Wednesday 31 December 2014

CSE - Percentage wise Top 20 Gainers and Losers in December 2014, QTD & YTD

Top Gainers in December 2014

Top Losers in December 2014

Top Gainers QTD (Quarter-to-date)

Top Losers QTD (Quarter-to-date)

Top Gainers YTD (Year-to-date)

Top Losers YTD (Year-to-date)

A look back at Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) in 2014

Equity markets closed for the year 2014 in the green with both indices recording Y-o-Y gains. The ASPI increased 1,386.17 points (or 23.44%) to close at 7,298.95 points; the S&P SL20 Index meanwhile gained 25.29% (or 825.27 points) to close at 4,089.14 points.

Sri Lanka Equity markets through 2014 gained considerably relative to 2013, due to number of various elements. The low interest rate environment and a rebound in macro-fundamentals have helped markets rally significantly, particularly since June 2014. The benchmark ASPI crossed the 7,500 mark for the first time in 31/2 years, while market capitalization surpassed LKR 3.0 Trillion for the first time in history.

During 2014 investor sentiment gathered reasonable momentum largely due to strong foreign and local institutional buying. YTD net foreign inflows to the Bourse, have totalled LKR 22.07 Bn. 
(Click below Link to find 2014 Daily Summary)


Improving macro-fundamentals such as a strong rebound in GDP growth, stable inflation levels and positive external sector conditions have consequently supported the bull-run in markets. Corporate earnings have consequently, reflected these positive developments. Total market earnings for the quarter ended September 2014 grew 52.4% Y-o-Y to LKR 50.5bn (cf. LKR 33.2bn in September 2013).

During 2014 there were 8 new entrants to CSE and 3 companies were de-listed which left the 293 public quoted companies were on CSE as at 31st December 2014. (see below Table)




During year 2014, CSE witnessed 13 Rights Issue announcements. (see below Table)



In 2014 Sengadagala Finance PLC was the only one company issued shares by way of Capitalization of Reserves. (see below Table)



United Motors PLC and Serendib Engineering Group announced Sub Division of Shares in 2014. (see below Table)



During 2014 191 Public Quoted Companies in CSE declared dividend. (Click below Link)



Like year 2013 considerable of amount of Debentures were introduced to CSE Debt market by 24 companies. (see below Table)

31-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary


Quote for the day

“We fear rejection, want attention, crave affection and dream of perfection.” - Ziad K. Abdelnour

Tuesday 30 December 2014

Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2015

30-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary


Quote for the day

“All things are subject to interpretation... whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth.” -  Friedrich Nietzsche

Monday 29 December 2014

29-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary


Quote for the day

“High volume at a key point is an extraordinarily valuable tip-off that a stock is ready to move. Volume can also be used in a reverse manner. When prices enter a consolidation after an advance, volume should dry up very substantially. In other words, there should be very little selling coming into the market. During a consolidation, declining volume is generally constructive.” -  William O' Neill

Sunday 28 December 2014

The Largest Revenue Generating Internet Companies

Have you ever wondered who the big internet giants are? Well this infographic provided by locatemylocal.com shows the top fifteen largest internet based companies sorted via revenue in the world. That’s a lot of billions..


infographic-locate-my-local
Source: http://www.amazinginfographics.com/

Two Hidden Virtues of Successful Traders

By Brett Steenbarger, Ph.D.

One of the most interesting aspects of working as a trading coach is the ability to see, first hand, what contributes to the success of traders. So often the factors that lead to success are not those emphasized in mainstream articles and books. Here are two unappreciated virtues I see among successful portfolio managers and traders:

1) The ability to tolerate uncertainty - Suppose you take any particular configuration of price in a market; say, trading x% above or below a Y period moving average. Then look at what that market does on average over the next Y period. The odds are great that for any value of x and Y, the market's directional tendency will be swamped by the variability of price within that next Y period. What that means is that, on average, the signal to noise ratio for a directional trader is low. Whatever directional tendency is present is generally not statistically significant and not readily tradeable. Given such a situation, the modal opinion of any trader should be "I don't know". Uncertainty is itself a view and, in fact, should be one's base case. When a trader cannot tolerate uncertainty and needs to manufacture conviction, the result inevitably is overtrading the objective opportunity set. It is impossible to properly manage risk if you are intolerant of uncertainty.

