Member Info for zac0_4

Stockready1 - I, too, think BP has further to go although I'm not quite a bullish as you!

With regards to your questions around tracker (type) funds I hold a few. For exposure to the global economy I hold Vanguard FTSE Global All Cap Index and L&G International Index. There's little to choose between the 2 of them although (from memory) the Vanguard version holds a slightly wider range of companies from a market cap perspective, hence why I own both.

I then hold a variety focusing on themes or sectors. For tech I hold L&G Global Tech Index. For infrastructure I hold L&G Global Infrastructure and for the pharmaceutical sector I hold (surprisingly!) L&G Global Pharma and Healthcare.

I'm also invested in L&G Global Thematic. This is a tracker type fund that provides me with exposure to what I consider to be 'disruptive' technologies. The fund is made up of 8 L&G ETFs. Cyber security, Battery value chain, Pharma breakthrough, Clean water, Artificial intelligence, Healthcare breakthrough, Robotics & Automation and Ecommerce logistics.

I only invest in the accumulation version of each fund (ie any income is reinvested) and take a long view (at the very least 5 years) with my investments.

As you are no doubt aware all the tech elements are under duress at present. You have to ask yourself is this downturn in tech 'a blip' or a more serious rerating? For me it doesn't really matter because over the next 5-10 years I still think tech will continue to thrive and that's my minimum time horizon.

I think it's important to ensure I have exposure to the global economy as the UK economy is less than 4% of global GDP.

Feel free to comment and good luck!

All too complicated for me!! Primarily 4 investment trusts for income. A number of funds, both active and trackers, for capital growth. And now down to only 3 individual shares which will be sold when I consider the time to be right and the capital deployed into trusts and funds.

One of the lessons I've learnt over the years is the harder I work to make money the less I make! On that basis I'm a lazy, buy and hold investor! It seems to work.

SD235 - I also hold HFEL, SSON and LGEN along with a couple of other single shares, income paying trusts and growth funds.

Whilst I agree with your figures I would say you need to be careful with your analysis and not knock Smithson too much. You seem to indicate that you bought LGEN in March 2020 and to date you're 73% up. Whilst you seem to be disappointed in Smithson's performance. Had you bought Smithson at exactly the same time you bought LGEN you'd be 84% up!

And then there's HFEL . . . !!!!!!!

Bumble - fair point. However, for me (as I too have retired early on the back of my investments) single shares represent too much risk. Global funds (well managed or trackers) spread that risk. Each to their own I suppose but nevertheless good luck with your future investing!

Stockready1 - "I never trusted funds despite their proven track records"

Why? Isn't a proven track record all you have to go on?

To keep things simple you only need to look at the historical performance of a global tracker fund. If you look at the 5 year performance of L&G International Index (2,200+ companies) vs BP the tracker has considerably outperformed. And I fully expect that outperformance to continue over the next 5, 10+ years. That's not an actively managed fund simply a fund that tracks the global economy.

The issue with a number of investors here is that they became shareholders at £2 to £3 per share. And good luck to them. But don't lose sight of the fact that the current share price remains approx 15%+ below its pre-pandemic level. And that's on the back of the best profit performance for 8 years!

In fact, compare today's share price to 20 years ago. I bet there's not much growth. Good luck.

Bumble1968 - "The only thing I personally don't like with funds is that your still trusting someone you've never met with your money/investments"

I don't see that as being any different to investing here. I bet you've never met Bernard Looney or any other member of the board. Yet you're investing in BP based on what they're telling you the strategy is. Do you really know what's going on at an operational level? No. Do you know the conversation they're having with Rosneft on the back of the Russia Ukrainian stand-off? No. Yet you trust the board with your investment. It's no different with a fund. You investigate the strategy and, just as you do here, you take your chance! Good Luck.

Stockready1 - Hope you're well. With regards to Fundsmith Equity fund and Baillie Gifford Positive change fund, you're correct in that both have had a terrible start to the year. But we're 1 month in. What will the rest of the year bring for them . . . well your guess is as good as mine!

The only thing I would say is that Terrys Smith has delivered year on year growth for the past 11 years, so I guess a poor year is inevitable. That said I'm still betting on the fund to deliver over the next 10 or 11 years. And Baillie Gifford do have an uncanny knack of picking tomorrow's winners.

My portfolio hasn't had the best of starts to 2022, with an overall loss of 5% in January. Still, I'm not a trader so I'll simply continue to hold my portfolio as I'm confident it will continue to deliver over the long term. Fingers crossed!!

y11-shx yes, please.

Paul2566 - I can recommend Fundsmith. I wouldn't look at the income version but would favour the accumulation version.

It's going through a period of weakness presently so maybe not a bad time to start considering it as an investment

Phil - as well as your investing in single shares, if you have time on your side, I would also suggest you invest every month without fail in a global equity fund. Month after month, year after year.

You don't need to be too clever in picking a fund, a global tracker fund will suffice ie Vanguard All Cap Index or L&G International Index. Invest in the Accumulation version and over the long term you'll do very well. Good luck!

. . . and this is one of them. Sold most of my holding in June 20 around £1.60 ps. And where are we today? Never mind there's always tomorrow, next week, next month, next year etc, etc, etc!

And BP share price is still some 20%+ lower than its pre-pandemic level!

I have . . . and it doesn't. But that's just my opinion. Good luck with your investments.

This is certainly not nice to watch. However, selectively picking investments with the benefit of hindsight is not an available strategy when investing!

Here's one though, if on 19th October 2018 when Smithson was launched you'd have put your money into VUSA you'd have finished 2nd in a 2 horse race!!

Let's hope some stability returns to markets over the coming months. I fear a bumpy ride for some time yet. Good luck.

UpDownFlat - I must admit a further 16% recovery in the sp since the start of the year has pleasantly surprised me.

I will sell at some point. Once I think the recovery has plateaued. And that's what this is a share price recovery. The market cap of BP is still considerably below its pre-pandemic level.

That, to me, is not the sign of a resilient business I want to be invested in long term.

I'm still to be convinced. If they simply throw a considerable amount at buy backs then fine. However will they be buying shares below the actual value of the business and isn't there anything better that they could deploy the funds in?

If the move to renewables is the future then why not accelerate that strategy?

Gerry557 - it certainly should! I've held for years so although my capital is negative I'm probably slightly up taking dividends into account.

My issue is that I'd be better off in either of my global equity tracker funds - Vanguard global all cap index or L&G International index.

This is last year I'll hold unless some improvement in the share price is seen.

Bananaman2- this will seem a very stupid thing for me to say but, I won't consider adding to my holding here until the sp starts to move north.

Covid has been the ultimate stress test for holdings in my portfolio. Everything took a hit but most have recovered. The sp here remains approximately 20% below its pre-pandemic level.

If it wasn't for the current 8% yield I think I'd have cut and run by now. Here's hoping for no further capital decline this year!

Dealer- why don't you simply reinvest any dividends received manually? It takes all of 2 minutes and gives you more control over when and if to reinvest.

We'll see. However there's clearly noises in parliament by some with regards to a wt.

I'd rather be aware of it as a potential risk to my investment than simply dismiss the possibility as many are doing.