What a result for the SIPP.
Merck have come in with a £1.60bn offer for AZEM, or 403.50 per share.
That has lifted my 2000 shareholding, bought at an average of 330, into profit by almost £1500. I have sold my shareholding and banked the profits to reinvest again.
Currently, I'm building up shareholdings in some investment trusts while I seek out another potential bid target. These are:-
Herald Investment Trust
and
BlackRock World Mining Trust
As the economy picks up, I'm expecting bids for Optimal Payments plc and International Personal Finance, both of which are strong, profitable companies operating in niche markets.
Thursday, 5 December 2013
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
Update 29th October 2013 - Pension Crisis
I've not updated the Pension Builder blog for a few weeks, but a couple of things have made me return to it today.
First, it's my birthday in early November, so an annual review at this time of year is a good thing to do. Secondly, there is an article in the City AM paper today (free financial newsletter in London) which says that the age-group 45 to 54 year olds saves only 12p in the £ which is the lowest of any age-group and that they are probably the least prepared for oncoming retirement.
As I am in that age-group (just - I'm 54 on 8th November) I can understand the malais regarding pension planning. This age-group has borne the brunt of the financial catastrophes that have plagued the private individual since the early 1990's.
We've had the
The thing is, it is never too late to try and make amends and, with the likelihood that many of us will live to see our 90th birthday and probably live a few years longer than that, pension planning is vitally important given we could spend 20+ years if not fully retired, then living off a much reduced income.
My pension fund looked like hitting it's 20% annual growth target in early October, but has since dropped slightly over 3% in value to be worth just under £67,000.
My biggest loser financially has been AZEM. I hold 2000 shares in the company bought at an average of 323 and, as of this morning, they are at 280. I think they will recover, but it's been a rocky ride.
HSBA has also been an underperformer for my SIPP. Banks haven't been doing well, but HSBA seems to hold strong fundamentals and my hope is that went sentiment swings back towards the bank the share price will jump up substantially from the current 680-685 range.
Both OPAY and IPF have had set-backs from recent highs, but both companies appear to have strong order-books and are good long-term plays for their respective growing markets. I can see both companies being bid targets given their future profit potential.
One new addition to the SIPP portfolio is the investment trust Blackrock World Mining (BRWM). It has a strong dividend yield and will be able to take advantage of any upswing in commodity prices should the economic recovery gather some speed.
First, it's my birthday in early November, so an annual review at this time of year is a good thing to do. Secondly, there is an article in the City AM paper today (free financial newsletter in London) which says that the age-group 45 to 54 year olds saves only 12p in the £ which is the lowest of any age-group and that they are probably the least prepared for oncoming retirement.
As I am in that age-group (just - I'm 54 on 8th November) I can understand the malais regarding pension planning. This age-group has borne the brunt of the financial catastrophes that have plagued the private individual since the early 1990's.
We've had the
- endownment mis-selling scandal;
- endownment shortfall scandal;
- pensions theft;
- pension shortfalls;
- pension mis-selling;
- housing inflation bubbles;
- housing price collapse;
- and so on, and so on....
The thing is, it is never too late to try and make amends and, with the likelihood that many of us will live to see our 90th birthday and probably live a few years longer than that, pension planning is vitally important given we could spend 20+ years if not fully retired, then living off a much reduced income.
My pension fund looked like hitting it's 20% annual growth target in early October, but has since dropped slightly over 3% in value to be worth just under £67,000.
My biggest loser financially has been AZEM. I hold 2000 shares in the company bought at an average of 323 and, as of this morning, they are at 280. I think they will recover, but it's been a rocky ride.
HSBA has also been an underperformer for my SIPP. Banks haven't been doing well, but HSBA seems to hold strong fundamentals and my hope is that went sentiment swings back towards the bank the share price will jump up substantially from the current 680-685 range.
Both OPAY and IPF have had set-backs from recent highs, but both companies appear to have strong order-books and are good long-term plays for their respective growing markets. I can see both companies being bid targets given their future profit potential.
One new addition to the SIPP portfolio is the investment trust Blackrock World Mining (BRWM). It has a strong dividend yield and will be able to take advantage of any upswing in commodity prices should the economic recovery gather some speed.
