While we dont have targets, we are looking to invest in 40-50 startups this year, Vinay Bansal, co-founder of IPV told Business Insider.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, they are happy to invest in startups. We are not moved by greed or fear. In fact, we see this as a great opportunity to invest in startups where we might not have got the opportunity to invest otherwise, he said.

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IPV was founded just 18 months ago by Vinay Bansal, Ankur Mittal & Mitesh Shah. From 283 investors on their platform in 2018, today they have over 1700 investors who are all CXOs from different companies. Some of the investors on its platform are Amit Dalmia (Blackstone), Prakash Iyer (Haldiram Group), Dhianu Das (Alfa Ventures), Anirudh Damani (Artha Ventures), Deepak Chandran (Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting), Rahul Bothra (Swiggy ), among others.

The minimum ticket size for an angel to start investing has been kept at a low entry point of 250,000.

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Due to the large group of investors, they dont have an investment thesis and are sector agnostic. However, here are the three pillars of evaluation

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This Indian angel investment platform has invested in eight cos in 60 days and plans to fund startups every we - Business Insider India

SINGAPORE - A total of $13 billion in investment commitments has been secured in the first four months of 2020 - among the highest in recent years, which will create thousands of jobs in areas such as tech and e-commerce over the next few years.

They include tech firm Micron, which intends to add 1,500 jobs here over the next few years, and online retailers Shopee and Lazada.

The investment commitment secured by the Economic Development Board (EDB) is higher than the yearly amount secured from 2013 to 2018, and exceeds the $8 billionto $10 billion initially projected for the whole of 2020. EDB secured $15.2 billion in investment commitments over the whole of last year.

Announcing the figures at a virtual press briefing on Saturday, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing also outlineda roadmap for how the Government intends to generate investments and jobs to manage the fallout of the pandemic as the economy is forecast to shrink by as much as 7 per cent.

This ranges from helping companies hire ahead of demand, to initiating projects to encourage innovation.

He said: "Now that we have gotten a grip on the infection curve, the next few months' priority is to flatten the unemployment and recession curves."

The minister noted that unemployment here had risen to 3 per cent - a rate which is "much better" than initially feared, and is lower than the 10 per cent unemployment spike in some other countries.

However, Singapore cannot afford to be complacent. Mr Chan said: "If we can't get back to the pre-Covid world, and we can't get to the post-Covid world quickly, then chances are that we will have to learn to live and make a living in the Covid world."

He said that the $13 billion attracted by EDB reflects the confidence major investors and businesses have in Singapore's economy.

Asked what incentives were given to woo the companies, he said that such details are not revealed but added that what is far more important are factors such as Singapore's skills, trade policies and connectivity.

"Throughout the crisis, we have been known as a safe harbour for talent, intellectual property, we have remained open and connected, we have not put up export restrictions - all these attractive features for people to want to continue to put their investment in Singapore."

Lazada Singapore's chief executive James Chang told The Straits Times that his company had recently hired 500 full-time and temporary staff in response to a surge in online orders.

He added that there are over 100 roles for positions based here, and that Lazada is looking for people with skill sets in data analysis, machine learning, logistics planning and account servicing. "E-commerce adoption has accelerated during this period among customers and retailers, and the right talent is important to drive Lazada's business as the future has been brought forward," he added.

Shopee said it was hiring in departments such as business development, software engineering and marketing, but did not say how many new jobs it expects to create.

However,the head of its regional operations and people teamLim Teck Yong said that the company is "committed to bringing on board talent ahead of demand".

Mr Lim said: "As a local tech company, we seek to broaden and deepen our technology capabilities in Singapore. This reaffirms our long-term commitment to Singapore and to elevate Singapore's attractiveness as the Silicon Valley of South-east Asia."

Going ahead, said Mr Chan, not every job from the old economy will be preserved but the Government is determined to help every Singaporean and businesses here make the transition.

One key prong is helping companies hire ahead of demand. He noted that businesses cannot predict future demand due to the uncertainty of the outbreak, and so are hesitant about hiring new workers. To counter this, the Government will partner companies and trade associations and chambers (TACs) to help them hire and train workers, so that they can seize the opportunities when demand resumes.

On how the Government intended to incentivise this, he said that more details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Concurrently, the number of apprenticeships in various sectors will be significantly ramped up, both for fresh graduates and those making mid-career transitions.

"We hope that through such apprenticeships, the workers will be able to pick up skills ahead of time," said Mr Chan, adding that the Government will work with the TACsand NTUC on this. It will also encourage workers to step up training, particularly in the area of digitisation.

