Stocks & Shares & that

[hfswjyr]

Mostly unsold growth. For example, where companies offer dividend reinvestment plans, I've typically opted in and it's factored that into my basic shares x market value calc. But I didn't bother calculating cash dividend paid, which I just treat as money to spend on life and expenses, and more recently paying down the mortgage.

I only own shares in NZ and Aus companies (easier for tax and simplicity reasons, but probably horrible for market diversity reasons).
I've got... a couple of infrastructure investment companies, airport, packaging business, biotechnology/vaccines, index fund, pension fund, and shares in the engineering consultancy I work for.

In terms of growth/performance this past year:
Good = infrastructure investment, engineering consultancy
Average = airport, pension fund
Bad/meh = packaging, biotech/vaccines, index fund

Goal is to eventually return enough in growth/dividends to be equivalent to my full time job. In 2023 it's done about 66%. Of course this gets harder if I get a decent pay rise, but it's still a good motivator either way.

Having said all this, I have a lot of sympathy for those less privileged who either weren't ever taught the power of investment, or don't have the start up capital to invest anything. Not to say I'll ever be part of the super wealthy/elite, but even with the little that I have done, the whole thing feels like living life with an economic cheat code enabled.

[Foe]

Mostly unsold growth. For example, where companies offer dividend reinvestment plans, I've typically opted in and it's factored that into my basic shares x market value calc. But I didn't bother calculating cash dividend paid, which I just treat as money to spend on life and expenses, and more recently paying down the mortgage.

I only own shares in NZ and Aus companies (easier for tax and simplicity reasons, but probably horrible for market diversity reasons).
I've got... a couple of infrastructure investment companies, airport, packaging business, biotechnology/vaccines, index fund, pension fund, and shares in the engineering consultancy I work for.

In terms of growth/performance this past year:
Good = infrastructure investment, engineering consultancy
Average = airport, pension fund
Bad/meh = packaging, biotech/vaccines, index fund

Goal is to eventually return enough in growth/dividends to be equivalent to my full time job. In 2023 it's done about 66%. Of course this gets harder if I get a decent pay rise, but it's still a good motivator either way.

Having said all this, I have a lot of sympathy for those less privileged who either weren't ever taught the power of investment, or don't have the start up capital to invest anything. Not to say I'll ever be part of the super wealthy/elite, but even with the little that I have done, the whole thing feels like living life with an economic cheat code enabled.

What you’ve described is pretty much my end goal. I’m only just at the start (and questioning why I didn’t start 5 years ago) but by starting now I have a pretty sizeable capital chunk to start with, so I’m hoping it’ll ramp up reasonably quickly. My profit: pre tax salary/bonus was about 15-20%, post tax it’s probably about 30-35%.

A mixed portfolio helpful too. How is the Australian economy looking? Worth looking at, or avoid?

[John Arne]

My Bitcoin investment is up 109% in just over a year :/

Such a shame that I bought so few.

Meanwhile, my DOGE is down 83%

[Don]

My Nvidia investment is flying but remains a long-term hold. I was tipped off about Novo Nordisk the other day and again, we're jumping in a little too late to make retirement money but I'm expecting to go in on it, AI and fat fucks, two topics I feel passionately about and who I trust won't disappoint.

[Foe]

Cashed myself out of a fund I’d been paying into monthly in my ISA for about a year or so, was about a 7-8% gain but so boring and slow moving.

Backed myself to make better use of the capital, or at least have more interesting share dealing with the funds.

Or alternatively I’ll buy it all back on a ftse dip, which surely must be imminent.

Decision to sell Nvidia shares was a poor one.

Operation buy the dip moves forward.

[Foe]

Did you buy any meta @Boydy?

[Boydy]

No, why?

I've never actually bought shares at all. I should probably stick some money regularly in an index fund but I'm fairly sure as soon as I do we'll see a massive crash.

[Foe]

No, why?