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Update : 18th September 2013
No posts recently on the blog as I had the opportunity of a 10-day holiday
on Mauritius. As such, before I went away, I made a few minor adjustments to my
portfolio. With no recent posts, I will give an overview of how my portfolio is
currently standing.
My largest holding in in the HSBC Bank (£HSBA) and this has made a small gain to hover around the 700-702 level. So, my holding of 2020 shares is valued at approximately £14,160. My plan is to trim this shareholding down to around 1400 shares (or approximately £10,000) when the shares are valued at about 730+ which I would anticipate to happen sometime in the autumn.
My next largest holding is International Personal Finance (£IPF) in which I hold 1500 shares. This has also gained in value from about 595 to around the 620-625 mark, and is worth £9,300. This company is growing very strongly and I’m very hopeful of considerable growth.
My 3rd largest holding is in JPMorgan Mid Cap Investment Trust (£JMF) in which I hold 1250 shares. This is a long term play and is only just in profit with a value of £8,563. Investment Trusts are a vehicle that I’ve used (on-and-off) for 20 years. If you have no idea or inclination to “pick stocks” then I would suggest placing your SIPP funds amongst a handful of Investment Trusts as it is like having a personally managed portfolio.
My next 3 holdings are very similar in value. Optimal Payments (£OPAY) is one of the jewels in my crown. I bought my 2600 shares at an average cost of 179. Optimal Payments is at the forefront of the “cashless” society and has just published tremendous half-year figures. I reckon this company almost has a license to print money and I would not be surprised if a big bank does not come along and buy the company at a significant premium to where it is now at 255-260.
Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust (in which I hold 638 shares) is now at the level of 980-990. As I bought into this trust at 638, I am already sitting on a profit margin of nearly £2,200. I intend to hold these shares indefinitely and just re-invest the dividends.
AZ Electronic Materials (£AZEM) is a bit of a recovery play. Although currently showing a loss of £235, I reckon this should be a long-term solid performer, as electronic goods and personal entertainment is were everyone wants to be.
My final couple of shareholdings are:
Imagination Technologies Group (IMG) which has been another recovery play. I bought my 1500 shares at an average cost of 263 and they are currently in the 340-345 bracket. Considering they have been trading at over 500 in the last 12-months and their clients (Apple) are expanding into China, I can see plenty of growth ahead.
Mitchells & Butlers is my final share, and I may have missed my opportunity on them as I bought my 1200 shares at an average of 407 and they topped 470 last week while I was on holiday. It was my intention to sell when I could bank a 15% profit (468) but I did not expect them to “spike” last week from 425-430 up to 470-475. They are now back to a 428-433 level and (as they pay no dividends) I am trying to decide whether to sell or hold.
Value of shareholdings = £61,422
Cash = £5,404
Total SIPP Value = £66,826
PLEASE NOTE: This blog is simply a "diary" of the trades on my SIPP.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold myself personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trades and lose money you only have yourself to blame and not me.
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
My largest holding in in the HSBC Bank (£HSBA) and this has made a small gain to hover around the 700-702 level. So, my holding of 2020 shares is valued at approximately £14,160. My plan is to trim this shareholding down to around 1400 shares (or approximately £10,000) when the shares are valued at about 730+ which I would anticipate to happen sometime in the autumn.
My next largest holding is International Personal Finance (£IPF) in which I hold 1500 shares. This has also gained in value from about 595 to around the 620-625 mark, and is worth £9,300. This company is growing very strongly and I’m very hopeful of considerable growth.
My 3rd largest holding is in JPMorgan Mid Cap Investment Trust (£JMF) in which I hold 1250 shares. This is a long term play and is only just in profit with a value of £8,563. Investment Trusts are a vehicle that I’ve used (on-and-off) for 20 years. If you have no idea or inclination to “pick stocks” then I would suggest placing your SIPP funds amongst a handful of Investment Trusts as it is like having a personally managed portfolio.
My next 3 holdings are very similar in value. Optimal Payments (£OPAY) is one of the jewels in my crown. I bought my 2600 shares at an average cost of 179. Optimal Payments is at the forefront of the “cashless” society and has just published tremendous half-year figures. I reckon this company almost has a license to print money and I would not be surprised if a big bank does not come along and buy the company at a significant premium to where it is now at 255-260.
Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust (in which I hold 638 shares) is now at the level of 980-990. As I bought into this trust at 638, I am already sitting on a profit margin of nearly £2,200. I intend to hold these shares indefinitely and just re-invest the dividends.
AZ Electronic Materials (£AZEM) is a bit of a recovery play. Although currently showing a loss of £235, I reckon this should be a long-term solid performer, as electronic goods and personal entertainment is were everyone wants to be.
My final couple of shareholdings are:
Imagination Technologies Group (IMG) which has been another recovery play. I bought my 1500 shares at an average cost of 263 and they are currently in the 340-345 bracket. Considering they have been trading at over 500 in the last 12-months and their clients (Apple) are expanding into China, I can see plenty of growth ahead.
Mitchells & Butlers is my final share, and I may have missed my opportunity on them as I bought my 1200 shares at an average of 407 and they topped 470 last week while I was on holiday. It was my intention to sell when I could bank a 15% profit (468) but I did not expect them to “spike” last week from 425-430 up to 470-475. They are now back to a 428-433 level and (as they pay no dividends) I am trying to decide whether to sell or hold.
Value of shareholdings = £61,422
Cash = £5,404
Total SIPP Value = £66,826
PLEASE NOTE: This blog is simply a "diary" of the trades on my SIPP.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold myself personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trades and lose money you only have yourself to blame and not me.
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Transactions 21st August 2013
This blog is simply a "diary" of the trades on my SIPP.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
HSBC (HSBA) went ex-dividend today and has dropped 18 (or 2.50%) to 687, and I think this is too big an adjustment. The dividend is payable on 9th October and it would not be a great surprise to me if on that date we will be looking at a share price on HSBC of over 730. As such, I've decided to "take advantage" of this dip in the price and purchase another 400 shares at a cost of £2,768.85, or approx 692 per share including fees and on-costs.
I now hold over 22% of my SIPP value in HSBC shares so I am very interested in the performance of this company. I've been assessing and analysing my share purchases over the past 12 months and I'm starting to come to the thinking that for optimum performance from my SIPP that the best policy is to restrict investments to no more than 10 companies. Holding fewer investments should see a significant reduction in dealing costs, and also allow me more time to study potential investment companies.
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
HSBC (HSBA) went ex-dividend today and has dropped 18 (or 2.50%) to 687, and I think this is too big an adjustment. The dividend is payable on 9th October and it would not be a great surprise to me if on that date we will be looking at a share price on HSBC of over 730. As such, I've decided to "take advantage" of this dip in the price and purchase another 400 shares at a cost of £2,768.85, or approx 692 per share including fees and on-costs.
I now hold over 22% of my SIPP value in HSBC shares so I am very interested in the performance of this company. I've been assessing and analysing my share purchases over the past 12 months and I'm starting to come to the thinking that for optimum performance from my SIPP that the best policy is to restrict investments to no more than 10 companies. Holding fewer investments should see a significant reduction in dealing costs, and also allow me more time to study potential investment companies.
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
Monday, 19 August 2013
Transactions 19th August 2013
This blog is simply a "diary" of the trades on my SIPP.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
Following the turmoil in the markets towards the end of last week, my SIPP value has taken a bit of a hit and is down about £700 to £62,832 from £63,532 this time last week.
I'm not sure which way Ashtead Group (AHT) is going as - following sharp drop from a "high" of 736 in mid-July - I halved my shareholding to 700 shares last week. If there is a recovery from today's price of 649 then I'll probably take my profit if the share price breaks 700 again in the next could of weeks.
Over the course of last week, I bought a total of 1000 shares in International Personal Finance (IPF) at a average cost of 593 (trading this morning at 605).
I also completed my transfer from Barclays Bank (BARC) into HSBC (HSBA) and I now hold no Barclays shares. This was a great performer for me over the past year since my initial purchase of 100 shares at 184 on 30th August 2012. Overall, I purchased 3836 shares at a cost of £9,522.18 which I sold for a total of £11,15.56 - a total profit of £1,635.38 (or 17.17%). My "banking" investment is now all in HSBC, with whom I now hold 1620 shares purchased at a cost of £11,574.79, or 714.50 (including fees).
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
Following the turmoil in the markets towards the end of last week, my SIPP value has taken a bit of a hit and is down about £700 to £62,832 from £63,532 this time last week.