The Government itself will invest to create new opportunities, while encouraging innovation that can address Singapore's long-term challenges, he said. Enterprise Singapore and the Infocomm Media Development Authority will spearhead this effort.

One such project is by JTC Corporation, which will launch in mid-June a $4 million effort to digitalise the construction and facilities management sector to improve productivity and reduce reliance on foreign manpower, as well as sustainable construction methods and materials to lower the carbon footprint.

Companies will be also encouraged to innovate and adopt solutions in areas such as big data, process enhancements, and resource sharing, under a Trade and Connectivity Challenge 2020. Winners will receive a prize of up to $70,000, and those eligible will also receive a grant.

More details will be given in the coming week.

Read more:
Thousands of jobs to be created from $13b in investment commitments secured in first 4 months of 2020: Chan Chun Sing - The Straits Times

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Technavio has been monitoring the crude oil market and it is poised to grow by $ 146.92 bn during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of about 1% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Request for Technavio's latest reports on directly and indirectly impacted markets. Market estimates include pre- and post-COVID-19 impact on the Crude Oil Market. Download free sample report

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. BP Plc, Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips Co., Exxon Mobil Corp., PetroChina Co. Ltd., Petrleo Brasileiro SA, Qatar Petroleum, Rosneft Oil Co., Royal Dutch Shell Plc, and Saudi Arabian Oil Co. are some of the major market participants. The increasing upstream investments will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Increasing upstream investments has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Technavio's custom research reports offer detailed insights on the impact of COVID-19 at an industry level, a regional level, and subsequent supply chain operations. This customized report will also help clients keep up with new product launches in direct & indirect COVID-19 related markets, upcoming vaccines and pipeline analysis, and significant developments in vendor operations and government regulations. https://www.technavio.com/report/global-crude-oil-market-industry-analysis

Crude Oil Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

Crude Oil Market is segmented as below:

To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40237

Crude Oil Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our crude oil market report covers the following areas:

This study identifies technological developments in hydraulic fracturing process as one of the prime reasons driving the crude oil market growth during the next few years.

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Crude Oil Market 2020-2024 : Key Highlights

Table of Contents:

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

PART 06: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 07: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

PART 08: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCTION AREA

PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK

PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

PART 11: MARKET TRENDS

PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS

PART 14: APPENDIX

PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavios report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavios comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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Crude Oil Market 2020-2024 | Increasing Upstream Investments to Boost Growth | Technavio - Business Wire

There are lots of stocks that will rise a lot over your lifetime. Invest in these stocks at an early enough age, and there's a good chance you'll get rich. You'll just get rich slowly.

But not everyone is still a spring chicken with a really long investing timeline. And many investors simply don't want to wait 30 years or more to make a lot of money from their investments. If you fit into one of these categories, I have good news and bad news for you.

First, the bad news. You won't find very many stocks that can deliver tremendous returns in a short period of time, say, over the next decade. Now for the good news. There are a few fantastic growth stocks that you can buy right now that have a good shot at making you a lot of money relatively quickly. I think that investing $5,000 in these three stocks could make you a fortune over the next 10 years.

Image source: Getty Images.

David Gardner, co-founder of The Motley Fool, thinks that investors should "make your portfolio reflect your best vision for our future." One really positive vision for the future is a world where most cases of cancer can be detected early enough to be successfully treated.Guardant Health (NASDAQ:GH) is on track to make that future a reality.

The company is a pioneer in developing liquid biopsies that detect cancer by finding fragments of DNA broken off from tumor cells in the blood. What's revolutionary about this approach is that it could make possible the detection of cancer at really early stages -- even before people notice any symptoms -- using only a blood test.

Admittedly, Guardant Health's first liquid biopsy products don't achieve this goal. Guardant360matches people who have advanced-stage cancer with the best therapy, while GuardantOMNIhelps drugmakers select patients for clinical trials evaluating experimental cancer drugs. But sales are skyrocketing for these products with year-over-year revenue growth of 84% in the first quarter of 2020 despite a negative impact from the COVID-19 pandemic late in the quarter.

Guardant Health's LUNAR program, though, includes two assays in clinical testing that could enable the early detection of cancer and monitoring for cancer recurrence. The company has an addressable market of more than $50 billion annually in the U.S. alone for its current and experimental products. With Guardant Health's market cap currently well under $10 billion, this stock holds the potential to deliver ginormous returns over the next decade.

Thirty-three U.S. states have legalized medical cannabis with more probably on the way to doing so. There's now a big medical cannabis market in the country. And Innovative Industrial Properties (NYSE:IIPR) ranks as one of the top companies positioned to profit in this market.

