**If you missed the last seminar the next is not far away next month on July 16th. And there is currently a very nice early bookers discount! More details below, it wiill be the last till a lot later this year.

For details, email me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "July seminar interested" in the subject line. **

Phew, it's nice to be back "to work" after a week of being a househusband.
Anyhow I managed to get the little chap to school every day. Just about. Maybe he didn't look quite as good as normal.
I think I forgot the little things: like brushing his hair. Maybe there were one or two food sploshes on his shirt.
Did he have his right swimming gear for the right day? Think so.

Did help that Mrs NT helpfully left piles of clothes on chairs with words like "Tuesday" or "Wednesday" on the top.
Obviously I cooked plenty of healthy food for us. I think the menu was pretty good. Pizza mainly. That's good for you isn't it?
The very first morning I was in charge I got an amazing surprise.
I was woken up with Christopher offering me breakfast in bed...
Yes, he brought me a glass of fizzy orange squash... and a bread roll with honey inside.
I was very touched and he was very pleased with himself. Though unfortunately there were a couple of downsides.
1 - It was 6am.
2 - When I got downstairs the kitchen floor was awash with honey.
And of course I really wanted tea and toast.

To be honest I was so tired after being woken early, filnding stuff for him to do for two hours, and do the school run I went right back to bed leaving the markets to do what the hell they wanted!

The honey was hard to get off the floor too. Luckily he made no more attempts to make me breakfast in bed.....
By the time Friday came round I was knackered ready to hand back to Mrs NT - drop off complete Friday morning.. hurrah!! Back to "work". The Mrs was due to land back from Ireland at lunchtime and straight to pick up from school.
So a lot of work to catch up on... so I settled down to catch up on some stuff on TV I'd recorded.. was just about to settle into The Sopranos, tea and twix at the ready.
I was interrupted from my important work by a call from Grandma. Plane delayed by two hours!!! Arrrgggghhhhh!!! Time for a rush to school. And a bit of smalltalk with the school mums.
Ie "What are you doing this weekend"?

In general the answers appeared to be much more interesting stuff than me, such as camping in a rainforest with a tri athletic challenge or something. Or cooking a meal for 50 friends. These private schools. Free time is just SO competitive.
I decided not to say "Hoping to catch the football... and er.....kind of seeing what gives..."

Instead I lobbed in "Isn't it awful all the rain at the Isle of Wight festival, those poor campers..." That did the trick. Sports Day is coming up, I'm not getting involved in any competitive parent racing...
Anyway I've been back to the grindstone this week, the real work. Now where did I put that tea and toast? Where's my copy of The Sun gone? And is it time for Deal or No Deal yet?
I'm going to Wimbledon tennis this week! Never been before, tell you all about it in the next update.
I'm on centre court so even if it rains I get some action. Maybe I'll get to see Murray..

I'd better smuggle in my own strawberries. Apparently they're about a tenner there.
Just had a mail from a hotel : "It's not too early to book your Xmas party!"
Even better if I book my xmas party by the end of the month everyone in the group gets.... 15% off a two day break!!!!!
Well, what an offer. I'm sure everyone coming to the party will be thrilled to get a discount voucher (as long as they spend out for a weekend there).
I think anyone sending out Xmas stuff before September should be fired. And anyone coming up with some a useless promo should also be fired.

For those of you who missed it the new seminar date is July 16th, you can now book now.

There is a decent discount for early bookers but not for much longer!

For details, email me at robbiethetrader@aol.com with "July seminar interested" in the subject line.

I'll send you everything that I cover and all about the day itself. In a short time you could be (I hope) enjoying a day with me and live markets.

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 all new edition of my book Naked Trader 3 is out now !!!

Lots of new strategies including my top 20, lots more mistakes to avoid, loads of new trader tales, cartoons and a bit of fun too.

I hope you all enjoy it - and can tell I put a lot of effort into it and I really hope if it just stops one person from making the mistakes I did it will be worthwhile.

Indeed I hope the book is worth it even if you read about other people's stories, it is amazing how so many make exactly the same mistakes.

Anyhow if you buy it I hope you enjoy it! Click here:
http://books.global-investor.com/books/818560.htm?ginPtrCode=10453

** My book about spreadbetting , you can order it here:

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

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I read an excellent stock market thriller on holiday,

"The Fear Index" by Robert Harris.

