵重零件),它们的成本却占整个汽车成本的 60 — 70% (属 a 类零件),其中 60 — 70% 零件(多数小零件),它们的成本却占整个汽车成本的 10 — 20% (属 c 类零件),另外的 20% 属 b 类零件。企业为了降低汽车成本,肯定应重点管理 a 类零件,其次是 b 类, c 类则不应成为重点管理对象。等等。

在股市中,投资者的盈亏也同样遵循这一规律: 10 — 20% 的人挣钱( a 类人), 20% 左右的人保本( b 类人), 60 — 70% 的人赔钱( c 类人)。这是铁的规律,不符合这样规律的股市,就不是正常的股市,这样的股市阶段也就不可能维持长久!而符合这样规律的股市才是正常的股市。当然,某一年行情好挣钱的人可能高于这个比例,某一年行情不好挣钱的人可能低于这个比例,但平均起来必然符合。再换句话说,如果我们在抽查股市投资者挣赔得时候,如果你所取得样本研究周期较短,则可能会出现“该阶段时间股市挣钱的人的比例更高”的现象。但是,如果我们把研究周期取得长一点,如5年、8年,则上述的规律就是必然的。

也正因为如此,所以,当市场在某段时间导致投资者挣钱很多(很多人在该段时间都挣钱时),则接下来肯定就要出现极其残酷的一段时间,该段时间将会导致很多人大赔、特赔,从而使“连续多年在总体上”,挣钱人、平手的人(略挣略配者)和赔钱人的相互比例关系符合上述的10-20%、20%左右、60-70%这样的合理比例。

我们大家明白了这一规律后,就容易摆正自己的心态了:股市就是一个绝大多数人赔钱的市场、场所,或者说,绝大多数人赔钱是天经地义的。因此,赔了钱不要怨天、怨地,不要骂政府,只能从自己身上找原因,力争做这极少数人。

在大盘目前跌得如此惨重的情况下,目前市场上还有众多的咨询机构、专业人士及众多的投资者还坚持认为“目前的市场还是牛市,是牛市中的一个回调”,很多庸才、蠢才甚至是为股市下跌寻找各种原因,以一般的散户心态,去攻击这、谩骂那。实际上这些庸才、蠢才是根本不懂股市,不懂股市的基本规律。他们的“愚蠢性惯性看多行为”,表面上似乎是为广大散户好,而实际上是在误导广大投资者。

本人的观点是:经过0 6 —0 7 年 的大牛市行情, 80% 以上的个股都已经被炒烂了(惨糟蹂躏)、在相当长的时间内(甚至是4-6 年 )股价都不可能再创新高了。这么多的股票的股价不能创新高,谈何牛市行情?

当然,个股股价不能创新高,并不是说股市就没行情了。向上不能拓展空间,就向下拓展吗。银广夏深深房 2001 年末、 2002 年初的股价持续暴跌,促成了 2002 年二股的“短期向上翻两倍的涨升行情”。也即,未来的很多年,股市的再上涨行情将是靠“之前的股价连续打幅度下跌”跌出来的。就比如,股价从10元起被暴炒到100元的股票,在该股已经于2007年10月见大顶后,未来在股价已经不可能再创新高的情况下,未来数年的行情将会怎样走?还会不会再有行情?本人的回答是未来各年该股还会有比较大的行情的,只不过,未来各年的上涨行情,将均是靠“股价之前的连续大跌”跌出来的!

以上可以告诉我们两点:( 1 )我们不用担心市场以后没行情,中国的股市每年都会有一波挣钱效应很强的行情的;( 2 )在靠个股下跌跌出来行情的市场背景下,投资者只有能空仓规避了个股下跌过程中的风险后,做每年的这波行情才有真正意义。

其实,我们从另外一个角度,也可以很好地理解“股市中挣钱者为10-20%、基本持平者为20%左右、赔钱者为60-70%”的科学合理性(较长时间进行考核,而不是考核半年、一年):

在我们国家(其它国家也大致相同),实业投资者(搞实业的,如搞各类企业),总体上的社会平均投资收益率目前大致为8-12%!也即有个别高一点的也有低一点的,但平均在10%左右。即搞实业,平均看,投资100万,平均看一年可以赚10万元————略高于银行贷款利率(7%)。应该说,从投资的难度、投资变现的难度、投资主体人士的知识结构等等,实业投资要比股市投资难得多,因此,平均看(股市投资的所有投资者的平均收益状况和实业投资所有投资者的总体收益状况对比看),若取一个较长的研究周期,则实业投资的平均收益率是应该高于“股市投资的平均收益率”的。而实业投资的平均收益率才是10%(不可能过高,若过高,就没人往银行存钱了,就都去搞实业去了,也即,实业投资的平均投资收益率平均看就是比银行贷款利率高2-4个百分点是最合理区域),而股市如果一段时间的总体平均收益率若远高于实业投资收益率,那股市在该段时间也就属于“不正常”!即,前面高出的,必然要由后面亏损的来冲减!否则,股市的平均收益率若长期平均看高于社会平均收益率,那谁还去搞实业?

所以,对这些基本的常识性原理,我们投资者要搞清楚。当你搞清楚这些基本原理后,你就不会在为股市的下跌而抱怨,你面对股市的大跌也就会心平气和,你也就会正视股市下跌会给自己带来的风险及合理地重视风险和加强防范风险、不会盲目地一直看多!