IIP is the leading real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the medical cannabis industry. It buys properties from medical cannabis operators then leases the properties back to operators. These sale-leaseback deals provide cash to the medical cannabis operators while giving IIP a nice long-term revenue stream.

As a REIT, IIP must distribute at least 90% of taxable income to shareholders in the form of dividends. Because its revenue and earnings have soared, so has its dividend payout -- up a whopping 567% in the last three years. IIP's dividend yield currently tops 5%.

By my calculations, IIP would need to buy and lease between six and eight new properties each year while keeping its dividend payout at least at current levels to double an initial investment within the next five years. The company has completed eight sale-leaseback deals so far this year. I don't think it's out of the question at all for IIP to turn a $5,000 investment into $30,000 or more over the next 10 years.

Advertising is going high-tech. Instead of back-and-forth negotiations, ad agencies are turning to software to buy ad spots from media companies. And those ads are increasingly digital instead of on billboards or in print. One company dominates the buy-side digital and programmatic advertising market: The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD).

The Trade Desk's software platform helps ad agencies pick from over 500 billion digital ad opportunities each day. Its applications enable these agencies to get the best bang for the buck for their clients by targeting specific audiences most likely to be interested in their clients' products and services.

The company's revenue and profits have grown significantly as the advertising world has shifted to digital and programmatic advertising. In the first quarter, The Trade Desk reported year-over-year revenue growth of 33% and adjusted earnings growth of 84%. This growth could slow somewhat with the COVID-19 pandemic as companies trim their ad budgets, but the long-term prospects for The Trade Desk remain very strong.

Just how great are those prospects? The global advertising market is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2025. Programmatic advertising currently is a $34 billion slice of this market but is growing rapidly. It wouldn't be surprising if digital video makes up close to half of the total ad market by the end of the decade. The Trade Desk is in an excellent position to profit from the growth of digital and programmatic advertising.

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Investing $5,000 in These 3 Stocks Could Make You a Fortune Over the Next 10 Years - Motley Fool

Fintech investment in the UK has risen by 500% in the last three years, compared to 170% for the USA and 133% for Europe, research from recruitment firm Robert Walters has revealed.

Since 2018 the UK fintech market has outstripped the USA and Europe for investment deals.

Tom Chambers, senior manager technology (London) at Robert Walters, said: Fintechs were not initially seen as direct competition to traditional banks with their products and services differing vastly.

However, over the past 12-18 months weve seen fintechs apply for banking licenses which means they can now expand their offering to include overdrafts, guarantee deposits, and the ability to set-up direct debits.

Perhaps the most drastic change was governments swift action to shake-up traditional lending and allow fintech companies to be an official loan provider for the government COVID-19 bailout scheme introducing fintechs to the masses.

As fintechs creep into traditional banking territory, and financial services continue to embed technology into their processes, the sectors stand to become indistinguishable in the next year.

In Q1 of this this year, London fintechs have generated almost as much investment ($114m) as they did for the entire year of 2017 ($148m) highlighting the significance of 2020 for the sector.

Fintech remains London-centric.

In 2019, the number of investments into UK fintechs nearly doubled to 96, however only eight were into regional businesses (under 10%).

The rest is here:
London outstrips the US and Europe for fintech investment - Property Wire

You could ask 100 different analysts what they think about buying and selling stocks during COVID-19, and you might just get 100 different opinions. That's what's great about tracking hedge funds. You can see where the smart money is being put, and you can see if managers put their money where their mouth is. If you have $1,000 to invest, now could be a great opportunity to start a new position, and billion-dollar hedge fund managers have been scooping up shares of IDEXX Laboratories (NASDAQ:IDXX), Goodyear Tire (NASDAQ:GT) and Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX).

You may not recognize IDEXX Laboratories, but if you're a pet owner there's a chance you've crossed paths with its products or services already. IDEXX is a leader in pet healthcare innovation, with a list of diagnostic products and services that enhance the ability of veterinarians. Here are some reasons why Bridgewater Associates, a fund with over $5 billion in portfolio value, might have scooped up shares during the first quarter.

IDEXX is one of a few stocks to outperform the S&P 500 over the past three months as COVID-19 swept the globe, but the company expects to feel some pain during the second quarter, as some people deferred animal care. That said, there is an intriguing trend taking place that could actually be a boost for IDEXX post-COVID-19. Animal adoption and fostering of shelter pets has increased during the pandemic, and these newer pet owners will almost certainly need to use pet healthcare. Already, Americans' spending on pets just hit a record high $95.7 billion in 2019, and at no point over the past 25 years has there been a year-over-year decline in U.S. pet industry expenditures.

Image source: Getty Images.

