Spring is coming; Time to take calculated risks

Geomancer and data scientist Patrick Lim Fernandez.

The Year of the Tiger marks an auspicious transition from “winter” to “spring” as humanity strives for liberation from COVID-19. The tiger’s aggressive “yang” energy also brings new hope to the lockdown-weary.

This is according to feng shui master Patrick Lim Fernandez, who sees the tiger’s reign (starting Feb.1) as a good time for investors to come out and take on calculated risks.

“There’s a saying that fortune favors the bold and this is a good year to employ that strategy,” the principal of Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony says in an investors briefing organized by ATR Asset Management (Atram).Investors under the snake, horse and pig signs are seen to attract the most moolah.

After three years of winter signs—pig, rat and ox, the coming tiger is a “spring” sign, he says. And so are the rabbit and dragon that will come next.

“If we think about what happened in the past three years, the world went through a version of winter; there was a hibernation from a health perspective, from an economic perspective. There’s some sort of lethargy in the world. Fortunately, hope is on the horizon,” he says. “It won’t happen right away; snow takes some time to thaw, but spring is coming.”

The Philippines, in particular, is favorably situated this year, reckons Fernandez, citing abundant energy for work and learning that will lead to greater productivity and efficiency. “So if you’re an employer or an employee, this bodes well for you. Make sure you’re part of this reemergence or reenergization.”But he points out that this is a year to “work smarter not necessarily harder.” People can harness the yang water, the element of year, by investing in themselves and learning new things.

Favorable industries

Poring over charts of stock market returns using more than a century of data, Fernandez states that spring years tend to perform better. For those seeking above-average returns, two favorable elements are seen at play: water and metal.

Hygiene and cleaning, undoubtedly indispensable this pandemic, are among the businesses tied to water.

“Logistics and trading also belong to water and we’re all aware of some supply chain issues that the world had gone through. It seems that this year, it’s even more in need … supermarkets as well,” says Fernandez. Hospitality is seen to make a comeback, with the gradual easing of travel restrictions.

Beverages also belong to the water industry, along with analytics technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, he says.

Metals include machinery and mining, as well as automotive, which is benefiting from the rise of electric vehicles.

Other favorable metal sectors are banking and finance, medical and dental, and computer hardware.

Fernandez can speak even to seasoned fund managers with conviction. After all, he’s not your usual geomancer. Trained in Asia and North America, he is an advocate of classical schools of feng shui and Chinese metaphysics. He holds a Management Engineering and Economics (with honors) degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and an MBA from the University of California. He had taken MIT’s and Stanford’s advanced analytics courses and is currently pursuing his Masters in Data Science at Harvard. He had worked for multinational corporations in the United States and United Kingdom. In short, he combines feng shui with quantitative and practical business insights.

Tips for each of 12 animal signs

Rat

(1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996)

The rat doesn’t have many favorable stars and it has a star with a lot of impatience. The key this year is patience. Temper your aggression. Have a more realistic view of investments. Watch out for your health and that of your loved ones.

Ox

(1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997)

Form relationships with people in the know, be it a certain sector or asset class that you are interested in. Leverage your relationships. You may feel isolated and lonely at times, so always try to find your center. Spend more time with loved ones.

Tiger

(1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998)

You will have the ability to absorb more information. Try to educate yourself i.e., new asset class you’re interested in. You’re in the spotlight so try to keep a low profile. People will be watching you closely, so try to be conservative and humble. Don’t be too gaudy.

Rabbit

(1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999)

This year is all about growing your network. You have a benefactor star related to yang energy, which is tied to males. So you might find yourself getting better investment tips or guidance from males in your life. If you feel disinterested on things that you value, remind yourself why these things are important to you.

Dragon

(1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000)

The key is all about planning and thinking about possible obstacles and contingencies. Have an investment plan if you are going to start investing or continue investing. Think about how to quickly pivot so that if you face an obstacle, you’re able to move to Plan B or Plan C. Watch out for your health. Lower your stress levels and keep yourself centered.

Snake

(1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001)

You have pretty good wealth luck, so take advantage. Be a little bolder this year. The yin side is good for you, so if you want to grow your network, you might get better luck, energy and advice from females. You may also attract people who are not good for you, so make sure to have a good gut feel of people in your inner circle and surround yourself only with the trustworthy ones.

Horse

(1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002)

This sign has good career and wealth stars, as well as a leadership star, so people might take your lead in investing. You may already be more advanced, so share your knowledge and people will be willing to give information to you as well, thus bringing better luck. But pay attention to legal contracts; have a lawyer scrutinize details.

Goat

(1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003)

There will be a bit of pushing for luck. You are ready to exert influence but there is a small drain star, which means that sometimes, as you earn a dividend income or capital appreciation, you might find these draining slowly, maybe because you didn’t cash in at the right time. Lock in profits in a very systematic way, without being swayed by emotions. Having an objective partner can help. Pay attention to your health; be careful of injuries.

Monkey

(1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004)

This is a conflict year with the tiger. But there are some good things you can take advantage of, like expanding horizons. Diversify portfolio to manage risk better. Try to not to be pushed into a corner.

Rooster

(1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005)

Investments should be more favorable, but try to keep yourself active and agile. If you need to pivot your strategy, do so as there may be sudden changes. You may feel frustrated quite a bit. Keep that in check so you don’t make irrational decisions.

Dog

(1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006)

Be a little bit more conservative with your finances. Rebalance your portfolio; If you want to venture outside of portfolio, do so very carefully. Beware of injuries and mishaps.

Pig

(1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007)

It’s a good year for investments and to test your risk strategy. Try to push the envelope a little bit and you will find yourself rewarded. But have an exit plan and stick to that. As you’ll be earning a lot of money, try not to show off lest people turn envious and bring negative energy.

(The years of birth assume an investor age range of 15 to 98.)