Latest news for Keppel (OTC:KPELY) Stock

Keppel Corp

Singapore-based Keppel is an alternative asset manager and operator with SGD 68 billion of assets under management as of end-2023. The group's key segments are infrastructure, real estate, and connectivity (including telecommunication services and operation of data centers). Most of its earnings are derived from its infrastructure segment, where it invests and operates in a portfolio of infrastructure assets. The group also has a fund management platform comprising listed and unlisted investment trusts that generates recurring fee income.

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Singapore&#39;s economy grew by 2.8% year-on-year during the fourth quarter, with the construction and manufacturing sectors playing a significant role in this growth.

Singapore Outpaces Expectations With Strong Q4 Growth In 2023

Penny Stocks

GRAB

Shares of U.S.-listed companies rose in Singapore on Monday after government data showed that Singapore’s economy grew 7.2% in 2021, rebounding from a pandemic-induced 5.4% contraction in the previous year.

Singapore Economy Registers 7.2% Growth In 2021, Highest In Over A Decade

Emerging Markets

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BTKGF

SPKMF

5 Singapore Stocks To Watch On Thursday, February 21

KEPPEL CORP LTD S/ADR by Keppel Corporation Limited

Keppel Ltd

Singapore&#8217;s economy accelerated in Q4 2023, outperforming economists&#8217; predictions largely due to the progress in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
What Happened: As reported by Reuters, Singapore&#8217;s economy grew by 2.8% year-on-year during the fourth quarter, with the construction and manufacturing sectors playing a significant role in this growth. 
This figure outshone the 1% increase recorded in Q3 2023. Throughout 2023, the economy expanded by 1.2%, a decrease from the 3.6% growth in 2022.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/12/36439103/mrbeast-vs-elon-musk-youtuber-says-twitter-compensation-wouldnt-fund-a-fraction-of-videos-he-makes?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MrBeast Vs. Elon Musk: YouTuber Says Twitter Compensation &#8216;Wouldn&#8217;t Fund A Fraction&#8217; Of Videos He Makes &#8211;</a>
OCBC&#8217;s Selena Ling and Maybank&#8217;s Chua Hak Bin, both economists, acknowledged that the Q4 growth exceeded their forecasts. Ling had predicted a 1.8% expansion, and Chua had forecasted a 2.5% growth.&nbsp;&#8220;Green shoots are sprouting in&nbsp;exports and manufacturing, brightening the&nbsp;outlook for 2024,&#8221; Chua commented, anticipating a&nbsp;GDP growth of 2.2% in&nbsp;2024. Ling&#8217;s 2024 forecast aligns with the trade ministry&#8217;s projections, predicting growth between 1% and 3%.
The GDP grew 1.7% on a quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted basis in the October-December period, an improvement on the 1.3%&nbsp;expansion in the third quarter.&nbsp;The Monetary Authority of Singapore&nbsp;(MAS) is expected to review its monetary policy no later than Jan. 29.
Why It Matters: This encouraging Q4 growth comes on the heels of Singapore&#8217;s impressive economic performance in 2021. Singapore&#8217;s economy registered a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/22/01/24856739/singapore-economy-registers-7-2-growth-in-2021-highest-in-over-a-decade">7.2% growth in 2021</a>, its highest in over a decade, bouncing back from a 5.4% contraction due to the pandemic in the previous year. The news of this robust growth positively impacted U.S.-listed companies in Singapore, with shares of companies such as CapitaLand Ascendas REIT (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ACDSF#OTC">ACDSF</a>), Keppel Corp Ltd (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KPELY#OTC">KPELY</a>), and Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SGAPY#OTC">SGAPY</a>) going up.
Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/23/12/36438911/the-million-dollar-club-these-famous-people-said-that-bitcoin-will-reach-1m-in-2023?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Million Dollar Club: These Famous People Said That Bitcoin Will Reach $1M In 2023</a>
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 Engineered by 
 Benzinga Neuro, Edited by 
 
