** My new book - about spreadbetting - has just been published, you can order it here:

http://books.global-investor.com/books/401334.htm?ginPtrCode=10453

Welcome to any new readers coming to the website from the new book, I would suggest you read the spreadbetting book in conjunction with Naked Trader, available here:

http://books.global-investor.com/books/27120.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
**

Goodness it's been a while, I think I forgot how to write these updates, too used to lying by a pool. This feels like work all of a sudden, maybe I'll get used to it again.

It's tough to get used to the cold and the rain again after so long in the warm sunshine. Getting there, slowly.

Comforted by the fact we're off to Florida for most of April and a visit to Disneyland!

We had a sensational time in South Africa. We got lucky and got away just before the snow grounded flights and got back after, er snow grounded flights!

We know some people, like Christopher's teacher who were due to spend Xmas there but never got there because of the snow. So lucky us!

While the Uk shivered in snow we enjoyed sunshine, warmth and long evenings.

Best things in life really are the little things and the one thing I remember was "Playing football" with my 6-year-old at 8pm in the early evening there. And really enjoying days that aren't cut off at 4pm by nightfall.

I hate the early nights in the UK. Feels like the days are ended early. Over there it felt like being given extra time and those light hours between 4 and 9pm felt very special.

The holidays there are expensive but worth every penny. After all you can't take it with you and my view is if you can afford it, spend it on things that will give you lovely memories.

To see Christopher get taller in the warm sunshine and blossoming with good food and lots of running about was wonderful.

We got some time to ourselves too as the hotel has a wonderful kids club. He was the biggest fan and just couldn't wait to go even before it opened (maybe his parents are just so boring....)

Highlight of the whole trip? Well that had to be Christopher and myself stroking a real live cheetah.

It's slightly scary going into the cage especially as the signs kind of say if you get torn apart by the cheetah then don't blame us...

To stroke such a lovely wild animal was amazing. We then went on to enjoy being pounced on by owls and other wild birds.

The cheetah ranger told Christopher that cheetahs are the fastest runners of any animal.

"Except for me," said Christopher confidently. Six year olds are rather arrogant about their own powers...

The people of South Africa are amazing, welcoming and hospitable.

Service is warm and genuine, they want you to have a good time.

Of course the country sadly suffers from extreme poverty too and we gave when we could. It is heartbreaking to see townships where there is a daily struggle to survive. And the rich are there too.

After the world cup, roads are amazingly good, shopping centres clean and safe. I would have no hesitation in saying go and visit.

And in what other country could you walk into the equivalent of Boots to buy medicines (Mrs NT was sick for a couple of days) - realise you don't have enough cash but they say, It's ok, come in tomorrow and pay us the rest?"

What else? So much to enjoy! Jogging around the streets in the morning then finishing with a coffee in a coffee bar after watching the world go by...

Sitting by the pool, swimming in the sun and enjoying some sensational food at reasonable prices.

Oh. One other thing, randy hotel tortoises by the kids club. I'll save that story for the next update...

Did we want to come back?

It's a bit weird being back. On holiday I probably looked at the markets about three times a day, making the odd trade here or there.

I've had hundreds of emails to clear. I hope I nearly cleared them all but if my answer was shorter or curter than normal it's because it was a nightmare to answer them all.

A bit like having a job and I continue to wonder whether or how long I can carry on doing the website because of it.

Spent much of Wednesday at Claridges for lunch to celebrate a friend's birthday and Thursday seeing my accountant who told me how much I am going to have to send the taxman in January. And then making it worse by handing me a massive bill!

And more to the point how much it will be next year when tax rates go up!

Oh Claridges was disappointing foodwise, more on that and a bit more on South Africa in the next update.

Those of you booked in for the Feb 4th seminar should have had the venue and other full details from me. If you are booked in and you have not had those details please let me know asap.

My next seminar is on Feb 4th.. but it is close to being sold out, indeed I think it will be sold out within the next 5 days, so if you are interested don't hang about.

Mail me for details at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "Feb seminar interested" in the subject line.

Beginners and improvers welcome! Come and spend the day with me, the markets and some lovely people - and of course, lunch!
If you mail me I will then send you details and a full agenda of what is covered. Also more details below somewhere.

