Crude oil spa is the latest fashion now!

Crude oil spa has tremendous health benefits.  It will expedite wound healing and can cure skin diseases like eczema, sclerosis etc.  It is known to be able to cure more than 70 diseases.

Germany may file WTO suit against USA but it's just a wishful thinking.

https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/could-file-suit-against-trump-072829873.html

Trump had already said he would ignore WTO ruling and Germany couldn't do anything about it unless Germany wanted to start a trade war with USA.  If Germany makes Trump too furious, Trump will no longer support NATO and other EU members will blame Germany for USA withdrawal from NATO.  The ensuing outcome will be Germany will have to swallow this border tax thing and suck its thumb in a corner.

Baltic dry index - 1196

Today, Friday, March 17 2017, the Baltic Dry Index climbed by 24 points, reaching 1196 points.

Baltic Dry Index is compiled by the London-based Baltic Exchange and covers prices for transported cargo such as coal, grain and iron ore. The index is based on a daily survey of agents all over the world. Baltic Dry hit a temporary peak on May 20, 2008, when the index hit 11,793. The lowest level ever reached was on Wednesday the 10th of February 2016, when the index dropped to 290 points.

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Related stocks: Cosco & Sembcorp Marine.

US rig count - 789

HOUSTON (AP) — The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. increased by 21 this week to 789.

A year ago, 476 rigs were active.

Houston oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. said Friday that 631 rigs sought oil and 157 explored for natural gas this week. One was listed as miscellaneous.

Oklahoma increased by 10 rigs, North Dakota added five, Texas gained four, Colorado and Utah were each up two, and Alaska gained one.

Wyoming lost two. Louisiana and New Mexico dropped one each.

Arkansas, California, Kansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia were all unchanged.

The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981. It bottomed out last May at 404.

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Related stocks: Keppel Corp, Sembcorp Marine & Cosco.

How rude can Trump be on media?

He's so selfish because he's so unwilling to give a handshake.

South Korea is so ignorant about THAAD.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/south-korea-says-china-lacks-understanding-thaad-060127296.html

Military experts know that THAAD is useless against NK because NK will use mobile rockets launchers against SK as NK has more than 10,000 such launchers.  THAAD is useless against rockets launchers.  NK's rockets launchers can target Seoul because of the close proximity.

http://38north.org/2016/03/jlewis030716/

Singapore stock calls for 17 March 2017

Singapore non-oil domestic exports surge significantly.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/february-exports-surge-21-5-in-4th-straight-month-of-growth/3602896.html

Singapore is doing well because of China as China is our biggest export destination.  February is an exceptional month because of CNY exports to Chinese countries like Taiwan and China.  This is just an aberration which will not be repeated after February.  This CNY export was definitely better than last year's CNY as there's burgeoning growth in the Chinese middle class.  China is changing its economy structurally into a consuming nation.

We have to be wary of our dependent on China as SK's lesson is what we will encounter in the future when we offend China.

Corruption is still rampant in KLIA. Taiwanese girl was detained wrongfully.

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201703150010.aspx

This incident is widely reported on Taiwan news channels and China.

How could a Taiwanese girl be detained for 35 hours for no offence?  To detain someone for 35 hours is no small matter and require a high ranking officer to approve such detention.  Malaysia should just refuse entry and close the case if this to be handled properly.  However, the Malaysian custom officer saw this as an opportunity to demand money from the traveller.

Malaysia Boleh!

Japan navy carrier is sailing to Singapore.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-navy-southchinasea-china-idUSKBN16L0UM

Singapore has angered China that China commercial ships have stopped coming to our port.  Instead of welcoming commercial vessels, SG is welcoming military vessel instead which doesn't contribute economically to SG.

Sigh! What is our government doing!  Japan invaded and attacked SG before and we're welcoming its naval vessel to SG.

Singapore stock calls for 16 March 2017

China raises money market rates after FED move.

http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/2079352/china-raises-money-market-rates-second-time-year-pumps-new

What does this mean in the real economic term?

This action means China is draining cheap money out of the monetary system and replacing it with more expensive money.

This will help to curtail excessive spending and investment but also increase inflation.

Empty shopping malls are springing up in USA! The real economy is not doing well.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-07/third-all-shopping-malls-are-projected-close-space-available-signs-go-all-over-ameri

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-24/malls

The real economy in USA is not doing as well as projected on wall street.  QE only helps to propel wall street but not main street.  Empty shopping malls have started to spring up in USA which depicts the real economic situation. Commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) have also started to default significantly and commercial reits' prices have fallen.  Mortgage-backed Securities (MBS) are worse than 2008 (lehman bros' collapse) now and will explode anytime in USA.  If China investors pull out of USA commercial properties, it will have a huge ripple effect that will cripple USA economy.  This recession will be worse than in 2008.

FED has hiked interest rate in march and 2 more hikes are expected in 2017.

The market reacted positively because of FED dovish statement of gradual pace of tightening in its future actions.  Some were anticipating 4 hikes this year but FED only wanted 3 hikes instead which was a relief for the market.  Furthermore, there may be some headwinds which will affect the economy like Trump's policies, North Korea, EU, etc.  Therefore, FED is having a wait-and-see attitude and will play by ear to determine its interest rate policy.

More financial experts are predicting a correction or crash for Dow Jones!

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/15/trader-talk-are-you-ready-for-a-2000-point-drop-in-the-dow.html?__source=yahoo%7Cfinance%7Cheadline%7Cheadline%7Cstory&par=yahoo&doc=104341874&yptr=yahoo

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/crash-guru-warns-the-dow-could-plunge-to-14800-and-todays-a-date-to-watch-2017-03-13

One said dow jones would drop 2,000 and another said dow jones would fall to 14,800 level.  Look like the clairvoyants are in synchronization for once.  They had a common consensus on the direction or trajectory of dow jones but not on the magnitude of the fall.

Singapore stock calls for 15 March 2017

Swiber defaults on its bond for 20 March 2017.

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/swiber-defaults-on-its-bond-coupon-payout-due-on-march-20

If swiber cannot even pay for this bond coupon, we can expect swiber to default on its DBS loan too.  Look like DBS has more to write down for Swiber.

MAS warning: Do not trade in binary options

http://news.asiaone.com/news/business/mas-dont-trade-binary-options-unregulated-platforms

Only trade in those derivatives by brokerages registered with MAS in Singapore.  Skip those who are registered in overseas no matter how low is the brokerage fee.

Huat ah! Great news for Singapore!

http://news.asiaone.com/news/business/economists-upgrade-singapores-2017-growth-forecast-15-23

I hope that our government won't revise down the GDP growth forecast in the next quarter.  I rather have no hope than to have a false hope.

UFO landed in China.

No wonder China's technology is getting more and more high-tech.