I'm not sure which way Ashtead Group (AHT) is going as - following sharp drop from a "high" of 736 in mid-July - I halved my shareholding to 700 shares last week. If there is a recovery from today's price of 649 then I'll probably take my profit if the share price breaks 700 again in the next could of weeks.
Over the course of last week, I bought a total of 1000 shares in International Personal Finance (IPF) at a average cost of 593 (trading this morning at 605).
I also completed my transfer from Barclays Bank (BARC) into HSBC (HSBA) and I now hold no Barclays shares. This was a great performer for me over the past year since my initial purchase of 100 shares at 184 on 30th August 2012. Overall, I purchased 3836 shares at a cost of £9,522.18 which I sold for a total of £11,15.56 - a total profit of £1,635.38 (or 17.17%). My "banking" investment is now all in HSBC, with whom I now hold 1620 shares purchased at a cost of £11,574.79, or 714.50 (including fees).
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
Thursday, 15 August 2013
Transactions 15th August 2013
This blog is simply a "diary" of the trades on my SIPP.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
The is a bit of turmoil in today's markets with all the major indices showing falls. If you recall my comment last week, I sold my small 400 shareholding in International Personal Finance (IPF) at 619 being of the opinion that they may go below 595, at which point I would start buying again. Well, they've done just that and I've bought 500 shares this morning at a cost of £3,007.31 (average cost per share = 601 including fees). I've been a fan of this company for about 6 months as they seem to be capable of significant growth.
I've been a bit perturbed by significant downward movement in Ashtead Group (AHT) off a "high" of 736 in mid-July, so I've halved my shareholding selling 700 shares to recover £4,504.51.
Sometimes you make a transaction in error and, when it happens, it pays to reverse the transaction quickly before too much damage is done. Last week I increased my shareholding in William Hill (WMH), buying at 444. Since then, the share price has slumped on the back of unfavourable data regarding shrinking markets and the high costs of internet gambling (resulting in lower forecast profits) to 425 this morning. So, I've cut my losses and sold-off all my shares (1000) in WMH to recover £4,246.32.
I've taken another look at Optimal Payments Group (OPAY) and their relentless progress upwards of the share price and I've increased my holding by 870 shares (to 2600) at a cost of £1,727.55 (or 198 per share). In May 2011, these shares were at 38.50p and have enjoyed a 5-fold increase in value since then, and I can't see this growth stopping in the short-term.
I was hoping interim results today would show (AZEM) AZ Electronic Materials Group in a better light. Unfortunately, they are down 17p to 300 which is a 5% drop. As per my comments yesterday, I think this is a company that will benefit from any growth in consumer spending in electrical goods.
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
The is a bit of turmoil in today's markets with all the major indices showing falls. If you recall my comment last week, I sold my small 400 shareholding in International Personal Finance (IPF) at 619 being of the opinion that they may go below 595, at which point I would start buying again. Well, they've done just that and I've bought 500 shares this morning at a cost of £3,007.31 (average cost per share = 601 including fees). I've been a fan of this company for about 6 months as they seem to be capable of significant growth.
I've been a bit perturbed by significant downward movement in Ashtead Group (AHT) off a "high" of 736 in mid-July, so I've halved my shareholding selling 700 shares to recover £4,504.51.
Sometimes you make a transaction in error and, when it happens, it pays to reverse the transaction quickly before too much damage is done. Last week I increased my shareholding in William Hill (WMH), buying at 444. Since then, the share price has slumped on the back of unfavourable data regarding shrinking markets and the high costs of internet gambling (resulting in lower forecast profits) to 425 this morning. So, I've cut my losses and sold-off all my shares (1000) in WMH to recover £4,246.32.
I've taken another look at Optimal Payments Group (OPAY) and their relentless progress upwards of the share price and I've increased my holding by 870 shares (to 2600) at a cost of £1,727.55 (or 198 per share). In May 2011, these shares were at 38.50p and have enjoyed a 5-fold increase in value since then, and I can't see this growth stopping in the short-term.
I was hoping interim results today would show (AZEM) AZ Electronic Materials Group in a better light. Unfortunately, they are down 17p to 300 which is a 5% drop. As per my comments yesterday, I think this is a company that will benefit from any growth in consumer spending in electrical goods.
