CHINESE NEW YEAR has come a little early this year and soothsayers, economists, fortune tellers and strategists are all coming together to give their take on what 2012 will look like. In this weekend’s issue (Issue 507), The Edge Singapore features its own collection of crystal ball gazing from geomancers, geopolitical analysts and a number of market experts.
There are several other views floating about too though. CLSA has just put out its annual Feng Shui Index, which attempts to predict the monthly rise and fall of the Hang Seng Index (HSI) using feng shui principles. The dragon is regarded as a major game-changer, but is also an unpredictable beast. CSLA therefore sees a gradual slide in the HSI till August, when we should see a strong rebound that will begin to taper off in December.
Based on a reading of the five elements – metal, water, wood, fire and earth – CLSA also forecasts that several sectors will have a better year than others. Those with a fairly good prognosis are transport, gaming, cement, property and tourism. Cement, in particular, is likely to fare exceptionally well. Those that might see some trouble are oil and gas, telecoms and Internet, technology and utilities.
If you were born in the year of the rat, 2012 will be a fab year for you, CLSA says. To boost your wealth, put a red object in the south of your home or office. To boost your health, put a music box in the west. “This year promises sterling returns for the quick and the debt-free,” the report says. Also set to have good years: the tiger, rabbit, monkey and rooster. Cows and dogs may need to take a little extra care.
RETAIL THERAPY
Getting into the spirit of things, here are 12 names that typically enjoy some kind of seasonal boost in the first quarter because of the Lunar New Year.
Mail volumes at Singapore Post always hit a high in the period from the beginning of December to the end of the Chinese New Year. While e-cards have gained popularity, the physical greeting card is still highly valued. And companies also flood the mail system with calendars and red packets.
Preparing for the festivities means more than spring cleaning. Buying New Year clothes has become an important part of the celebration and local retailer FJ Benjamin Holdings, which distributes clothing under the brands Banana Republic, Gap, GUESS and La Senza, as well as its own brand Raoul, ought to be able to take full advantage of that.
Given the large number of foreigners and permanent residents in the population, a good number will be leaving the country to visit family and friends in their countries of birth or just to take advantage of the long break. Those with deeper pockets will fly Singapore Airlines while its regional airline SilkAir flies to several cities in China like Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Xiamen. Budget travellers, on the other hand, will turn to Tiger Airways Holdings, which flies to the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
For the all-important reunion dinner, there is a growing trend of dining out these days, or getting take-out. Popular options are dim sum restaurant Din Tai Fung, operated by BreadTalk Group, and sushi and yu sheng from Sakae Sushi, owned by Sakae Holdings. And through the course of the next few days, as visitors go from house to house, they will be downing beers distributed by Asia Pacific Breweries and all sorts of juices, teas and soft drinks made by Fraser and Neave and Yeo Hiap Seng.
Gambling is a big part of the Chinese New Year tradition, and where better to do that this year than Genting Singapore’s Resorts World at Sentosa. Many will also be heading over to Marina Bay Sands, which is particularly convenient now that the Bayfront station on SMRT Corp’s Marina Bay extension has opened.
Finally, a recent survey of Digital Life’s Facebook fans found that only 19.6% plan to save their hongbao money in the bank. An overwhelming 36.9% of them will buy a new computer, gadget or gadget accessory. What are the chances that they’ll be heading down to Epicentre Holdings to get hold of an iPad or a new case for their Apple product of choice?
No comments:
Post a Comment