In addition to rising adoption and additional pet owners, IDEXX's intangible assets could improve as veterinarians across the U.S. turn to the company for helpful products and services to keep veterinarians and consumers safe during COVID-19. IDEXX boasts a cost advantage thanks to its network of reference labs, and has a competitive advantage from switching costs -- both advantages that will help weather the COVID-19 storm. Here's what we know to be true: Americans love their pets and they are spending more on them than ever. That means IDEXX has a long-term growth story that COVID-19 can only temporarily slow.

While IDEXX Laboratories outperformed the S&P 500 over the past three months, Goodyear Tire, a manufacturer of tires for automobiles, trucks, and aircraft, has spiraled lower with its Americas and Europe manufacturing temporarily suspended. Analysts are predicting double-digit drops in automotive production and sales for the full-year. As if that wasn't bad enough, more Americans stuck at home for social distancing means fewer tires on the road and fewer miles traveled -- bad news if you're a company selling tires. Perhaps buying when others are fearful is why Appaloosa Management's manager David Tepper started a position in Goodyear Tire during the first quarter.

With COVID-19 keeping cars off the road, and a plateauing North American auto manufacturing market, it's easy to be pessimistic about Goodyear Tire. However, the company could be oversold because many investors don't realize the majority of Goodyear's sales are from replacement tires, rather than from major automotive manufacturers. Furthermore, the company has also turned its focus to larger than 17-inch tires, which offer much larger profits than smaller tires. In fact, the industry estimates that the profit margin per tire for a consumer replacement larger than 17 inches is almost four times larger than consumer replacement tires smaller than 17 inches.

Goodyear Tire certainly hit a speed bump with COVID-19, and its second-quarter financial results will be rough. However, the company could be oversold considering the following: Its global manufacturing facilities will be coming online soon if they haven't already, it has a growing larger-than-17-inch tire business, it has $3.6 billion of cash and available liquidity to weather COVID-19, and it's seeing favorable trends in prices versus raw material costs.

Starbucks is certainly a household name in the U.S., and it's absolutely the leading specialty coffee retailer, but that doesn't mean the company is all out of growth stories -- far from it. Not only does it still have a growth story, the company will be far better positioned to survive COVID-19 than smaller competitors, and those two reasons could be why Ken Fisher and his Fisher Asset Management fund scooped up a chunk of shares during the first quarter.

Let's get back to the growth stories. Long-term, the king of coffee still has plenty of international growth potential in emerging markets and can even grow into new channels with new platforms and products. Heck, it still has a U.S. growth story, as it could build new store formats such as premium location, drive-thru only, and kiosks, among other ideas. There's also menu evolution with new cold beverages, health and wellness options, and even new delivery partnerships.

Image source: Getty Images.

What's also great about buying Starbucks at a time of uncertainty is simply the company's massive scale and liquidity to not only weather the COVID-19 storm, but to apply even more pressure to smaller competitors with more competitive prices. The stock markets will rebound, but not all companies will survive the near-term effects from COVID-19. However, you can invest in Starbucks and still sleep well at night.

COVID-19 has been a tragic development for the entire planet, and its financial effects will be heavily felt during the second quarter. With stock market volatility and an ample amount of uncertainty facing investors, if you have $1,000 to invest right now, IDEXX, Goodyear Tire, and Starbucks are being scooped up by billionaire hedge fund managers. It's not difficult to see why.

Read the original here:
Have $1,000 to Invest? Billionaires Are Buying These 3 Stocks - The Motley Fool

For three months, Wall Street and investors have been taken for quite the ride. Panic surrounding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic wound up pushing the benchmark S&P 500 to its fastest bear market in history, and it ultimately cost the index 34% of its value in a 33-calendar-day stretch.

While it's common for panic selling of this nature to concern investors, it's also important to realize that every bear market in history has proved to be an excellent opportunity for long-term-minded investors to put their capital to work. Though we don't know how long stock market corrections will last, or how long it might take for a new bull market to retrace everything that was lost during a correction, the fact remains that bull market rallies eventually always put bear markets into the rearview mirror.

Thus, your mode of thinking shouldn't be, "Should I invest"? Rather, it should be, "What should I be buying?"

Image source: Getty Images.

Historically speaking, there's probably not a smarter thing you can do with your cash than to buy dividend stocks. According to a report released in 2013 by J.P. Morgan Asset Management, companies that initiated and grew their payouts between 1972 and 2012 returned an average of 9.5% per year over this 40-year period. Meanwhile, non-dividend-paying stocks delivered less-than-stellar annual returns of 1.6% over the same time frame.