当然,股市处于前期大涨后的“还债下跌阶段”,也并不是说股市就挣不到钱,但就如本人前期提到的那样,此时的挣钱,是靠:(1)股市战略性的挖掘!就如本人2月中旬在搏客中给大家挖掘推荐的厦门港务一样(2月中旬至今涨幅已有50%);(2)靠大盘的严重下跌后的“超跌反抽”来挣钱,比如上周二后市买股,到今天不是很容易挣10%吗?

所以,我们只有正确认识了股市本身的特性、规律性,我们才能达心平气和,才能在股市中长期获取好的收益,而那些每天都处在抱怨这抱怨那得人,成天寄些王于股市天天涨的人,实际上是根本就不懂股市,当然也就难以长期取得好的收益。

Thursday, October 2, 2008

SMRT: Downgrade to NEUTRAL

SMRT has entered into an agreement to acquire a 49% equity interest in Shenzhen Zona Transportation, a leading road transport company in Shenzhen. The purchase consideration of Rmb 430m (S$90m) will be paid in cash. The balance 51% continues to be held by National Express Transportation Group. Following the acquisition, Zona will be an associate company under SMRT. The investment is earnings accretive. But SMRT expects immaterial financial impact on SMRT’s FY09 results.

Separately, SMRT has signed a new 6-mth fixed-rate electricity contract effective 1 Oct 08. The rate for this new contract is 30% higher than that for the previous 6-mth contract, despite the recent softness in crude oil price. We have therefore raised our forecast of FY09 electricity expenses.
On a positive note, we have raised FY09F MRT ridership growth to 10.9% (versus earlier assumption of 9.7%). This follows the 11.6% YoY expansion for Apr-Aug08 to a MRT monthly average ridership of 42.69m. After factoring in higher electricity expenses as well, we are cutting our FY09 net profit forecast by 1.6% to S$144.5m.

SMRT share price has risen 17.9% YTD whilst the STI has fallen 31.9%. Most of the positives are already factored into SMRT share price. Though the investment in Zona is a good start to SMRT expanding overseas, the impact is seen to be marginal in the short term. We see little upside for SMRT share price going ahead. Even the FY09 dividend yield of 4.1% (based on 85% payout ratio) is only slightly higher than the 3-mth SIBOR of 1.85%. The market risk premium is now 9.46%, versus 8.68% two months ago. Consequently, our DCF valuation has been cut from S$2.08 to S$2.03.

We are downgrading SMRT from BUY to NEUTRAL.

Finally, A Real Sense Of Urgency

􀁺 Latest on the Financial Crisis :
- The US Senate has passed the US$700 bln bill, which will move back to the House of
Representatives, for a second vote after the rejection on Monday. Looks as if as it has finally dawned on the average American that the US$1 trillion loss in the US stock market is being lost by everyone, not just the rich and fat cats on Wall Street.

- The bill passed by the Senate includes the increase in federal insurance for deposits to US$250,000 from the current $100K.

- A bi-partisan committee has urged the Securities & Exchange Commission to suspend the mark-to-market (ie fair value) accounting rule to be substituted by “true value” accounting.

- The Irish parliament has approved the government standing behind all deposits and loans in Ireland.

- The governments of Germany, France, UK and Italy (European members of G7 ) have
agreed to hold a special meeting this Saturday to discuss the financial crisis.

- Warren Buffet injected capital (US$3 bln) into General Electric on the same terms as with Goldman Sachs - he bought preferred shares at 10% dividend, with free warrants exercisable at a price that is lower than the closing price, ie an immediate paper gain of US$303.4 mln. In the case of Goldman, the strike price of US$115 was 8% lower than Goldman’s closing price on Sept 23rd of US$125.05, ie an immediate paper gain of US$434.7 mln. (Note that before the Buffet deal, the credit default swap on GE had surged to a record 780 basis points (ie it costs US$780,000 to insure against default on a US$10 mln GE debt, implying a below investment grade
rating for GE!)

􀁺 The US market weakened slightly yesterday with Dow down 20 points after the 485-point rebound on Tuesday, which followed Monday’s 778-point plunge.

COMMENTS
1. There is no certainty the House will not reject the Bill again as they did on Monday.

2. Even if they did, one cannot rule out doubts and skepticisms that will be raised later, eg, on True Value accounting instead of Fair Value.

3. As for governments of European countries meeting on Saturday, there is no certainty there will be a consensus on how to deal with the Crisis, with the Germans still unhappy that their proposals for more regulations were turned down by the Americans last year.

4. While Buffet’s investments are confidence-boosting, note his deals are priviledged ones not open to the average investors.

5. Meanwhile in the real economy, things are looking dismal:
- Car sales fell 26% in the latest month in the US, led by Nissan’s / Ford’s 37% / 34% plunge. The industry is the largest employers in the US, other than the government.

- The IATA reported that worldwide air travel rose 1.3% in August (vs 1.7% in July), the same pace as in Sept 2003, the worst month in that year when SARS hit. Note
however that the weakness in Asia then was more than offset by the buoyant US, Europe and rest of the world; question therefore is, will Asia offset the weakness in the west today?