A maths genius joins a hedge fund and together they create a monster trading robot giving it billions to play with.

The robot starts to short everything and starts to cause massive market crashes. Then takes on a mind of its own.

Plenty of excellent page turning stuff here, if you are a trader or investor a lot of it will ring true with the robots almost already in charge of some shares!

There's tons of drama and action and I couldn't put it down though it helps as it is a thriller about the markets!

If you're into the markets you'll love it.. here's an order link to the book:

http://books.global-investor.com/books/860358/Robert-Harris-/The-Fear-Index/

Enjoy the read!!

Want to know what my last monthly elec/gas/phone/broadband/mobile phone bill was for me and Mrs NT?
What so you reckon? £250? £300?
Nope, wrong. Nothing at all. In fact, a CREDIT of £67 on my bill!
How so? Well, Utility Discount Warehouse offers 10% off your energy bill every year as long as you have 1,500 Telecom Plus shares.
But how do you fancy getting that same whopping 10% discount off the whole of your energy spend for the whole of your first year? Ie your last month will probably be free! You don't need to own any shares, just sign up with UDW services and do it via myself, and you also get my weekly email which is the website stuff direct to your inbox PLUS exclusive higher risk trades made for my pension!
All you have to do is take four services - choose from homephone, broadband, electricity, gas, mobile phone and the amazing discount and my email is all yours. AND you can't lose as there is a "double the difference" promise. That is you are guaranteed to save money by swiitching or they will give you back double the difference.
So by signing up you get the UK's cheapest home phone, homephone and broadband bundle, mobile tarrif and cheapest gas and electric. AND instead of getting loads of different bills from different companies there is just one bill for the lot!
And if you think switching is a pain in the bum, think again. It's easy, a few clicks on a website. On top of all those savings there are loads of other ways to add even bigger savings too.
Want to go for it? To sign up via me and get all those benefits and my email go to this web address only
www.utilitywarehouse.org.uk/fabdeal

and sign up directly there - you can also read about alll the services and how much you might save!
Once you have signed up, just let me know and tell me what your customer number is (they will send you your number) and you get my email! I get ongoing commission in return, you save money!
I use all the services myself, and have done for many years. You get a UK call centre with calls answered quickly and a monthly bill.
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.utilitywarehouse.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/

I use IG Index for betting on the very small companies, the only spreadbet firm I can find that does the smaller ones making it possible to trade AIM cos tax free.

To sign up and get an excelllent weekly education programme use this link:

www.igindex.com/nakedtrader

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 £145 inc vat via me instead of £173.71
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 MONDAY JULY 16TH OPEN

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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 open for the Naked Trader seminar onJuly 16th

Price is £590 plus vat. There is a very decent early bookers discount available at the moment.

That includes three course lunch, coffees, snacks etc.
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 "June seminar interested" or "July 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!
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/

A taxing time for Jimmy Carr. Amazing really he avoided paying nearly all his tax. Unfortunately it's the same for all the lefties. Many are hyprocrites.
Perhaps he should volunteer to pay the millions in tax he should have paid. But then he's have to sell the 8m house he bought...
I remember my accountant once trying to get me into all sorts of dodgy schemes including the film scam highlighted by The Times. I just said no to all of it.
I don't mind paying my fair share of tax though if you include NI which you should I do resent paying what is as good as 60%.
60% stifles a lot of economic growth.
For example say I was going to write another book. Perhaps I might consider it if the Government took 30%. 60%? Why should I be bothered?
Now think of all the people who would do things, make things and employ people.. then they look at 60% and think... what's the point?
Get a flat tax in at 30%, starting at 15k. No allowances no excuses. 30% payable by all, no schemes of any kind allowed whatsoever. See the economy soar as people get to keep so much more.Watch employment rise and a feel good factor.
No need for anyone to bother to avoid tax. No more mad paperwork and rules.
It'll never happen of course.
BBC bosses are asking their staff to think up ways to make some money. Good. Let's face it we all know the BBC wastes tons of our money.
Eg why are we funding BBC 3? Leave the tacky crap to the commercial channels to make, why is this funded from the licence fee?
Watching the England game was a bit difficult. Problem is I'd shorted England on the spreads.
So I wanted them to win, but if they won I was going to lose £150. If they lost I'd win about £100. Tricky one.
Go on, I'd rather they'd have won and done the £150...
My main bet is on Spain to win.. that's in profit already. But the Germans look very handy....
I think it's time England became more adventurous. I'd really rather they lost 3-0 and play entertaining attacking football rather than go for a dull 0-0.
And I find this weird. Someone like Wayne Rooney gets paid more in a week than Jimmy Carr saves in tax in a year, yet.. well how come by the second half he's completely winded and useless?
Isn't he paid for scoring goals. Yet comes up with just one (and a rubbish one at that). Yet these footballers still get paid shedloads whether they score or not. Seems odd to me.
Been enjoying the documentary series "The Men that made us fat." How corn syrup and fructose was born in the 1970s and how this stuff that makes us obese is in nearly everything that's processed.
Episodes has developed into a decent comedy series. Not as good as Curb but not a bad fill in.

