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Too often, people refer to the stock market as a
gambler's den, an arena where only the sharpest and fastest parry
with sophisticated weapons of information and analysis of choice.
For the uninitiated, how do we break the mystery of the stock
market, which has its own critics and enthusiasts?
Simply put, the stock market is a venue - just like your
neighborhood market - where goods in the form of stocks are bought
and sold.
For companies and individual investors, it is an integral part of
building capital, and in an ideal setting, could fuel the growth of
small to huge businesses. Companies offer their shares to the public
to raise capital. The funds generated are used to build new plants,
or pay off debts, or perhaps buy new technology to improve
production.
What does that mean for
the average OFWS?
If he has the interest and the buying power, Juan can buy stocks,
which gives him a share of any listed company's revenues or losses.
Juan has to be careful, because stock investments carry risks. Don't
invest your life savings, or money saved for your children's
education.
There is only one rule on investing in stocks, and it is probably as
old as the stock market itself: Buy low, and sell high.
The problem is in determining what is "low" - Juan may buy when the
price of a stock has fallen; but if the price continues to fall, he
loses his investment.
If the price goes up, Juan may sell and therefore make money. On
this, there is another important piece of advice: "Don't be greedy."
Dennis Cheng, an IT professional in his mid-20s working for a global
organization, says the stock market has given him some hard lessons
in his three years of investing.
Cheng decided to try the waters in the stock market in the second
quarter of 1999, buying his first few shares in property firm Empire
East Land Inc., a subsidiary of holding firm Megaworld Corp.,
formerly Megaworld Properties and Holdings Inc.
"The market was bullish," Cheng recalls. "The index hit 2500 that
year but when I came in it was doing between 1900 and 2000."
He said that for a first-timer, somebody who was a complete
greenhorn in the stock market with no background and dependent on
self-study, it was safe to buy stocks using the "board lot" as a
guide.
The Philippine Stock Exchange has a master list of the minimum
number of shares an investor can buy or sell at a specific price
range called the "board lot." It is also called the "round lot
system."
"If you buy at below a peso, there is a minimum requirement of about
10,000 shares," Cheng explains.
When volumes used to be far bigger than they are now, at less than
half a billion pesos a day, 10, 000 pesos could go far and earn an
average of 20-25 percent in a few weeks.
With the present thin volumes in the stock market, investors would
be lucky to make a five-percent profit.
What types of stocks can one buy or
sell?
Most securities traded on the PSE are common stocks. These have
voting rights and allow the holder to share in the profits of the
company.
Common stockholders, however, have the last claim on dividends and
are the last to collect in case of corporate liquidation. Common
shares are available in Class A and B shares. "A" shares are those
available to local investors only, while "B" shares are those
available to both locals and foreigners.
Investors can also buy preferred shares from the stock market.
Preferred shareholders get the first crack at dividends before they
are paid to common shareholders. Preferred shares, however, have no
voting rights.
Investors can also take a look at warrants or a security that gives
the holder the right to buy or sell a number of shares at a specific
price in a given period of time. Usually warrants are priced at a
discount to their underlying share. The PSE also trades bonds in
denominations of 5,000 pesos.
How does one buy and sell from the
market?
Stocks are bought and sold by stockbrokers numbering 184 on the PSE
roster, 33 of which are foreign-based firms. Although currently the
number has been significantly pared down by poor market volumes, the
PSE still has an estimated 60 active brokers maintaining their
operations. By law, buying and selling is done through these
licensed brokers.
Choosing one's broker is just like the concept of "suki" in the wet
market. You go to a vendor that gives you the best price for a
product and gives you good rates at good service. There is no hard
and fast rule on this game.
Most brokers compete on the commission rates, which the PSE says
could be as high as 1.5 percent of the transaction. Brokers also
compete on the quality of service such as offering research on
companies, revenue forecast, latest developments and price analysis.