- Notice how crowded our sea, off Tg Pagar / west coast, is with container ships, signaling a distinct slowdown in the shipping sector. Notice also the continued slide in the Baltic Dry Index, a barometer of the China economy, the largest consumer / importer of key commodities like iron ore, copper, aluminium and grains.

6. While a strong relief rally cannot be ruled out, caution should continue to be the by-word.

又到了巴菲特被人嘲笑的时节

巴菲特在网络疯狂年代,因为没有买入网络科技股票,大幅落后于指数,被人嘲笑;

巴菲特在"中国石油"成为全亚洲最赚钱公司的时候, 全部抛售了所有的"中国石油"被人嘲笑;

2008.08.22巴菲特准备买入据说是中国的金融类股票;

2008.09.28巴菲特斥资18亿港元入股中国的比亚迪股份.

在不被看好的时节,巴菲特又要被人嘲笑了?

巴菲特被人嘲笑?

裸泳者被人嘲笑!

2008.08.22巴菲特:是的,但你也知道,除非在一些非常特殊的环境下,否则你不可能购买中国股票。我曾经一度拥有中石油的股票,就在不久前,我们还真打算买另一只中国股票,我们还做了出价,但最终没成交。不过,那里确实蕴藏着很大的机遇,在环境适合的时候,你会看到我们在那里大规模投资。我想中国的经济不会出问题。就像是美国,未来半年或一年发生了什么并不重要,重要的是未来十年会发生什么。我们会好起来的。关键在于,中国人会做得更好,因为他们的起点比较低,但在过去的20 年里,他们学会了很多商业的精髓,以及如何发挥人类的才智,虽然这些是美国早就掌握的。关键是,中国人学习的速度非常、非常、非常快。

2008.09.28股神 ” 巴菲特今日将斥资18亿港元入股内地在港上市公司比亚迪股份。这也是股神在继大手笔投资中石油之后再次出手内地在港上市公司。同时,此次投资也是巴菲特在美国次贷危机转为信贷危机之后,进行的第二笔重大投资。上周巴菲特所属的伯克希尔-哈撒韦公司刚刚宣布以至少50亿美元的代价入股美国第一大投行高盛。 “ 股神 ” 再度出手,并在此严峻形势下选择入股中资公司,意欲何为?比亚迪股份以充电电池以及汽车业务为主,在电动汽车领域的开拓亦较优秀。此番入股无疑显示了巴菲特对此行业的信心。

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

雷曼兄弟破产引发全球现金危机

两周前,华尔街的巨头和政府权高位重的经济官员作出了一项决定性的选择:他们没有再对有着158年历史的雷曼兄弟公司(Lehman Brothers)施以援手,而是任其走到了破产地步。

现在看来,这个决策的后果比几乎所有人想象的都更为可怕。

雷曼兄弟在9月15日(周一)一早提出了破产申请,其引发的连锁反应致使信贷市场陷入混乱。这让保险巨头美国国际集团(AIG)加速跌入深渊,也让几乎所有人都因此蒙受了损失,不论是远在挪威的退休人员,还是Reserve Primary基金的投资者都未能幸免,而后者是美国一家货币市场共同基金,曾被认为同现金一样安全。几天之内,由此引发的混乱甚至让华尔街的中流砥柱高盛集团(Goldman Sachs)和摩根士丹利(Morgan Stanley)也深陷其中。深受震慑的美国官员急忙推出了更为系统的危机解决方案,并在周日同国会领导人就7,000亿美元的金融市场救助计划达成了一致。

雷曼兄弟破产的起源和后果均凸现出决策者在应对不断加深的金融危机时所处的艰难境地。他们不愿被视为是迫不及待地要介入其中,救助那些因太过追逐风险而身陷困境的金融机构。但在当前这个时代,市场、银行和投资者都被一张复杂而无形的金融关系网联系到了一起,任由大型机构自行倒下的痛苦大得令人难以承受。

一些批评人士在事后指出,要是政府出手,那么雷曼兄弟破产之后出现的系统性风险本是可以避免的。在雷曼兄弟倒台之前,联邦官员曾在局部范围内化解了一系列金融风波,所采取的方式是让房利美(Fannie Mae)、房地美(Freddie Mac)和贝尔斯登(Bear Stearns)等陷入困境的机构生存下来。官员们认定这些机构规模太大,不能让它们倒闭,因此动用了数十亿美元纳税人的钱救助它们。但对雷曼兄弟却没有这样做。

伦敦商学院经济学教授、经济政策研究中心(Centre for Economic Policy Research)总裁波提斯(Richard Portes)说,我不理解他们为何意识不到市场将完全被此次破产所吓倒。他说,让雷曼兄弟倒下不会显示政府的决心,而只会让一年多以前金融危机爆发以来的一个核心问题更加恶化,那就是没有人知道哪家金融机构能偿还其债券。

当然,雷曼兄弟的破产在很大程度上属于咎由自取。该公司大量投资于过热的房地产市场,用大量借款增加回报率,而且比其他公司更晚认识到所出现的损失,也未在投资出现失误时抓紧时间融资。该公司在危机中陷入太深,以致于寻找有意的买家都成为艰巨任务,这也让政府基本上是无计可施。