 <a href="None" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="color: #225aa9;text-decoration: none"> 
 Kaustubh Bagalkote</a> 
 
 
<hr style="border: 0;height: 1px;background: #225aa9" />

 The GPT-4-based Benzinga Neuro content generation system exploits the 
 extensive Benzinga Ecosystem, including native data, APIs, and more to 
 create comprehensive and timely stories for you. 
 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="color: #225aa9;text-decoration: none">Learn more.</a>
 
<hr style="border: 0;height: 5px;background: #225aa9" />
 </div>

Shares of U.S.-listed companies rose in Singapore on Monday after government data showed that Singapore&rsquo;s economy grew 7.2% in 2021, rebounding from a pandemic-induced 5.4% contraction in the previous year.
What&rsquo;s Moving: Singapore&rsquo;s Straits Times Index rose 0.2% on Monday following the release of the gross domestic product (GDP) data.
Shares of Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/acdsf#OTC">ACDSF</a>) have gained 0.7% in Singapore, while Keppel Corporation Limited (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/kpely#OTC">KPELY</a>) shares have risen 0.2% and Singapore Telecommunications Limited&#39;s&nbsp;(OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/sgapy#OTC">SGAPY</a>) traded 0.4% higher.
Singapore-based ride-hailing and food delivery company Grab Holdings Limited&rsquo;s (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/grab#NASDAQ">GRAB</a>) trade on the Nasdaq.
What Happened: Singapore&rsquo;s economy expanded by 5.9% in the fourth quarter of 2021, slower than the 7.1% growth in the July-September quarter.
The city-state emerged out of recession in the first quarter of 2021 by recording a growth of 1.5%.
Last year&rsquo;s growth rate is the fastest annual pace in over a decade for Singapore.
The Singapore government has described 2022 as a &ldquo;time of transition&rdquo; as it expects GDP growth for the year in a range of 3% to 5%. The highly contagious Omicron variant continues to pose a threat.
&ldquo;We will progressively phase out emergency support measures as businesses revive, though a few sectors will take longer,&rdquo; Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his New Year&#39;s message.
About 87% of the population in Singapore has been fully vaccinated, while 39% have received their booster shot, it was <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/singapores-vaccination-drive-1-year-on-87-fully-vaccinated-and-38-have-received-booster">reported</a> by The Straits Times newspaper last week.

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Stocks That Hit 52-Week Highs On Tuesday

The following companies are expected to be in focus when the Singapore market opens on Thursday, February 21.
<h3>Keppel Corporation</h3>
Keppel Corp&#39;s (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/kpely#OTC">KPELY</a>) (SGX: BN4)&nbsp;wholly owned subsidiary Keppel FELS delivered a jackup rig, called Cantarell IV, to Grupo R, which will sell it to FELS Asset and then lease it back, it said in a filing to the Singapore Exchange after the market close on Wednesday.
<h3>BreadTalk Group</h3>
BreadTalk (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/btkgf#OTC">BTKGF</a>) (SGX: CTN) said on Wednesday it entered a deal to acquire the 50 percent of BTM (Thailand) it doesn&#39;t already own from Minor Food Group for 160 million Thai baht (S$6.96 million). The deal pricing took into consideration the BTM (Thailand)&#39;s unaudited net book value of 214.97 million baht, it said in a filing to SGX on Wednesday.
<h3>TEE International</h3>
TEE International (SGX:M1Z)&nbsp;said on Wednesday that its proposed rights issue received valid acceptances and excess applications for a total of 144.93 million rights shares, or around 75.98 percent of the total number of rights shares available.
The offering was at an issue price of S$0.10 per rights share, on the basis of 38 rights shares for every 100 existing shares, it said.
Up to 80 percent of the net proceeds of around S$14.29 million were earmarked to fund expansion and growth of existing businesses, acquisitions and new investments, with up to 20 percent for general working capital, it said in a filing to SGX after the market close on Wednesday.
<h3>Spackman Entertainment Group</h3>
South Korean film producer Spackman Entertainment (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/spkmf#OTC">SPKMF</a>) (SGX: 40E) said on Wednesday it tapped John Ko, age 44, as its new CEO, effective immediately.
<h3>ValueMax Group</h3>
Pawn-shop operator ValueMax (SGX: T6I) reported on Wednesday its 2018 net profit rose 6.3 percent on-year to S$20.29 million as pawnbroking and moneylending revenue increased.
Related Links:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/19/02/13211918/mid-afternoon-market-update-crude-oil-up-1-5-kandi-technologies-shares-spike-hig">Mid-Afternoon Market Update: Crude Oil Up 1.5%; Kandi Technologies Shares Spike Higher</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/19/02/13211207/54-stocks-moving-in-wednesdays-mid-day-session">54 Stocks Moving In Wednesday&#39;s Mid-Day Session</a>