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
Pension Builder Strategy - Part 1
This blog is simply a "diary" of the trades on my SIPP.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
So far, I've been detailing the trades that I've made on my SIPP, and I make no secret of the target that I've set myself to achieve by the planned "retirement" date of 8th November 2014 - £639,925.00 if I can achieve an annual growth of 20%. What I haven't done is put down a strategy to achieve that growth of 20% to enable me to hit that goal.
To achieve annual growth of 20% there is no point in sitting on the side-lines or investing in safe mediums - you have to take a punt. So far, I've been fairly lucky with my choices of shares. This time last year (actually, on the 18th & 19th September), purely in the knowledge that Apple were about to release iPhone 5, I bought 800 shares in ARM Holdings plc (ARM) at a cost of £4,742 or approx 593 a share. I reasoned that if iPhone 5 was a success, even initially, then ARM - being a major supplier of components for the iPhone 5 - would receive a boost in the share markets. As it happened, the shares jumped up in value markedly and tho' I didn't sell at the top (they hit a high of 1111 in mid-May this year) I managed to sell at 1019 securing a tidy profit. That was an early success, tho' I did wish I'd bought more than 800 shares. So, that is strategy number 1 - finding companies that have the potential to take advantage of event with a high probability of happening, in this case iPhone 5 being a success.
Shares currently in my portfolio that fit this category are:
(AZEM) AZ Electronic Materials Group - this is a company that will benefit from growth in consumer spending in electrical goods, is debt free and cash-positive at the bank. It could also be a takeover target.
(OPAY) Optimal Payments Group - this company is poised to take advantage of the "cashless" society when mobile phones incorporate credit facilities. Again, this company could prove to be a takeover target in time.
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
So far, I've been detailing the trades that I've made on my SIPP, and I make no secret of the target that I've set myself to achieve by the planned "retirement" date of 8th November 2014 - £639,925.00 if I can achieve an annual growth of 20%. What I haven't done is put down a strategy to achieve that growth of 20% to enable me to hit that goal.
To achieve annual growth of 20% there is no point in sitting on the side-lines or investing in safe mediums - you have to take a punt. So far, I've been fairly lucky with my choices of shares. This time last year (actually, on the 18th & 19th September), purely in the knowledge that Apple were about to release iPhone 5, I bought 800 shares in ARM Holdings plc (ARM) at a cost of £4,742 or approx 593 a share. I reasoned that if iPhone 5 was a success, even initially, then ARM - being a major supplier of components for the iPhone 5 - would receive a boost in the share markets. As it happened, the shares jumped up in value markedly and tho' I didn't sell at the top (they hit a high of 1111 in mid-May this year) I managed to sell at 1019 securing a tidy profit. That was an early success, tho' I did wish I'd bought more than 800 shares. So, that is strategy number 1 - finding companies that have the potential to take advantage of event with a high probability of happening, in this case iPhone 5 being a success.
Shares currently in my portfolio that fit this category are:
(AZEM) AZ Electronic Materials Group - this is a company that will benefit from growth in consumer spending in electrical goods, is debt free and cash-positive at the bank. It could also be a takeover target.
(OPAY) Optimal Payments Group - this company is poised to take advantage of the "cashless" society when mobile phones incorporate credit facilities. Again, this company could prove to be a takeover target in time.
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
Monday, 12 August 2013
Weekly update 12th August 2013
This blog is simply a "diary" of the trades on my SIPP.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
Fair progress from the SIPP in the past week, and it opens this morning with a value of £63,532.79 including cash of £4,858.26. Although the SIPP value is up almost £560 in the week, £300 of that is the monthly contribution added on 7th August.
There have been a couple of disappointments which should (hopefully) be only short-term; Ashtead Group (AHT) ended the week down 30 to 676 although, this morning, the share is up 5 and I'm expecting last weeks correction to be quickly recovered. AHT is riding on the crest of a wave currently on the back of what looks to be only a tentative recovery in the US. If that recovery gets stronger, who knows where the share price will end up.
Imagination Technologies Group (IMG) looks to have finally bottomed-out at 234 (down from a 12-month high of 645 on 9th Sept 2012) and is at 246 this morning. Given the amount of assets and cash held in relation to the market capitalisation value, I'm surprised that there isn't buyout speculation about this company. As such, I'm looking at this as a long-term recovery play.