2) The productivity of time spent away from trading - I consistently find that successful traders spend more time identifying good trading opportunities than actually putting on and managing trades. Csikszentmihalyi conducted a fascinating study with artists in which they were shown 27 objects and asked to arrange a small group of them into a composition and generate a sketch. They had one hour for the task. The artists fell into two categories. One group quickly identified the objects for the composition and spent the better part of the hour refining their sketches. The second group spent most the hour figuring out what to draw. They selected objects, started sketches, changed the objects, sketched some more, rearranged objects, etc. By the time they found the composition they liked, they spent only a few minutes on the final sketch. The drawings of the second group were rated as significantly more creative by a group of art critics than those of the first group and, after a five year period, the second group demonstrated significantly greater success as artists. The less successful artists spent most their time sketching. The successful artists spent most their time finding compositions worthy of sketching. It's a great analogy for trading.

Good things happen when these two strengths come together. The ability to accept uncertainty frees the mind to maximize time away from trading and creatively generate sound trade ideas. For the successful trader, uncertainty provides the opportunity to get away from screens and look at markets through new lenses. Overtrading exists when the need to trade exceeds the need to understand.
Source: http://traderfeed.blogspot.de/

Quote for the day

“We all are learning, modifying, or destroying ideas all the time. Rapid destruction of your ideas when the time is right is one of the most valuable qualities you can acquire. You must force yourself to consider arguments on the other side.” - Charlie Munger

Saturday 27 December 2014

Facebook's Buying Spree: Why Facebook Spent 22 Billion+ on 14 Companies

It’s hard to believe Facebook’s been around for over a decade. Sure, ten years isn't all that long, but in the short history of the Internet a decade is quite a long time. Not many social media networks can boast that kind of longevity. 

Back in 2004 when Facebook was launched, AOL, Hotmail, MapQuest, and Ask Jeeves still reigned supreme. The Facebook, as it was first named, was at first meant to be a social network just for college students, but after spreading like wildfire at Harvard University, it soon expanded, first to other Ivy league universities and then quickly into schools in the UK. 

Then in 2006, it was opened to anyone with an email address. Facebook has spawned several controversies over its rise to ubiquity, including concerns over privacy, whether it’s okay to use “friend” as a verb (turns out English speakers have been doing that since the 16th century), lawsuits over allegedly stolen source code, and psychological experiments on its users. 

There’s even a whole separate Wikipedia page for Criticisms of Facebook.


Source: http://www.visualistan.com/

Quote for the day

“Always remember... Rumours are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.” - Ziad K. Abdelnour

Friday 26 December 2014

Psychology of Colors

This infographic examines the psychology of colour and looks at some common associations of different colours. It shows the overall importance of colour to consumers and characteristics of many individual colours. The numbers are pretty fascinating! Check out the infographic.

Psychology of Colors #infographic
Source: http://www.visualistan.com/

26-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary


Quote for the day

“Try as one might, when one looks into the future, there is no such thing as 'complete' information, much less a 'complete' forecast. As a consequence, I have found that the fastest way to an effective forecast is often through a sequence of lousy forecasts.” - Paul Saffo

Thursday 25 December 2014

10 Powerful Success Strategies

By Craig Harper

If you’re serious about creating lasting and significant change in your world – as opposed to merely thinking and talking about it for another year – there are a few things you might want to do in order to help make those intentions a reality…

1. Know what success is. If you don’t know what success is (for you), how can you possibly create it? Success is different things for different people and one person’s success (a pregnancy for example) might be another person’s catastrophe. That’s because success (or failure) is not so much about the situation, circumstance, event or outcome as it is about what that “thing” means to the person in the middle of it. In order to create success, you must first define it – and far too many people haven’t. Be very clear about what you want and don’t want for your life. Clarity produces excitement. Excitement produces momentum. Momentum produces behavioural change. Behavioural change produces different results and eventually, the internal vision becomes an external reality. Giddy-up.

2. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Some people will live a life of second-best, of compromise and of under-achievement simply because they are (1) controlled by fear (2) always looking for the magic pill or shortcut and (3) not prepared to do the tough stuff. People who always take the easy option are destined for mediocrity. At best. Constantly avoiding the discomfort means constantly avoiding the lessons and the personal growth. Pain is a great teacher. Not always what we want, but sometimes what we need.

3. Seek to be righteous, not right. The need to be “right” speaks of arrogance, insecurity, ego and stupidity. It’s also synonymous with failure. The person who constantly needs to be right will miss out on much of what life has to teach him and alienate himself from others. Arrogance repels, humility attracts.

