Not Actioning Is Also An Action

I was reading a fellow blogger mention that Singapore markets are pretty unexciting at the moment with unattractive bond yields, sideways equity markets and peaky property prices, therefore, there is nothing much to blog about financially.

Following that chain of thought, I wondered how reporters work when they lack articles to write about. Do they make stories up? Or just play up anything that is hot at the moment?

So, are fund managers doing the same thing? Do they trade unnecessarily and target stocks that have high analyst coverage at the moment? Investors funds cannot be left idle, everyone is aiming for returns. However, sometimes, not taking action is also an action. It is a deliberate decision not to take any action. Unlike fund managers the retail investor does have the luxury of this inaction.

Imagine not buying that 4D ticket and it did not open. You are betting that it will not open and you won, you saved yourself from losing that amount.

The market outlook seems to be getting more uncertain. There used to be much reports about the remote possibility of a double dip, however, the US market has corrected for many weeks now and economic fundamentals do not seem to have improved (there is even talks of QE3).

On the Singapore front, the stock market has indeed been range bound for some time now, inflation is creeping higher, property prices look out of reach, bond returns are negligible and there is great uncertainty how long this will last. I suppose it may be wiser not to take any action right now.