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How To Invest

5 best must-read sources to find new investment ideas in Singapore

One of the many common issues faced by investors is the trouble at finding new investment ideas. Some investors expect great investment ideas to appear on their laps without any effort on their part but, in fact, finding new investment ideas requires you to actively look for them. And, sometimes, the best way to find new ideas is to simply start reading.

You’ll be amazed at the number of potential companies you can invest in by scanning the news and writings around you. For investment ideas in Singapore, these are the five best sources I recommend and personally read to find potential ideas myself:

1. SGX

One of the ‘rawest’ ways to find new investment ideas in Singapore is to check out the SGX company announcements page. Under company announcements, you can find the latest news, updates, and developments that all SGX-listed companies have to publicly announce including share buybacks, insider trades, acquisitions/disposals, privatisations, spin-offs, rights issues and placements, earnings, and dividends.

If an announcement catches your eye (e.g. a director buying back a substantial number of shares), you can start doing more research on the company to see if there’s a potential opportunity. I know of investors and analysts who literally camp daily for hours at the announcements page looking through every announcement just to be ahead of others.

2. The Straits/Business Times and Channel News Asia

I usually tell new investors that if you want to understand the Singapore market, you have to start reading the local business news. And the best sources for Singapore business news are still The Straits Times, The Business Times, and Channel News Asia.

These news outlets usually have the best access to news and information in Singapore and reading them daily will give you a local perspective of the local business scene and how the Singapore stock market operates.

3. The Edge Singapore

In my opinion, The Edge Singapore is a great financial source for anyone who wants to invest in the Singapore market. The weekly print publication offers unique research and analysis on Singapore-listed companies that are factual and well-balanced. I also like the interviews they conduct with local business entrepreneurs and CEOs from time to time which gives me an insight into how a particular company is being run.

Another great feature of their print edition is their weekly compilation of insider trades and company buybacks on the SGX, which may point to a potentially undervalued stock. So if you find it too tedious to camp at the SGX company announcement page, then you’ll find this very useful (although the campers will still have a leg up over you).

4. Forbes Asia

Forbes Asia is one of my favourite business magazines and I have running subscription to its print edition as well. Its scope extends beyond just Singapore, so you’ll get news and articles that cover the Asian region.

The magazine is excellent for its unmatched access to Asian business leaders and the exclusive interviews it conducts with them. (Who doesn’t want to be interviewed by Forbes?) It’s a great way to understand how Asian entrepreneurs think and view the business world and you can discover new companies from the interviews that could become a great investment idea.

Forbes Asia also covers macro news, industry trends, market insights, innovation and technology, and money management. If these topics interest you, then Forbes Asia is your go-to resource.

5. Independent investment sites and blogs

Over the last few years, there has been an explosion of independent investment sites (including this one) and blogs in Singapore as the digital and retail investment scenes continue to grow. Individual investors now freely share their opinions and research on the stocks they’re currently monitoring.

For us, we share with our readers the research we’ve done for stocks on our watchlist/portfolio, insights we learned from the AGMs we attended, and financial data on Singapore REITs. Through this, you save time (by not having to collect the same research yourself) and we hope it helps you make better, more informed decisions for your own investments.

The key is to follow an established website/blog that resonates with your own investment philosophy and has a track record of making sound investments over a number of years. For example, if you’re a value investor, then A Singaporean Stock Investor (ASSI) and Investment Moats are a couple of blogs that fit the bill.

Do note that even if you find a great investment idea that’s backed by great research, it is still important to do your own due diligence and decide if it’s the right investment for your portfolio.

Victor Chng

Victor Chng is an equity investor and co-founder of The Fifth Person. Victor has also appeared on national radio on Money FM 89.3 for his views and opinions on how to invest successfully in the stock market, and his investment articles have been published on The Business Times and Business Insider. Victor represented Singapore in the 2008 TAFISA World Games in Busan, South Korea and was the 2008 IFMA World Muay Thai Championships bronze medalist, kicking some serious ass along the way.

2 Comments

  1. Hi Victor,
    Thanks very much for your relevant and helpful article.

    From the paragraph “3. The Edge Singapore”, you mention “Another great feature is their weekly compilation of insider trades and company buybacks on the SGX, which may point to a potentially undervalued stock.”

    Where in The Edge Singapore online site is their weekly compilation of Insider Trades and Company Buybacks of SGX-listed stocks?
    Hope to receive your reply soonest possible. Thanks!

    Thanks and regards,

    1. Hi Anon,

      I have a print subscription to The Edge Singapore as well where you can find the weekly compilation of insider trades and share buybacks. Sorry for forgetting to point that out.

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