Rate my shares

[doubleup]

re Beximco - isn't the LSE spread huge?  Looks like 10%.

Not disagreeing with your analysis just think that these kind of buys surely have to be very long term, probably hoping for a takeover?

[doubleup]

re spreads just by coincidence one of my holdings is vectura and when I saw the price leapt today I was wheeeee!  Then looked at the spread




 

[Rupert]

Ya it's pretty rough and non-trivial. You can put bids/offers in to cross the spread a bit though, have to have some patience in finding someone. It's quite a bit less attractive than it was from the 60% discount but I'm not going to sell until it's nearer 20-30% from the Bangladeshi price.

[acegooner]

Time to refresh this thread, it's 2017 and last year was a roller coaster on the markets to say the least! The last two months of 2016 was a disaster for my portfolio as the plummeting price of gold seriously weighed on the overall performance of my portfolio. I ended up around 10% for the year when at one stage it looked like I might touch 20%.

Not sure if I mentioned this, I was given a share tip last autumn for an AIM listed company called Blue Prism. They are a pre eminent provider of automated robotic technology. Robotics along with AI is tipped to be the next big thing in technology. Well I bought into the company with two tranches of £1k @ 257 and 390. The shares sit at just under £5 now, having been issued at £1.30 early last year. Very strong performance but probably at levels where the share price will come under pressure after perhaps rising further than it should.

Going forward, my theme for this year is continuing to back technology stocks. My Apple shares are up 40% and I am going to hold them for the longer term especially given the rumours about them producing an automated car. The brand is so strong that I can see this being the new driver for growth in the company.

I also bought back into Russia through a JP Morgan fund at the back end of last year. The "Trump" effect has seen the fund increase 14% in two months. How long will the honeymoon last between Trump and Putin who knows, but personally I think Putin is taking Trump for a fool. If Trump finally figures this out, the effect of Russian equities will be interesting to note.

I am also trying to make sure I don't over diversify and hold less funds/shares. I still have around 15 funds/IT's but if possible I will try and trim this down to 12 holdings. My rule of having no more than 20% of my portfolio in individual shares will continue. I don't trust myself with the discipline required to manage a portfolio exclusively of stocks. Human mindset (just like poker!) does come into holding volatile investments, I want to be an investor not a trader.

 

 

[Rupert]

I sold 1/3 of my BXP position at 61p as the spread has closed to 29% and the position was getting huge. I sold my LNKD position at $195.92 as well.

Alpha Vulture has another nice AIM idea which I may buy into: https://alphavulture.com/2017/01/09/tejoori-limited-liquidating-with-a-40-discount-to-nav/

[Doobs]

I know someone was going on about metrobank earlier this year.  I did a google earlier to see how they were doing any came up with a whole bunch of scary detail.

Much of it is behind the FT paywall, so I will summarise.  Vernon Hill was sacked from Commerce bank.  He has sued twice for a severence package and failed to get one.  He was stopped from becoming chairman twice by the FSA. 

http://news.sky.com/story/exclusive-fsa-blocks-new-metro-bank-chair-10461217

No comment is given by the FSA/PRA, but is clear from the above and other articles that the US regulator wasn't willing to let him remain at Commerce either.

FT Alphaville has been busy too.  Allegedly Vernon Hill had way too many business relationships between members of his family and Commerce and between the bank and those in power. 

In addition Vernon Hill Commerce paid large sums to his wife's company to design Commerce bank premises.  It appears that Metro bank has continued this piece of bad business practice and had paid Shirley Hill's company, InterArch, £11m at the last count for branding etc (presumably a bigger sum by now).

If you have a FT subscription, there really is a mass of red flags around the share.

[tikay]

Meanwhile, share prices in London have been on a proper roll of late - 11 winning sessions on the bounce - a record in itself - & the last 9 have all been record closing highs.

Guess that means a correction is just around the corner.

[EvilPie]

Meanwhile, share prices in London have been on a proper roll of late - 11 winning sessions on the bounce - a record in itself - & the last 9 have all been record closing highs.

Guess that means a correction is just around the corner.

Perhaps this was the correction?

Reading this thread always makes me want to invest a few quid but I find it a bit scary. Strange really when you consider I'll happily spew a few grand a year at roulette and blackjack without batting an eyelid.

I currently have a reasonable chunk in a pension fund that's just shouting at me to get invested somewhere but I never seem to have to balls to pull the trigger. I can see me just leaving it sat in a bank account earning a steady 1% or so (effectively devaluing I know).

Any advice for a newcomer who isn't going to study the markets but might want to dip their toes in the water?

[Eck]

Meanwhile, share prices in London have been on a proper roll of late - 11 winning sessions on the bounce - a record in itself - & the last 9 have all been record closing highs.

Guess that means a correction is just around the corner.

Perhaps this was the correction?

Reading this thread always makes me want to invest a few quid but I find it a bit scary. Strange really when you consider I'll happily spew a few grand a year at roulette and blackjack without batting an eyelid.

I currently have a reasonable chunk in a pension fund that's just shouting at me to get invested somewhere but I never seem to have to balls to pull the trigger. I can see me just leaving it sat in a bank account earning a steady 1% or so (effectively devaluing I know).