鉴于可以利用的时间和信息有限,许多专家认为政府官员已作出了力所能及的最佳选择。
资本难求

眼见雷曼兄弟面临融资难的局面,包括财政部长鲍尔森(Henry Paulson)、美国联邦储备委员会(Fed)主席贝南克(Ben Bernanke)和纽约联邦储备委员会主席盖纳(Timothy Geithner)在内的决策者都考虑过是否应放手让雷曼兄弟倒闭。知情人士透露,一方面,出于对道德风险的担忧,他们不想出手相救,不愿让自己的行为被解读为支持金融机构不负责任地追逐高风险。另一方面,他们对雷曼兄弟能找到可行的买家持怀疑态度,同时他们认为市场和Fed会有时间准备应对大机构倒闭带来的后果。不过,一些Fed官员不愿发出Fed同华尔街合作阻止危机扩散的努力已告结束的信号。比如,盖纳就曾向其他人表示,市场仍面临着很大麻烦。

据一位与会人士称,盖纳9月12日晚同华尔街高管在纽约储备委员会总部开会就雷曼兄弟的命运讨价还价时曾向他们表示,如果你们不采取一些行动,结果将会很糟糕。

知情人士称,当时,官员们向华尔街银行家提出了成立私人企业救助基金的可能性,但这些银行家要么对救助竞争对手的想法退避三舍,要么就是没有所需的额外资金。

为市场作铺垫

周末期间,随着美国银行(Bank of America)和英国巴克莱银行(Barclays)收购雷曼兄弟的希望破灭,Fed官员将重点放在了准备如何应对美国历史上最大一项破产案上面。雷曼兄弟的总资产超过6,300亿美元,远远超过了2002年电信巨头WorldCom申请破产时1,040亿美元的资产。

官员们格外担心两个领域:信用违约掉期市场和回购市场。

Fed几个月来一直在敦促华尔街的公司成立新的信用违约掉期结算机构。这个想法的初衷是为这个透明度不高的松散的市场提供更有序的交易结算方式,让这个名义价值高达55万亿美元的市场在大交易商倒闭时不会受到很大冲击。但这一切并未就绪。因此,没有人确切知道哪家机构与雷曼兄弟进行了交易,以及交易的数量。周一,这些交易将会崩盘。在为缓解这个问题所作的最后一线努力中,纽约联邦储备委员会官员同雷曼兄弟的管理人员和该公司的主要交易伙伴共同确定哪些机构处于与雷曼兄弟交易的相反方,从而能够取消交易。比如,如果雷曼兄弟的两个交易伙伴对通用汽车(General Motors)的债券作了相反的交易,那么他们就能与雷曼兄弟取消交易,而彼此直接打交道。

Fed还从贝尔斯登的破产中看出,当贷款机构惴惴不安之际,回购市场是如何容易受到严重干扰。这个问题将有可能导致贷款机构在华尔街银行急需资金之际对它们缩减贷款规模。因为回购贷款是短期性质,少的甚至只有一天,因此资金可能突然消失,有鉴于此,Fed在贝尔斯登倒闭后设立了一项针对证券公司借贷的紧急计划。Fed官员整个周日手忙脚乱迅速扩展了上述计划,允许银行将包括股票在内的更多种类的证券作为质押。

周日当巴克莱交易落空后,决策者开始“往跑道上喷塑胶”,盖纳做此比喻指的是采取缓冲措施。Fed官员在当天夜里意识到他们所作的准备或许不足以应付所有突发情况。不过他们仍希望,借助他们周日匆忙拿出的放宽条件的贷款计划,一段时间后混乱能有所平息。他们还感到,自从贝尔斯登在3月份因危机破产后,金融机构和市场已有足够时间对重大负面事件所带来的震动作好心理准备。

但与许多人之前的预期相比,这份于周一早间提交到联邦破产法庭、编号为No. 08-1355的雷曼兄弟破产案在市场中激起了大得多的振荡,而且波及范围也要更远。破产令雷曼兄弟股东和债券持有人的大量投资迅速泡汤。利用政府石油收入盈余投资的挪威政府退休基金就是最大的受害者之一。据现有的最近数据显示,截至2007年年底,该基金持有价值超过8亿美元的雷曼兄弟债券和股票。雷曼兄弟的猝死让批评挪威政府石油收入投资方式的人士获得了有力武器。一位发言人表示,该基金的管理层“非常担心,且在密切关注势态发展。”

政府听任雷曼兄弟垮台的事实成了投资者风险评估方式的一个转折点。当Fed 3月份做主让摩根大通接管贝尔斯登时,贝尔斯登股东损失了大部分投资,但债券持有人基本全身而退。从金融风险等级来看,这个结果并不奇怪,因为债券持有人比股权持有人在收回投资方面享有更多的合约权利。但这在投资者中间造成一种错觉,人们以为,以后再有银行出问题,政府还会出手营救债券持有人。但政府让雷曼兄弟自生自灭的决定突然间让市场打消了这个想法。

大规模信贷违约掉期市场所做出的反应最为明显。周一,债券违约掉期急剧扩大,创出单日最大涨幅。据Markit CDX index的数据,在美国,1,000万美元债券的5年期违约保护成本已经从周五的152,000美元涨到了194,000美元。

当违约掉期扩大时,出售合约的一方(比如银行、对冲基金和保险公司等)将发生损失。与此同时,这些卖家必须拿出更多现金作为质押,以此保证他们能正常履约。据资产管理公司Bridgewater Associates估计,仅在周一一天,债券违约掉期的卖家不得不筹集1,400亿美元交付保证金。投资者手忙脚乱地筹集资金,被迫卖掉了可以卖的所有东西,这种变现操作给全世界金融市场带来很大冲击。