Some brokers advise clients on the likely movement of a share price
through sophisticated and technical methods. With the growth of
technology, brokerage services now are even offered online. One can
buy and sell stocks using the Internet through what is a growing
trend of online stockbrokers.
Filipinos or foreigners living overseas interested in investing in
the Philippine stock market could open an account with these
brokers.
Rodney Lim, a trader and investor in the stock market for more than
10 years, says brokerages send account opening forms to overseas
clients, along with instructions on how to remit cash deposits.
Confirmations can be done by e-mail.
Lim said brokerage firms are strict nowadays when it comes to
overseas accounts as these accounts often fail to include their
applications with a cash deposit, causing brokerage houses to take a
hit.
The PSE lists seven brokers licensed to trade stocks online: AB
Capital Securities, Inc., Asian Capital Equities, Inc., BPI
Securities Corp., Diversified Securities, Inc., F. Yap Securities,
Inc., PNB Securities, Inc. and RCBC Securities, Inc.
Go for $-linked bonds, T-bills for
stability: bankers
IN TOUGH times like these, when the stock market is down and no
other investment option seems right, one can turn to banks for some
alternatives. The Inquirer Banking Quarterly's Michelle Remo asked
some bankers for investment advice specifically for people who have
at least 100,000 pesos to spare and here's what they say:
Jaime Panganiban
Executive Vice President
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.
"If one has 100,000 pesos, I would advice him to invest in
dollar-linked peso notes.
The dollar at present is very strong, so it is the best investment
option right now. Since the peso's value is depreciating and that
its turn to appreciate is still uncertain, an investor can have the
return he wants through investment in dollars.
Dollar-linked peso notes also give a good return at 6.5-percent
interest. The interest earnings are added on the investment
semi-annually.
This investment option, however, is for investors who can let their
money stay in this investment instrument for a long time since
dollar-linked bonds have a three- to five-year maturity.
If an investor can allot a longer time for his investment, he can
also invest in ROP bonds (Republic of the Philippines-US dollar
bonds), which has a six-year maturity. The maturity of these bonds
is longer, but ROP bonds offer a higher return at 7-percent net
interest.
For those who want a short-term investment, say less than a year, I
would advice him to convert his 100,000 pesos to dollars and put it
in a bank's trust fund.
With the dollar being strong and still appreciating, investing in it
can really be promising."
Romeo Vittorio D. Pascual
Group Head, Domestic Treasury
Bank of Commerce
"The first thing that should come to one's mind in making any
investment is whether he is willing to let his 100,000 pesos sleep
for a long time. If he is for the long term, he can place his money
in the 5-year products of banks. In the case of Bank of Commerce, we
call this product Value 5, which earns an interest equivalent to the
latest average yield of the 91-day T-bill.
Currently, the 91-day average monthly net interest rate on an
investment of 100,000 pesos is 5.248 percent.
I think the government will again issue retail Treasury bonds, this
is another good investment option. The rates on RTBs are usually
higher than the rest. When first issued last year, RTBs clicked in
the market since interest rates were then on a downtrend. If you
invested in those instruments before, you are surely a winner.
But the scenario is different now. Because of the looming war (in
the Middle East), we cannot say that the trend this year will be the
same as last year. This year, interest rates may go up.
If one is willing to wait for only 30 days, he should go for trust
funds that have low minimum investment requirement. In the case of
Bank of Commerce, we have a trust fund that requires a minimum of
only 100,000 pesos. Right now its interest rate is 3.6 percent per
annum.
If you limit yourself to bank products, there would be lesser risks
but if one is willing to take more risks, he can go for commercial
papers. I think some banks offer commercial papers that have a low
minimum of 100,000 pesos. But of course, if the yields are higher,
the risk is also higher, like if the issuing company defaults on its
commitment to pay.
Looking for the best investment venue depends on the investor, on
how long can he wait for returns on his investments and on how much
risk he is willing to take.
If you have money to invest, you have to plan your investments
according to your need. For example, there is money that you need in
five years' time that you can put in a long-term investment. Then
there is money that you will need in a shorter time, you go for
those that may give yields in 30, 60, 90 days or one year.