Any advice for a newcomer who isn't going to study the markets but might want to dip their toes in the water?

Pass line with max odds. You're welcome 

[Karabiner]

Meanwhile, share prices in London have been on a proper roll of late - 11 winning sessions on the bounce - a record in itself - & the last 9 have all been record closing highs.

Guess that means a correction is just around the corner.

Perhaps this was the correction?

Reading this thread always makes me want to invest a few quid but I find it a bit scary. Strange really when you consider I'll happily spew a few grand a year at roulette and blackjack without batting an eyelid.

I currently have a reasonable chunk in a pension fund that's just shouting at me to get invested somewhere but I never seem to have to balls to pull the trigger. I can see me just leaving it sat in a bank account earning a steady 1% or so (effectively devaluing I know).

Any advice for a newcomer who isn't going to study the markets but might want to dip their toes in the water?

Pass line with max odds. You're welcome 

Binions used to be triple behind the line way back when the market was bouyant.

[Rupert]

Meanwhile, share prices in London have been on a proper roll of late - 11 winning sessions on the bounce - a record in itself - & the last 9 have all been record closing highs.

Guess that means a correction is just around the corner.

Perhaps this was the correction?

Reading this thread always makes me want to invest a few quid but I find it a bit scary. Strange really when you consider I'll happily spew a few grand a year at roulette and blackjack without batting an eyelid.

I currently have a reasonable chunk in a pension fund that's just shouting at me to get invested somewhere but I never seem to have to balls to pull the trigger. I can see me just leaving it sat in a bank account earning a steady 1% or so (effectively devaluing I know).

Any advice for a newcomer who isn't going to study the markets but might want to dip their toes in the water?

http://www.nutmeg.com is pretty good as a low fee, well diversified portfolio that isn't an index.

[TightEnd]

 Top fund manager likens Trump market rally to dotcom bubble

Neil Woodford likens FTSE’s 11th consecutive record close to 1999 tech bubble with ‘momentum driving share prices not fundamentals’

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/12/top-fund-manager-likens-trump-market-rally-to-dotcom-bubble?CMP=twt_gu

[acegooner]

Meanwhile, share prices in London have been on a proper roll of late - 11 winning sessions on the bounce - a record in itself - & the last 9 have all been record closing highs.

Guess that means a correction is just around the corner.

Perhaps this was the correction?

Reading this thread always makes me want to invest a few quid but I find it a bit scary. Strange really when you consider I'll happily spew a few grand a year at roulette and blackjack without batting an eyelid.

I currently have a reasonable chunk in a pension fund that's just shouting at me to get invested somewhere but I never seem to have to balls to pull the trigger. I can see me just leaving it sat in a bank account earning a steady 1% or so (effectively devaluing I know).

Any advice for a newcomer who isn't going to study the markets but might want to dip their toes in the water?

http://www.nutmeg.com is pretty good as a low fee, well diversified portfolio that isn't an index.

Nutmeg isn't cheap. It's essentially a basket of tracker funds that charges 0.75% with a range of risk rated portfolio's.

You can DIY much cheaper with tracker funds.

I have a SIPP with HL whose platform charge is 0.45% and I won't pay any more than £220 per annum providing I invest in ETFs, Shares or Investment Trusts. Given I can get actively managed investments(eg Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust)  for peanuts I think that is a pretty good deal, although you need a 6 figure portfolio to get full benefit of the capped charge. Unit Trust/OEICs are more expensive granted.

[acegooner]

Meanwhile, share prices in London have been on a proper roll of late - 11 winning sessions on the bounce - a record in itself - & the last 9 have all been record closing highs.

Guess that means a correction is just around the corner.

It's all to do with currency Tikay rather than fundamentals. Most of the FTSE 100 constituents earn their money in dollars rather than pounds.

In dollar terms the FTSE 100 didn't go anywhere last year due to the 20% downside in the £ versus $ following the EU referendum.

[acegooner]

I know someone was going on about metrobank earlier this year.  I did a google earlier to see how they were doing any came up with a whole bunch of scary detail.

Much of it is behind the FT paywall, so I will summarise.  Vernon Hill was sacked from Commerce bank.  He has sued twice for a severence package and failed to get one.  He was stopped from becoming chairman twice by the FSA. 

http://news.sky.com/story/exclusive-fsa-blocks-new-metro-bank-chair-10461217

No comment is given by the FSA/PRA, but is clear from the above and other articles that the US regulator wasn't willing to let him remain at Commerce either.

FT Alphaville has been busy too.  Allegedly Vernon Hill had way too many business relationships between members of his family and Commerce and between the bank and those in power. 

In addition Vernon Hill Commerce paid large sums to his wife's company to design Commerce bank premises.  It appears that Metro bank has continued this piece of bad business practice and had paid Shirley Hill's company, InterArch, £11m at the last count for branding etc (presumably a bigger sum by now).

If you have a FT subscription, there really is a mass of red flags around the share.

Not sure what to make of this to be honest, apart from I hold less than 1% of my portfolio in Metro Bank. It's up 57% over the last year, I think I will let it ride.

I can't think of many banks over the last 10-15 years that haven't courted controversy tbh. Northern Rock, Lehmans, RBS, Barclays the list is endless.