Share prices are all shown in pence. A website link for each company is given below. This is primarily a reference thread for myself. Discussion of an individual stock should ideally take place on its own existing discussion thread please, where its followers can readily find it.

The stocks displayed here are not recommendations - merely ones that I have chosen to run with. Most have already risen precariously, and some may collapse.

This is an aggressive portfolio being constructed between 10 July and 30 July 2017. On 10 July it comprised small stakes in four stocks I already owned (SOM,RST,TPF,ANII) representing in total 8.6%, and 91.4% cash. Stakes in those four were increased and a dozen other stocks bought. By 24 July, 65% stocks, 35% cash. Mostly held within a stockdealing ISA. The cash element is not earning interest; it will at times be used to temporarily boost stakes in one or other of the stocks or to buy another. I pay an ISA fee of £5 per quarter in total, and a brokerage fee of £9.90 per trade..

Initially I aim to run it for 5 months till 31 Dec 2017, by when I am hoping to be up 15%. This portfolio was funded by proceeds from the sale of a flat, the rent from which was generating 7%pa. The aim is to convincingly better that return. At 31 December I shall consider withdrawing a sum equivalent to what would have been 5 months rent, and to possibly do the same each six months thereafter (though I shall reassess that plan at Dec 31). Stocks that fail to maintain good performance will be reduced or ditched along the way (can't afford passengers) a few others might be bought. Fast ones that get too big might be topsliced to keep the portfolio in balance. I expect the initial setting up costs (brokerage fees on 16 stocks, and buy/sell price spreads of up to 4%) to be a drag on overall valuation in the opening weeks.



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PORTFOLIO 69 ENDS AT POST 191, DETAILING A GAIN OF 79.64% BETWEEN
JULY AND END-OF-2017. PART OF THE TOTAL HAS BEEN CASHED IN AND
WITHDRAWN. THE START OF PORTFOLIO 70, RUNNING 3 MONTHS FROM
START OF 2018, IS DETAILED IN POST 192
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I don't invest in gold, nor any other commodities. Nor do I invest in exploration stocks for gold, minerals, oil/gas. Never have. They are areas I am happy to leave to those who know their way around them.

though you might not want venture into straight PPM's - there is an argument for holding at least a portion of real producers - you should perhaps consider holding some quality base metal miners

base metals, particularly copper, are key indicators of the strength of world economies and perhaps more importantly, are $-earners
for myself, i hold BLT and KAZ at a rather more risky level ..... AAL and ANTO might be others to consider

It's an argument I have considered at times. Just not my cup of tea though ;-)

.

not sufficiently minnow for you :-)

meanwhile, IQE continue to surge

FEVR very odd as another institutional bunch has just taken its holkding above 5%

DAX has collapsed in a very bloody heap and other markets are not doing much better
glad my trading exposure is (always) light

Cashed in my holding in RST for now.

have just added further tranches in my sipp to VRS and OXB, the latter being the more risky

cynic - VRS we know will be publishing its half-year results a week next Wednesday. Boss Neil Ricketts has dropped heavy hints that we might enjoy a good Xmas. I don't know if that relates to the results or to the expected announcement of two big global customers, which sound likely to come this month or next. If they don't come before the results, he indicated that the results statement would include an update on their progress.

....... END-OF-WEEK-UPDATE
....... Friday 17 November

....... Portfolio now up 29% since July

Dropped away midweek but recovered nicely.

Sell sell! seriously though well done.

Well done.

Thanks guys. I am so far ahead of my expected trajectory at the moment that I have given serious consideration to cashing everything in and sitting out the final six weeks of 2017 - before launching a new six month portfolio on 1st January.

A few of my stocks are a bit wobbly - and I might do a bit of rebalancing on Monday. Though rebalancing is probably the wrong word, as I am likely to remain overweight in VRS and IQE.

My only concern with VRS is that, no matter how strong a team they might have, it does appear that the ceo Neill Ricketts is perceived as crucial to their success. Were any illness or accident to befall him, I suspect the immediate short term market reaction would be sharply negative.

Very well done on your portfolio performance

Thanks Mega. Another good day today has bumped it up again. But Taptica (TAP) remains a disappointment. I am prepared to hang onto it but I am still in the red on that one. I tried adding to my VRS stake this morning (left an overnight order in place at 24p) but it raced away and I didn't buy. Delighted how it ended the day though. :-)

Nice update this morning from XL Media (XLM)
"Strong growth continues with trading ahead of expectations"
Should help reverse recent slide.

Versarien (VRS) just keeps on climbing :-)

i hold a modest 25,000 shares and already they are showing a chunky 55% paper profit
difficult to dtermine whether or not to buy more, and if so, at up to what limit

VRS
this has proved to be a humdinger over recent weeks
figures are due a week today ..... for sure these will be strong as will be the forecast, but it remains to be seen how sp will react given recent rises

my own modest holding is for the longer term, so i shall not be unduly concerned by any pull back, and just possibly shall use such as a chance to buy a few more

Some of the stocks in the header I no longer hold - but might switch in and out of whenever. Meanwhile with less than 6 weeks to go before this first exercise ends, my portfolio is way ahead of target and comprises VRS, IQE, BUR, TPF, XLM, TAP, SOPH, KWS (though not in equal amounts), and with 45% currently in cash. That cash is earning no interest so I am looking to put some of it back into shares.