Aside from having time-tested and proven business models, dividend stocks bring other advantages to the table for income seekers. For example, they can help investors keep a level head. Though a dividend payout is rarely going to offset a move lower in the market, the simple fact that a company is willing to continue sharing a percentage of its profits with shareholders should boost investors' confidence and keep them from making a rash decisions, such as selling during a short-term panic.

Payouts can also be reinvested back into more shares of dividend-paying stock via a dividend reinvestment plan, or DRIP. By reinvesting your payouts, you'll wind up with a growing number of shares, and therefore even larger future payouts. A DRIP allows investors to more rapidly compound their wealth, with the strategy employed by a number of top-tier money managers.

Best of all, you don't need to be Warren Buffett to make consistent bank from dividend stocks. Having even $5,000 in disposable income that isn't needed for bills or your emergency fund is more than enough to provide an income boost to your portfolio.

Here are three exceptionally inexpensive high-yield dividend stocks to consider investing in right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

While its high-growth days are long gone, few companies can offer more predictable cash flow or a steadier dividend than telecom giant AT&T (NYSE:T). Currently boasting a 7.2% yield, AT&T has raised its payout for 36 consecutive years, placing it among a truly special group of income stocks known as Dividend Aristocrats.

Over the coming years, there are a couple of catalysts that could send AT&T and its puny forward price-to-earnings ratio of 8.6 markedly higher.

First off, there's the rollout of 5G networks, which'll be upgraded over the course of many years. Though it's costly to upgrade wireless infrastructure, it'll undoubtedly pay benefits to AT&T in the form of a long-lasting tech upgrade cycle. Since AT&T's wireless segment generates the bulk of its margin from the data side of the equation, 5G is only going to exacerbate demand for data among consumers and businesses. In other words, AT&T's wireless segment should be considerably more profitable in the years to follow.

Secondly, AT&T has an opportunity to really build up its streaming offerings. Later this week, we'll see the debut of HBO Max, which will offer more than 10,000 hours of premium content from HBO, as well as WarnerMedia's content library. That means well-known shows, cartoons, and movies. HBO Max comes in as the priciest of the streaming options at roughly $15 a month, but it's had enough hits on its hands to draw a following.

Just remember that boring businesses are often beautiful when it comes to investing.

Image source: Getty Images.

As long as you're not turned off by the idea of owning vice stocks, then income seekers should really consider putting their money to work in tobacco giant Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM).

Although Philip Morris has a dividend yield that's about 3 percentage points lower than Altria Group, there's a very clear reason Philip Morris is the tobacco stock you'll want to own: geographic diversity. Altria services the United States, where adult smoking rates have hit an all-time low. Meanwhile, Philip Morris operates in over 180 countries worldwide. Even though some of the developed markets Philip Morris operates in have clamped down on tobacco packaging and advertising, there are just as many emerging and/or developing markets with burgeoning middle classes who crave simple luxuries like tobacco.

Another important point here is that the nicotine contained within tobacco products is a highly addictive chemical. This has allowed Philip Morris to pass along steady price hikes in order to grow its sales as cigarette shipment volumes flatten or fall.

But perhaps the most exciting growth of late for the company comes from its heated tobacco solution known as IQOS. At the end of the most recent quarter, an estimated 14.6 million people were using the IQOS device worldwide, with Philip Morris' share of the heated tobacco market climbing to 6.6%. As a whole, heated tobacco unit shipment volume skyrocketed 46% (year-over-year) during the first quarter to 16.7 billion units.

Even though its high-growth days are in the past, Philip Morris' forward price-to-earnings ratio of 12.7, along with its 6.8% yield, make it too cheap to pass up.

Image source: Getty Images.

A third high-yield income stock that should be considered for investors' portfolios is Russian telecom kingpin Mobile TeleSystems (NYSE:MBT), which is better known as MTS. At 9.9%, MTS' yield is firmly planted in ultra-high-yield territory, and would, in theory, double an investors' money every 7.3 years with reinvestment.

On the surface, Russia doesn't look like it'd offer substantive wireless growth, especially considering the high wireless penetration rates throughout the country. But similar to AT&T, the rollout of 5G networks should lead to a lengthy tech upgrade cycle. Keep in mind that less-populated regions of Russia still have steps to climb on the infrastructure front before reaching 5G, which offers MTS an opportunity to build on its high-margin data plans.

What's more, Mobile TeleSystems has been wisely diversifying its operations beyond telecom to generate new revenue streams from its existing customers. It owns a 99.7% stake in MTS Bank, which has seen its monthly active user count grow from 14.1 million people at the end of 2018 to 20.3 million by the end of 2019. Overall, MTS Bank's total assets grew 18% last year, with gross loans rising almost 44%.

