I manage my own pension fund investments (it’s a Defined Contribution fund, from which I am now making regular “pension” withdrawals).
I also manage a separate investment portfolio, which I set up more than ten years ago after selling out from a business I set up in 1993.
I publish regular updates on the progress of my investments. The updates, titled “Diary of a Private Investor”, are shown below:
Diary of a Private Investor issues
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
17/11/2019 |
A Tesla Halloween Horror Story |
I have a sizeable short position in Tesla. A sharp rise in its share price just before Halloween meant that there weren't many Halloween treats for me. |
Tesla |
Update: 20 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
24/10/2019 |
Avoiding tax could prove costly |
A decision not to sell, in order to avoid a hefty tax bill, proves questionable in light of subsequent events |
Renishaw |
Update: 19 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
18/09/2019 |
The world's best investor? |
World-beating past performance on an index promoted by BNP Paribas is largely theoretical and is far from a reliable guide to future performance |
BNP Paribas; Solactive |
Update: 18 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
10/09/2019 |
Too good to be true |
Tells of a weird investment product, concocted to satisfy savers' hunger for the impossible combination of security and return. |
BNP Paribas; MMPI Ltd t/a Broker Solutions; Solactive |
Update: 17 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
14/08/2019 |
Psst, looking for a bargain? |
Tells of an opportunity to buy into property at close to half-price, but buyer beware: I'm trying to sell the same property! |
Town Centre Securities |
Update: 16 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
04/07/2019 |
Shelling out on a tortoise |
After analysing the contributors to the return in the first half of 2019, this update tells of my latest attempt to add to my core portfolio. |
Novo Nordisk |
Update: 15 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
07/05/2019 |
Shareholders have feelings too |
Don't treat everything you read as gospel, even if it's published in a reputable newspaper. |
Charles Taylor plc |
Update: 14 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
09/04/2019 |
The naughty step |
Dealing with troublesome investments |
Samsonite |
Update: 13 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
09/03/2019 |
A guy in the attic |
Amateur investors can match the performance of the professionals. |
Phoenix Group Holdings |
Update: 12 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
09/02/2019 |
The virtues of a small harem |
Extolling the virtues of a concentrated portfolio |
AMP |
Update: 11 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
07/01/2019 |
A homemade hedge fund |
Shorting a company's shares can help performance in bad times, but is not a good long-term strategy |
SoftBank, Tesla, Phoenix |
Update: 10 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
03/12/2018 |
Just as it says on the tin |
Equity investing can lead to occasional large losses. That's part of the price for a good long-term return |
Apple, Tesla |
Update: 9 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
14/10/2018 |
Punched in the mouth |
A severe market setback can throw a plan off course |
Renishaw |
Update: 8 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
10/09/2018 |
Fasten your seat belts |
Investing in Ryanair led to a bumpy ride. How share buybacks can boost earnings. |
Ryanair |
Update: 7 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
19/08/2018 |
Refusing to act my age |
The inappropriateness of conventional investment advice to older people, to invest a high proportion of their savings in bonds |
Equities in general and bonds in general |
Update: 6 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
12/07/2018 |
Lord make me pure - but not just yet |
An opportunity to avail of an attractively-priced rights issue caused me to break my resolution to reduce my borrowings |
Phoenix Group Holdings |
Update: 5 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
11/06/2018 |
Man overboard but shipwreck averted |
A nasty shock for one of my larger investments at an inappropriate time. In the end, the biggest casualty was a CEO with an inflated academic record |
Samsonite |
Update: 4 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
08/05/2018 |
Biting the bullet |
The importance of addressing problem investments and accepting mistakes |
WPP |
Update: 3 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
01/04/2018 |
The long and the short of it |
Prepare for turbulence. Stick to your guns if you have confidence in your analysis |
Tesla |
Update: 2 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
01/03/2018 |
First diary update since original 2015-16 entries |
Update on companies mentioned in earlier diary entries |
Apple, Phoenix Group, Renishaw, Samsonite |
Update: 1 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
20/03/2016 |
A secure income |
The value of a secure dividend |
Phoenix Group Holdings |
Update: 0 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
07/02/2016 |
Volatility: friend, not foe |
How prices can fluctuate wildly, even in the absence of hard news. Exploiting volatility for long-term gain. |
Renishaw |
Update: 0 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
17/01/2016 |
Speculate to accumulate; no pain, no gain. |
The link between risk and reward in investing. Low gearing levels reduce risk. The endowment effect |
No specific companies |
Update: 0 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
06/12/2015 |
The Apple of my eye |
Apple's share price assumes it's a spent force. That's far from the case. |
Apple Corporation |
Update: 0 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
01/11/2015 |
The rights and wrongs of rights issues |
Wrong to be too obsessed with tradition and not face reality by cutting the dividend when times are tough. |
CRH |
Update: 0 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
04/10/2015 |
Getting to know you, getting to love you |
The merits of getting a deep understanding of a company; not being afraid to back it, even at the cost of concentration |
Renishaw |
Update: 0 |
Read |
Document Date |
Description |
Theme |
Companies Covered |
Update Number |
Action |
06/09/2015 |
First published diary entry. Tells why I started the diary |
Don't rely on tips when buying shares. Lottery effect in share purchases. |
Carclo |
Update: 0 |
Read |
Other Investment Documents
There are no Other Investment Documents in the database.