Member Info for courtier

I have been a very small private investor since 1990, starting with very small and fairly unknown companies like Workspace and Unite, and some more adventurous investments like Inmarsat, Saffron Energy, Smith D.S. and Cineworld. I started with a cash sum from The halifax. As the amount I might lose has increased I have become more cautious and the companies have become bigger and more boring. I aim to have £20,000 invested in six companies by the end of this year. My reason for posting is the pessimism being reflected in the posts of others. I am currently almost 18% down on CNA and a similar amount down in RMG, but I choose my companies carefully and not always for the usual reasons. I research them myself in spite of all the free advice from financial papers, or the Motley Fools. RMG was purchased because I like seeing red vans and post offices all over London. CNA joined my portfolio when we moved to London and became customers in early 2018. My point is that I really enjoy trying to grow my investments under my own steam. It has become an important side of my life, and it would be a great shame if others were discouraged by some of the negative posts on this board.

I have been taking my electricity from OVO since moving to London 7 years ago. I operate my share account through SMILE who have always proved helpful and efficient. Currently I hold six companies and aim to have about £20,000 in each. SSE is currently the company I am buying with all my dividends and am half way to that £20,000 aim for SSE and hope to get there by year end. I was completely surprised by the recent purchase by OVO. I had thought that OVO were a mere minnow in the electric pool and SSE powerful giants but I have never understood the financial world. I was surprisingly pleased to add SSE to the growing number of companies in my portfolio that I actually use at home. They join RMG (the post office, I liked the thought of part owning all those red boxes and vans), SLA (Standard Life, the first share I ever owned) and BT (British Telecom) as shares of companies I actually use. That is a surprising four out of six. Perhaps buying shares in companies I have chosen to use could be a good financial plan. Look out for my book out next year "Buy What You Like!!!"

One of the main reasons I first invested here some ten years back was that I liked seeing all the red ,post office vans. Most of those around my area of London are quite smart these days compared with then. It does give a good impression of the numbers employed I always think.

Monday 9.40am. Still not received last Thursday's dividend. It does not reflect well on Plus500 as a company. When do I start asking for interest?

Anyone else still waiting for their dividend? I really was expecting it by now...

In spite of my Strong Buy recommendation I am currently trying to sell 600000 CORO shares. It has been a nightmare. I managed to sell 200,000 yesterday by reducing the price slightly, but so far every attempt to sell at best is unsuccessful. I have just reduced the price I am asking again so perhaps it will go through this time. It is all totally unexpected and shouldn't be happenning in an honest market place.

Thank you mogwhy for your long list of progress in quarter 4. I found it very encouraging. Perhaps our patience over the years is at last about to be repaid and we can all bless our 'luck' that we are invested here. It is certainly no time to sell...

I have been following CORO for too long to give up now. I am happy to wait a little longer and have an optimistic view that seems not to be shared by all on here. There are other experts besides Doc, and I do wonder if there is an axe being ground there. Best of luck to everyone.

WRES was riding high at over 0.8p. So have faith it can happen again now we are entering production. It was partly comments on this board that persuaded me to buy in. I also live in London so can attend the fairly regular investor meetings, where I was impressed with Michael Masterman's obvious enthusiasm for the company. I know I am too old to admit it but I do like seeing all the pictures of the mine machinery, particularly the fly-0ver with Michael's commentary that is on the WRESOURCES website. I remain hopefully enthusiastic even though I am nearly £3000 pounds down on my £22000 investment. Please tell me if you are as hopeful... I need some encouragement!

The month Plus went over £20 per share. I have no idea as to whether we can repeat the triumph, but I looked very carefully at the history of Plus on this site and finally decided to chance my wallet. I am in the fortunate position of being 23% up, but realise that the same history means many others must be well down. In many cases I doubt that £10 would be enough, how lucky I was with my timing.
I remain certain of continuing improvement into 2020 but doubt we will see the rampant increases of last August for a while.
All your comments on this board helped me considerably, thank you all.

What has caused this remarkable rise this morning. This is more what I would expect on the occasional good day in an AIM share. I bought in a few months ago mainly for the good dividend, now it is outperforming both my "risky" AIM companies by a country mile. Obviously delighted but cannot see why...

Forgot to state the obvious, a 15% rise today, Tuesday.

This really feels right. Good prospects, good news and the market has noticed. I only need to reach 3.8p but would take some cream at 5p. Dare we hope for 5p by Christmas. That really would be a special present.

Thank you K3VFM. Until I read your last post I had no idea I was invested in photothermal nanomaterials. A most interesting article that has altered my previous views that Tungsten was simply a very useful and very hard metal, soon to be in short supply.

Shares in CORO, you may not have heard of this minor fuel exploration and production company, rose almost 27% over last week. This raises some concerns that my biggest gambles yet may yet payback.
Mind you, nobody seems to have noticed... yet!

Wow, proper working money machines! Thank you Richard Kaz

I can't keep up! Over 14% richer in one weekend! Perhaps the market can spurt faster than I?

Although I rarely post on CORO I read every comment most days. I think I have met all our leaders over a years of attending CORO share meetings in London, I do understand how attendance is not so easy for others. I always like to be able to recognise the people running companies in which I invest, and to see them, hear them and talk to them is an important guide to my investment decisions. I am over-invested here because I have tried to average down several times, I have as a rule invested £20,000 in each of my five companies but CORO has an unfair £28,000 of my very hard earned cash.
This post reflects my optimistic feelings at the moment. A combination of owners comments, my limited chart reading abilities, the last rise of 6.8%, pictures on the website and CORO making the financial pages of mainline Newspapers, have renewed my expectations. Perhaps it is possible for CORO shares to reach my required 3.8p over the next year. If it does then my patience really will be rewarded.

I forgot to mention what a great venue Brewers Hall is. Wonderful high ceilings and even the washrooms are good. The video will be worth watching when it appears. I think my disappointment is because I was hoping for more definite progress. I felt I had heard it all before. Usually the presentations from other small companies make up for this "Easy Reach, Living in London" effect but they were as disappointing. I still firmly believe that this time next year our position will be very different. The hospitality was first class and I know this because I was starving by the time I arrived and content when I left...

I arrived for the shareholder meeting slightly late but in plenty of time to hear Andrew Dennan speaking for James Menzies who as you probably know is not in the country. Unfortunately I was squashed in and could not take notes. After the usual introduction about the company, even mentioning Italy he moved on to Indonesia. I was again impressed by the size of the find(s) there, and the progress that has been made in assessing content and grade (high). There were a few questions from the floor, but Andrew is as good as any politician at skirting information he clearly did not want to give, so really I have nothing for you all that we did not already know. Rather disappointing really.