Though the Russian ruble can be a shaky currency at times, Mobile TeleSystems' forward price-to-earnings ratio of less than 9 appears to already be factoring in these concerns. Long-term income seekers would be smart to consider this cheap high-yield dividend stock for their portfolios.

View original post here:
Got $5,000? Then Invest It in These Cheap High-Yield Dividend Stocks. - The Motley Fool

NEW DELHI: Singapore was the top source of foreign direct investment into India for the second consecutive financial year, accounting for about 30 per cent of FDI inflows in 2019-20.

In the past two financial years, FDI from Singapore has surpassed that from Mauritius.

In the last financial year, India attracted USD 14.67 billion in FDI from Singapore, whereas it was USD 8.24 billion from Mauritius, according to the data of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

In 2018-19, Singapore's FDI aggregated at USD 16.22 billion, while that from Mauritius it was USD 8.08 billion.

According to experts, Singapore has been able to outpace Mauritius with its ease of doing business policies, simplified tax regime and a large number of private investors.

"Mauritius was once seen as a tax haven making it the most favoured nation for routing investments in India. April 2017 brought key amendments to the bilateral treaties with Mauritius and Singapore which neutralized the tax benefits available in Mauritius.

"Singapore with its ease of business policies, simplified tax regime and large number of private investors has been able to outrun Mauritius," Sandeep Jhunjhunwala, Partner, Nangia Andersen LLP said.

He said attractive corporate tax rates, swift response in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, impressive mobile and internet penetration, and technology uptake are making India a primary destination to invest.

"While countries are battling the COVID-19 pandemic and the world economy is headed into recession, India received a mammoth investment from stake sale of Jio Platforms. Economists and investors are now closely watching India as it is headed towards becoming a digital giant," Jhunjhunwala added.

Biswajit Dhar, a professor of economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said significant FDI is coming from Singapore because of "round tripping" .

"Inflows from Mauritius have been affected after the agreement on double taxation avoidance," Dhar said adding future FDI inflows into India would also depend on the state of global FDI flows.

In 2017-18, FDI inflows from Mauritius stood at USD 15.94 billion and from Singapore, it was USD 12.18 billion.

FDI in India rose by 13 per cent - the sharpest pace in the last four fiscals - to a record USD 49.97 billion in 2019-20, according to the data.

Total FDI into India including re-invested earnings and other capital in the last fiscal grew by 18 per cent to USD 73.45 billion as against USD 62 billion in 2018-19.

When asked whether high FDI growth trend will continue in India, Rajat Wahi, Partner, Deloitte India, said: "Yes, but probably not as much as in the last three years due to three months getting wiped out (due to COVID-19 pandemic) . But given the funds available globally and our strength in tech-enabled businesses, FDI will flow again post lockdown".

This growth in FDI in 2019-20, he said, was in line with the growth of e-commerce, fintech and startups, that was continuing for the last five years, especially last year.

"Given the amount of money that is being pumped in by various governments to revive their respective economies, the expectation is that we will again see a major increase in investments into startups and new tech-enabled businesses post the lockdown," Wahi added.

Foreign investments are considered crucial for India as it needs huge investments for overhauling the infrastructure sector such as ports, airports and highways to boost growth.

FDI helps in improving the country's balance of payments and strengthen the rupee value against other global currencies, especially the US dollar.

Excerpt from:
Singapore top source of FDI in FY20 with investments worth USD 14.67 bn - Economic Times

OVER the last few years, I have often written about the over-valuation of many assets and the challenges that investors faced over sourcing sustainable investment income.

Years of financial repression from central banks and far too much loose money chasing too few assets made income hunting for investors in most asset classes barren. What investors really needed was a clearing of the decks, a fall in asset values and an increase in yields to ease the negative side effects of the manipulations created by the zero-interest rate world that we lived in.

Fast forward three months and we live in a very different world; on that point I am sure we can all agree. The only element that seems to have remained constant in a world that is barely recognisable from just the start of this year is the fact that it remains extremely tough for investors to find an attractive and sustainable income stream.

In fact, it has got even harder. Markets have fallen, UK equities have been hit hard and I keep on reading about rising yields in corporate bond markets. Thats all true, we would have to concede, but it has not led to an improvement in the prospects for those wanting to achieve an income from their investments in mainstream assets.

In a world where the traditional risk free assets of cash and government bonds offer zero returns combined with a high degree of potential inflation risk, investors are forced to look elsewhere and take higher risks to achieve any form of investment income.

The good news is that by thinking outside the box, there are a host of exciting income opportunities for us to exploit for our clients. However, the key message is that we must be highly selective and very nimble.