My seminars are designed for beginners, dabblers and improvers and deals with everything from how to look for winners, how to research, spreadbetting, level 2 use how to time trades and short, how to use advfn properly and run your portfolio without having to spend money on systems and tipsters.. and tons more.
A lot of the day comes directly from the live markets and I show you many of the tricks I use to get good prices live. And there might even be the odd live trade or 2!

The follow up seminar on Jan 21st is sold out, sorry I had to disappoint some of you but I'll do another later in the year.

I get quite a few mails asking what magazines or news services I subscribe to etc. Well, hardly any! I get the Investors Chronicle delivered.
However I do subscribe (£8.99 a month though take the yearly option at 20% discount to that) to a daily email which is my main source of news about such things as broker upgrades, main news items, analysis of stocks and markets, forthcoming company statements and events, stock recommendations and targets from the top brokers, what kind of earnings expected from companies and a whole heap more useful stuff.
I sometimes get ideas from this for companies to watch or monitor or even buy. And it's handy to get a summary of what the brokers are saying and looking at future earnings etc.
It usually arrives around 5ish every day.
I contacted the people that put it together and they offer a free 14 day trial of it to my readers - so you can cancel after 14 days if you don't feel it's useful enough.
Once you cut and paste this link into your browser, click "uk 14 days free trial" then I would go "yearly option" which gives a 20% discount making it just over £7 a month, as you can still cancel seems worth it. Hope you find it useful like I do. It's one of the few paid for news services that has really impressed.
http://bit.ly/eBPXuG
An interesting email from a reader. The thrust of it was he was going to buy a share after doing a lot of research but then it went up 12% and he hadn't bought it yet. So he felt angry.
How does he stop/halt the feelings of anger?
Well, you have to take the emotion out of trading. Which isn't easy.
I suggested he should read this book.. by Jason Zweig
http://books.global-investor.com/books/256158.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
This is the one to read on psychology. Great read.
Fancy getting the naked trader updates direct into your inbox? And a bit before it gets updates on the net including news from my pension trades made from my SIPP?

All you have to do is take a phone or energy service from the Utility Discount Warehouse at www.telecomplus.org.uk/fabdeal.

I get some commission and you get the service! On top of that you ought to make some amazing savings on your phone, broadband, or energy use or all! There's even an internet phone where you can make free calls from wi fi hotspots!

Prices are guaranteed lower than the top 6 suppliers but even better you can get huge discounts on your energy/phone bill if you shop at places like Marks and Spencers, Boots, Sainsburys and a whole load more. 5% of your spend comes directly off your billl. Many are saving a fortune from their energy bills.

So save a few quid, and get my stuff in your inbox! A win win? Mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "mail service" in the subject line and I'll send you details.

Spreadbetting firm Tradefair Spreads has upped its offer exclusively to Naked Trader readers to a £100 credit. This offer is exclusive to me and not available anywhere else...
I've been using them for a few weeks to check that I'm happy with the service. As you know I don't take ads or allow referrals on the site unless it's a company I've used and I feel confident about.
What I like about it is it's easy to use, spreads are surprisingly tight on the smaller companies and interestingly an automated stop loss is applied to each trade - so beginners know what their max loss is from the outset.
Anyway they now offer a £100 credit as long as you deposit £100. You get the credit after you placed 5 trades (Terms and conditions apply)
If you'd like to apply for an account with Tradefair Spreads and get the freebie click this link:
http://www.tradefair.com/promo/spreads/nakedtrader100/

The number of emails to me is nearly reaching saturation point and I'm struggling! I'm getting 100s which is lovely in a way but killing me in another.
The main problem is the length of some of them, indeed some run to the length of novels, so, please, help save my eyes and please keep mails to under 150 words.. you can do it! It's close to the stage where I am going to have to say I will answer all mails but those over 200 words will get deleted. Keep them short and sweet, please!!
Also, it's possible the answer you seek from me is already in FAQ's. And do remember I can't discuss individual shares with you as it would be classified as investment advice which I'm not authorised to give.
Many of you enjoy the cheap advfn toplists bronze deal through me as do many of you with the cheap level 2. However many of you say you want a half-way house to include real-time share prices always on.
So I'm pleased to announce I've managed to seal a new deal with Advfn for its "Silver" service - that's always on real-time share prices for a good saving (Bronze toplists etc are included in this).
The deal is via me you can save £30 for your first year by paying just £138.06 inc vat via me instead of £167.47.
Just mail me for full details if you'd like it with "silver" in the subject line.