追加现金

追加现金加剧了AIG的问题。之前因为信用评级下调,它在追加140亿美元质押金的要求面前已是摇摇欲坠。AIG是违约保险市场最大的卖方之一,其存量合约涉及价值4,000亿美元的债券。

雪上加霜的是,在CDS市场的交易方试图评估他们有多少资金与雷曼兄弟有关的同时,实际交易量开始大幅萎缩。破产意味着许多原本在与雷曼兄弟的对手交易中盈利的对冲基金和银行现在可能拿不到钱了。同时,雷曼兄弟机构经纪业务的客户将不得不通过法庭讨回他们的资金或证券了。

由原雷曼兄弟交易员吉宾斯(Robert Charles Gibbins )2003年建立的对冲基金Autonomy Capital Research就是受到牵连的雷曼兄弟客户之一。据知情人士说,雷曼兄弟申请破产保护时,冻结了Autonomy大约6,000万美元资金。这个数字约占Autonomy所管理25亿美元资产额的2%。Autonomy的管理人士拒绝发表评论。

因为担心其他和自己有业务往来的证券公司可能也会倒闭,对冲基金纷纷购买针对这些公司的违约保险。但卖方很犹豫。想像一下,这就像某住宅区的所有家庭几乎在同一时间要求购买住房保险,那卖保险的人会有什么感觉。这样一来,摩根士丹利和高盛的债券违约掉期大涨,人们对这些公司的恐慌出现了恶性循环。

与此同时,对冲基金开始将资金撤出这两家公司。以摩根士丹利为例,其机构经纪业务在接下来的几天时间里就将丧失约10%的客户资产。

纽约对冲基金Institutional Credit Partners.首席执行长普莱奥(Thomas Priore)说,情况混乱极了,人们简直要被可能发生的事吓呆了。

在人们对雷曼兄弟破产会怎样影响其他金融机构尚感不确定之时,传言和混乱引起了股价疯狂波动。比如,周二一位伦敦分析师发表报告称,已因数百亿美元冲销大受打击的瑞银(UBS)可能因为与雷曼兄弟相关业务再损失40亿美元。当天瑞银股价大跌17%。瑞银随后称,其相关风险敞口不超过3亿美元。

对金融机构健康状况的担忧不断升温,且迅速传导到银行融资市场。纽约时间周二早间7点,市场受到了当天的第一次重击:伦敦的英国银行家协会(British Bankers' Association)报告说,反映银行间借贷成本的伦敦银行同业拆息(Libor)大幅上升。美元隔夜Libor从之前的3.11%骤升至6.44%,创下历史上最大升幅。但即使在如此高的利率面前,银行仍不愿出借手中资金。

几个小时之内,市场就将关注焦点转到了高盛和摩根士丹利的命运上。这两家公司发现他们也要奋力提振投资者不断下滑的信心。高盛首席财务长大卫•维尼亚(David Viniar)在收益发布会上回答了一个又一个有关该公司借款能力的问题。他承认道,我们的确没有料到雷曼兄弟所发生的事情。

与此同时,摩根士丹利股价早盘暴跌28%,投资者认为该公司将沦为雷曼兄弟破产之后的下一个牺牲品。下午4时左右,摩根士丹利决定提前一天公布第三财季业绩,希望不错的业绩能阻止股价的下滑。

摩根士丹利首席财务长柯姆•凯勒尔(Colm Kelleher)在与分析师的电话会议上称,我担心这种情况将会蔓延;市场上一片恐慌。

摩根士丹利的电话会议尚未结束,雷曼兄弟破产的后果已在另一个不同的金融领域显现了出来:那就是被普遍认为有如银行存款一般安全的货币市场基金。许多货币市场基金购买的都是商业票据,雷曼兄弟也发行了这类票据用于短期借款。不过现在,这类票据的价格仅是票面价值的20%。

在纽约时间下午5时左右,一家名为The Reserve的知名货币市场基金管理公司称,该公司旗下的主要基金Reserve Primary基金持有面值7.85亿美元的雷曼兄弟公司债券。The Reserve称,这个结果使该基金的净资产值跌到每份1美元之下,这也是14年来货币市场基金首次跌破1美元的面值。该公司过去还曾批评其竞争对手在商业票据市场上过于冒险。

商业票据市场遇到的麻烦给总体经济带来了尤为严重的威胁。全球各地的公司都依靠商业票据获得短期贷款,满足从发工资到购买原材料在内的各种用途。但随着惊恐的货币市场基金纷纷逃离,商业票据市场陷入了停滞。

上周三,贷款市场的停滞在英国也致使事态急剧变化。英国最大的抵押贷款银行HBOS PLC的股价暴跌了19%,原因在于投资者对该行严重依赖市场筹集业务资金的担忧情绪不断升温。这种情况对政府官员来说是一个危险信号。今年早些时候当他们被迫对陷入困境的抵押贷款公司Northern Rock进行国有化时曾深感尴尬。Northern Rock是英国100多年来首次遭挤兑的银行。

政府迅速采取行动,撮合英国的莱斯银行(Lloyds TSB)紧急收购了HBOS。官员们甚至修改了原本会阻止此项合并的英国反垄断规定,政府的急迫心情由此可见一斑。HBOS和莱斯银行总共控制了英国抵押贷款市场的三分之一左右。