The best prospects that we can currently identify to achieve a high and sustainable income are in selective credit markets, where there are presently exceptional opportunities on a level with those that we saw in 2008.

It is on such investments that we are primarily focusing our attention and where we are convinced that we can create the best long-term income and total returns from any recovery from todays medical, economic and market troubles.

With our higher risk income opportunities, we are chiefly looking at selected higher-risk corporate and consumer credit markets, where default risks have certainly risen, but where such risks are priced into current yields. We have been able to identify specific and selective corporate credit opportunities with high yields and only a short time until those bonds mature.

As an example, a key holding within our portfolios is an investment-grade rated, corporate credit focused fund with a yield above 7% and with a total portfolio duration to maturity of less than two years. Such opportunities rarely present themselves and we are seeking to take advantage of such specific dislocations created by the recent market turmoil.

Asset-backed or mortgage-backed securities on both sides of the Atlantic have been hit incredibly and undeservedly hard during the recent market volatility, and offer investors high levels of income and almost unrivalled opportunities for capital gains.

We own investments in both Europe and the US where yields of around 10% are currently on offer. These yields reflect that risks in the global economy have risen, but in our view provide investors with a prospect that most other markets dont at this time: sustainable income at a fair price in a world where achieving a healthy income from ones investments remains surprisingly challenging. These markets have been indiscriminately penalised by general investor panic and an overpowering desire by investors to flee to cash; our approach has been to take advantage of the chaos caused by such behaviour and exploit price discrepancies on behalf of our clients.

We live in an unprecedentedly challenging time for income investors. Frankly, we look at the paltry levels of income available on many investments and are fearful for the prospects of investors in many investments, given the importance of income to an investors overall total return.

But just as the investment gods have taken on one hand from some investments, they have given with the other hand to create different investment opportunities. We have to say that the future aint what it used to be, as the famous baseball coach Yogi Berra once said, and investment income is certainly an example of where life has become increasingly problematic.

However, by thinking differently, looking outside of the box and by being nimble, there are sustainable and attractive levels of income that we can find for our clients. This gives us confidence that we can continue to help our clients achieve their income requirements and to help them meet their investment aspirations for the future.

Tim Wishart is head of Scotland and the north of England at Psigma Investment Management

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Personal Finance: Do you yield? Searching for investment income in a zero rate world - HeraldScotland

(Press Staff Photo by Geoffrey Plant) Clockwise from top left: Daily Press Publisher Nick Seibel moderated Thursdays virtual candidate forum, asking questions submitted by members of the audience who tuned in via Zoom, while reporter Geoffrey Plant asked questions on behalf of the newspaper. Patrick Cohn and Gilbert Guadiana are running for county treasurer in the Democratic primary.

The two Democrats running for Grant County treasurer, Patrick Cohn and Gilbert Guadiana, participated Thursday evening in the first of at least four Daily Press primary candidate forums. The event was held live on Zoom and simulcast over Facebook, and about 22 people took part in the Zoom question-and-answer panel discussion.

All of the countys revenue, collected through property and gross receipts taxes, fees, as well as grants, loans and legislative allocations from the state or federal government, passes through the Treasurers Office. All outgoing funds also pass through the office. Input and output and record-keeping is how both candidates described the job of treasurer; the custodian of the county funds, is how Cohn put it.

Why be treasurer?

Guadiana, a Harvard graduate who once worked at Chino Mine before working in the California state Auditors Office and in Marin County government, said he wants to be treasurer in order bring his experience largely from outside New Mexico with government finances to bear, and to further my role in being a strong advocate for Grant County and ensure the successful collection of taxes.

He was born in Grant County and moved back to his birthplace in 2002 after many years living in California, and recently retired from a job in health care in Deming.

Guadiana serves on the Cobre Schools Board of Education, while Cohn serves on the Silver school board. Both men graduated from Cobre High School and got their initial secondary degrees at Western New Mexico University, before going on to obtain further credentials at other institutions.

I have supervised and managed in the banking field for 17 years, Cohn said. I have maintained an excellent rating in all positions held in my work. Being a lender, I have become very familiar with the Treasurers Office and the Assessors Office and property taxes in the county; whether it is assisting customers in retaining their current property information or getting mobile homes considered real property using the online treasurers portal, I became familiar with that already and with the staff from both offices.

Running for treasurer has always been a calling to me, Cohn continued. I believe I can make the Grant County Treasurers Office a model treasurers office for the state.

Cohn later qualified his repeated statements that he would make the Grant County Treasurers Office the best in all New Mexico counties by saying the current Treasurers Office is doing a fine job.

What would you change?

