The Stock Market

[Pappa]

Anyone got any general tips on making money out of it? I don't mean "buy shares in Enron" type tips, just strategies for seeking out good buys etc.

I bought shares in RBS a while ago when they were at an all time low, right after they were bailed out by the Governemnent. I figured, a) it was a good punt, I bought 750 shares for about £100. If they ever get to half their previous high I'll make over £2000 on a £100 investment, and b) the Government would be unlikely to let them go bust after bailing them out.

I've also been looking at some pharma companies, on the principle that their stock rises quickly when if they get a drug licensed. I've not risked any cash on one yet.

[LaMont Cranston]

Pappa, I don't know what the situation is in Britain, and I've always gone for real estate. However, if I was going to play the stock market in the USA, I'd look for firms that are involved in producing energy from wind, solar, etc. Sooner or later, the USA is going to have to get away from oil...as much as it is possible to do that...and this mess is the Gulf of Mexico is going to give impetus to going in that direction. In fact, when Obama came into office, I thought he would have made a more overt push to have that happen, but he did have his hands full with other problems. Good luck with whatever you do.

[Pappa]

Pappa, I don't know what the situation is in Britain, and I've always gone for real estate. However, if I was going to play the stock market in the USA, I'd look for firms that are involved in producing energy from wind, solar, etc. Sooner or later, the USA is going to have to get away from oil...as much as it is possible to do that...and this mess is the Gulf of Mexico is going to give impetus to going in that direction. In fact, when Obama came into office, I thought he would have made a more overt push to have that happen, but he did have his hands full with other problems. Good luck with whatever you do.

Companies specialising in renewable energy suffer a lot from the same thing as small pharma companies, in that it's difficult to predict which will eventually do well, especially among the companies developing brand new technologies. That's not to say they won't be good investments, there's obviously just a fair bit of risk involved though. I'm not adverse to risk though.

[LaMont Cranston]

You are absolutely correct in your assessment. If you look at anywhere there is emerging technology (i.e. energy, pharma, computers, biotech, etc.) there's liable to be 20 or more companies fighting for their share of the market, all of them with bright young management teams with MBAs from the best schools and very high hopes. Once the smoke clears, there will be 2 or 3 companies left who have had the correct strategy and caught the lucky breaks to succeed where the others fail. It really is very much like survival of the fittest.

Bill Gates, on the way to creating Microsoft, was brilliant and very ambitious, but he also lucked out because the people at Xerox and all those other companies thought that the real money was to be made selling the actual computers, while the software that went with them was small potatoes. I wish I knew some way to pick the 2 or 3 companies out of the many in the field who are trying to rise to the top, but, alas, you either need some inside information or some good luck of your own.

[Brian Peacock]

Decide on how much money you can afford to lose. Invest NO MORE than this.
Take a copy of the financial times, or similar trade publication.
Select by some random measure eight to ten listed companies on the London exchanges.
Ensure that the companies chosen have traded without loss for at least 2 years.
Spread you money about between the companies.
Wait.....
........wait.....
....steady now, hold your nerve....
...wait....
....until the shares have doubled in price, then sell and re-invest half the profit is a similar manner.
Studies show that a portfolio picked at random often performs better, and certainly no worse, than an investment portfolio recommended by an expert.

Some light reading for you...

• Portfolio allocation using XCS experts in technical analysis, market conditions and options market
• Lifetime portfolio selection under uncertainty: The continuous-time case
• Experimental tests of the separation theorem and the capital asset pricing model

[Tero]

When the stocks lose money, I just pull out. I may buy some more later. In election years I do not usually hold stock for the election season. When things settle or the economy improves, I buy some more.

I am not making a lot of money, but the plan is to beat inflation.

[colubridae]

You are absolutely correct in your assessment. If you look at any any where there is emerging technology (i.e. energy, pharma, computers, biotech, etc.) there's liable to be 20 or more companies fighting for their share of the market, all of them with bright young management teams with MBAs from the best schools and very high hopes. Once the smoke clears, there will be 2 or 3 companies left who have had the correct strategy and caught the lucky breaks to succeed where the others fail. It really is very much like survival of the fittest.