They've just re-published "The Zulu Principle" by Jim Slater who's written a 2008 update at the beginning.
This is a brilliant classic book. Reading this is a real pleasure and it was a great idea to republish.
Jim believes like I do the best gains can come from smaller stocks and in an easy to read style takes you through how to evaluate smaller companies that are about to become bigger ones - he uses some excellent examples.
Really this is a must read for all more longer-term investors or anyone looking to grow their money... a number of you have also written to me about this book and praising it.
Here is the link to buy it:
http://books.global-investor.com/books/167207.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
Here's a very topical one: The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets by Peter Schiff.
The book is all about how to keep portfolios up in a down market. He focusses a lot on how to play commodities and win with some sensible advice especially on natural resources and precious metals. He is very much a realist and there is no rubbish here: some straight talking and some interesting strategies.
Everyone who invests should think seriously about keeping portfolios up in bad times so this book should be read.
Well worth picking up at this link:
http://books.global-investor.com/books/271958.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
To order my new book Naked Trader 2 for next day delivery click this link... or the cover of the book top right!
http://books.global-investor.com/books/27120.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
Several people have asked me for a recommendation on a book which shows how to study accounts in a reasonably easy way. The one I like the most is http://books.global-investor.com/books/15717.htm?ginPtrCode=10453 by Robert Leach. Ten crunch questions to ask before buying any company.
It' s a decent easy-to-read book with several key chapters and it's highly recommended. It's one I keep and dip into from time to time. To order, click this link... http://books.global-investor.com/books/15717.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
The best book on charting and easiest read on the subject is http://books.global-investor.com/books/15618.htm?ginPtrCode=10453 by Alistair Blair. Click here -> http://books.global-investor.com/books/15618.htm?ginPtrCode=10453
Another good one is the second edition of http://books.global-investor.com/books/23792.htm?ginPtrCode=10453 by Peter Temple. Included in this one is how to use spreadbetting, CFD's warrants and trackers to reduce risk. And there are some decent trading strategies too.
This is an excellent book for new investors and also experienced ones. It explains all the things you may not be sure about in the markets and will explain the tools that are there. To order The Investors Toolbox by Peter Temple (new edition) click the following link for delivery in 24 hours... http://books.global-investor.com/books/23792.htm?ginPtrCode=10453

**** BOOKING FOR FRIDAY FEB 4TH AT HEATHROW NOW OPEN**

THIS EVENT IS CLOSE TO SELL OUT - CONTACT ME ASAP IF INTERESTED

Fancy spending a day with me, learning all the ways I have learned over the years to find good shares and play the markets? Well, you can at one of my seminars!
Booking is still open for the Naked Trader Xmas seminar on Friday Feb 4th