The best performer of my holdings was Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) and with the good weather set to continue (and, with it, spending in restaurants and bars increasing in most surveys) there should be more to come.
Don't forget, on the 15th August, AZ Electronic Materials (AZEM) release Interim results.
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
Fair progress from the SIPP in the past week, and it opens this morning with a value of £63,532.79 including cash of £4,858.26. Although the SIPP value is up almost £560 in the week, £300 of that is the monthly contribution added on 7th August.
There have been a couple of disappointments which should (hopefully) be only short-term; Ashtead Group (AHT) ended the week down 30 to 676 although, this morning, the share is up 5 and I'm expecting last weeks correction to be quickly recovered. AHT is riding on the crest of a wave currently on the back of what looks to be only a tentative recovery in the US. If that recovery gets stronger, who knows where the share price will end up.
Imagination Technologies Group (IMG) looks to have finally bottomed-out at 234 (down from a 12-month high of 645 on 9th Sept 2012) and is at 246 this morning. Given the amount of assets and cash held in relation to the market capitalisation value, I'm surprised that there isn't buyout speculation about this company. As such, I'm looking at this as a long-term recovery play.
The best performer of my holdings was Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) and with the good weather set to continue (and, with it, spending in restaurants and bars increasing in most surveys) there should be more to come.
Don't forget, on the 15th August, AZ Electronic Materials (AZEM) release Interim results.
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
Friday, 9 August 2013
Transactions on 9th August 2013
This blog is simply a "diary" of the trades on my SIPP.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
There was a lot of down-beat news on bookmaker Ladbrokes yesterday following a cool reception of latest figures by the brokers. This seems to have affected William Hill who, despite releasing figures last week that suggested they were a good prospect, have dropped from a "high" of 494 on 1st August to 444 this morning.
As such, I've decided to increase my holding in bookmaker William Hill (WMH) by 250 shares at a cost of £1,121.72 taking my holding to 1000 shares. The Premier Football season is about to start and I'm expecting with the arrival of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea that there will be increased competition amongst the top-4 teams, with a consequential increase in betting turnover.
Next week on the 15th August, AZ Electronic Materials (AZEM) release Interim results, and I am hoping that they will be better than expected. Why? Because the company remains at the forefront of its market and, with economies starting to climb out of recession, demand for their products should be on the increase.
As such, I've doubled my shareholding buying 1000 shares at a cost of £3,274.55 taking my holding to 2000 shares.
My cash reserve is now reduced to £4.858.
Current SIPP value (including cash) = £63,280
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
There was a lot of down-beat news on bookmaker Ladbrokes yesterday following a cool reception of latest figures by the brokers. This seems to have affected William Hill who, despite releasing figures last week that suggested they were a good prospect, have dropped from a "high" of 494 on 1st August to 444 this morning.
As such, I've decided to increase my holding in bookmaker William Hill (WMH) by 250 shares at a cost of £1,121.72 taking my holding to 1000 shares. The Premier Football season is about to start and I'm expecting with the arrival of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea that there will be increased competition amongst the top-4 teams, with a consequential increase in betting turnover.
Next week on the 15th August, AZ Electronic Materials (AZEM) release Interim results, and I am hoping that they will be better than expected. Why? Because the company remains at the forefront of its market and, with economies starting to climb out of recession, demand for their products should be on the increase.
As such, I've doubled my shareholding buying 1000 shares at a cost of £3,274.55 taking my holding to 2000 shares.
My cash reserve is now reduced to £4.858.
Current SIPP value (including cash) = £63,280
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
Transactions on 7th August 2013
There was some positive response to the start-up of this blog and I'm hopeful that readers will become more confident investors.
Remember, this blog is simply a "diary" of the trades on my SIPP. The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
I've decided to re-shuffle some of my share holdings today. There is a lot of positive news coming from the media, although Mark Carney is not so positive at the Bank of England stating today that the UK recovery is the weakest on record (with records going back over 100 years). As such, I've decided to increase my exposure to banking by increasing my holding in the HSBC Group (HSBA) by 500 shares at a cost of £3,561.46, taking my holding to 800 shares.
This has been financed by selling some of my Barclays Bank (BARC) shares, and I sold-off 1000 to re-coup £2,817.70 leaving me with a holding of 2000 shares. While I like the banking sector, I feel that Barclays is not so good a bet as HSBC who have a much stronger dividend yield.