&nbsp;

	By: Yiannis Mostrous

	Keppel Corp&nbsp;(OTC: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/kpely#OTC">KPELY</a>) remains one of my top plays on the global energy and infrastructure boom. The company operates three main divisions: offshore and marine (O&amp;M), property, and infrastructure. In 2011, the company&rsquo;s O&amp;M division generated 69.5 percent of the company&rsquo;s operating profit, while the property division contributed 24.1 percent.

	The O&amp;M segment should be able to sustain its strong performance during 2012. And Keppel could win another USD3 billion to USD4 billion in new contracts this year, in addition to the contracts the company has secured from Brazil.

	At the end of December, Sete Brasil awarded Keppel a USD809 million contract for a semisubmersible rig slated for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2015. The new rig will use Keppel&rsquo;s proprietary design&ndash;known as DSS 38E&ndash;which is an improved version of Keppel&rsquo;s fifth-generation deepwater rigs currently in use in Brazil, West Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.

	Keppel&rsquo;s DSS 38E design is rated to drill to depths of 33,000 feet in water as deep as 10,000 feet. The rig is 355 feet in total length and its main deck is 240 feet by 240 feet. The rig&rsquo;s accommodations can house a crew of 160 people.

	In addition to the USD600 million to USD800 million per contract the company brings in from building new rigs, Keppel also earns USD150 million to USD200 million per contract when upgrading existing rigs.

	The cost of building a new rig largely depends on where it&rsquo;s constructed. In Singapore, semisubmersible rigs take 30 months to build and their cost of production is around USD600 million, while the same or similar rig takes 48 months to build in Brazil and costs USD800 million to produce due to higher operating costs.

	But because many of the rigs built in Brazil are delivered to the Brazilian government&rsquo;s majority-owned Petrobras (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pbr#NYSE">PBR</a>), the higher cost of production is usually overlooked. As a result of both Keppel&rsquo;s product line and its strong relationship with Petrobras, the company could garner an additional USD4 billion in contracts from Brazil.

	Keppel&rsquo;s O&amp;M margins have steadily climbed, and its exceptional performance last quarter surprised analysts. Although the division may experience weaker margins this year due to a rise in costs, Keppel takes a disciplined approach to acquiring new business and will not overbid for contracts. In the past, the company has refused to participate in potential deals when the terms were viewed as unprofitable for the company. The division may have difficulty maintaining margins above 20 percent in the long term, but management&rsquo;s efforts could produce a performance that beats expectations again this year.

	The <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/308699-overcapacity-in-the-oil-services-industry-what-you-need-to-know">deepwater market remains relatively tight</a>, and utilization of the global semisubmersible fleet is already at 88 percent. According to industry sources, there are only eight uncontracted deepwater rigs coming to market through the first quarter of next year.

	The next two years should be good ones for Keppel, especially for its O&amp;M and property divisions. Operationally, working capital and capital expenditures could increase this year as more rigs go under construction on 20/80 payment terms, but that will be offset by the strength in the real estate business.

	The property division&rsquo;s luxurious new development in an <a href="http://www.investingdaily.com/emerging-markets">emerging market</a>like Singapore is expected to be quite profitable. The project is already 70 percent pre-sold, and as many as 150 units will be retained as corporate residences.