Ive attended some County Commission meetings, and noticed there is no sight of an investment policy. I believe there is a policy, but I would like to revisit that if I am elected, Cohn said, adding that he would like to revamp the policy so I could develop and implement investment strategies for sound investment to improve the return on investment. Once we have a policy, I would form a committee with the county manager, commissioners and financial director and better assess the investment policy. I dont see that happening right now.

Guadiana went more deeply into current county investment policy and recommended staying the course, though a follow-up question from Daily Press publisher and forum moderator Nick Seibel sparked an idea in Guadianas head concerning local green energy investment of county funds.

It excites me just thinking about the county investing in green energy. I think it would be [minimally] volatile, unlike fossil fuels, and it is an industry that can be viable, Guadiana said. It is an exciting prospect.

I know there is about $7 million invested by the county, and I wouldnt necessarily make any changes, knowing that investment strategies need input from people more learned on it than I am, Guadiana said.

He added that he would like to figure out how to help legislators or the attorney general give either the assessor or the treasurer some kind of discretion or policy to follow when it comes to delinquent property taxes. The issue could become a major problem as COVID-19-related economic disruptions threaten both property owners ability to pay their taxes, and the countys reliance on collecting them. The county generates about 60 percent of its revenue from property taxes, Guadiana noted.

One thing I would like to see looked at is whether the treasurer can forgive the penalties related to the delinquent payment of property taxes, Guadiana said. There are different opinions. Some say if you do it before reporting it to the state, there is no harm, no foul but that isnt written [in statute].

I would at least like the blessing of the attorney general, if not an actual legislative fix that would amend state law, Guadiana said, adding that such a move should be either universal or based on criteria like financial hardship so as not to put the county at great risk, by laying the discretionary authority of such decisions on the treasurer or the assessor.

Cohn said that forgiving tax payments, penalties and interest on late payments, or other solutions to help financially troubled taxpayers, will have to come through legislation.

Property tax caps

It is capped already, and there is only an increase of 2 percent allowed from year-to-year, in line with the infamous California Proposition 13, Guadiana said, noting that the rule caused great strain on many [governmental] entities, but gave great relief to the taxpayer in both California and New Mexico. I am glad to see that here.

I would talk to legislators to get a [further] cap on [property taxes], especially for our senior citizens, Cohn said.

Veteran tax assistance

We need communication between the Treasurers Office and the Assessors Office, all the elected officials, on how to get that corrected, so that doesnt happen to our military veterans, Cohn said, in answer to an audience question about some property owners having difficulty getting their veterans tax exemption and/or disabled veterans property tax waiver.

The documentation is pretty straightforward I am surprised there would be a dilemma like that, Guadiana said, but I know [Grant County Assessor] Raul Turrieta pretty well, and I am sure we could resolve these issues fairly quickly. Helping the person obtain the form, that would be a place to start.

I am a veteran, and I dont want to see anyone denied their $4,000 benefit, Guadiana added.

How to invest funds?

My plan and vision for the Treasurers Office would be to focus on developing and implementing sound investment policy after forming solid relationships with the county commissioners, public officials, county manager and financial director to plan a better future for Grant County, Cohn said. Investment for financial growth for the county by responsibly distributing tax dollars and investing tax money, in accordance with an investment policy. That being said, you have to have quality tax collection, maintain the financial records and improve the efficiency of the office.

The extent of the Treasurers Office [investment responsibility] is to identify things that could be a good investment opportunity, but the ultimate say is the County Commissions, Guadiana said.

But I did not

choose the deputy

Neither candidate could say who he would hire as his deputy treasurer, although both men said they would look to hire the best person for the job, regardless of whether that person came from within the county government or from without.

Next Thursday, May 7, the two candidates competing in the Democratic primary race for Grant County Commission District 5 will take part in the second of the Daily Press virtual forum events. Incumbent Commissioner Harry Browne is up against retired businessman Simon Ortiz.

That Zoom event, and all the forums, will be available online at dailypressforums.com. All forums begin at 6 p.m., and will also be available live on the Daily Press Facebook page. Archived forum videos are also available to watch on demand on Facebook.

Monday, May 11, is the date set for the Democratic Sixth Judicial Districts district attorney forum, with Deming attorney Michael Renteria and current Deputy District Attorney Norman Wheeler; and Thursday, May 14, for the forum in the hotly contested Democratic District 28 state Senate race between incumbent Sen. Gabe Ramos and educator Siah Correa Hemphill.

A forum for the Republican U.S. House primary race is also being planned, although candidates have not yet agreed to a date.

GEOFFREY PLANT

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Investments, COVID-19 tax help top treasurer's forum - Silver City Daily Press and Independent