The first ASOS Challenge was successful in the sense that it taught us a few lessons on investment timing. Only three of 11 shares ended in profit and that included ASOS itself: congratulations to legend for BNH and bosley for SEO. Back to the drawing board for the rest of us (over the year the portfolio would have thrashed any opposition!).

Participants welcome for the second challenge. Primary objective is to find shares that will double in value by 1st July, beating ASC in the process; secondary to be most successful stock-picker in terms of the value of your 20K portfolio. Rules are:

1.Each participant has 20K which can go into 1,2,3 or 4 shares in units of 5K.
2.ASC has 20K and is team yardstick, not in individual portfolios.
3.Duplication between entrants OK with no upper limit for total for one share.
4.Start weekend of 21st Jan. Buy price half way between closing offer and mid.
5.Latest time of entry to be 8 pm on Sunday, 23rd Jan.
6.Challenge to close Friday, 1st July.
7.Entrants can switch up to a total of 10K; av. of Friday close bid and mid.
8.Progress reports to rank shares by performance but also participants (initial only to protect from the ridicule of outsiders!).

Participants welcome. Just post selection here or on ASC thread.

Eric

Eric:

BPRG: 10K
PCI: 5K
PDX: 5K

Rgds John

john: I thought I could at least rely on you for consistency. But that's the trouble with charts - they are always changing their minds!

Good luck, Eric

Eric, You restricted my options too much...having to make a selection right now was tricky and with so many stocks on the watch list, it was a question of which ones to go with for this particular challenge! I even thought of setting aside a small capital sum to earn overnight LIBOR interest but thought you would rule that out!! Looking at our overall performance for the last challenge we might find it useful to also add how much our money would gain if left in the local Building Society...and without the hassle! Still no pain no gain and I appreciate, in case someone raises the point...we did choose arbitary timings to open and close the challenge! Interestingly, I note the stellar performance of my Equity Income Funds this last year...and the top funds are ahead by 20%+.. Makes you think?

Have a great weekend.

John

John

The stellar performance of your equity income funds? Tell us more! Are these your funds in the sense that you run them or that you selected them and enjoy the fruits of others labours? I wouldn't have any problems with LIBOR (you wouldn't necessarily invest 20K overnight if you were given it) but the 'game' is, I suspect, meant to be more adventurous than real life. Some of us are too adventurous in real life!

Eric

Eric: As to your question I enjoy the fruits of other peoples labours. In fact I have stakes in the companies I have selected, and it's all real life for me. Some game huh!

Still just had a great day on the US Mkt so off to enjoy my cellar!


John

Acknowledge entried from the following:

bosley, capa, dawsinho, Dil, eric, Jules, johngtudor, Kivver, legend, markusantonius, martinj100, norman wilton, partridge, petralva, Sandrew, snakey

16 takers so far which makes for a good contest. Shown interest but no entry yet: Seadog, AdieH. Entered last, but not this time: willfagg, ptholden.

Close off is 8p.m. Sunday. Will then summarise entries and portfolio. Suggest award for winner from Shares - hopefully they are following with eager interest!

Eric

KCOM 10K
THUS 5K
HCEG 5K
for me please Eric

Welcome, optomistic. A fearsome competitor, I expect! Eric

May join in?
My choices are

GWP: 10k
AUG: 5k
DMG: 5k

Leslie

Hi Eric- didn't enter last time but I would like to try this one and join in the fun.
NLR 10k
PAY 4k
DGM 3k
YOO 3k
hope you're all having a good weekend cheers Moneyplus.

Welcome on board, leslie. Good luck!

Thank you--but I.m female...Lesley!

Hi Eric,

Can I have the following.

BNH 10k
TND 5k
PET 5k

Thanks.

Ramu

eric:
seo-10k
mdw-5k
dgm-3k
cfp-2k

regards
seb

Welcome to ramu and seb. Good to see PET is in the new portfolio - I have a sneaking feeling about that and tempted to buy back in, at least temporarily. seb: the rules say %K multiples. Unless I hear to the contrary, I will assume dgm, not cfp.

Sorry moneyplus, I think I knew that! Should have given you a personal welcome. The Leslie was leslielipert who had better be male! We might have a debate on the value of feminine intuition in stock picking! I see that you have also not followed the 5K rule. Assuming PAY and DGM at 5K and nil for YOO (pretty safe 50% I reckon) unless I hear to the contrary.

Eric

21 entrants for the challenge plus ASC. The list below gives the buy price and number of shares. The initial will be used in any summary to conceal the identities of those of us who do less well! The name will appear where credit is due! Have allocated leslielipert shares in DGM as DMG doesn't exist. My only other query was whether DIL meant BPG or was it BPRG? Shares allocated have been rounded.