而在纽约,摩根士丹利和高盛的情况也在迅速恶化。在当天下午大约2时,摩根士丹利首席执行长麦晋桁(John Mack)在向员工发出的一封电子邮件中称,现在到底发生了什么?我觉得很清楚:我们正处于为恐惧和传言所控制的市场当中。到周三结束时,摩根士丹利和高盛的员工都已被折腾得精疲力尽。

摩根士丹利股价下跌了24%,至每股21.75美元,而市值最大的投行高盛下跌了14%,至114.50美元。周四,鲍尔森和贝南克认为,这个结果对金融系统和经济带来了太大的威胁。在上世纪30年代以来最大规模的政府干预行动中,他们将联邦保险扩大到规模约为3.4万亿美元的货币市场基金中,并提出了用7,000亿美元接收银行资产负债表中不良资产的计划。

三天后,高盛和摩根士丹利向Fed申请成为商业银行──这个历史性的举措结束了监管松懈的华尔街证券机构以高风险换取高回报的传统。

对一些人而言,政府采取救助行动的决定其实是默认了这样一个事实:尽管官员们希望让市场自己惩罚酿成危机的冒险行径,但银行始终是处于优势地位的。日内瓦日内瓦国际研究所(Graduate Institute in Geneva)经济学教授查尔斯•韦普洛兹(Charles Wyplosz)说,雷曼兄弟的事情证明,有效处理银行的不当行为比我们想象中要困难得多;你要紧盯着魔鬼的眼睛,而这双眼睛非常可怕。

交易的一致性原则

近日接了一些朋友的电话,有抄底的,有砍仓的,有加码的,有减磅的,奇奇怪怪,但是买的人担心,卖的人也在担心,说的最多的居然是一句话:看明天了。。。

明天的涨跌,对我们很重要,其实也不重要。

有的朋友本来上周买了,刚要庆幸自己抄底成功,这周一却止损了。买入的理由是某只股票(比如,他买的是601858,一只小盘股),2008年效益应该不错,卖出的理由却是中国石油(601857)今天破位了,大盘很不好。这一切看起来都很有道理,但是不到一周的时间,他却做出了两个完全不同的判断。这是为什么呢?

风不动,幡不动,仁者心动。

然后,如果明天601857出现一根大阳,这朋友会怎么做呢?我们猜测,极大的可能是他一发现601857跌不下去了,马上动手买入他今天卖出去的601858,然后等待601858走强,到达他预期的目标。如何601857又跌了,他还是可能重新把601858给卖掉。

他心里考虑的是601858的价值,交易的依据却是601857的分时技术图表,就好比我们曾经称赞过的某著名的体育解说员,眼睛里看到的是A,心里想到的是B,嘴里说出来的却是C。这样的交易者,是不容易在市场里成功的。因为他违背了交易的一致性原则。

一致性原则简单地说:就是买入是什么理由,卖出也必须是什么理由,一个入口,一个出口,必须完全一致!

如果是基于基本面的分析来操作,那么,只要公司的经营管理没有改变,那么,你就应该一直守仓,或者一直空仓。不要因为今天这公司的价格走强了,满仓,也不要因为走弱了,空仓。走强或者走弱,不是你买卖的理由,不值得你去为这些事烦恼。甚至,对一个价值投资者,他的字典里不应该有“强”和“弱”之类的词语。

如果是基于技术面的分析来操作,那么,只要股票的价格在某个价格之上、或者某一指标在某个数字之上,你就应该持仓,只要股票的价格在某个价格之下、或者某一指标在某个数字之下,你就应该空仓。我们交易的是一只或者几只股票,不是大盘,也不是公司未来的预期收益。大盘是机构考虑的问题,个人技术交易者是不应该去考虑的。预期收益是价值投资者考虑的问题,个人技术交易者也完全可以少考虑或者不考虑。

一致性原则告诉我们要凝聚我们的热情,凝聚我们的注意力。在我们的买卖依据上,抓住最重要的的一两点就可以了,其他的细枝末节的东西,间接的东西,完全可以忽略。投资就是把复杂的事情简单化,然后不断重复这些简单的准则。只有这样,才有我们内心的宁静。这宁静支撑了我们度过未来可能来临的动荡岁月,让我们不需要眼睛看着A,心里想着B,手里交易的却是C。

什么都关注的人,反而有点玄了。他的交易系统太复杂了,而越是复杂的机器,出错的概率也越高。

永远不要抱怨自己的无知,我们不需要有太多的知识了。知识越多,越影响我们看清楚事物的本质,我们反而越容易迷失自己。从来没有见过那个伟大的投资大师是从教授讲坛上走下来,那些博学人猿在市场面前,只会充分暴露出了他们的软弱和渺小。同时,我们任何人都无法穷尽这世间的知识。整个世界就是一碗糊涂粥。如果因为世界是普遍联系,就认为股票操作也应该普遍联系,那么等于是好不容易整修了一套新房,却邀请了一大堆陌生的亲戚过来住。

我们的交易依据,也不应该有陌生的面孔。

不关心大盘,有的人一样可以成功操作股票;
不关心未来业绩预期,有的人一样可以成功操作股票;
不关心601857,我们一样可以成功买卖601858!!!!