The new Alan Partridge on Atlantic is worth a look. As good as ever though I wonder if we will tire of him soon. A movie is scheduled for next year.

Veep started a bit on the frantic side but looks a good stateside version of The Thick of It.
I see Gordon Ramsay is back on Ch4. I gave up ages ago because well, it's all about him shouting and swearing at people. I expect this new format will simply have him doing that to prisoners.
Indeed I f***** suspect he has to do all these **** formats the tired producers have to dredge up because his restaurants lose s

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loads of

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money and the only way he can fund them is to make f

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TV shows, where the more times he says **** the bigger the audience figures. My view is he can **** right off. The ****.
I feel strangely good after that.
The spreadbetting firm I use for sports betting is here:
Via this link Open a Sporting Index account and there's £100 cash 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.

Anne writes :
Agree about facebook - the youngsters who leapt onboard when it started,
posting dire photos of them doing things they shouldn't are now grown up and
getting on in their careers and errrrrr wondering if that photo of them
mooning in the disco in Majorca was a good idea!

Nice to think I am not the only unsociable grump to not want to follow the
minutiae of my friends and colleagues mostly boring lives!

I am in the states just now and feel the Starbucks asking name thing is just
more marketing bollocks to get them noticed. If they just speeded up the
service I might go there but americans seem to need all this 'service
bollocks' to make them think they are getting their moneys worth.

Thanks Anne,
well of course I agree, it's nearly all bollocks!

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.
Gabriel writes:
If you are reading this, you are perhaps considering going on one of Robbie's Seminars. You maybe asking yourself (like I did) the testimonials are all well and good but once the euphoria and excitement of attending a Seminar has died down ..... and I am back home in my normal routine and faced with the "graft" of putting it all into practice... will I become a better trader and be financially better off?
Let me tell you that in my case it certainly has!
Book your place pretty sharpish....... is what I say !

Thanks Gabriel!

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!
Stephen writes:
I read your book and did the course - and I wasn't sure if I'd recoup the cost, it's been 2 years and I've made £38k + saved a loss transferring a Jupiter ISA heavily invested in BP. I can't tell you how important this is or how grateful I am. That's just me, who knows how much people have made with your help and saved by not making mistakes. I wanted to get into shares as they recovered after the crunch, but I assumed I had to put a large amount in one company I thought would make a big jump.
But what happens when you make £1m on the website, will you still do courses? I don't know how you do your ISA and SIPP investments, write the website, books, courses and answer e-mails. But please don't give it up. Couldn't you do the courses and have a standing website which gets updated with your trades say once a month so people can see what you do..

Stephen thanks so much for such a nice mail and much appreciated! Dunno about the future, I feel like I'm getting jaded. It's possible I might just reduce it all at some point to twice a month after going weekly - that would probably help. The other problem is other people's angst is getting to me and the email workload becoming overwhelming. I think after ten years it might be time for me to quit. Anyway good luck with your trades and hope you make a lot more.

I have 3 great offers from ADVFN.

SAVE OVER £120 !
First great deal: If you want level 2, through me it is only £350 for your first year including VAT!
This compares to £473 direct from advfn inc vat so this deal saves you over a whopping £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. So if you get level 2 and want to learn how to use it properly live, book my seminar!

