DESPITE THE LEAD up to the peak year-end shopping period, Singapore’s retail sales’ growth slowed in November 2011. According to the latest figures released by the Statistics Department, the retail sales index rose 6.4% from a year earlier, lower than the 8.4% growth seen in October. Adjusted for seasonal factors, November’s sales were also 0.6% lower than in October, when they had risen a revised 6%.

ASIAN STOCKS RALLIED on Friday after three days of losses, after better-than-expected employment and manufacturing data out of the US. In Singapore, better-performing exports in November also boosted market sentiment. Non-oil domestic exports rose 1.6% from a year ago, helped by stronger shipments of pharmaceuticals. By midday, the Straits Times Index in Singapore was up by 0.4%.

WILL PALM OIL stocks be able to halt their slide down the slippery slope caused by oversupply and softer demand? Crude palm oil (CPO) production growth, which overshot increase in demand so far this year, has caused prices to drop by nearly a third from its peak in February. Predictably, this has dragged down prices of palm oil plantation stocks. However, prices have bottomed out at around RM2,700 ($1,108.8) per tonne in October – instead of the RM2,500 per tonne as predicted by RBS Securities, who used to rate this sector “underweight”. By end of this week, prices have reached around RM3,000 per tonne.

THE QUARTERS EARNINGS reporting season is in full swing and of the many counters that have reported so far, REITs or property trusts have generally found favour with their relatively resilient earnings amid the market uncertainty.

 

Of course, investing in these trusts probably won’t double your money in 12 months’ time, but at the very least, as far as the opinion of the analysts go, investors probably won’t lose their pants either.