Daily Investment Tips

Farmland investment funds are funds that directly invest in farmland. Farmland investment funds are rare but there are two such funds in Canada and Brazil.

Agrifirma, based in Brazil, and Agcapita Farmland Investment Partnership, based in Canada.

Jim Rogers, a high profile investor is an investor in these two farmland investment funds.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Brazil, Canada, Farmland, High Profile, Invest, Investment Funds, Investment Partnership, Investor, Jim Rogers

Investment valuation in new age internet companies is soaring. Facebook is valued at $50 billion, Twitter is valued at $10 billion and Groupon is chasing a $25 Billion IPO. For some jittery investors it feels like 1999, and they are saying this  is a new tech bubble.

Is it really a Tech Bubble?

It feels like one. All bubbles, stock market, real estate, commodities e.t.c happen during a period of high liquidity. The more money flows into an asset class the higher the price of that asset rises.

In the tech bubble of 90s, the bubble got in gear when investment funds started raising money to invest in then technology companies. Just like then, we see Goldman Sachs e.t.c raising billions to invest in the new age technology companies. Source NYtime article.

Tech Bubble Prediction

When it comes to prediction, history is a good guide. In any bubble there are a few winners and many losers. In the tech bubble of 90s we saw Amazon, Yahoo & Ebay emerge while a string on losers Webavan, Akamai, Jupiter networks and many other were trashed in the dustbin of history.

Today, the bet is on internet companies with a competitive advantage (business model that cannot easily be copied) like Facebook & Twitter to emerge victorious. On the other hand companies like Groupon & others whose model can be easily copied might not make it.

The challenge for investors is picking winners. The situation is best summarized in NYTimes article:-

As cash continues to pile up, the fear is that all this money cannot be put to work responsibly. With only a few perceived “winners,” some investors must be choosing losers or paying too much.

 

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Amazon, Asset Class, Competitive Advantage Business, Dustbin, Ebay, Facebook, Goldman Sachs, History Today, Internet Companies, Investment Funds, Investment Valuation, Jittery Investors, Liquidity, Losers, Money Flows, New Age Technology, Prediction History, Raising Money, Technology Companies, Twitter

Businessweek has a story about investment funds that have invested in Facebook. This funds are providing retail investors with a means to invest indirectly into facebook.

Facebook Funds

EB Exchange Funds, based in San Francisco, along with New York firms Felix Investments and GreenCrest Capital, have opened Facebook funds.

Since you cant buy facebook stock directly you instead buy into the fund just like you buy a mutual fund.

Read the full story at businessweek facebook.

There is no doubt facebook is the biggest story since Google. Those investors who were lucky to get in early are smiling all the way to facebook IPO date. Funds such as EB exchange have given retail investors another window to get a piece of facebook.

Although Facebook is still a private company investors have been able to buy stock of the company. Stock of Facebook trade on a private-company stock market. The market is known as Secondmarket.

Although there is a secondary market it is extremely hard for outsiders to even get a single stock. The funds have provided another window to get into facebook.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Businessweek, Buy Stock, Company Investors, Company Stock, Exchange Funds, Facebook, Felix, Google, Greencrest, Investment Funds, Investments, Mutual Fund, No Doubt, Outsiders, Private Company, Retail Investors, San Francisco, Stock Funds, Stock Ipo, Stock Market, Stock Trade