Price is £550 plus vat. There is an early bookers discount currently available.
That includes three course lunch, coffees, snacks etc. There is an early bookers discount currently available.
The seminar is mainly aimed at beginners and dabblers though improvers are welcome too.
Topics covered using live market feeds all day include: Market psychology, level 2 - a simple guide to how to use it for better timing; how to value companies; finding companies that are about to rise. I will also cover techniques for handling events such as the recent meltdown and volatility.
Spreadbetting: How to use it to gain an edge and go short. Market makers - how they work and how to beat them; how to stop losing money and make it instead and plenty more.
How to plan trade entries and exits - how to research companies and understand reports, plus all those niggly questions you always wanted to ask. How to set stop losses and targets. Charts and how to use them.
Also covered: Market maker tricks: How to spot tree shakes and use them in your favour, How to tell when NOT to buy a share. I use live ADVFN all day with lots of level 2 and looks at all kind of live market data.
The idea behind the seminar is SIMPLICITY. I don't use jargon or fancy words - everything is in PLAIN ENGLISH! No question is too stupid and the event is held in a friendly relaxed and supportive environment.
The idea is you will come away from the event I hope a wise and better investor with lots of new ideas. I try and translate complex topics into easy bite size pieces. I also aim for it to be entertaining as well as instructive.
If you are interested please e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "Xmas seminar interested" in the subject line and I will send you full details of the event including comments from those who have come to previous seminars and you can then decide whether you would like to come. See you there! Or if you prefer Feb 4th mail with "Feb seminar interested"
One seminar attendee Clare wanted to write a testimonial about her experiences at the seminar which follows now!
"I've just come back buzzing from one of Robbie's seminars. What a day! He's just brilliant, and manages to pack an awful lot into one day, and with his enthusiastic and humorous delivery the day just flies by. There are no gimmicks, no sell, no "˜get-rich-quick' promises, just his own solid, sound approach which he has learnt over the years and which works.
He shows you how to minimise the risks and maximise the profits and points out the banana skins on the way. Where the seminar really comes into its own is when he teaches using live level 2. Hearing him talk through his thought processes and reasoning is invaluable, and really brings home everything from the book. He has endless patience answering peoples' questions, and really seems to care that everybody understands.
On top of that, you meet some really nice like minded people and swap e mail addresses, you're plied with
chocolates and coffee all day, have a great lunch and spend the evening getting tiddled with Robbie in the
bar afterwards! You might even get to see the amazing crocodile boots . . . .
Don't worry about the cost, it's easily worth it, and you'll soon make it back with your new-found investment skills, and in what you're no longer losing. If you're thinking of going along to his next seminar, whether you're a novice or an experienced trader, don't hesitate ""just go!
Thanks Clare, did you want the tenner in cash, or will a cheque do?

I've started using Tradefair for spreadbetting - I like the auto generated stop losses which help to maintain discipline and that's good for beginners I think. And exclusively for Naked Trader readers they upped the offer to £100 credit.
So there's now a £100 credit on offer for anyone opening an account via me. You get that after 5 spreadbets (terms and conditions apply)
To get the offer, click here:
http://www.tradefair.com/promo/spreads/nakedtrader100/

I guess I'd better catch up on what is going on in the UK. I suspect Cameron, Clegg and Milliband are all the same when I left.

I suddenly realised maybe I was missing Gordon Brown. Milliband is desperately dull but won't make the real killer mistake that Brown did that made us all howl with laughter.

There seems to be something very much deputy head boy about all three of them.

David Milliband is now after a career in TV. Lucky he's not a woman or he's be judged to be too old...

There's loads of cars on the road that are uninsured - loads and loads and it seems there is little that is being done to stop this.

One of the main problems is the max fine for being uninsured is just £1,000. When you consider some of the premiums can be nearly that.

I know what I would do. I'd give all petrol stations a link into the insurance computer - this would flag up any cars entering the station that are uninsured.

It would be illegal for a station to allow any uninsured car to fill up with petrol. Problem (well 90% solved).

After all no petrol, can't drive!

With The Apprentice finished (Well done Stella for winning) there is literally nothing left to watch.

Looking forwards to the launch of the new Sky channel Atantic next month though - they have all the HBO shows like Mad Men, Curb and the Sopranos.

And they will broadcast the shows at peak time, not buried away late night so jolly good!

Episodes is a new one on Monday night BBC2 at 10pm. First episode was promising despite being sub Curb. But given the dearth of anything else it's on my list.

I gather James Caan has quit Dragons Den. Which is a bit of a shame as he obviously irritated Peter Jones. And tended to give money to the more outlandish ideas.

I wonder who they will get.. they need someone like Richard Branson to put Peter Jones in his place!

Big non surprise event of the week: Jordan has split up with whoever that cage fighter was that was on Big Brother. Well I never.

The spreadbetting firm I use for sports betting is here:
Via this link Open a Sporting Index account and there's £300 total goals bet on offer - please check terms and conditions which apply.

http://www.sportingindex.com/?tpid=6755
Do remember if you do bet you ought to treat sports spreadbetting as entertainment - and expect to lose! Also with spreadbetting work out what your max loss could be and make sure you can afford it! In other words if you say backed the favourite at 15 for a fiver and they come nowhere your max loss is £75.

