LOTONtech's "Trading Trail"

The NEW Trading Trail!

2011-11-05T11:00:00.000Z

Now there's a brand new Trading Trail, which began on 01 November 2011 and which you can access for free via these links. Enjoy!

The 2010 Trading Trail is NOW CLOSED!

2010-12-31T12:59:00.000Z

So the Trading Trail 2010 has now ended. I didn't get to repeat the spectacular performance of 2009 (x2) and instead I merely stayed in the game in 2010, as you can see in the picture. I think that the lacklustre performance had more to do with my implementation of the Position Trading strategy in full public view than with the strategy itself. I made a number of mistakes for a number of reasons

The Plan for 2011

2010-12-27T11:46:00.000Z

Over on the Position Trading web site I've posted an update on The Plan for 2011.

Seasons Greetings!

2010-12-25T01:01:00.010Z

Seasons Greetings to all my blog followers, and thanks for tuning in this year. (No, I haven't posted this on Christmas morning, I scheduled it last night) I'll probably post just once more this year with the final score, before moving over to http://onpositiontrading.blogspot.com/ where I'm expecting to do things a little differently. Tony

Negative Trading Resources

2010-12-24T09:20:00.000Z

It's rather annoying that when I raise my stop orders on the Trade Fair platform, it does not always free up additional trading funds as other platforms do. In fact, once I have moved a stop order past break-even, further raising can actually reduce the amount of free trading funds even though I am notionally reducing my risk. To stop my trading funds going negative every time I raise a stop

Position Trader Strikes Back

2010-12-23T16:29:00.000Z

The fightback continues, with the portfolio value now up some +83% in the six months since the low-point in July, and most likely too late to get back above water before the end of the year. Still, it wouldn't be a total disaster to lose less than £600 in public during a 'bad' year for this strategy. A few years ago a good year would have meant going £600 up, and a bad year would have meant

A Foolish Guide to Spread Betting

2010-12-22T07:55:00.000Z

Sorry for not posting yesterday, I was busy with my new Google Nexus S. It's not a Christmas toy, it's an essential business tool! Yesterday the portfolio value nudged up a little. Today you can check out my Foolish Guide to Spread Betting on The Motley Fool (UK). Bear in mind that it is aimed at spread betting newbies who may only have made traditional investments before.

Go slow...

2010-12-20T18:21:00.000Z

I'm on something of a "go slow" now until the end of the year, but I can tell you that the portfolio went up a little -- and I mean a little -- today as a result of the continued Santa Claus rally. I can also tell you that I should have another interesting article to link through to on Wednesday. Soon I'll be able to tell you some more about how I'll be picking up from here on the Position

Account Stats 2010-12-18

2010-12-18T08:56:00.000Z

Unusually for me, I didn't find time to post yesterday. I'm a bit rushed today too, but as usual you can find the latest equity curve here. The total portfolio value stayed pretty flat (about 1% down) this week at just over £900.

Diversity

2010-12-16T12:01:00.000Z

I currently have a total of £38-per-point staked across a diverse group of 36 different one-to-three digit (price) equities. I could instead stake the whole £38-per-point on the 'diversified' FTSE 100 index, save myself a lot of trouble, and be £38,000 richer when the index reaches is previous historic high point of around 6900. Then again, I could end up £38,000 poorer if the index fell to the

Author Perks and A Foolish Guide to Pyramiding

2010-12-15T07:30:00.000Z

What a nice surprise! Yesterday I received my Christmas card and present from Harriman House publishers, who run the Global Investor Bookshop. My gift was a copy of the book Harriman's Money Miscellany which looks like a fun read... when I find the time. I think that last year I received some rather fetching 'fountain pen' cuff links. Who need royalties when you get perks like this? Over on The

Short-Lived 'Home Retail' Position

2010-12-14T11:01:00.000Z

On 9 December I established a position in Home Retail at 198.4. Having trailed my stop order to just better than break-even, it stopped out today at 199 for a profit of +£0.60. It cost me about 1p per day in rolling charges to hold it for the five days, so at least I came out ahead by +55p. I need to think carefully about how to spend this windfall ;-) This stock has now gone on to the

Low Prices, Wide Stops

2010-12-13T15:19:00.000Z

With the small amount of trading funds I have available I have established two new positions, because these stocks have low two-digit prices on which I can set wide stops (in percentage terms). Capital and Regional, bought at 32.8, stop at 26. DTZ Holdings, bought at 42.1, stop at 35. In another account I established new positions in Pendragon and Nighthawk Energy on a similar basis, but not