Deal two is ADVFN's bronze subscription - normally £74 pa - available from me for only £50! (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 £145 inc vat via me instead of £173.71
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 charge £8.75 plus vat per quarter if you don't make a trade. If you make one trade per quarter there is no charge. Follow this link...
http://tinyurl.com/57hp4n

Some readers have asked whether someone calling themselves naked trader on the bulletin boards is me. No it isn't.. I haven't contributed to or read boards for months on a life is too short basis. So if anyone is writing under any kind of naked trader penname on any BB it won't be me. Well, I guess imitation is the greatest form of flattery!

Well markets have been kind of okay recently. At the moment chugging along waiting for the next statement of doom / hope.

But a pretty good day for the FTSE so far, maybe there is some hope on the horizon! It is amazing how fast sentiment can change.

Lucky for me the markets seem to like decent companies with low debt or plenty of cash making real profits at the moment which rather suits me.

And so some in the portfolio have done very nicely. Although at 5600 the FTSE I thought might be looking a little toppy so lobbed a short in. But blow me down I pressed the wrong button to kick off with.

Instead of initially shorting the ftse for a fiver instead I shorted something weird "The uk 100 - Wall street differential for september".

It turned out to be a slice of luck, still don't have an earthly what this is but I'm up nearly a grand on it now!! So I just stuck a trailing stop on it so a profit should be locked in one way or another! Of course it could have gone the other way, so the lesson generally should be... concentrate on what the hell you are trading....

I thought it interesting that Vectura (VEC) was breaking up through 70 which had previously been sticky and grabbed some more at 70.9 - and there was some good buying and volume coming in. Lo and behold the next day it announces good news on a drug and starts to shoot up. That was worth keeping an eye on level 2, this one seems to keep delivering so more potential upside I think.

VEC went up to near 80 and is currently down on profit taking - I'm eying up buying a few more on any weakness. If it gets final approval on one of its major drugs the current price is going to look very cheap indeed.
I noticed Mangement Consulting Group (MMC) tumble one afternoon on a warning. I usually steer clear of shares with warning but on a good read through its statement I noted it was cash rich and it intended to support the share price with share buy backs. Also it seemed there were only problems in one area of its markets so on a big dip it seemed oversold so I came in for some (15,000) at 21.19. My thought is it should head back up to somewhere near the 30p mark where I would probably take profits.

I really hate averaging down. I don't think it is usually wise cos you are usually buying more of some crap you are already losing on. But I just couldn't resist with both Kentz (KENZ) and Costain (COST) getting them at 327.21 and 191.24. The sector they're in is not in favour for right now but both have tons of cash, they are not going bust. And Kentz issued a very decent statement basically saying nothing is wrong. They both ought to be higher and when their sectors come back into favour they should end up a lot higher. Both have massive order books. They should come good unless the whole market disintegrates.

I also averaged UP - which I much prefer! That is buying more of a share at a higher price you're already in. So I am up more than £8,000 on Carclo (CAR) which has doubled and trebled for me but I topped up with more at 385.25. The excitement centres round its CIT Technology . Not only does CIT look exciting but their other divisions go well A potential doubler again from here in time especially if it gets a rerating as as tech company.

As I said last time, with robots appearing to be keeping up the price of Crapetshite (CPR) I took out any stop and lo and behold they made a major bid to take out stops by lunging the price up to 750 on no volume. That was more than enough for me to lob in another short this time at 740. A no brainer given it sells carpets and is trading 4x higher than it should be.

Yesterday they said they made 4 million. Maybe they might make 10m next year. Even if they do this is rated like a massive tech company. The price is nuts. It should be 400p and even that is pushing it. But with no liquidity and major holders staying put it's hard work for the price to fall. But fall it has to. I can be patient. Like last time when the robots lose a grip on it the price will tumble - and fast! If it was priced like normal retail stock the actual share price would be about 200p !

If you are into oil stocks in a big way the markets are probably giving you a kicking. I make the odd foray into oil but only usually for a bit of a fun gamble, I consider it really like a bet on a horse. Fun, but kind of you expect to lose.

Unfortunately many seem to have their whole portfolio in these sorts of stocks which is simply crazy. Because while one may pay off and make a few quid you're almost bound to get stuffed by the losers. And they are so volatile. Well I guess each to her or his own.

