Mac Alpha Share Discussion Threads

[energyi] 12/2/2007 09:26

Come on over, Don

[don muang] 10/2/2007 14:52

something to come:

EXPO REAL ASIA 2007, International Property Conference & Exposition, takes place from 5 to 7 November 2007 in the Venetian Macau, SAR China.

Its target group are the key players in the international real estate business.
The event is a platform for networking on real estate projects, investments and finance across sectors and international borders.

[don muang] 10/2/2007 14:44

a couple of weeks old - but might be of interest:

"Shares of Star Cruises, controlled by the gambling billionaire Lim Kok Thay, surged as much as 49 percent Tuesday after the company said it would open a casino in Macao and sell a stake to the magnate Stanley Ho"



"Genting Group has teamed up with well-known casino magnate Stanley Ho that will enable the Malaysian casino and hotel operator to penetrate the lucrative gaming market in Macau."

[energyi] 03/2/2007 04:39

JAN RISE...

Gaming Revenues soared 71pc in Jan.
Unofficial figures show revenues of hk$6 billion, up 71% on Jan.2006

The number of firms licensed to run gaming junkets rise to 68 from 35
a year earlier.

= = = = =

Macau Prime Properties will pay hk$245.7 million for a further 8.7%
stake in 14 parcels of land to be developed into the Concordia apartment
complex.

+ includes an option for a further 35 stake
+ MPP will advance a hk$70mn loan to Concordia
+ the deal raises the firm's stake to 35.3% in Concordia

[energyi] 01/2/2007 03:00

ONE-CENTRAL SALES BOOMING
xxx from today's HK Standard, pg.A5:

ShunTak (HK:242) says they have generated more than HK$6 billion in sales at One-Central.

+ 90pc of the appartments have been sold
+ about 700 units, at an average selling price of hk$5,000 ((796 units in total))
+ top prices were as much as hk$6,300 psf
+ an entire block of 68 flats went to an Icelandic insurance co. for hk$782mn (hk$4,400 psf)

ST's other project: Nova City at Taipa Island ((JV with Hopewell Holdings))

+ 40 apartments sold at an ave. price of hk$2,500 psf, prices up 2% last week

Another new project: Harbour Mile, at Nam Van, adjacent to Macau Tower; sales launch end-2007
:: offers 3.8 million sf of office, residential, and retail

Local residents account for ONLY 10-20% of residential transactions

Despite all this, ST shares slide 5.8% to hk$10.48

[don muang] 30/1/2007 11:55

so no one's yet set up a thread entitled
Manchester: a Gamblers Paradise, Britain's Las Vegas (MACR)

so Macau or Manchester .... given the price of Virgin Trains it'd probably be cheaper to get to Macau from London ....

[don muang] 27/1/2007 10:01

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Task Force held its first meeting on 9th January in Guangzhou .....

[don muang] 27/1/2007 08:52

And looks like Virgin (Richard Bransom) might be there as well before oo long:



also the Virgin proposal got a brief mention in todays Weekend FT

[energyi] 27/1/2007 01:16

Macau annual numbers up
23 January 2007


MACAU – As reported by the Macau Hub: "Gaming and gambling activities in Macau posted gross revenues of 55.884 billion patacas (US$6.985 billion) in 2006, a rise of 22 percent against the figures for 2005, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (GICB) said in Macau Monday.

"Revenues from Macau's 24 casinos totaled 54.998 million patacas, or 22.96 percent more than the total for 2005.

"Baccarat, VIP baccarat, mini-baccarat and three-card baccarat together generated turnover of 47.526 billion patacas, an annual rise of 23.6 percent.

"...The Macau gaming sector has six operators – three concession holders and three sub-concession holders – of which just five are operating as the consortium between US company MGM and the daughter of gaming magnate Stanley Ho, Pansy Ho, as yet has no facility..."

[energyi] 26/1/2007 16:15

office could be interesting.
i wonder why they havent gone for that?

if I had MCAU i'd be tempted to take some profits here, near 124p

[don muang] 26/1/2007 15:44

that's why it's nice to have an overall strategy such as MPO:
"The Fund (MPO) places particular emphasis on the following property sectors:
• Leisure
• Retail
• Industrial
• Premium luxury residential
• Entry-level residential"

Although the 3 projects they've got an interest in so far are residential they're a mix of property for Local Residents, Premium Luxury, & Entry Level

T'other one (Speymill) has a stategy of just being a residential investment property company. Presently they have 243 residential units in a waterfront project

[energyi] 26/1/2007 15:23

that Chinese estates news is important

they may KILL the market by adding so many units

[energyi] 26/1/2007 15:06

"The Macau Government, however, had concrete plans to diversify its economy from tourism and leisure into more stable growth areas, and started developing institutional infrastructure to support their plans. In October 1999, the Government introduced the Macau Offshore Law with an objective of promoting its offshore service businesses. It offered very competitive tax incentives to multinational companies that applied to set-up offshore businesses in Macau. For instance, qualified offshore companies could enjoy full exemption from all forms of taxes, including income tax and industrial tax. In addition, managers and specialised technicians were exempted from salaries tax for the first three years of their employment at the offshore companies.