I've also sold my small 400 shareholding in International Personal Finance (IPF) to recover £2,479.92. I've been a fan of this company for about 6 months as they seem to be capable of significant growth. However, for some reason (unknown to me) their shares are being sold-off from a recent high of 667 (they are down to 619 as I write) and I am of the opinion that they may go below 595 at which point I will start buying again.
With the funds, I re-invested quickly in Ashtead Group (AHT). This company has been a huge earner for me as I bought 1050 shares at an average price of 448 earlier this year. They are down to 706 from a year high of 736 and, tho' they do not have significant dividend potential, they should be capable of maintain recent growth from the economic recovery on both sides of the Atlantic. So, I bought another 350 shares at a cost of £2,488.28 taking my holding to 1400 shares.
I still hold nearly £9,000 in cash in my SIPP and I'm looking for a couple of companies that will benefit from any economic upswing in the UK. Any thoughts from readers?
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
Remember, this blog is simply a "diary" of the trades on my SIPP. The intention is to detail what I've bought and sold, and provide a brief explanation as to why. You should be aware that this is not a share "tipping" site. I will make no recommendations to buy or sell shares as I am not regulated to do so by the FSA. I will simple state what I have already bought and sold personally. You should ALWAYS do your own research and come to your own decision on share trades. If you follow my trading and lose money you only have yourself to blame, and not me.
I've decided to re-shuffle some of my share holdings today. There is a lot of positive news coming from the media, although Mark Carney is not so positive at the Bank of England stating today that the UK recovery is the weakest on record (with records going back over 100 years). As such, I've decided to increase my exposure to banking by increasing my holding in the HSBC Group (HSBA) by 500 shares at a cost of £3,561.46, taking my holding to 800 shares.
This has been financed by selling some of my Barclays Bank (BARC) shares, and I sold-off 1000 to re-coup £2,817.70 leaving me with a holding of 2000 shares. While I like the banking sector, I feel that Barclays is not so good a bet as HSBC who have a much stronger dividend yield.
I've also sold my small 400 shareholding in International Personal Finance (IPF) to recover £2,479.92. I've been a fan of this company for about 6 months as they seem to be capable of significant growth. However, for some reason (unknown to me) their shares are being sold-off from a recent high of 667 (they are down to 619 as I write) and I am of the opinion that they may go below 595 at which point I will start buying again.
With the funds, I re-invested quickly in Ashtead Group (AHT). This company has been a huge earner for me as I bought 1050 shares at an average price of 448 earlier this year. They are down to 706 from a year high of 736 and, tho' they do not have significant dividend potential, they should be capable of maintain recent growth from the economic recovery on both sides of the Atlantic. So, I bought another 350 shares at a cost of £2,488.28 taking my holding to 1400 shares.
I still hold nearly £9,000 in cash in my SIPP and I'm looking for a couple of companies that will benefit from any economic upswing in the UK. Any thoughts from readers?
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
Monday, 5 August 2013
Pension Builder
About this time last year (August 2012), I decided to amalgamate all my pensions into a single SIPP (Self Invested Pension Plan). At the time, my total pension "pot" amounted to £51,684.02.
I set myself an annual growth target (to improve my pension value by) of 20% per annum. I'm also making a £300 monthly contribution to the pension fund (not included in the growth target percentage). If contributions are maintained, and annual growth of 20% is achieved then, when I celebrate my 65th birthday on 8th November 2024, my fund will be worth £639,925.00.
Yes, it is a lofty target but one that I think is achievable.
To date, in the intervening period of about 12 months, my pension fund has grown to £63,072.84. In the period since starting the SIPP, I've made contributions of £3,600 (12 @ £300, the initial contribution made on 7th August). Therefore, the pension fund has seen growth of £7,788.84, or approximately 14.40% so I am short of my annual target growth.
I was hoping my pension fund would be at about....
£51,684.02 plus 20% = £62,020.82
£300 x 12 months =£3,600.00
£3,600 x (20% ÷ 2) = £360.00
Total = £65,980.82
So, I'm about £2,900 below my target for the 1st 12 months.