Phil writes :
Having Read your books, followed your recommended reading lists and attended your seminar....

I have to say, I unreservedly agreed with all your teachings/strategy and now follow them to the letter...except one area... the impact of the "Bid Offer Spread"....

My thinking was that- it does Not really matter- the different between 3% & 8% etc.... if you find a good buy.

Now I have began buying/trading, I completely agree with your thinking on this area.... they have a far bigger impact than I thought... especially when investing at c£3k each time.... and immediately seeing how much I was down on the purchase.

Lesson learned....the hard way!..hah hah.

Glad you like my stuff! Yes, it does matter over time and it's always best if possible to try and get the price when the spread is small as I hopefully showed live at the seminar..... often the worst time to buy is at 8am when the spread can be way too much.

Duane writes:
Wanted to say a big thank you to you and Mrs NT for an amazing day of learning and fun at your seminar.

The way you explained the share trading from start to finish was understandable and really interesting, well worth the seminar fee!
It was great to hear such down to earth and honest assessment from a successful trader like yourself. The way you explained everything was good revision from your book and gave further insight into successful share trading.

I particularly liked your live trades and going through your accounts when you gave snippets of why you invested in certain shares and why you kept/dumped them. Also helpful was the way you searched for prospective shares and within minutes discounted them or put them on a short list for further examination and correct entry points. Amazing!
You could really tell that you loved doing what you do and your energy levels to keep going till 10pm was well....... I had to leave at 9pm I was shattered!

Thanks again Robbie I am keen to put into practice what you have taught me. Even though you make squillions from your trades and I am sure don't need to do the seminars for financial gain, but please keep doing those seminars for newbies like me!

Thanks Duane! Don't expect to be doing them foreever but very rewarding for me to help people so expect to carry on for a while longer.
Helen writes:
Thank you very much indeed for your superb seminar on Friday. Many factors that made it worthwhile, however your talent in communicating so clearly, in a way that was accessible to so many people, really stood out. I now clearly see the error of my old ways of buying at quite the wrong times and lacking a businesslike attitude. Time to turn over a new leaf. DMA was fascinating, along with being taken through your thinking and decision-making

Thanks Helen. Yes, learning direct market access and how it works can be very useful indeed. Glad you enjoyed the day!
Terry writes:
Fantastic seminar.

I have always been sceptical of the public testaments you see on web sites
saying how great an event was. Now I'm one of those people!. I
genuinely believe that the tips and techniques as well as the overall
approach you demonstrated will radically improve my trading performance

Thanks Terry, well all the testaments are real but know what you mean and glad you feel it was worth it!
John writes:
Thanks for a great seminar last Friday, everyone I spoke to enjoyed it and marvelled at how you kept going so long; you certainly gave value for money.

If the seminar taught me anything it was how to trade in a more professional and detached manner. I realise up till now I was just playing at it.

Thank you once again for a fantastic day that will remain with me for the rest of my life.

Thanks John, though my wife sometimes complains I go on for too long.....
I have 3 great offers from ADVFN.

SAVE OVER £120 !
First great deal: If you want level 2, though me it is only £305 for your first year including VAT!
This compares to £432 direct from advfn so this deal saves you over £120! ADVFN level 2 also includes all the live trades made through Plus Markets which I find invaluable.
To accept this great deal just e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "Level 2 offer" in the subject line and I will tell you how to get it. Level 2 gives you access to all the market maker positions and the order book and I would not trade without it! More on level 2 in my book and I spend hours on it at my seminars.

Deal two is ADVFN's bronze subscription - normally £72 pa - available from me for only £41! (inc vat) That's a saving of over £30! You access to the premium bulletin board which contains my discussion forum with direct access to chat to me and some very good traders. Plus you get ADVFN's premium top lists which I think are a must for finding great stock picks. That includes great lists like ex dividend dates, market maker buys plus chart breakouts and downs. All as explained in the book.
To take up the offer, e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with Bronze in the subject line and I will tell you how to claim the deal.