风不动,幡不动,仁者不动。

绊倒华尔街的“同一条绳索”

软资产-硬负债的内在矛盾,不仅是造成这次美国次贷危机和雷曼兄弟公司破产的直接原因,也是多次“绊倒”美国、日本金融体系的“同一条绳索”。
 
9月华尔街“金融大地震”所波及之处,一片狼藉。爆发归结起来有三大原因:软资产-硬负债的矛盾、金融资产价格过度膨胀的必然结果和国际货币体系内在冲突的体现。

软资产-硬负债的矛盾是造成这次金融危机的直接原因。现有财务评价体系和信贷体系的一个内在矛盾就是各项资产,尤其房地产和股权资产常常可以根据资产的市场价值为依据进行调整。例如一项购买成本为100万元的房产,在房地产市场上升50%时,该项房产的价值就被认定为150万元。股权资产的价值也常常以市场价值来评估,因此很多资产的价值是随着市场价值的起伏而剧烈波动的。与此相反,负债却是刚性的。也就是说,如果房产所有人以150万元的价值抵押贷款120万元,那么无论房地产价格如何变动,负债永远都是120万元。即便抵押物的价值回落到100万元,负债并不随之下调。因此,软资产-硬负债的矛盾直接导致了美国次债危机的发生和雷曼兄弟等众多金融的倒闭。随着美国金融危机的加深,雷曼兄弟公司的资产不断地随着市场价格的下降而减值,但以此进行融资形成的负债却刚性地保持不动,因此造成雷曼兄弟公司迅速陷入财务危机和流动性危机。

其实软资产-硬负债的内在矛盾,不仅是造成这次美国次贷危机和雷曼兄弟公司破产的直接原因,也是多次“绊倒”美国、日本金融体系的“同一条绳索”。1929-1932年美国的金融危机和大萧条、1990年代日本的金融危机都是如此。

其次,这次美国金融危机是前期美国金融资产膨胀的必然结果。2005年我在《金融资产膨胀与货币政策困境》一书中,就曾提出可交易金融资产市场的快速膨胀与调整固然会对金融体系形成一定的冲击。但是如果这些可交易金融资产没有与商业银行的信用创造功能相结合,其影响就常常仅限于局部市场之内。而一旦这一市场与商业银行信用创造功能相结合,其破坏力迅速得到几何级数的放大,形成金融核弹的冲击波,对于整个金融体系甚至经济体系实施毁灭性打击。这次美国金融危机之所以远比初期人们所预料的严重与持久,核心的原因就是美国的次贷市场、次贷衍生产品市场与美国的商业银行信用创造功能相互推动。商业因信用创造为前些年美国房地产市场、资本市场的非理性繁荣提供了源源不断的流动性,而雷曼、美林这些投资银行以及房地美等房地产抵押贷款机构借助于衍生产品创新不断地从商业银行和投资公众手中抽取“血液”,推动金融衍生市场走向狂热状态。而一旦金融资产膨胀发展到了极致出现反转,抵押金融资产价值出现一定幅度的下降,就造成投资机构在软资产-硬负债的矛盾下,出现资不抵债的财务危机和市场流动性快速萎缩形成的流动性危机。债务人的困境又迅速传递到商业银行资产质量下降,信用内盛行紧缩。因此,尽管美国次贷危机发生以来,美国政府多次向市场注入流动性,但是始终难以收到效果。

最后,国际货币体系的内在冲突是美国金融危机的深层次原因。国际货币体系历经金本位、金汇兑本位、布雷顿深林体系、牙买加体系等多次变化。但主线是单一本位币条件下的固定汇率制体系和多元本位币条件下的浮动汇率制体系交替。通常在单一本位币条件下的固定汇率制体系期间,国际经济、金融运行相对比较稳定,而在多元本位币条件下的浮动汇率制体系期间,国际经济、金融领域往往充满了动荡和危机。1929年-1932年的美国经济大萧条和金融危机,就是国际货币体系由英磅本位向美元本位过渡期间国际金融动荡的集中体现。

目前,随着全球经济的多极化,美国经济在全球的份额不断下降,欧元区的统一、金砖四国的崛起,对于当前美元为主要结算货币和储备货币的国际货币体系形成冲击,国际货币体系正在走向多元化。在此背景下,各国货币当局和全球投资者逐渐在减持美元资产,大量过剩的美元迫使美元出现长期的下降趋势。由于美元的持续贬值,美元大量回流美国,不仅推动美国房地产市场出现非理性繁荣,同时美国商业银行累计大量的美元资金急于贷放,又找不到优级的借款人,只好降低借款人的信用的等级要求,从而形成大量的次级房屋抵押贷款。另一方面,在国际范围内,以美元标价的国际大宗商品价格由于美元贬值而出现持续上升,国际通货膨胀压力加大。美国被迫在2006年提高利率水平,由此触发了美国房地产市场的调整和金融市场的危机。

地质学上说,地震是地壳表面各大板块含原有的力学结构受到破坏,出现严重不均衡的结果。这次的“金融大地震”也是如此。它是这些年来美国金融体系和国际货币体系内在矛盾的一个爆发式表现。在长期以来蓄积的能量没有得到充分释放之前,这次的“金融大地震”是不会停止的,还将摇撼下去。但是,“雷曼地震”带给我们的更重要的、更深层次的思索是:如何解决软资产-硬负债这一数次“绊倒”强大金融体的“同一条绳索”,和未来的国际货币体系何去何从?