Account Stats 2010-12-11

2010-12-11T01:01:00.009Z

Optimism is hoping for the best. Confidence is being able to handle the worst. I've certainly handled the worst for this strategy this year, but let's be optimistic for a minute. The portfolio value is up another 12% this week; up to what appears to be my 5-month resistance level. Will I break through in the next three weeks? Better not be too optimistic. As usual you can see the cumulative

In, Out, In on HMV

2010-12-10T09:52:00.000Z

First things first: did you see the latest review of my Position Trading book posted by bobbob? I take his phrase "sound common sense" as a big compliment! My re-established position in HMV yesterday did stop out again as I predicted, at 33p. When it fell even lower, I placed a stop order to buy at 33p so that I would be no worse off if and when I bought in again. My plan was to trail this

Busy, busy

2010-12-09T08:43:00.000Z

There's been some significant action in the past two days. My Party Gaming pyramided positions stopped out yesterday for a combined profit of +£50.80. Some of those profits got recycled by re-establishing positions in Ladbrokes, Cobham, Arena Leisure and Quintain Estates. As per my Position Trading strategy, those positions were established at prices lower than my last stop-out prices. HMV

A Foolish Guide to Stop Orders

2010-12-08T07:13:00.000Z

As hinted yesterday, here is a link to my latest published article: A Foolish Guide to Stop Orders. Take a look at the article, and feel free to comment on it at The Motley Fool. Disclaimer: trades posted are real, but for general education and entertainment only and are not recommendations. Like this posting? Share it with you friends by clicking one of the icons below.

Today's Trades

2010-12-07T15:10:00.000Z

No new trades today, but Barclays stopped out for a profit of +£4.10 and IP Group stopped out for a loss of -£2.10. Free trading funds have inched up to £24.16, but I'm not inclined to spend it yet. The portfolio value is up more than 5% since Saturday, but these profits and losses can be very fickle. I might have a new article link for you tomorrow. Disclaimer: trades posted are real, but for

Trading the News

2010-12-06T14:32:00.000Z

My portfolio is still heading in the right direction, but obviously it's quite a tall order to get back above water before the end of the year. One of my supportive blog followers has suggested to me privately that I have perhaps suffered unnecessarily from trying to keep readers amused with daily trading updates and educational material this year. Next year on the new web site I'm thinking of

Account Stats 2010-12-04

2010-12-04T01:01:00.001Z

I de-pyramided Lavendon yesterday, but not through choice. In the course of raising some stop orders, my trading funds went negative as sometimes happens on the Trade Fair platform even though I am notionally reducing risk. So my dilemma was whether to introduce more funds (you don't like that), close a non-performing position altogether (tempting, but then I lose a potential winner), or

Update:

2010-12-03T14:12:00.000Z

Mouchel has fallen back again thereby allowing me to trial establish a position in this account after all, using my recently free up trading funds. And since Promethean World has fallen some 30% below my last stop-out price, I've had another punt on that one too. Disclaimer: trades posted are real, but for general education and entertainment only and are not recommendations. Like this posting?

Don't Invest What You Can Afford To Lose!

2010-12-03T07:57:00.000Z

I noticed on my Position Trading Cockpit yesterday that Mouchel was available to buy at some 20% below my last stop-out price. See picture. I couldn't buy it here due to lack of trading funds, but I did establish a position elsewhere which performed quite nicely quite quickly. I'm in two minds about the lack of trading funds. On the one hand it means I miss out on these golden opportunities.

What a Foolish thing I've done!

2010-12-02T07:02:00.000Z

I've surprised even myself by writing something from the Motley Fool (UK) web site. I needn't be surprised though, and nor should you be, because my particular flavour of spread betting as practised in this blog is not about madcap day-trading of indices, commodities and forex. It's about establishing a long-term portfolio of diverse equity positions, which is a very Foolish thing to do. Take a

"Smart Investor" Articles, and Dividends

2010-12-01T08:33:00.000Z

In advance if next year's blog I have been populating the Position Trading web site with some more content. The latest addition is a set of links to articles that I wrote last year for the Barclays Stockbrokers "Smart Investor" magazine. I wrote quite a few more for their email programme, but I'm having trouble finding them :-( Expect more links to articles to appear soon. In the right-hand

Words of Wisdom - On Stock Picking

2010-11-30T09:35:00.000Z

Markets are falling, but I'm not suffering enough stop-outs to free up trading funds for deployment in new positions. The only stop out this morning has been Capital and Regional for a loss of -£1.70. Markets are falling, so there are no opportunities to ratchet up my existing stop orders. Hence there's nothing for me to do, so I'll post a few more Words of Wisdom taken from my Position Trading