______________ epic price__ shares
A sandrew_____ BNH_ 125.25_ 3990
A sandrew_____ DFD_ 136____ 3675
A sandrew_____ PDX_ 231____ 2165
A sandrew_____ SPS_ 50.5___ 9900
B Bosley______ AGL_ 128.25_ 3900
B Bosley______ DGM_ 18.19__ 27500
B Bosley______ SEO_ 7.19___ 139100
C Capa________ CASH 142.25_ 3515
C Capa________ MOB_ 230.75_ 2165
C Capa________ NLR_ 394.5__ 1270
C Capa________ NRG_ 220.25_ 2270
D DIL_________ AUG_ 256.25_ 1950
D DIL_________ BPG_ 667.625 750
D DIL_________ CASH 142.25_ 3515
D DIL_________ NLR_ 394.5__ 1270
E leslielipert AUG_ 256.25_ 1950
E leslielipert DGM_ 18.19__ 27500
E leslielipert GWP_ 120.25_ 8315
G seadog______ ACE_ 258.25_ 1935
G seadog______ CIU_ 162.25_ 3080
G seadog______ GHH_ 191.5__ 2610
G seadog______ IDS_ 212.5__ 2350
H Dawsino_____ DES_ 62.25__ 8030
H Dawsino_____ IDS_ 212.5__ 2350
H Dawsino_____ PKL_ 192.25_ 2600
H Dawsino_____ SPS_ 50.5___ 9900
I martinj100__ BNH_ 125.25_ 3990
I martinj100__ CEY_ 12.625_ 39600
I martinj100__ EPD_ 51_____ 9805
I martinj100__ SPS_ 50.5___ 9900
J Jules_______ BGT_ 130.5__ 7660
J Jules_______ PCI_ 10.625_ 47000
J Jules_______ PDX_ 231____ 2165
K Kivver______ BGC_ 84.8___ 5900
K Kivver______ SPS_ 50.5___ 19800
K Kivver______ TRT_ 87_____ 5750
L legend______ TND_ 22.5___ 88800
m moneyplus___ DGM_ 18.19__ 27500
m moneyplus___ NLR_ 394.5__ 2540
m moneyplus___ PAY_ 255.75_ 1955
O optimistic__ HCEG 63_____ 7935
O optimistic__ KCOM 62_____ 16100
O optimistic__ THUS 15.19__ 32900
P partridge___ BAG_ 811____ 615
P partridge___ BPRG 67.25__ 7435
P partridge___ CRDA 327.375 1525
P partridge___ RSG_ 466.25_ 1070
R ramu________ BNH_ 125.25_ 7990
R ramu________ PET_ 10.625_ 47000
R ramu________ TND_ 22.5___ 22200
S seb190774___ DGM_ 18.19__ 27500
S seb190774___ MDW_ 9.09___ 55000
S seb190774___ SEO_ 7.19___ 139100
T johngtudor__ BPRG 67.25__ 14870
T johngtudor__ PCI_ 10.625_ 47000
T johngtudor__ PDX_ 231____ 2165
U markusant.__ KYS_ 15.875_ 63000
U markusant.__ NBR_ 50.5___ 9900
U markusant.__ SEO_ 7.19___ 69550
v patrelva____ IDOX 11.75__ 42500
v patrelva____ MDW_ 9.09___ 110000
v patrelva____ XEN_ 7.44___ 67200
W EWRobson____ AZM_ 137.5__ 3635
W EWRobson____ CFP_ 0.28___ 1785000
W EWRobson____ MLS_ 7.19___ 69500
W EWRobson____ SEO_ 7.19___ 69550
Y snakey______ CFP_ 0.28___ 1785000
Y snakey______ FTO_ 8.69___ 57500
Y snakey______ PMD_ 0.875__ 571400
Y snakey______ TAD_ 1.31___ 381700
Z team________ ASC_ 78.5___ 25480

I will aim to give the first analysis of the portfolio on Friday evening (need to find easiest way of transferring from Excel). There are 48 shares in the portfolio. The most popular are: SEO 30K; SPS 25K and TND 25K, BNH, DGM, NLR plus ASC on 20K. So 7 shares account for 36% of the portfolio.

Several contributors have given the reasons for their selections. It would probably be helpful if others also gave their reasoning.

Here's to a successful portfolio! I deserve a stiff drink after setting it up!

Eric

Thanks Eric, your going to be kept very busy with this portfolio!

Eric... well done but I thought I had chosen AEN, BGT, and MDW (not PCI and PDX) ta muchly for sorting it out

Eric,

What is "Z Team"? And sorry to sound completely dumb but what is ASOS? What does it stand for? Can't be a stock since it's 4 figure!

Cheers,

"U".

Eric,

I am already 400% up on PET! You must have been thinking about PCI. Anyway, thanks for the handicap.

Ramu