In investing your money, you can ask yourself the following: Do I
want something that will give me higher returns? Do I want peace of
mind? Do I want something in between? Then aside from the terms,
also look at the risk factor so that at the end of the day you know
you decided really well.
The peso-dollar rate moves steadily, that's why the Bureau of
Treasury came up with a product, the dollar-linked peso loans, and
its minimum is 100,000 pesos. A lot of banks bought it already but
I'm not sure if the mechanism is there already to sell it to
clients. But in our (Bank of Commerce) case, we are seriously
looking into it.
If you want to invest in dollars, you may buy dollar-linked notes.
Michael Joseph Delfino
Senior Assistant Manager, Treasury Group
China Banking Corp.
"A good option is to put it in traditional investment outlets, like
time deposit. Right now, a time deposit bears an interest rate of
4.375 percent per annum and it gives more security to the investor.
But one thing the money holder should be aware of is that
investments in time deposits are subject to documentary stamp tax
equivalent to 30 centavos for every 200 pesos.
Another option is government securities. There is a wide array of
government securities to choose from. We have the 91-day Treasury
bill that gives a 5.672-percent interest, the 182-day T-bill that
bears 6.6-percent interest and the 364-day T-bill that yields a
7.6-percent interest.
Putting one's investment on what type of T-bill depends on how long
an investor is willing to let his money grow considering that as
maturity takes longer, interest rates go higher.
An investor can also opt to put his money in various fixed-rate
Treasury notes, depending on the rate the investor wants to go for
and on the length of time he is willing to wait for returns on his
investment.
For one-month Treasury notes, the current rate is 6.9 percent; for
three-month it's at 7.3 percent; six-month, 7.75 percent; one-year,
8.7 percent; two-year, 9.65 percent; three-year, 10.8 percent;
four-year, 11.75 percent; five-year 12.2 percent; seven-year, 12.8
percent; 10-year, 13.05 percent; and 25-year, 14.85."
Joseph Justiniano
Collection, Asset Recovery and Disposal Sector Head
International Exchange Bank
"If one has 100,000 pesos, he should first make sure that his money
would be invested in something secure, where one could earn interest
but at the same time keep his money safe. My advice would be for him
to first find a stable bank where he can put his money in.
The best choice I could give for investment is time deposit.
Considering the instability these days, a good option is to invest
one's money in something that offers stability.
Currently, the banking industry's average interest rate on time
deposits is between five and six percent per annum. Compared with
other investment outlets, depositing in a bank earns minimal
interests, but what gives it a premium is the service and stability.
There is now more flexibility in time deposits; it can be both for
short- and long-term investment.
Treasury bills are also a good investment option although they are
not usually advisable for an amount as low as 100,000 pesos.
Investing in T-bills is best for bigger amounts, say over a million
pesos.
Rolando Avante
Senior Vice President-Treasurer
Chinatrust (Phils.) Commercial Banking Corp.
"A hundred thousand pesos will give an investor a small return. What
is more advisable is to start with at least half a million pesos.
If one has 500,000 pesos, he may invest in dollar-linked promissory
notes (DLPN) because it can give an investor both an interest rate
that is comparable to the existing market level, which is about
6-percent net, and have a three-year maturity.
The DLPN is a good investment since it allows investors to hedge the
perceived weakness of the peso versus the US dollar. It also gives
the buyer an opportunity for his investment to earn in accordance
with the development in the exchange rate.
Then, for those who prefer more liquidity and less risk and who want
to get the returns on their investments in a short term, they may
opt for the regular 30-day placements with banks, like what
Chinatrust offers, given the uncertainty with regard to interest
rates and the global condition.
Placements in these products give an investor a range of 5- to
6-percent gross per annum.
If one allows for more risk, I recommend investments in dollar-link
promissory notes, and for those who do not want to expose his
investments to market risks, the usual 30-day placement is a good
option."
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