To set up a qualified offshore business, investors had to abide by various rules. For example, the offshore business could only use non-Macau currency for their activities. They could target only non-Macau residents as customers, and focus only on non-Macau markets."

...more:

[don muang] 26/1/2007 13:50

can't see any online report on it yet - but BBC TV News24 mentioned today that Virgin (Richard Bransom) are about to sign a deal to get in to the casino business in Macau...
will await further details....

[don muang] 26/1/2007 10:20

Macau Property Opportunities Fund Limited is pleased to announce the launch of its website which is available at

www.mpofund.com

[energyi] 26/1/2007 04:45

Chinese Estates makes hk$8 Billion Macau Push
peggy Sitto- SCMP, 26 Jan.2007

CE is spending hk$8bn on a development project near the Cotai Strip casino area

Four phases: 24 residential blocks and one serviced apt. tower
Providing: 3,500 units of 5 million sf : cost: maybe hk$8.6bn by 2013
Scheduled for completion in 2010, first phase would cost hk$1.8 billion.
With a phase one completion of 680 units of 1,100sf - 2,900sf

Building costs: present level: hk$1,000 - 1,500 psf
Land cost: hk$1.4 billion (2005)

Financing: hk$1.6 billion, 3.5 year term loan with 7 banks:
+ OCBC(Hong Kong), Agricultural Bank of China (HK), Bank of East Asia
+ Ching Hing Bank, Banco Commercial de Macau, Send Heng Bank,
China Construction Bank (Asia)

...more:

= = = BACKGROUND = = =
In Macao Chinese Estates bought 78700 square metres of land near Macao International Airport for 1.61 billion Hong Kong dollars (161 million euros).
@:

Promised Land
Planning consultants have been appointed for the first stages of Macau's ambitious new land reclamation project which will see its total surface area increase by more than 13 per cent and create massive opportunities for developers. The US firm Belt Collins will oversee initial work on the huge scheme, which will add nearly 400 hectares to the Macau peninsula and western Taipa.

Ao Man-long, Secretary for Transport and Public Works, announced details in the Government's 20 year urban development plan. It also allows for 330 hectares of existing land to be developed.
Property developers are especially excited as up to 40 per cent of the new land will be available for housing and commercial uses to accommodate around 120,000 people. Civil engineering firms will also have a big pay day as several ambitious schemes, including a cross-harbour tunnel to ease traffic on bridges between Macau and Taipa, and a ring road in a tunnel skirting the Outer Harbour are also planned.

Luxury Best Policy for AIA
The American International Assurance Co Ltd (AIA) has signed the largest office leasing deal in Macau's history with Jones Lang LaSalle.
The contract is for about 4,200 square metres of floor space in the enclave's first Grade A office building, but the value has not been disclosed. The building, which was known as the International Gateway, and is located in Macau's central business district, has now been renamed the AIA Tower.
It was acquired last year by a consortium comprising Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds, Pioneer Global Group and Wachovia Bank for HK$600 million. They also invested HK$100 million to refurbish the interior.
AIA plans to move there before the end of the second quarter. The insurance company will occupy two-and-a-half storeys of the building, roughly 13 per cent of its total floor area. Jones Lang LaSalle acts as leasing agent and management company for the building, which is 16 storeys high with a total of 31,500 sq metres of premium office space, plus a five-storey podium containing more than 8,500 sq metres of retail space.


Homes Sweet Homes
A contract to build HK$ 1.6 billion worth of new apartments in Macau has been signed by Hong Kong developer Chinese Estates Holdings.
Construction is due to start this month, and the company aims to have pre-sold a quarter of the development (about 1.25 million sq ft) by the middle of the year, despite some analysts suggesting there may be a housing over-supply in some sectors of the Macau market.
The firm is confident of buyers however because it's aiming at the luxury segment. It directly owns 70 per cent of the project, which when completed will consist of 24 residential blocks and one serviced apartment building together totalling about five million sq ft. The work will be done in four phases.

In the first six months of 2005, Chinese Estates recorded net earnings of HK$2 billion, boosted partly by a gain from revaluing investment properties. Of that, it earned HK$51.76 million from property development and trading.