4. Seek respect, not popularity. It’s been said that our nature is “who we are” and our reputation is who people think we are. When the two are synonymous, we’re usually on the right path.

5. Embrace mess. To embrace mess is to embrace life because life is messy, unpredictable, unfair, uncertain, lumpy and bumpy. So get used to a little chaos. Embrace it even. While others succumb to the messiness and unpredictability of the human experience, make a conscious choice to be the calm in the chaos.

6. Don’t become your parents. Or your boss. Or anyone but you. The enormity of conformity is a problem for the wanna-be success story. Sure, your parents are great and by all means respect them, love them and learn from them, but please don’t become them; that’s just plain ugly and a little bit tragic. Listen to, and learn from other people, but think, act and decide for yourself. And no, you don’t need anyone’s approval or permission; you’re big now. It’s okay.

7. Use more of what you already have. Imagine what you could achieve if you took all the knowledge, intelligence, opportunities, time, skill and talent that you currently have and absolutely milked it. What if you already have more than enough talent to become wildly successful? Well, you do. There go the excuses. And that voice that’s telling (some of) you right now that you don’t have what it takes to become successful, that’s called fear. Not logic, fear. Not reality, fear. Unless of course, you allow that to become your reality. Be mindful that the voice in your head (the very loud, annoying and persistent one) is rarely a reflection of your potential and mostly a manifestation of your insecurity.

 And no, you’re not alone in your self-doubt; it’s a universal condition. Many people fail, not because they don’t have what it takes, but because they don’t use what they already have. Successful people typically don’t have more innate potential, luck, time or opportunity than the next person, but they consistently find a way to use much more of what they have at their disposal. While the majority are rationalising their lack of decision making and action taking, these guys are finding a way to get the job done. The question is not “how much ability do you have, but how much will you use?”.

8. Be an innovator, not an imitator. Not too many sheep succeed. Baaah. Sometimes it’s a good idea to build your own team rather than join someone else’s. Don’t let your fear stand in the way of your potential to create, innovate or lead. When I set up Australia’s first commercial personal training centre, most people told me it wouldn't work. Glad I did’t' listen.

9. Do what most won't. If you want to achieve what most people won’t (happiness, joy, calm, wealth, optimal health, balance) then don’t do what they do. If you want to be like the majority, then do what they do. Producing different results comes from doing different things. Simple really. And effective. Most people won’t persevere, won’t finish what they start, won’t find the good, won’t do what it takes, won’t question their long-held beliefs, won’t be solution-focused, won’t do what scares them and won’t “be the change” they want to see in their world. Choose to be different.

10. Be like water. Powerful. Gentle. Adaptable. Ever-changing. Being static in a dynamic world – like the one you and I inhabit – is a recipe for disaster. If you can’t adapt, you can’t succeed. Our practical, three dimensional reality, and everything in it, is in a constant state of transition, while some of us are in a constant state of “same”. Statues don’t succeed, they just get crapped on. Watch out for the pigeons.
Source: http://www.lifehack.org/

Quote for the day

“Don’t be afraid to predict. Just know how likely it is that you’ll be wrong, and know what to do when your prediction fails!” – Christopher Ebert

Wednesday 24 December 2014

26 Crazy Facts You Never Knew About Google

Do you remember what it was like before you could "Google" something? From its revolutionary inception to its commonplace use, Google continues to be an online giant with secrets and idiosyncrasies.

26 Crazy Facts You Never Knew About Google #infographic
Source: http://www.visualistan.com/

24-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary


Quote for the day

“The great danger for most of us lies in not setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” -  Michelangelo

Tuesday 23 December 2014

23-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary


Quote for the day

“Whenever you have jealousy as an emotion, or greed, or envy, it distorts your judgement. The market's like the bleached blonde in Vegas. It doesn't care about you. That's why you have to put aside your ego and get out. If you have trouble doing that, as most people do, be like Odysseus; tie yourself to the mast with an automatic stop and take your emotions out of play.” - Marty Schwartz

Monday 22 December 2014

22-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary



Quote for the day

“First and foremost, understand that you will always make mistakes. The only way to prevent mistakes from turning into disasters is to accept losses while they are small and then move on.” -  Mark Minervini

Sunday 21 December 2014

Quote for the day

“I am a self-taught trader who is continually studying both myself and other traders.” -  Ed Seykota

Saturday 20 December 2014

18 Habits of Rich Traders

Trading in the stock market is like being in a Monopoly game. If there are ten people playing, one person is likely to take everyone else’s money.


