The Star Online: Business
The Star Online: Business |
| Posted: 26 Oct 2012 08:21 PM PDT A very, very dated dinosaur flick was playing on TV. This was the 1970s in Bahrain, where viewers relied on satellite rotors to receive signals from channels across other nations in the Middle East. When the winds blew, the screen would flicker and fuzz up. Across the living room, eight-year-old bespectacled Girish Menon, the only child of expatriates, watched in fascination and suspense, slurping up the unfolding fantasy in spite of the poor screening. Today, you can ask the 44-year-old CEO of Mindshare Malaysia anything about movies even box office figures he'll know the answer. He has made it through some four-fifths of Time magazine's top 100 movies which their editors consider most estimable but that's not the impressive bit made known during this interview, nor the fact that he averages 200 movies a year. The man is so immersed in it that he has drawn up his own compilations, which he has stringently updated over the last three decades. They are meticulously listed by numerous categories such as genre, period, director, actor, box office facts and figures to reflect what's been watched and what he intends to watch. While other businessmen monitor share prices on Bursa Malaysia in the morning, Girish pores over entertainment websites for news and updates. His habit may border on kooky but as with all deep-seated passions, the hobby gives the knowledge-hungry Girish a sense of satisfaction. "I love the emotional journey of watching a movie and knowing about the production and cast," he says. "People watch movies to unwind after a long day, and they usually opt for light-hearted ones. I can handle a heavy one. They stir me up, but that's the beauty of a well-told tale they cause you to experience an emotional reaction." A typical evening would find Giresh and his K-pop loving wife of 17 years sitting together with their headsets on, plugged into different movies. That way, they watch whatever they please, together. She knows her stuff too, but isn't nearly as immersed as her husband. It's worth noting, however, that she knows enough conversant Korean to have helped them get around more easily during a recent trip there. As a family, they watch anime and animation with their 8 and 10-year old girls. Asked for his favourite movie, he produces several lists sorted by genre, each containing over a dozen titles. Jaws is on one of them. There are no absolute favourites. "There are far too many that I like," he says, frowning slightly. He isn't keen on Bollywood movies, though. "Those, and musicals. I don't see the point in all that singing and prancing," he says. He doesn't watch trailers, for he finds them too much of a giveaway, nor does he watch the same picture twice. "Unless it is really good, like The Lord of the Rings," says Girish, who also relishes science fiction and fantasy. "I've watched the miniseries a couple of times but they take up too much time. And I don't want to spoil its magic by repeating it." When Scott Ridley's Prometheus premiered earlier this year, Girish took in the opening scene with a lump in his throat. "It happens quite a lot when the scenes are powerful," he admits. "I found the effects in Prometheus amazing, although I'm aware that many Ridley fans were disappointed. Good cinematography moves me, as do compelling storylines," he says. His database tracks movies firstly by franchise, like the James Bond series, then, cinematography. He cites names like Akira Kurosawa, a Japanese cinematographer whose work was more celebrated by the world than his countrymen. "His work portrayed a sense of pace. These craftsmen have the power to shape your theatrical experience," he says. He quotes many other obscure names and facts about the film industry, knowledge harvested over years of interest. Several years ago, his fixation compelled him to consider life as a film student in the US, just to feed his intrigue. "Mid-life crisis," he smiles "but if not for my family ". On a quiet Sunday morning, he can usually be found sitting in the balcony, where he commits his thought to text on his laptop. There, he blogs his movie reviews and occasionally, shares his lists for the season. "I don't suppose anyone reads my blog (chronophlogiston.wordpress.com). It's a personal thing, so I'm perfectly good without the traffic," he says. Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep are among his favourite actors. |
| Posted: 26 Oct 2012 06:19 PM PDT AFTER peaking out at a seven-month high of 47.5 sen on Feb 14, Maxwell International Bhd succumbed to fresh profit-taking pressure only to flip once again to resume its correction process, which saw its shares dropping to an 11-month low of 31.5 sen on Sept 12. Thereafter, prices turned range-bound, but with a mild upward bias with renewed bargain hunting interest offsetting light selling. This counter was listed on Jan 6 last year on the Main Market under the consumer products sector. Based on the daily chart, slightly more than a month into listing, Maxwell shares slip below the 54 sen line and since then have never recovered to its IPO level. With prices trading at a discount and appearing to make an effort in building a base for recovery, it is perhaps time to consider accumulating. Elsewhere, the daily moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) histogram expanded upward against the daily signal line to stay positive. It had issued a buy a month ago. Meanwhile, the 14-day relative strength index improved slightly from the mid-range to end at 63 points. However, the oscillator per cent K tripped below the oscillator per cent D of the daily slow-stochastoc momentum index to trigger a sell near the overbought area yesterday. Technically, indicators, especially the daily MACD are on the mend, suggesting prices may firm, albeit on a slow pace in the short term. Current resistance is envisaged at the 37 sen mark. A decisive push above the next upper hurdle of 40 sen is likely to see the fate of this counter turning brighter. Important support is set at the 31.5 sen line. The comments above do not represent a recommendation to buy or sell. |
