SWF Radar TemasekHoldings

Thomson Reuters reports that, “Singapore sovereign fund Temasek, which spent billions of dollars on shares in Merrill Lynch, sees value in banking stocks in the United States and Britain, a senior executive said on Tuesday.”

Bloomberg writes that, “Singapore’s slowest economic growth in five years hasn’t stopped the city-state from expanding its stake in a shrinking Merrill Lynch & Co.”

Seeking Alpha writes that, “Temasek, Singapore’s second-largest sovereign wealth fund, [SWF] is certainly doing far better than Singapore exchange-traded funds such as the iShares MSCI Singapore (EWS) that is down almost 17% year-to-date. The lesson is that it pays to play as a big boy with lots of cash and negotiating leverage.”

Portfolio.com asks, “Why would a sovereign wealth fund that poured $5 billion into Merrill Lynch eight months ago want to invest even more money after seeing Merrill’s shares fall by more than half?”

Thomson Reuters reports that, “Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings, which has pumped billions of dollars into ailing lenders such as Merrill Lynch & Co Inc, said it may invest more in Western banks if the opportunity arose.”

Thomson Reuters reports that, “Singapore sovereign fund Temasek’s assets were worth S$185 billion ($131 billion) at the end of March, Temasek’s chairman S Dhanabalan said on Thursday, up 13 percent from a year earlier.”

Thomson Reuters reports that, “Nearly 300 workers from German shipping group Hapag-Lloyd protested on Tuesday against a possible takeover by Singapore’s NOL a day before the cabinet is due to pass a law to shield domestic firms from foreign buyers.”

The article adds that, “[T]he offer by NOL, 66 percent owned by Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings, has caused concern in Germany, not least about possible job cuts, and the government has welcomed the Hamburg bid to keep the firm in German hands.”

Asia Sentinel writes that, “The bull market tide goes out, leaving the lion city's sovereign wealth firm gasping on the shore.”

Thomson Reuters reports that, “Singapore’s sovereign fund Temasek Holdings has hired Morgan Stanley investment banker Michael Dee to join a team that will oversee its new international division, sources familiar with the move told Reuters on Monday.”

MarketWatch writes that, “The latest investment by Singapore sovereign-wealth fund Temasek in Merrill Lynch & Co. could lift its stake to more than 10%, triggering the need for regulatory approval and reigniting debate about foreign ownership of U.S. financial firms.”