Arrowhead

You can do a lot better than bank deposits. It doesn’t matter what the currency, that would be the last place I would put the bulk of my money. In addition, to get a decent rate most want you to lock your money away with them for more than 12 months. Are you confident that the Euro, AUD and NZD will still be appreciating against the USD in 12 months? Have a look for example at what has happened with the NZD to the HKD/USD in the last 3.5 months alone. It has declined in value by 7.3%. Here’s some interesting facts about what has happened to the five high yielding currencies (AUD, NZD, GBP, CAD and EUR) I track on and have been trading in, in the last three years:

With the exception of the AUD it is quite clear to me that the HKD/USD has probably turned the corner with the rest. I’m not going to tell you what to do with your money but these numbers speak for themselves don’t you think?

Thanks 404, that's very interesting to see the comparison, especially now since most have started going the other way. Many thanks.

b.

404 Titan - hence my previous question.

There don't appear to be a lot of "cash equivalent" investments that I am aware of in HK that offer decent returns for acceptable levels of liquidity and volatility. If you are aware of some please do share.

kluge

Always remember: High returns = High risk.

Again I am not going to advise you per say on what is the best returning investment but if you have had your money in HKD for the last seven months or so, you have just made up to 9.5% without trying, well at least on paper you have. By working the currency market you could have doubled that return.:ok:

404 - thx for reply. Not asking for investment advice per se. Please bear with me as I do invest myself.

I am always on the look out, as I'm sure you are, for investments across all the four asset classes that meet my personal investment criteria for liquidity, safety of principle, ROR and any tax advantage that may ensue.

In HK the "cash equivalent" asset class products of structured notes and others are limited (the buy-in amounts are generally not a problem for me).

I am interested in hearing of "leads" that I can do my own research against and make my own decision whether to invest or not, eg would you know who I can buy the Vanguard S&P 500 tracking fund through in HK ? It seems that I can't do it via HSBC Premier or their offshore investment house.

I see a lot of value in that type of information exchange via this thread. And it could be educational for those lurkers who wish to learn about investing.

I've found that the most difficult thing to find is good advice (by which I mean "leads" for research) from the right advisors NOT sales people - who generally pedal the diversified mutual fund/quarterly asset rebalancing twaddle. I recall from seeing past postings of yours that you are aware of the FSI b/s and pitfalls.

For yourself, I've had good success with this:
http://www.moneymanagement.com.au/Ar..._0c041330.html

As a rule I don't buy into hedge funds because of their high costs. However this one has been good to me over the last 5 yrs, cost structure is attractive and liquidity high.

interesting article
 

http://www.sharecafe.com.au/cafetake.asp?a=AV&ai=9012

Another interesting commentary on the future of the USD etc

Pax Americana
 

Why don't you take a look at the Fortune-500 directory and count how many of the world's biggest corporations are USA [USD based] companies. Individual, private companies like Wal-Mart, Exxon-Mobil . . . that have operating revenues exceeding GDPs of many countries.

Or look around where you live and count the number of USA companies doing business in your neighborhood: Starbucks, KFC, McDonald's . . . Google, Microsoft, GE, P&W, HP, Ford, GM. . . .

And you are worried about the long term prognosis of the all mighty U.S. Dollar?

Once upon a time there was "Pax Romana" the Roman Empire. Today it's "Pax Americana," it's today's only super power, financially, militarily, economically, culturally. Until that status changes, [it may someday, but not in our lifetime] . . . the U.S. Dollar rules! Like it or not. :ooh:

Glueball
 

??????

If Hip Hop, Gangster Rap and Mexican Gangs is a culture then maybe.

We all spend time in North America , get out the hotel and see the "culture" around!!

Yes they are a super power, pity all the good american kids are in Iraq while the scumbag's and illegal's drain the social system.

Learn a lesson Brittan!

CXtreme: I don't live anywhere near the USA, but I am paid in USD, I fly airplanes made in USA, my jeppesen charts are product of USA, I navigate off American GPS satellites, my laptop computer is product of USA, its operating system is product of USA; I use Google, U-Tube, Yahoo, VISA and Mastercard and American Express; . . . more than 50% of all movies shown on my TV are made in USA, more than 50% of all music I hear worldwide is from American artists, I see more people wearing "jeans" than any other garment, I see more American restaurants worldwide than any other . . . . it's part of American arts, customs and intellectual achievements; It's American influence called: Culture. :rolleyes:

Pretty simple really, as soon as the next President gets us out of Iraq and its trillions of USD expense our currency will climb in value again.

404 and Glueball have their prognostication caps on correctly, and will be proven right, in the mid-long term.

Only the young and quite foolish count the US Dollar out, and further...commoditiy booms go bust, sooner or later.
Oil is not, by any stretch of the imagination, immune.

How do I know this?
For years and years I have traded commodities, and long before personal computers were available, I had manually drawn charts nine feet long...and I always made a profit (sometimes small, but nevertheless, a profit).

What I do not do however, is trade currency futures.
Currencies can be (and many times are) manipulated by governments, and can change direction in an instant...charts or no charts.