Bursa Malaysia to reduce tick size effective 3 August 2009

There is a sudden news that effective 3 August 2009, Bursa Malaysia will reduce the structure of its tick size (minimum price variation between the stocks' buy and sell bid).

It is said that this move is to "in line with the current practice by global developed markets and more importantly, to create market depth, enable price discovery and boost liquidity in the local equities market."

This change will affect both the stocks as well as the equity exchange-traded funds (ETFs) listed in KLSE.

The new structure is as below:





I can foresee that the smaller tick size will make the price movement of stocks with higher price tend to be slower and more stable than before. It will be more difficult for them to hit a limit up or limit down, especially when the volume is high.

Perhaps there will be more counters going for split or bonus issue to lower down their stock price in order to maintain a lively price movement.

How will this impact on KLSE market sentiment? What will be the reaction of investors and traders? Soon we will be able to see.

World Top 10 Retirement Havens for 2009

The International Living magazine has produced a special report to introduce the World's Top 10 Retirement Havens for 2009.

Those selected are places that can offer us a lower cost of living and with a huge improvement in our quality of life.

Excerpt: "An overnight stay in a private hospital in Mexico for as little as $35...the world’s number one retiree program in Panama...the best value for you second home dollar in Uruguay...live in the lap of luxury on a pensioner’s budget in Ecuador...hire a maid for $120 per month and enjoy beautiful Caribbean beaches in Nicaragua...enjoy the convenience of speaking English and banking privacy in Belize...experience la pura vida in Costa Rica...discover why European expats have been flocking to Brazil...learn where to find the best health care system in the entire world—France...and finally, hear about la dolce vita (at affordable prices) in Italy. "

And the world's top 10 retirement havens for 2009 are:

• Ecuador - living large on little money
• Mexico - live right on the beach for pennies on the dollar
• Brazil - 5,000 miles of beaches, fantastic weather, stately colonial cities, and mountains with spring-fresh weather
• France - good food, good wine, haute couture, a good climate, unspoiled countryside, glittering culture, excellent health care, colorful traditions and history
• Panama - you will never find yourself bored
• Nicaragua - one of the most beautiful countries in the Americas
• Italy - beautiful sceneries and quality health services
• Costa Rica - tropical climate, modern cities, Caribbean beaches, Pacific coastline, rainforests, lush valleys, and mountains
• Uruguay - First-world infrastructure and Third-world prices
  
• Belize - living and doing business made easy

"Broaden your horizons and you can dramatically change the way you live—for the better. "

Click here to read the full report on World Top 10 Retirement Havens for 2009 and find out more about the beauty of those places.

The 2009 Quality of Life Index reveals best country to live in

Founded in 1979 by Bill Bonner, the International Living magazine is a monthly publication for subscribers detailing the best places in the world to live, retire, travel, and invest.

In order to reveal the world’s best places to live in 2009, they have ranked and rated 195 countries by benchmarking on the following considerations: cost of living, leisure & culture, economy, environment, freedom, health, infrastructure, risk & safety and climate.

For the fourth year running, France comes first in the index, and Switzerland comes in second place for the second year.

Click here to read the article from International Living and find out why France and Switzerland are chosen.

Among the ASEAN countries, Singapore ranked the 80th, Malaysia 90th, Brunei 113th, Thailand 134th, Philippines 136th, Vietnam 143th, Indonesia 145th, Cambodia 154th, Myanmar 162nd and Laos 178th.

The top 20 are:

• France
• Switzerland
• United States
• Luxembourg
• Australia
• Belgium
• Italy
• Germany
• New Zealand
• Denmark
• Malta
• Sweden
• Uruguay
• Lithuania
• Czech Republic
• Norway
• Austria
• Netherlands
• Canada
• United Kingdom

Click here for the complete 2009 Quality of Life Index with detail scoring info.