	Keppel&rsquo;s stock trades at 11.5 times projected earnings, and I expect its share price to rise further once the market recognizes the company&rsquo;s rock-solid fundamentals With a dividend yield of 4 percent, Keppel Corp is a <a href="http://www.investingdaily.com/stocks-to-watch">stock to watch</a>.

Deepwater Dynamo: Keppel Corp

Keppel goes ex-dividend on Monday

Keppel Ltd. 2023 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation

Keppel Corporation (KPELF) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Keppel goes ex dividend tomorrow

KPELF

Keppel

Singapore&#8217;s economy accelerated in Q4 2023, outperforming economists&#8217; predictions largely due to the progress in the construction and manufacturing sectors.



What Happened: As reported by Reuters, Singapore&#8217;s economy grew by 2.8% year-on-year during the fourth quarter, with the construction and manufacturing sectors playing a significant role in this growth. 



This figure outshone the 1% increase recorded in Q3 2023. Throughout 2023, the economy expanded by 1.2%, a decrease from the 3.6% growth in 2022.



See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/12/36439103/mrbeast-vs-elon-musk-youtuber-says-twitter-compensation-wouldnt-fund-a-fraction-of-videos-he-makes?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MrBeast Vs. Elon Musk: YouTuber Says Twitter Compensation &#8216;Wouldn&#8217;t Fund A Fraction&#8217; Of Videos He Makes &#8211;</a>



OCBC&#8217;s Selena Ling and Maybank&#8217;s Chua Hak Bin, both economists, acknowledged that the Q4 growth exceeded their forecasts. Ling had predicted a 1.8% expansion, and Chua had forecasted a 2.5% growth.&nbsp;&#8220;Green shoots are sprouting in&nbsp;exports and manufacturing, brightening the&nbsp;outlook for 2024,&#8221; Chua commented, anticipating a&nbsp;GDP growth of 2.2% in&nbsp;2024. Ling&#8217;s 2024 forecast aligns with the trade ministry&#8217;s projections, predicting growth between 1% and 3%.



The GDP grew 1.7% on a quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted basis in the October-December period, an improvement on the 1.3%&nbsp;expansion in the third quarter.&nbsp;The Monetary Authority of Singapore&nbsp;(MAS) is expected to review its monetary policy no later than Jan. 29.



Why It Matters: This encouraging Q4 growth comes on the heels of Singapore&#8217;s impressive economic performance in 2021. Singapore&#8217;s economy registered a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/22/01/24856739/singapore-economy-registers-7-2-growth-in-2021-highest-in-over-a-decade">7.2% growth in 2021</a>, its highest in over a decade, bouncing back from a 5.4% contraction due to the pandemic in the previous year. The news of this robust growth positively impacted U.S.-listed companies in Singapore, with shares of companies such as CapitaLand Ascendas REIT (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ACDSF#OTC">ACDSF</a>), Keppel Corp Ltd (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KPELY#OTC">KPELY</a>), and Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SGAPY#OTC">SGAPY</a>) going up.



Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/23/12/36438911/the-million-dollar-club-these-famous-people-said-that-bitcoin-will-reach-1m-in-2023?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Million Dollar Club: These Famous People Said That Bitcoin Will Reach $1M In 2023</a>



Image Via Shutterstock




 <div style="font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif">
 <hr style="border: 0;height: 5px;background: #225aa9">
 <div style="background-color: #f5f5f5;background-position: center;background-size: cover;justify-content: center"></div>
 
 Engineered by
 Benzinga Neuro, Edited by
 
 <a href="None" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="color: #225aa9;text-decoration: none">
 Kaustubh Bagalkote</a>
 
 
 <hr style="border: 0;height: 1px;background: #225aa9">
 
 The GPT-4-based Benzinga Neuro content generation system exploits the
 extensive Benzinga Ecosystem, including native data, APIs, and more to
 create comprehensive and timely stories for you.
 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="color: #225aa9;text-decoration: none">Learn more.</a>
 
 <hr style="border: 0;height: 5px;background: #225aa9">
 </div>

Shares of U.S.-listed companies rose in Singapore on Monday after government data showed that Singapore&rsquo;s economy grew 7.2% in 2021, rebounding from a pandemic-induced 5.4% contraction in the previous year.