I've never actually bought shares at all. I should probably stick some money regularly in an index fund but I'm fairly sure as soon as I do we'll see a massive crash.

Look up the share price over the last year. Spikey did the work for us, so hopefully he is getting the benefit. I bought some on a whim a few days ago ahead of the results on the “they must be making loads of money still”. Plus 20% today.

[hfswjyr]

No, why?

I've never actually bought shares at all. I should probably stick some money regularly in an index fund but I'm fairly sure as soon as I do we'll see a massive crash.

I was always taught time in the market is more important than timing the market.

[Ben]

Correct.

[Spikey M]

No, why?

I've never actually bought shares at all. I should probably stick some money regularly in an index fund but I'm fairly sure as soon as I do we'll see a massive crash.

Your pension will be about 90% ETF's. How much time do you spend worrying about that? Likely none, because you aren't going to touch it for 30 odd years.

Well the same applies here really. If you're saving for a holiday next year, then shove the money in your cash ISA. If you're not going to touch it in the short term then buy some stocks. If the market as a whole crashes, then you can just buy more and reduce your average price, so you're better off when it recovers.

[Ben]

It could be argued the correct strategy these days, considering interest rates, is to overpay your mortgage instead. Even £50 per month make a huge difference. I overpay about £100 per month and I’m looking at 10 years off.

[Don]

The correct strategy is hoarding Nvidia, kids.

[Boydy]

I was always taught time in the market is more important than timing the market.

I know, I know. I suppose any savings that I might want access to in the nearish future ahould just go in a savings account instead of putting them all into shares anyway.

What's the best platform to use? Do I need a stocks and shares ISA? What ETFs should I choose - there are different ones from different companies, right? Like one might have a S&P 500 tracker and some other company might have one as well?

[Foe]

The correct strategy is hoarding Nvidia, kids.

Or meta.


Stocks and shares isa the way forward unless you want to max cash isa limit.

The principle of “time in the market” definitely holds true, but there’s an element of right place right time for sure. There’s absolutely wild swings in (lots of) shares.

I tend to do a tiered approach to a share. Buy in bundles of 5-7% different prices if I like it so I have a spread.

[Foe]

It could be argued the correct strategy these days, considering interest rates, is to overpay your mortgage instead. Even £50 per month make a huge difference. I overpay about £100 per month and I’m looking at 10 years off.

I overpaid the hell out of my mortgage on the flat for the same principle but in hunsight it was a “safe” but ineffective use of capital. More attractive in the short term, but if interest rates come back over the course of your mortgage it’s still probably suboptimal?

Regardless, if you want any advice - don’t get emotionally involved with any fund or share.

[Baz]

Moneys for squandering, not benefiting from.

[Ben]

I overpaid the hell out of my mortgage on the flat for the same principle but in hunsight it was a “safe” but ineffective use of capital. More attractive in the short term, but if interest rates come back over the course of your mortgage it’s still probably suboptimal?

Regardless, if you want any advice - don’t get emotionally involved with any fund or share.

If I can pay my mortgage off by the time I’m 50, my other investments might be able to see me off into retirement in my mid 50s. If I don’t pay the mortgage off quicker then I’m working until 65.

[Foe]

You’re not wrong there. I do not want to be stressing a mortgage.

Mortgage free by 40.

[Don]

Nvidia and Novo

[Baz]

Bitcoin ridiculous again. I remember thinking ‘I’ll sell when it’s at £28k’ and it’s currently £41k. I’ll have none left by the time it’s £100k cos I keep chipping away at it and squandering it on nothing.

[Baz]

Anyone bother with Premium Bonds? Seems more fun than leaving my savings in a Vanguard account.

[phonics]

Had 500 worth of them for 15 years. Not made a penny.

[Spikey M]

I didn't see Baz's follow up post and thought you had somehow not realised you were a Bitcoin Millionaire then.

[phonics]

I didn't see Baz's follow up post and thought you had somehow not realised you were a Bitcoin Millionaire then.