My Pension Fund is made up of the following holdings
(ASL) Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust - 638 shares
(AHT) Ashtead Group - 1050 shares
(AZEM) AZ Electronbic Materials Group - 1000 shares
(BARC) Barclays plc - 3000 shares
(HSBA) HSBC Holdings plc - 300 shares
(IMG) Imagination Technologies Group - 1500 shares
(IPF) International Personal Finance - 400 shares
(JMF) JPMorgan Mid Cap Investment Trust - 1250 shares
(MAB) Michells & Butlers plc - 1200 shares
(OPAY) Optimal Payments plc - 1730 shares
(WMH) William Hill plc - 750 shares
Cash = £9,706.65
I'm trying to post a pdf copy of todays statement, but Blogger won't allow this (needs to be a photo - but you won't be able to read a photo).
Today's share transaction was a purchase of 300 shares in HSBC Holdings (HSBA) at a cost of £7.28 per share (including overheads). The reason I've made the purchase is that profits are up, the outlook is positive and yet the share price has dipped by 5% on the publication of latest figures this morning. I've looked at the purchase price as a discount which should be quickly recovered.
Why am I writing this blog?
For over 3 years I have written a horse racing blog to be found at http://waywardlad.blogspot.com
When writing that blog, I quickly realised that by putting my thought down on paper (ie, the blog) that my focus became more rational and I was less likely to make reckless wagers. I became a better judge of risk and reward, which meant that my profits went up from my gambling investments. I am hoping that the same will happen with my stock-picking for my pension.
I'm also hoping that readers of the blog will contribute their own ideas and information with regards stock-picking and pension planning and that everyone will benefit.
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
I set myself an annual growth target (to improve my pension value by) of 20% per annum. I'm also making a £300 monthly contribution to the pension fund (not included in the growth target percentage). If contributions are maintained, and annual growth of 20% is achieved then, when I celebrate my 65th birthday on 8th November 2024, my fund will be worth £639,925.00.
Yes, it is a lofty target but one that I think is achievable.
To date, in the intervening period of about 12 months, my pension fund has grown to £63,072.84. In the period since starting the SIPP, I've made contributions of £3,600 (12 @ £300, the initial contribution made on 7th August). Therefore, the pension fund has seen growth of £7,788.84, or approximately 14.40% so I am short of my annual target growth.
I was hoping my pension fund would be at about....
£51,684.02 plus 20% = £62,020.82
£300 x 12 months =£3,600.00
£3,600 x (20% ÷ 2) = £360.00
Total = £65,980.82
So, I'm about £2,900 below my target for the 1st 12 months.
My Pension Fund is made up of the following holdings
(ASL) Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust - 638 shares
(AHT) Ashtead Group - 1050 shares
(AZEM) AZ Electronbic Materials Group - 1000 shares
(BARC) Barclays plc - 3000 shares
(HSBA) HSBC Holdings plc - 300 shares
(IMG) Imagination Technologies Group - 1500 shares
(IPF) International Personal Finance - 400 shares
(JMF) JPMorgan Mid Cap Investment Trust - 1250 shares
(MAB) Michells & Butlers plc - 1200 shares
(OPAY) Optimal Payments plc - 1730 shares
(WMH) William Hill plc - 750 shares
Cash = £9,706.65
I'm trying to post a pdf copy of todays statement, but Blogger won't allow this (needs to be a photo - but you won't be able to read a photo).
Today's share transaction was a purchase of 300 shares in HSBC Holdings (HSBA) at a cost of £7.28 per share (including overheads). The reason I've made the purchase is that profits are up, the outlook is positive and yet the share price has dipped by 5% on the publication of latest figures this morning. I've looked at the purchase price as a discount which should be quickly recovered.
Why am I writing this blog?
For over 3 years I have written a horse racing blog to be found at http://waywardlad.blogspot.com
When writing that blog, I quickly realised that by putting my thought down on paper (ie, the blog) that my focus became more rational and I was less likely to make reckless wagers. I became a better judge of risk and reward, which meant that my profits went up from my gambling investments. I am hoping that the same will happen with my stock-picking for my pension.
I'm also hoping that readers of the blog will contribute their own ideas and information with regards stock-picking and pension planning and that everyone will benefit.
The value of investments can go down in value as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. It is therefore important that you understand the risks and commitments being undertaken when investing in a Pension (SIPP). This blog is not personal advice, but is a record of the authors own investments.
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