Trading functions much the same way, with 10% of traders becoming profitable, while the other 90% lose or break even. After studying successful traders like Livermore, Darvas, O’Neil, Covel, and Jack Schwager for many years, I have compiled a list of what separates them and their followers from the 90% that come up short. To check my own accuracy, I sent these principles to John Boik, Alexander Elder, and Chris Kacher and many others.  After receiving their support, I am happy to share these shortcuts to trading success.
Psychology
  • New Traders are greedy and have unrealistic expectations. Rich Traders are realistic about their returns.
  • New Traders make the wrong decisions due to stress. Rich Traders can manage stress.
  • New Traders are impatient and look for constant action. Rich Traders are patient.
  • New Traders trade because they are influenced by emotion. Good Traders use a trading plan.
  • New Traders think they can stop learning. Rich Traders never stop learning about the market.
Risk
  • New Traders act like gamblers. Rich Traders operate like a businessperson.
  • New Traders bet the farm. Rich Traders carefully control trading size.
  • For New Traders outsized profits are the #1 priority. Rich Traders know that managing risk is the #1 Priority.
  • New Traders try to prove they are right. Rich Traders admit when they are wrong.
  • New Traders give back profits by not having an exit strategy. Rich Traders lock in profits while they are there.
Methodology
  • New Traders give up. Rich Traders persevere until they are successful.
  • New Traders hop from system to system when they lose. Rich Traders stick with a winning system even when it is losing.
  • New Traders place trades based on opinions. Rich Traders place trades based on probabilities.
  • New Traders try to predict. Rich Traders follow what the market is telling them.
  • New Traders trade against the trend. Rich Traders follow the market trends.
  • New Traders follow their emotions to their disadvantage. Rich Traders follow systems that give them an advantage.
  • New Traders do not know when to cut losses or lock in gains. Rich Traders have an exit plan.
  • New Traders cut profits short and let losses run. Rich Traders let profits run and cut losses short.
Source: www.newtrader.com

Email History

Email is one of the oldest computer technologies and it is still used daily all over the world. In fact, it's been around since 1965 which is almost 50 years ago. From a small private system used only in M.I.T. to the system most of us use on a daily basis, this infographic will show you how email became an indispensable tool in today's tech world.

Email History #infographic
Source: http://www.visualistan.com

18 Things Mentally Strong People Do

Source: http://examinedexistence.com/

Quote for the day

“The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.” - Henry Ford

Friday 19 December 2014

19-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary


Quote for the day

“Markets are no different than empires. They expand, rise in value, become over-extended, and eventually collapse.” - Marc Faber

Thursday 18 December 2014

18-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary


Quote for the day

“As an investor, I find statistical probability of limited value; what matters is what happens in a particular case. The same applies with even greater force to historic events. I cannot make reliable predictions about them; all I can do is formulate scenarios. I can then compare the actual course of events with the hypothetical ones. Such hypotheses have no scientific validity, but they have considerable practical utility. They provide a basis for real-life decisions.” - George Soros

Wednesday 17 December 2014

17-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary


Quote for the day

“Choice-less awareness is a quality of mind that is free from making judgements, decisions or generating commentary as it meets with sense experiences. It is a mind that responds to each new moment without the burden of its past history or making future projections.” -  Matthew Flickstein

Tuesday 16 December 2014

16-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary


Quote for the day

"Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge." 
- Lao Tzu

Monday 15 December 2014

15-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary


Quote for the day

“I never allow myself to have an opinion on anything that I don’t know the other side’s argument better than they do.” - Charlie Munger

Sunday 14 December 2014

The Meaning of Brand Names

Creating a strong brand identity is an integral aspect of any consumer business, and a large part of any brand identity lies in its name. While many brands are simply named after their founders, others have more interesting origins. Some brand names take inspiration from ancient mythology, some are completely made-up, and some arrive in the world out of pure luck. We've taken a look at some of the most recognizable brands from around the world to find out just how and why they got their names – we're sure that a fair few will surprise you!


The Meaning of Brand Names #infographic
Source: http://www.visualistan.com/

Quote for the day

“Take the probability of loss times the amount of possible loss from the probability of gain times the amount of possible gain. That is what we're trying to do. It's imperfect but that's what it’s all about.” - Warren Buffett

Friday 12 December 2014

12-Dec-2014 CSE Trade Summary



Quote for the day

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone." - Bill Cosby

Thursday 11 December 2014