The market in general hates oil right now, so for right now it seems sensible to make a few quid from being short of a bit of oil. It also seems sensible if you do this to have a guaranteed stop, so I went short of Afren (AFR) because the chart looked horrible and seemed like more downside, got a short on at 110. I'm targetting a drop down to about 83 where there was a lot of support in the past. There it might be worth turning buyer. However it is volatile and it could well find support in the 90s so I'll just keep moving the stop down and let it take me out.

The short in Northgate ended in a loss of £210 - stop took me out at 189 as a surprisingly not so bad statement emerged. Dominos short also ended up in a loss of £110. I suspect I will return to both for shorts but for right now they are both too strong.

Photo nicely reached its target so with a very decent rise, and the trade working to plan, it was executed for 44.5 for a profit of £950.

Recent trades are doing okay.
The two gambling shares I bought recently, Sportingbet and Betfair both go fine.

Optos, Eto are going well and Mecom short is doing fine.
NMC Health shot up and shot back down again! So breaking even again.

GB Group reported this week, all seems going well here, and directors have bought in close to a high which is a very good sign. Lovely profits so far and looks like more upside to come. My guess is a potential take out here at some point but no surprise if they are tradiing at 100 p by year end.

Lovely LOQ came out with in line interims these don't mean much as parks are mainly closed in the winter, next results could be really good. Reported trials in the US had gone well causing the share price to head back up towards the three level. Might stay here for a while but should remain a long-term winner giving me a treble. I can see these heading to 4 quid later this year.

Dialight has unexpectedly been given a slot in the FTSE 250 as another company that's being delisted has come out, it's in the 250 from Friday! That might give it another shot in the arm. I have been patient all the way from 150p and it now tries to conquer its all time high around 1100. A those of you who have to my seminars have seen from my accounts my profits in real life are something like £90,000. For the website profits are more than £50,000 - and of course there have been dividends on top. More upside to come? Well, I am always hopeful this ends up as a bid target, takeout could be in the 1500 area, (he dreams).
Nice report from CML. A surge in profits there and a decent outlook - the directors seem to think so too as they bought after the results this week.

Quite a few long-term "Old mates" where I'm in good profit are on the rise recently. Such as Microgen, some big buys coming in there. And The Vitec Group, interesting rise going on there. Vislink went ex div today.

Greencore has reached its target and been a very nice trade. Umming and ahhing as to whether to take profits.
IP Group. What an investment that's been! Doubled in quick time here and today it reported it's getting £15m from one of its portfolio cos which has been sold. Nice. It also has a more than 20% holding in Oxford Nanopore which has made the world's first hand held DNA sequencer, probably worth a fortune for the company. It just has a knack for investing in the right companies. More upside I think despite the recent rises.

Filtronic came up with quite a bullish statement which has pushed the price up. Jury is still out as to whether this one has more legs but for right now, thinks look pretty good. Already close to doubling on it and maybe it will surprise with more later this year.

Telecom Plus (TEP) is going for it and around an all time high. Profits, dividends continue motoring up and by the outlook statement, another 10% on profits this year, then next year, things could grow very quickly. I would suspect it'll be a tenner by next year and 1500p in 2-3 years. It's bust up through 800p now and if it can hold above that level for a while 900 is on the cards.

It is everything you want from a long-term hold. A fantastic income and a gradually upward share price - together as long as the world doesn't blow up, it should deliver 15% or so per year. Possibly more. So I am happy to continue to hold more than a quarter of a million quids worth of shares without any worries about it or even bothering checking the share price. It helps that in this case I have them mainly in share certs! I also luckily have an option to buy another 4,000 shares at 164p...!

The brilliant Nicols stays steady around 7 quid.It is a lovely little long-term share. Hoping for an eventual bid there. Brought this one up at a few seminars.

BTG is trying to conquer the 400 mark and is nearly there! Smiths News goes okay but needs to conquer 100 to advance much more and Corin holds nicely a bit higher.
Well, it remains a difficult time to be an investor/trader.. however there are signs the market is calming down and we could hopefully end up with a less volatile summer, well here's hoping!

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. Also with this link there is an excellent education programme and it offers the biggest range of smaller shares.

www.Igindex.com/nakedtrader
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 Wednesday afternoons under "Markets" section..