Jeremy Goh, Alliance Research analyst updates us on the construction sector:  

- progress on big projects like MRT: activity at MRT sites appears to have slowed since pre-GE13 

- biggest risks to calls - inherent risks to the industry: labour, getting money/financing in on time

- themes beyond MRT? For instance, restructuring of water assets in Selangor and potential highway acquisitions by the government?  Perhaps, spin-offs from oil & gas developments? 

- the KL-SG HSR project - do you think we’ll see a clear plan by year-end? Construction companies that stand to benefit if it happens

- will the govt really open the project up for open international tender

- IJM’s been relatively quiet in bidding for projects recently, are they gearing up for something big?

- top picks Gamuda and Ahmad Zaki Resources have rallied sharply - time to take profit?

- KimLun still appears cheap at 9.9x 2013 PE, and is also a play on rising infrastructure spending in Iskandar (it’s a JB-based based co) Why Ahmad Zaki preferred to KimLun

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luz Lorenzo, Head of Research at Maybank Kim Eng, the Philippines about the Philippines Stock Exchange talks about: 

- the Philippines’ biggest pension fund is expecting the benchmark stock index to advance about 9% in the next 12 months - how does that compare with your 12 month forecast

- the PSE Index is valued at 18 times analysts’ earnings estimates for the next 12 months, according to Bloomberg data. That’s an 80 per cent premium over the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Philippines shares also look expensive versus China and South Korea. Her view

- as exports are about 2% of GDP, Philippines is somewhat impervious to US’ QE tapering and China growth slowing down. Biggest risk to the market

- progress on the govt’s ambitious Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programme remains very slow. It is now Aquino’s 4th year in office, but so far only 3 of the 12 projects identified at the start of his tenure have had contracts awarded… will he deliver before the next presidential election in 2016?

- given the volatility in the market, which defensives, recommended safe havens. typically consumers and telcos

- investors frequently complain that the mkt is un-investable (given its low liquidity), and expensive (highest PE in Asia) – would these counter both criticisms?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grant Bowers, Portfolio Manager with Franklin Templeton talks about:

- US June retail sales

- Banks earnings results

- June inflation

- US small caps

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss TH Heavy Engineering and Digistar warrants in this week's episode of Warrants Wednesday. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lee Cheng Hooi, Head of Retail Research at Maybank Investment Bank talks about where KLCI is headed for the next week and three buys: Datasonic, Muhibbah Engineering and Ahmad Zaki Resources. 

He also explains why it's not necessarily too late to buy stocks that have hit 52-week highs. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PK Basu, Regional Head, Economics and Research at Maybank Kim Eng talked about: 
- China GDP at 7.5% for Q2. How real a risk that 2013 growth could fall below 7.5% for the year? It’d be the first time in 15 years that China has missed its annual growth target if so. 
- the government no longer riding to the rescue 
- China has been talking about restructuring its economy since 2004, to unleash consumer demand, and reduce dependence on capital-intensive industries. Still  just talk? 
- what investors keen on China should do 

BFM's Khoo Hsien Chun speaks with him. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Quinlan, MD and Chief Market Strategist at US Trust-Bank of America Private Wealth Management in New York, discusses the following questions: 

- Ben Bernanke’s semi-annual monetary policy testimony before the House (Weds) and Senate (Thurs). What do you expect he will say?

- Will he reiterate the Fed’s desire to begin tapering asset purchases sometime this year – as he announced back in June? Or could he make some more overtly dovish comments like those at the NBER conference last week? 

- Whether a better sense of when asset purchases are likely to end?

- The recovery in the price of gold over the past week indicates a market that is pricing in a tapering that will occur later rather than sooner .. 

- China's highly anticipated second-quarter GDP data of 7.5% did allay fears over a sharp growth deceleration -- yet the reaction of most Asian markets were lukewarm. How should we interpret this reaction? 

- And French President Francois Hollande, said to be "in denial over the state of the French economy" when he said that Europe's No. 2 economy was recovering despite Fitch stripping France of its last AAA rating last Friday. Denial? Or a fair reflection of French economic conditions which have been described by Daiwa Capital Markets and Capital Economics as still being "clearly far superior to those in Portugal, Italy and Spain"? 

- Given the recent strength of the USD, are you still recommending investors buy US equities, despite an estimated 34% of revenue from S&P500 companies now comes from offshore, according to Goldman Sachs’ research?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Benny Lee, Chief Market Strategist at Jupiter Securities talks about: 

- Where the KLCI is headed this week, with China GDP numbers and Bernanke's dovish comments

- Stocks in the news: Catcha and DRB Hicom

- CPO futures, which fell 3% last Friday, the most in more than four months

- Plantation stocks

- Why he's looking at TH Heavy Engineering and Hup Seng this week 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Desmond Chng, Research Analyst at Maybank Investment Bank updates us on the banking sector:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dodge O. Dorland, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Landor & Fuest Capital Managers in New York

- Ben Bernanke's "highly acommodative" statement

- Good budget surplus numbers for June

- Apple and Gold ETF were most sold. Time Warner and J&J were most bought in this year

- China's minimum GDP growth rate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.