I owned bitcoin when it was just for buying weed. I spent it all on a 20 bag that now costs 70 thousand pounds.

[Luke Emia]

Anyone bother with Premium Bonds? Seems more fun than leaving my savings in a Vanguard account.

Just stick it in a cash ISA you will get 5%.

Premium bonds are the scourge of the fucking earth.

[Ben]

Your bank will even have easy-access savings accounts over 5% these days.

[John Arne]

My Bitcoin investment is up 109% in just over a year :/

Such a shame that I bought so few.

Meanwhile, my DOGE is down 83%

Bitcoin ridiculous again. I remember thinking ‘I’ll sell when it’s at £28k’ and it’s currently £41k. I’ll have none left by the time it’s £100k cos I keep chipping away at it and squandering it on nothing.

BTC at $63k I sold my (very low amount) last month at about 100% profit, which was nice.

I'm still all in with DOGE, which has rallied 25% in 24hrs. Need Elon to tweet some more.

[Ben]

I might look to get out of Ethereum now and throw it in something more stable like my pension. I'm up 180% in three years, despite being -15% a year ago.

[Don]

I go off Nvidia and BTC but it seems like everything is not so much simmering as it is undergoing a nuclear fission reaction.

I'm still keenly waiting for a BTC crash but it's fascinating that everything looks so rosy in the markets.

[Ben]

Some smooth brain tweeted that NVIDIA will top out at over $1200 so I’m strapped in for the ride.

[Baz]

BTC gives me a semi everytime I check it, and I’ve only got 2.5k worth left. Can’t imagine how the big hitters are feeling.

[Yevrah]

Or that bloke who has £227m worth of it lost in a rubbish dump.

[Foe]

Sold nvidia basically net neutral at $490 as it seemed to be struggling to get over $500 and I was concerned it would plummet. Fantastic.

Buy the dip strategy struggling in March. Where’s that pawn stars meme?

[Pepe]

Why you weirdos selling? Buy the good stuff and hold on to it.

[Ben]

I'm still holding Gamestop, AMC, Blackberry and Nokia. Down about 70% on those.

[Foe]

Why you weirdos selling? Buy the good stuff and hold on to it.

Define good stuff please.

[Pepe]

ETFs and Nvidia.

[Spikey M]

I would not be buy Nvidia at these prices.

[Pepe]

Late in the game but in the long run it will keep going up.

[Baz]

I’m still waiting for Neonode to go big.

[Spikey M]

100k by Christmas.

[Dark Soldier]

Late in the game but in the long run it will keep going up.

This the Kiko mentality. Wreckage incoming.

[Don]

Short of WW3, there's very little risk to Nvidia still.

[Dark Soldier]

There's a fair chunk of risk on the horizon, but that could be a fair many months away. Safe right now.

[Spikey M]

It's less of a bubble that Tesla was, but Nvidia has a fucktonne of future value priced into the current price. $2.13 Trillion Market Cap ffs.

Any kind of hiccup with fulfilling orders and that stockprice does exactly what Tesla has after having a similarly ridiculous level of hype baked into it's Market Cap.

[Pepe]

Nvidia has been a successful business for a long time. Tesla was priced really high before it made a single cent in profits.

In any case, like 90% of my money is on ETFs.

[Kikó]

This the Kiko mentality. Wreckage incoming.

4/6 companies I invested in no longer exist.👏

[Ben]

Nvidia has been a successful business for a long time. Tesla was priced really high before it made a single cent in profits.

In any case, like 90% of my money is on ETFs.

I’ve only bothered with the S&P500 one. Are they all decent?

[Spikey M]

The S&P 500 is doing about the same as the FTSE 500 if you remove "the magnificent 7". I wouldn't be putting all my eggs in that basket.



I hold Invesco FTSE All World (FWRG) and Franklin FTSE India (FRIN) because FWRG is too light on India in my opinion.