| A slow ride towards 1,700 points Posted: 26 Oct 2012 06:18 PM PDT REVIEW: After setting a new record the previous session, Bursa Malaysia started out the week almost unchanged, with the FBM Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (FBM KLCI) up 0.08 point to 1,666.43 amid a dearth of fresh market-stimulating leads. The overall sentiment was pretty cautious, as most investors adopted the "wait-and-see" attitude and stayed on the sidelines following a steep fall in US markets the previous Friday. A frail showing in Asia-Pacific equities in early business added to the downbeat note. Although a couple of major indices later managed to recoup losses and closed steadier, they did not help. In sluggish trade, the local bourse drifted from an intra-day high of 1,667.23 to a low of 1,660.04 in the afternoon before trimming losses to settle at 1,661.95, losing 4.4 points on Monday. Overnight Wall Street stopped bleeding the next day, up 2.38 points to 13,345.89, as a rally in Caterpillar Inc and Apple Inc shares on better-than-expected bottom line offset worries about slower global growth. On the opposite, crude oil prices sank US$1.32 to US$88.73 on extended selling pressure. Given the unclear condition in the United States, equities in the region turned mixed in subdued trading, awaiting a clearer picture to emerge while Asia's corporate reporting season was under way. Mirroring the offshore trend, the local bourse was trapped between an intra-day high and low of 1,666.26 and 1,658.03 respectively before ending up 2.95 points at 1,664.90. The higher settlement was largely due to advances in select blue chips and it was clearly reflected on the scoreboard, with winners trailing losers by 299 to 372 on Tuesday. After a short pause, the Dow resumed its downward spiral, slumping a hefty 243.36 points to 13,102.53, the biggest drop since June 21, as poor results from DuPont and United Technologies revived worries about slowing global economic growth, exacerbated by renewed concerns over the euro zone's debt crisis after Moody's Investors Service downgraded five of Spain's regions. Apparently, many people had expected stocks in the region to suffer a beating, but in an unprecedented move, Asian markets traded mixed, as a timely report out from China, suggesting manufacturing slump in the world's second largest economy may be bottoming out, helped draw some buying, cushioning the downside. Likewise, Bursa Malaysia reversed early declines, with the key index chalking up 3.09 points to 1,667.99 in mid-week. Thereafter, bargain hunting dominated the floor, tracking the regional trend. Although there was a bit of nibbling, sentiment remained fragile, with the FBM KLCI adding only 3.9 points to 1,671.89 on Thursday. Bursa Malaysia was shut for a public holiday yesterday. Statistics: Week-on-week, the principal index climbed 5.54 points, or 0.3% to 1,671.89 on Thursday, against 1,666.35 on Oct 19. Turnover for the four-day week stood at 4.86 billion units worth RM5.563bil, versus 5.956 billion shares worth RM7.977bil done the previous week. Technical indicators: After a mild pullback from the top, the daily slow-stochastoc momentum index triggered a buy at the 68% level on Thursday. Similarly, the 14-day relative strength index retraced back to a reading of 60 earlier of the week before ticking up to end at 70 points on Thursday. Meanwhile, the daily moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) histogram retained the buy signal, rising gradually in tandem with the daily trigger line. Weekly indicators strengthened further, with the weekly slow-stochastic momentum index surging deeper into the bullish area and the weekly MACD calling for a buy. Outlook: The FBM KLCI set a new record high of 1,671.89 on Thursday but the overall market was generally in consolidation mode the past week, depressed by a steep reversal in the Dow and crude oil prices. In spite of that, the underlying tone of the local bourse was firm, as institutional players were more focused on signs of recovery in China and the recent positive economic data in the United States rather than fretting about weak corporate earnings. On the back of better economic condition, share prices are likely to sustain the upward thrust in the short term, but the journey is likely to be bumpy in the wake of profit warnings from big corporations in the United States. Initial resistance is maintained at the 1,680 points and strong overhead barrier is resting at the 1,700 points psychological barrier. Current support is envisaged at the 14-day simple moving average (SMA) of 1,661, followed by the 21-day SMA of 1,656. The lower floor is resting at the 50-day SMA of 1,645. In the case the crucial 100-day SMA of 1,628 is violated, then the 200-day SMA of 1,597 would be vulnerable. Technically, indicators on our radar screen are painting a promising landscape, implying the bulls are likely to climb but at a slow pace. |
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