Bill Gates, on the way to creating Microsoft, was brilliant and very ambitious, but he also lucked out because the people at Xerox and all those other companies thought that the real money was to be made selling the actual computers, while the software that went with them was small potatoes. I wish I knew some way to pick the 2 or 3 companies out of the many in the field who are trying to rise to the top, but, alas, you either need some inside information or some good luck of your own.

Financial advice. Seriously?

#1 You believe in pixies and sky-daddy. I think it would be appropriate to tell people that before you offer financial advice.

#2 You claimed that everything has worked out wonderfully in your life, and unsubtley hinted that it is due to the power of the jebus.
I think it would be appropriate to tell people that before you offer financial advice.

#3 You've just started a topic on how to hang oneself?
I think it would be appropriate to tell people that before you offer financial advice.


mega

oh dear you aren't trying to be mr nice guy again, are you doc?

[LaMont Cranston]

colubridae, My, haven't we had quite the weekend? OK, I'll address your points, but unless you come up with something more interesting, that's all you're going to hear from me on this subject. Ready? Here we go...

1-I have made it clear from my first entry on RDF, RatSkep and Rationalia that I am a writer and a theist. Dude, it ain't no secret. It may come as a shock to you, but there are quite a few people out there in the world who believe God exists who have been quite successful in many areas of business, including real estate, the stock market, etc. It's not like atheism has a monopoly on successful people. Funny thing, most of those successful people don't wank away their time by making giant amino acids in their kitchens. Also, I have not even come close to giving anybody any specific advice. It obviously don't understand this, but we are talking in general terms about areas of investment.

2-I have also made no secret of the fact that I think that Jesus was cool, a righteous dude who was talking about some great stuff. If I somehow hinted in a subtle or unsubtle manner that Jesus is somehow connected to whatever successes I've had in life, please let me correct that. You don't have to believe in God and/or Jesus to be successful or happy in life. What's also true is that not believing in God and/or Jesus is no guarantee of success in life. Get it? What's your excuse?

3-Yes, I started a thread about why people who commit suicide decide to hang themselves. It's one of many things I'm curious about in life. If you'll notice, quite a few other members have contributed to that thread, and some have even done fairly extensive research on the subject. In your opinion, are subjects such as that unfit for discussion on this forum? Just how do you decide that? Do you feel the same way about all those other people who have contributed to the thread, including some of the same members who are talking about the stock market, or do I get special treatment from you?

No, michael, I'm "not trying to be a nice guy," I "am" a nice guy.

[Mysturji]

A simple 3-step plan:
1. Get a time machine.
2. Go to 1978
3. Buy Microsoft.

This has the added benefit that you will be Bill Gates's boss, so you can tell the twat to fucking do it RIGHT! :I-love-pork:

[colubridae]

colubridae, My, haven't we had quite the weekendd? ...No, michael, I'm "not trying to be a nice guy," I "am" a nice guy.

wrong again! visiting two human cabbages is not 'quite the weekend'.

and how did you know my name was michael?

are you doin' your creepy stuff again?

whhooooh creepy. It's like you're some sort of psuchc octopus.

[LaMont Cranston]

colubridae, I've told you before, it's mostly from playing poker, with a little demographics, game theory and probability. People also have a way of revealing much more about themselves than they want to admit to doing. See you around...

[Pappa]

Can you take your disagreement outside The Seminary please? It's a no derail area.

[colubridae]

Can you take your disagreement outside The Seminary please? It's a no derail area.

I didn't know I was n the semenary?

[colubridae]

I give you perfectly good advice about financial advisors, and this is how you treat me.

there's never a dev around when you need one.

[Pappa]

I give you perfectly good advice about financial advisors, and this is how you treat me.

there's never a dev around when you need one.

And then three come along all at once.