What&rsquo;s Moving: Singapore&rsquo;s Straits Times Index rose 0.2% on Monday following the release of the gross domestic product (GDP) data.

Shares of Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ACDSF#OTC">ACDSF</a>) have gained 0.7% in Singapore, while Keppel Corporation Limited (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KPELY#OTC">KPELY</a>) shares have risen 0.2% and Singapore Telecommunications Limited&#39;s&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SGAPY#OTC">SGAPY</a>) traded 0.4% higher.

Singapore-based ride-hailing and food delivery company Grab Holdings Limited&rsquo;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GRAB#NASDAQ">GRAB</a>) trade on the Nasdaq.

What Happened: Singapore&rsquo;s economy expanded by 5.9% in the fourth quarter of 2021, slower than the 7.1% growth in the July-September quarter.

The city-state emerged out of recession in the first quarter of 2021 by recording a growth of 1.5%.

Last year&rsquo;s growth rate is the fastest annual pace in over a decade for Singapore.

The Singapore government has described 2022 as a &ldquo;time of transition&rdquo; as it expects GDP growth for the year in a range of 3% to 5%. The highly contagious Omicron variant continues to pose a threat.

&ldquo;We will progressively phase out emergency support measures as businesses revive, though a few sectors will take longer,&rdquo; Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his New Year&#39;s message.

About 87% of the population in Singapore has been fully vaccinated, while 39% have received their booster shot, it was <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/singapores-vaccination-drive-1-year-on-87-fully-vaccinated-and-38-have-received-booster">reported</a> by The Straits Times newspaper last week.

The following companies are expected to be in focus when the Singapore market opens on Thursday, February 21.

<h3>Keppel Corporation</h3>

Keppel Corp&#39;s (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/KPELY#OTC">KPELY</a>) (SGX: BN4)&nbsp;wholly owned subsidiary Keppel FELS delivered a jackup rig, called Cantarell IV, to Grupo R, which will sell it to FELS Asset and then lease it back, it said in a filing to the Singapore Exchange after the market close on Wednesday.

<h3>BreadTalk Group</h3>

BreadTalk (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/BTKGF#OTC">BTKGF</a>) (SGX: CTN) said on Wednesday it entered a deal to acquire the 50 percent of BTM (Thailand) it doesn&#39;t already own from Minor Food Group for 160 million Thai baht (S$6.96 million). The deal pricing took into consideration the BTM (Thailand)&#39;s unaudited net book value of 214.97 million baht, it said in a filing to SGX on Wednesday.

<h3>TEE International</h3>

TEE International (SGX:M1Z)&nbsp;said on Wednesday that its proposed rights issue received valid acceptances and excess applications for a total of 144.93 million rights shares, or around 75.98 percent of the total number of rights shares available.

The offering was at an issue price of S$0.10 per rights share, on the basis of 38 rights shares for every 100 existing shares, it said.

Up to 80 percent of the net proceeds of around S$14.29 million were earmarked to fund expansion and growth of existing businesses, acquisitions and new investments, with up to 20 percent for general working capital, it said in a filing to SGX after the market close on Wednesday.

<h3>Spackman Entertainment Group</h3>

South Korean film producer Spackman Entertainment (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/SPKMF#OTC">SPKMF</a>) (SGX: 40E) said on Wednesday it tapped John Ko, age 44, as its new CEO, effective immediately.

<h3>ValueMax Group</h3>

Pawn-shop operator ValueMax (SGX: T6I) reported on Wednesday its 2018 net profit rose 6.3 percent on-year to S$20.29 million as pawnbroking and moneylending revenue increased.