格雷厄姆证券分析体系 "投资"与"投机"的定义区别

本杰明·格雷厄姆所创立的证券分析理论体系的一个显著特点,就是通过对证券领域里一些重要的经济范畴的历史审视和深刻剖析,力图澄清弥漫其上的种种迷惑纷乱的表象,揭示其中所蕴含的尚未被人们所真正认识的实质,促成证券投资者树立科学、理性、安全、有效的证券投资理念。基于“投资”与“投机”在证券市场中所具有的广泛影响和突出作用,故而对其进行全面彻

底地审视和赋予确切的定义,便成为格雷厄姆构建证券分析理论体系的一项重要工作。

在格雷厄姆所处的上个世纪的三十年代里,资本市场上对于“投资”与“投机”的定义,在认识上往往存在着不同的观点。人们从不同的角度出发,对于两者之间的概念、关系、作用以至差别等,有着不相一致的、甚或是大相径庭的认识。对于认同两者之间存在着差异、属于两个不同的重要经济概念者来说,投资与投机的区别是可以从证券买卖的对象、付款的方式、持有股票的时间长短以及是否为安全收益或预期风险收益等特征来加以划分。但是,投资与投机在概念和实际运作中粘合的是如此密切,难以区分,以至于被许多伤透脑筋的市场人士干脆定论为:“投资是一种成功的投机,而投机是一次不成功的投资”,将两者合二为一,视作只是同一种行为的两种不同的表现形式或说法而已。

格雷厄姆不赞成上述肤浅的认识。通过大量的市场分析和理论研究,他形成了自己独特的见解。他认为将投资与投机等同为一的观念并不足取,因为持之者只是从两者活动的最终结果来对其加以界定,而不是在全面地分析其基本特征后加以定义。他明确地指出,“投资”与“投机”是两个截然不同的经济范畴,两者之间存在着显著的、本质上的差别。这种差别,并不是完全表现在诸如购买的对象是债券或是股票,采取的方式是现金交易还是保证金交易,持有的股票时间是长期或是短期,投资的目的是实现安全性收益或是风险性收益等表象上。

之所以如此,是因为持有上述的评判标准本身都是难以确定的、并且总是处于变化状态下或捉摸不定的。所以,上述的差别并没有触及到两者本质上的特征,不能作为确切定义的依据。例如,人们曾固执地认为债券是一种极为安全的投资对象而股票却蕴含着极大的风险。因此,购买债券便是投资而购买股票则就理应属于投机。实际上,并不是所有的债券都是投资的对象。如果一种债券没有安全的内在价值,购买其无疑就等同于是一次彻头彻尾的投机,并且是一次危险极大的投机;而如果一只具有安全性的股票,对其操作就是一次投资,而且是一次具有安全保障的、能够得到有效回报的投资。再比如,用现金足额购买股票也不能被视作为是投资,因为大多数最具投机性的股票正是被要求使用现金足额购买的,等等。总之,“购买股票可以是投资,使用保证金交易可以是投资,而怀着快速获得利润的目的进行的操作也可以是投资”。

那么,究竟“投资”与“投机”的确切定义何在呢?在格雷厄姆看来,投资的确切定义应该蕴含着三个彼此关联、密不可分的重要因素。首先,投资必须是建立在“详尽分析”基础之上。所谓详尽分析,即是指通过以既定的安全和价值标准对投资对象进行的研究工作。其次,投资应该具有“安全性”的保障。当然,证券市场上的投资始终充满着和伴随着各种风险,从来也没有绝对的安全。但经过详尽分析以后被选定的投资对象应该具有投资的“内在价值”,应该存在着相对安全的价值空间,而这正是保障其在通常和可能的情况下没有较大的风险,也是其可以避免意外损失的安全体现。第三,投资的结果是必须能够得到“满意的回报”。这种令具有理性的投资者满意的回报,具有更广泛的含义,即不仅包括了利息和股息,而且也包括了资本增值和利润。由此,格雷厄姆得出的定义是:“投资是指经过详尽分析后,本金安全且有满意回报的操作”。相反,与之不合的就是投机。

“投资”与“投机”都是证券市场交易活动的一种基本活动形式,两者之间的最基本的区别或核心,就在于能否获得安全性的收入。格雷厄姆关于投资的定义与众不同的是,他着重指出“投资”所特意强调的这种安全的保障不能建之于市场虚假的信息、毫无根据的臆断、内部小道消息的传播甚或十足的赌性之上;“投资”的安全性必须取决于投资对象是否具备真正的内在价值或存在一个价值变化的空间,而要确切地把握这一关键之处或达到“边际安全”,只有通过利用客观的标准对所能够掌握的信息进行详尽分析。格雷厄姆认为,反思 1929年前美国股票市场的过热和随之而来的大崩溃,其中的一个重要原因,就在于与投资者不能正确区分投资与投机的概念,将这两个截然不同的概念加以混淆,投资操作缺乏理性指导,最终不仅导致投资者金钱上的重大损失,而且实际上也促成了市场的整体崩溃。由此,汲取历史的教益,真正认识投资与投机的本质差别,对于投资者树立科学、理性、安全、有效的投资理念,就至关重要。