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

Capa, is that the cricket game with the funny dice. If it is. We have my husband's original one and my kids still play it at18/16/11( their ages)...Always take it on our flights home to OZ

Thanks Eric had a look at NLR a little while ago but obviously didn't take them seriouly enough, but did buy some TMN on Friday have you had a look at those?

capa, jules: yes, that's the game. Proves we're all just grown up kids really. Good luck on NRG.

Sharon: TMN look interesting although perhaps there will be a better time to buy from the charts (hope jgt is watching!). Getting into overload with all thee attractive situations. Definitely seduced by BGT and NLR and there looks as though there could be a lot of action left. The problem I find is that you note the recommendations but its only when they shoot ahead that you take the opportunity on board.

Eric

Interesting day for the portfolio! BGT up 9.23% to 36%; NLR up 8.24% to 30%; MLS up 13.64% to 31%. Like the Vendee Globe, stretching clear of the field. Not sure where Ellen McArthur is; running her own race I suspect! Took stakes in the first two this morning and into nice positive ground already. Almost embarrassed with MLS as I put them forward as a recovery stock, thinking there was time before they would recover. Steevieweebie prompted me into action and I took a stake at the strating price. So thanks Stevie! Have others taken action? Charts for BTG and NLR are very positive and there appears likely to be a lot more headway. Now, where are you Ellen?

Eric

Easiest 3 bagger ever , back Wales to stuff England Saturday ... don't say I didn't tell you

:-)

Dil:
Wales to stuff England Youmust be joking!!!!!

Eric ,
Did you get the post???

SEADOG: thanks; looks very interesting - will respond when I've had a chance for a decent perusal. Agree jgt could be interested.

Dil - now, I know what dil stands for: DILusion! ROFL! Wales team ROFT (T=thrashed!)

Eric

Thanks Eric I can go to bed on a good laugh now! Dil has taken lots of stick about his homeground but that has got to be the funniest. cheers MP

Look and learn guys , easy money going begging , fill yer boots :-)

Take a close look at GMC--I think it's about to reward it's holders with good results in a couple of months. Heavy director buying I have ditched my Cyh to pick up this one-got fed up and took my losses on the chin. GMC already moving up and Evil K is a big fan.

Not convinced Evil K being a fan is that great an endorsement. I remember him shorting NLR not so long back. Hope he didn't lose too many millions :-)

capa

Evil K is a top daug in Kryso Resources (KYS) - on The Board of Directors. Sp - up 14% today and still hardly any media coverage - not even on BBC1 Teletext pages, in fact! KYS are in my ASOS Challenge Portfolio (50%). Basically Co. is exploring already-explored land with genuine potential. Not a hype-up job c.t. others in its Sector. Worth taking a look, at least.....

capa: nice to have some millions to lose!

kus: hardly a recommendation; reading about him leaves a nasty tast in the mouth.

all: remember the rule allowing a switch of shares. Unless it soars tomorrow will sell AZM and buy NML at Friday close, according to the rules. Have ditched AZM, my longest running share, from my portfolio. Had banked on a licence deal for their obesity drug. However, an RNS this week on US approvals says, to me at elast, that they are playing it too lon for this protfolio and therefore for me - back to the watchlist. NML starting production for diamons in Angola, vastly underrated at cap. of 6m.

Eric

Eric,

Can I do likewise, please, i.e. I want to dispose of 5k Namibian Resources (NBR) and replace with 5k of Stanelco (SEO)? Thus making my new Portfolio to read: -
10k SEO and
10k KYS

Many thanks,

Kus.

PS. Comments noted re Simon Caukhill ("E-K"). Agree that he's probably no angel (don't want to pass a personal judgement on him) but he obviously has an eye for an opportunity or two.....!

I'll stick with mine Eric, NRG produced creditable results on Monday but have suffered at the hands of the sell on results brigade. 60% increase in profits and progressive dividend policy, with the stronger half of the year to come should ensure return of the uptrend. MOB and NLR are stars and the market just hasn't woken up to CASH, yet !!

regards

capa

Eric - my "tortoise" portfolio bought with the intention of keeping for the full period, just to see how it compares with the "hares" of the frequent traders. Don't want to complicate the issue unduly, but would it be possible to note the number of changes in each portfolio during the running? In the real world dealing costs (and dividends, which in my holdings always cover the costs by good margin) are cash items and can add up.

kus - consider it done!
capa - you look in good shape, though not as shapely as the girls!
partridge - take your point. However, setting the dealing point at half way between mid-point and bid/offer is intended to allow for dealing costs. Take SEO as an example, surprising number of deals at the mid-point: one finds quite often, as others have also observed, that a buy is shown as a sell and vice versa. Cost of buying 5K SEO about 0.008p a share; of selling 0.003p. Rule seems reasonable and adjustments could have been proposed before we started. OK? Mind, I suspect, whilst you may not win, I bet you are in the second quartile!

Eric

hello eric
could you do an update to tell me where i am up to.
regards
sebastien

Can I put 5k on Wales to stuff England EW ?