Bronze is included inside the level 2 deal.

Deal three is ADVFN's silver subscription - for those of you who want all the benefits of Bronze AND always on real-time prices.. no more using the back button and getting frozen out!

The deal is via me you can save nearly £30 for your first year by paying just £141 inc vat via me instead of £169.20.
Just mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com if you'd like this deal with "silver" in the subject line.

Want to try out broker Selftrade superb trading system for no risk? You only have to trade once to get £50 bunged into your account! You get £50 and I get £50.
All online deals are just £12.50 with no funny small print. Charges for phone deals are higher, check terms and conditions. They also charge £35 plus vat pa for all accounts. Follow this link...
http://tinyurl.com/57hp4n

Well, it's been a long time since I last updated so as you can imagine there is a lot to get through!

Trading in South Africa is a lot nicer, the markets open at 10am which is fab - can have a lovely hotel breakfast then watch the opening! And close is 6.30pm so can look at the close after coming home from the pool or beach!

So in general just went in about three times a day, it didn't really affect the holiday but I did make some trades! However I probably made less trades than I would have done back at home. And I made some trades once I got home too.

It has been an amazing market since I left. I can never remember making so much money so fast since I started trading all those years ago. All I know is I think there's £60,000 or more in my accounts than there was when I left for my hols.

Right as you can imagine there is quite a lot to get through. In fact tons, I've tried to remember to cover everything. I probably haven't but done my best as it's been a nightmare trying to go through accounts.

To buys first.

I took up the excellent Yule Catto (YULC) rights issue so that gives me 2,666 more Yule shares at 116p and on the spreadbets that gives me another £65 a point at 116. Looks like a brilliant buy for Yule which will transform it into a much bigger company and looks like an excellent hold probably for a couple of years. I would expect to see the shares double from here in time.

I've this week bought 10,000 Sepura (SEPU) at 42p. Looks an interesting little play, seems to have bottomed out at the 40p mark and is on the rise at the moment, looks a decent recovery play to small stakes. Fundamentally at this sort of price it looks pretty sounds to me. However whenever something has fallen so much there is always a risk element. Target 60 stop 38.

I bought into Filtronic (FTC) - one that was on the seminar shortlist.. I bought because it's a company that is transforming itself into more or less a brand new company in the 4g market - it has potential to double I think from here. I got 10,000 at 39.8p Target 80 stop 34. I like companies that are turning into different companies and often it's possible to get a really good return if the new business starts to shine.

I bought £20 on the spreads of CPP Group (CPP) at 299. A strong statement from the company and great growth prospects. Target 360 stop 280. It's in the credit card insurance market and is becoming the dominant player and it's a nice high margin business. Also the market appears to be waking up to the potential here!

As those of you who get my SIPP email I already bought Emed Mining (EMED) for my sipp at 8pish and that doubled for me to 16p but for the first time I could get some for the ISA so I bought more getting 40,000 at 16.31p - Emed looks to have very good prospects and it gives me a bit more exposure to mining for the ISA and with it now being very liquid I feel I can add this in for the site as well as the sipp. Target 30 stop 12.

As those who have followed the site for years know I love adding to shares that have already done well for me and this continues in 2011

So I added to Chime (CHW) which has already doubled and more for me getting a fresh lot this time on spreads getting £20 at 219. Target 260 stop 195. Looks very cheap even after the double.

I've also added to Exillon (EXI) - It looked good when it broke convincingly thought 300 and so I got another £15 on the spreads at 335. Target 500 stop 300. It joined the FTSE 250 but it is very volatile so quite hard to get in at the right time, I would expect to stick with it for a bit.

And good old Kentz - (KENZ) profits of nearly £5,000 there now, no reason to sell and every reason to top up with another £20 at 342. Looks like another 200p potential here looking out over a year or so. Target 450 stop 300. It came out with an ahead of expectations statement today. Looks strong and a possible bid candidate.

And I bought some Capital Drill (CAPD) getting 5,000 at 91. Seems to be another under the radar share that has yet to be discovered. Target 120 stop 80.

Right onto some sales. Not that many as I haven't seen any need to bank profits yet.