Related Links:

<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/19/02/13211918/mid-afternoon-market-update-crude-oil-up-1-5-kandi-technologies-shares-spike-hig">Mid-Afternoon Market Update: Crude Oil Up 1.5%; Kandi Technologies Shares Spike Higher</a>

<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/19/02/13211207/54-stocks-moving-in-wednesdays-mid-day-session">54 Stocks Moving In Wednesday&#39;s Mid-Day Session</a>

&nbsp;

	By: Yiannis Mostrous

	Keppel Corp&nbsp;(OTC: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/kpely#OTC">KPELY</a>) remains one of my top plays on the global energy and infrastructure boom. The company operates three main divisions: offshore and marine (O&amp;M), property, and infrastructure. In 2011, the company&rsquo;s O&amp;M division generated 69.5 percent of the company&rsquo;s operating profit, while the property division contributed 24.1 percent.

	The O&amp;M segment should be able to sustain its strong performance during 2012. And Keppel could win another USD3 billion to USD4 billion in new contracts this year, in addition to the contracts the company has secured from Brazil.

	At the end of December, Sete Brasil awarded Keppel a USD809 million contract for a semisubmersible rig slated for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2015. The new rig will use Keppel&rsquo;s proprietary design&ndash;known as DSS 38E&ndash;which is an improved version of Keppel&rsquo;s fifth-generation deepwater rigs currently in use in Brazil, West Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.

	Keppel&rsquo;s DSS 38E design is rated to drill to depths of 33,000 feet in water as deep as 10,000 feet. The rig is 355 feet in total length and its main deck is 240 feet by 240 feet. The rig&rsquo;s accommodations can house a crew of 160 people.

	In addition to the USD600 million to USD800 million per contract the company brings in from building new rigs, Keppel also earns USD150 million to USD200 million per contract when upgrading existing rigs.

	The cost of building a new rig largely depends on where it&rsquo;s constructed. In Singapore, semisubmersible rigs take 30 months to build and their cost of production is around USD600 million, while the same or similar rig takes 48 months to build in Brazil and costs USD800 million to produce due to higher operating costs.

	But because many of the rigs built in Brazil are delivered to the Brazilian government&rsquo;s majority-owned Petrobras (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pbr#NYSE">PBR</a>), the higher cost of production is usually overlooked. As a result of both Keppel&rsquo;s product line and its strong relationship with Petrobras, the company could garner an additional USD4 billion in contracts from Brazil.

	Keppel&rsquo;s O&amp;M margins have steadily climbed, and its exceptional performance last quarter surprised analysts. Although the division may experience weaker margins this year due to a rise in costs, Keppel takes a disciplined approach to acquiring new business and will not overbid for contracts. In the past, the company has refused to participate in potential deals when the terms were viewed as unprofitable for the company. The division may have difficulty maintaining margins above 20 percent in the long term, but management&rsquo;s efforts could produce a performance that beats expectations again this year.

	The <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/308699-overcapacity-in-the-oil-services-industry-what-you-need-to-know">deepwater market remains relatively tight</a>, and utilization of the global semisubmersible fleet is already at 88 percent. According to industry sources, there are only eight uncontracted deepwater rigs coming to market through the first quarter of next year.

	The next two years should be good ones for Keppel, especially for its O&amp;M and property divisions. Operationally, working capital and capital expenditures could increase this year as more rigs go under construction on 20/80 payment terms, but that will be offset by the strength in the real estate business.

	The property division&rsquo;s luxurious new development in an <a href="http://www.investingdaily.com/emerging-markets">emerging market</a>like Singapore is expected to be quite profitable. The project is already 70 percent pre-sold, and as many as 150 units will be retained as corporate residences.

	Keppel&rsquo;s stock trades at 11.5 times projected earnings, and I expect its share price to rise further once the market recognizes the company&rsquo;s rock-solid fundamentals With a dividend yield of 4 percent, Keppel Corp is a <a href="http://www.investingdaily.com/stocks-to-watch">stock to watch</a>.

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