[energyi] 23/1/2007 01:18

CASINO COUNT... (post#40)... Dec.2006: 23 Casinos

Casino--------- Date CostUS$ #Rooms Tables Slots
Lisboa (old)
x
y
z
Sands
Wynn...........
(coming)
In first half 2007:
Grand Lisboa, and Melco's Crown Macau (us$513mn: 220-tables)

second half:
LV Sands Venetia.. (us$2,300mn: 3,000 room)
MGM Grand Macau (us$1,000mn: 600 room)

4th Qtr- to hk$16.4 billion, up from hk$11.4bn (hk$55bn for 2006 as a whole)

Macau added seven casinos last year : Total is now 24 casinos
"Wynn and StarWorld have both been active in bringing in new high rollers"

Gambling Access:
Gambling tables : 2,762 (12/2006) : up 99%
Slot machines... : 5,165 (12/2006) : up 51%

In first half 2007:
Grand Lisboa, and Melco's Crown Macau (us$513mn: 220-tables)

second half:
LV Sands Venetia.. (us$2,300mn: 3,000 room)
MGM Grand Macau (us$1,000mn: 600 room)

[energyi] 23/1/2007 01:15

ONWARD AND UPWARD...

Macau gaming revenues jumped 44pc after more casinos open

4th Qtr- to hk$16.4 billion, up from hk$11.4bn (hk$55bn for 2006 as a whole)

Macau added seven casinos last year : Total is now 24 casinos
"Wynn and StarWorld have both been active in bringing in new high rollers"

Gambling Access:
Gambling tables : 2,762 (12/2006) : up 99%
Slot machines... : 5,165 (12/2006) : up 51%

In first half 2007:
Grand Lisboa, and Melco's Crown Macau (us$513mn: 220-tables)

second half:
LV Sands Venetia.. (us$2,300mn: 3,000 room)
MGM Grand Macau (us$1,000mn: 600 room)

[energyi] 22/1/2007 02:46

January 10, 2007 ... LVS 104.49 3.65

Las Vegas Sands Corp. Announces Advancement of Hengqin Island Master-Plan Development

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) announced today that the Office of the Zhuhai Municipal People's Government, People's Republic of China (PRC), has issued an official letter informing the company that the Zhuhai Government has now established a Project Coordination Committee specifically related to the company's proposed development of The Venetian Hengqin International Convention and Resort Project in Zhuhai.

The function of a Project Coordination Committee is to act as the government liaison empowered to work directly with the developer to advance the development of a project. While the formation of a Project Coordination Committee is a positive step forward, the project remains subject to governmental approvals customary for projects of this scale in China.

ABOUT LAS VEGAS SANDS CORP.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) is one of the leading international developers of multi-use integrated resorts.

The Las Vegas, Nevada-based company owns The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas and The Sands Macao in the People's Republic of China (PRC) Special Administrative Region of Macao. The company is currently constructing two additional integrated resorts both scheduled to open in 2007: The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas and The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel Casino in Macao.

LVS is also developing the Cotai Strip(TM), a master-planned development of resort casino properties in Macao, and was selected by the Singapore government to build The Marina Bay Sands(TM), an integrated resort scheduled to open in Singapore by the end of 2009. The company is also working with the Zhuhai Municipal People's Government of the PRC to master-plan the development of a leisure resort and convention complex on Hengqin Island in the PRC.

@:

[energyi] 22/1/2007 02:46

ok
I live in HK, and will be visiting Macau again in about two weeks

Info on the Macau market is being collected
here:

[energyi] 19/1/2007 04:54

MICE BUSINESS

MICE : Meetings, Exhibitions, Conventions, Exhibitions

"Like Las Vegas, Macau wants to be the conventions and exhibitions centre for Asia"

At Q3-2005: 23 hotels under construction, with 33 being considered
This would add another 38,500 rooms for MICE activity

Of existing hotels:
20 have meeting facilities, including 10 five stars and 7 four-stars

[energyi] 17/1/2007 06:02

Spas: get stoned
Last Update: June 30, 2006

The 805-sq m Mandarin Oriental Spa has a sauna, steam, indoor Jacuzzi and tranquil relaxation lounge. It is the most relaxing and tranquil of places in this city, and right on the doorstep of all the main attractions.

Especially worthy is the "La Stone" treatment, whereby hot and cold stones are placed on the body's energy centers. The treatment is touted as "one of the fastest-growing and most therapeutic available" and takes 80 minutes to "clear blocked energy centers, relax, and dissolve stress" the spa's management says.

Individuals or couples can opt for various kinds of massage, including Thai and Swedish, Reiki, reflexology, and Chinese acupressure, plus body scrubs and wraps, Vichy showers, facials, and aromatherapy. The most interesting special that was taking place while we were there was the "Sangria Bath", which, as the name suggests, involves a dip in a Jacuzzi filled with Sangria.

Guests are invited to check in at least 30 minutes before their appointment to allow time for a brief steam bath, sauna or whirlpool to open pores, warm the body and relax muscles before a treatment.

Spa at the Mandarin Oriental, Macau

@:

[energyi] 17/1/2007 05:50

Emperor Intl Hotels (HK:0163) -
Hotels, Property in China, part interest in macau casino, props.
..

Water Oasis (HK:1161) - x
Spas, and Neutrogena beauty care products
..

= = = = =

Water Oasis/ H20 products :