However Spirent hasn't been moving much and after much deliberation I've taken profits at last.

Very good profits indeed of £3,400 profits at 145. Doubled on it so that's nice but it seems to be struggling around this price so time to use the money elsewhere.

As usual I take losses fast if something does't go my way and did this on Abcam selling at 337 for a loss of £330. After thinking it looked good a question mark or two came up in a statement and so I closed. Supergroup went at 1472 for a loss of £365. Rather wish that hadn't been sold as the Xmas statement looked good.

And I took profits on 888, sadly not at 888 but at 58 for a profit of £920. It rose steeply while I was away because of early bid talks with Ladbrokes apparently a bid at 70p. I usually tend to hold onto bid targets but the price action says a bid while possible isn't a dead cert either so it seems sensible to bank the profit now.
The newspaper gossip is Ladbrokes may pay 80p and if so selling is a bad move. Oh well, anyhow profit banked for now.

One way or another I sold out of all shorts except Betfair either letting them expire on Dec expiry or getting out as the Santa rally kept taking prices higher - there is no point in shorting in a rising market.

So shorts were closed out with profits or losses banked..

Davis at 418 (profit £35), Wincanton at 165 (profit £540) Ocado 172 (loss £90) Rightmove 782 (loss £125) Galliford 289 (profit £615).

Adding all that up brings a total profit banked for the site of £4,600.

Well. the portfolio shone brightly while I was away with some very big gains for me! There are so many that have leapt skywards!

Joint stars have to be Carclo and Dialight, both have shot up even more while I've been away. Dialight came up with an excellent statement this week stating it was ahead of expectations. Dialight has nearly quadrupled for me - . Those of you who came to one of the seminars might remember me buying that live at 140ish - now it is close to 600. The US government says it is going to be using LEDs for its traffic lights and says it will not be allowing tendering from foreign companies so Dialight looks set to benefit from the cash going in.

Carclo has broken out very well indeed and looks set to have a great year- there appears to have been a lot of buying of shares while I've been away which must be a good sign. Shame about the silly spread sometimes though. I've now doubled and a bit here and would hope to see it double again with its new technology still looking underrated by the market.

Other big star movers include Porvair which has left 100 well behind and now in top profit. Exillon energy has boomed leaving me up 100 plus points . Entertainment One has shot higher while I was away with patience there paying off. So too has
gamble Orosur Mining has nearly doubled for me in less than 3 months.

Splendid profits have continued to build in African Aura, - it will split into two companies soon which looks a good move. The Betfair short has been a real winner! Massively in profit now.

Little gamble Asterand has gone nearly 50% higher for me and also hold onto its good gains. Could be a nice winner for 2011 this one.

Essar Energy has gone up well while I was away and so do has IMI which made it into the FTSE 100. A bullish brokers note help lift it a lot higher yesterday.

Telecom Plus has soared again and as I thought it would has hit 450. I would think it could hit 600 by year end. Its new mobile deal looks incredible. Website profits are up and over £25,000.

Innovation has also risen well. Another possible good winner for 2011.

Ocean Wilsons creeps up as usual! .

Recent buy AZ Electronics is beginning to shoot up well. Bought those at the last seminar. AZ Electronic makes sophisticated chemicals that are used in electronic goods such as semiconductors and smart phones and is used in ipads and iphones. It has gone into the FTSE 250.

Fenner has also shot higher on an excellent statement and the same is true of oiler Afren which is now in a massive profit and nearly doubled there!

Cineworld produced a great report and has lifted up. Bioquel has been quiet. On the quiet side too, Communisis, Macfarlane and Centamin.

The brilliant Volex has risen up to 370 and says dividends are on the way sooner than expected. I've doubled on the original lots I bought in the low 100s and in a really super profit of over £13,000.

Superstar Oiler Bowleven (BLVN) has also shot higher after a good drill update and is trying to tackle the 400 area. Talking oils Cape is having a very good run too.
Long termer Heritage has also gone for the skies and up massively recently. The Vitec Group is heading back up nicely and is trying to crack the 600 mark - been brilliant so far. Aggreko has also seen rises
Hyder carries on going up and Xp Power has started another surge and up and over 1200! l I bought this one at 164 a year and a half ago and it's now trying to get to 1100 with a profit of £16,000 plus. It goes to show if you can hold the good ones for a bit and resist the take profits temptation it can pay off big time!

.Lovely Petrofac remains a core hold and has soared. To think I bought in the mid 300s and it is now over 1600! Together with spinoff Enquest sees me sitting on profits way in excess of £30,000. Of course it's volatile but a strong uptrend remains intact.

I don't know what to say.

With no stinkers in the current portfolio I have never ever made so much money so quickly.

However of course the problem for me is when to start banking the profits. Perhaps that should be sooner than later but the biggest mistakes I made during a great 2010 was to bank too early. The hardest thing of all is when to sell a share. I hardly ever get this bit right so will try harder in 2011 !

I've been getting e-mails regarding my use of direct market access and who I use. I've tried a few and for me the easiest system for me is here:
http://www.igmarkets.co.uk/?QPID=1079&QPPID=1
Direct market access means you can place orders directly onto the order book bypassing brokers and market-makers with a chance to buy at the "sell" price. I would suggest you ensure you know what you're doing first but IG does provide much education with its "tradesense" educational tool which comes with it.
I also use its spreadbetting service too along with other firms like Tradefair because it now provides trailing stops which to me is a pretty sensible way of trading. Link is here: -
http://www.igindex.co.uk/?QPID=1078&QPPID=1
that also includes a pretty decent educational programme. As usual before opening accounts please read all the warnings on the sites. You can lose a lot of money if you're not careful so pay close attention to them and make sure you always understand what you are doing and what your potential losses are.

I've also started using Tradefair for spreadbetting - I like the auto generated stop losses which help to maintain discipline and that's good for beginners I think. And exclusively for Naked Trader readers they upped the offer to £100 credit.
So there's now a £100 credit on offer for anyone opening an account via me. You get that after 5 spreadbets (terms and conditions apply).
To get the offer, click here:
http://www.tradefair.com/promo/spreads/nakedtrader100/

If you want to get the contents of The Naked Trader website into your mailbox instead of waiting for the update to come through, plus exclusively news on the progress of my SIPP from the old Sunday Times column inc new higher risk Aim buys made for that, e-mail me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with SIPP in the subject line for details of how to get it.

Want to quit the rat race? Try and start a new source of income so one day you can tell the boss to stuff it? You could do what I did to escape my grotty office job and become an independent distributor for the Utilities Discount Warehouse.
You get to sell great broadband, phone packages and energy to friends, relatives, contacts and anyone else you find and you get cash for each sale but more importantly you get a cut of their spend EVERY MONTH for as long as they are a customer!
It's called residual income and is a far better way to enjoy a ripe old age than relying on a pension. Because even after you stop selling the money STILL comes in!
I still get paid EVERY MONTH for sales I made back in 1999! Every time a customer uses broadband or the phone or switches on a light you get paid.
It's a great business and backed by a stock market company (Telecom Plus), a dedicated team of advisors.. and me to help you on your way!
Not only do you get paid out every month for each customer you can take on distributors. encourage them like I do and get paid on their sales as well.
One day, say you could made redundant, needed a year off or wanted to retire early can you imagine what joy it is to have the regular income coming in. It's wonderful.
You have to work at it, but if you do genuine repeat wealth could be yours. I did it. You can too. For full details, why not email me at robbiethetrader@aol.com.
An overview is also available at http://www.telecomplus.org.uk/fabdeal you can sign up directly there but do tell me!
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Trade tables follow! Trades are current open and recently closed trades. Closed trades feature the closing price and the amount I won or lost. All others are open. Trades get updated a little later than the narrative. Trading costs are ignored, however I also do not add in dividend payments and with the kinds of companies I buy, dividends tend to equal or outweigh costs. Spread rollovers ignored for web purposes. Tables as accurate as poss however a mistake or two can creep in and very occasionally if I forgot I sold or bought something it will be added at a later time.
Trades first reported Weds and Fri afternoons under "Markets" section.. afraid I can't do live trades as that would turn me into a tipster and I'd have to be regulated!