Buying Shares

[Ding Dong !]

With the markets falling significantly at the moment, is it a good time to buy shares or is it still worth holding out for a while longer for them to fall even more and then buy really low ?

Any financial experts out there ??

 

[aftershavedave]

who knows? that's a serious answer.

i doubt if we'll see a ftse less than 3,300 but who knows.....

 

[The Merry Prankster]

Bottled water, tinned food and an AK47 are higher on my list.

 

[Gully]

In answer to your question, yes it could be a very good time to buy...my only advice would be, do your own research and don't invest more than you can afford to lose or expect instant returns on your investment.

 

[withdeanwombat]

Allegedly the country's favourite barrow boy ,and apprentice Spurs fan bought a sackful of woolworth shares this very day.

 

[vitusvivi]

i'd short sell all your shares now cos it looks like the market's gonna take another dip...

 

[Lord Bracknell]

If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00. With Enron, you would have $16.50 left of the original $1000. With WorldCom, you would have less than $5.00 left. If you had purchased $1000.00 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left. If you had purchased United Airlines, you would have nothing left. But, if you had purchased $1000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, and then turned in the cans for recycling, you would have $214.00. Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle. This is called the 401-Keg Plan.

 

[Del Boy]

If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00. With Enron, you would have $16.50 left of the original $1000. With WorldCom, you would have less than $5.00 left. If you had purchased $1000.00 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left. If you had purchased United Airlines, you would have nothing left. But, if you had purchased $1000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, and then turned in the cans for recycling, you would have $214.00. Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle. This is called the 401-Keg Plan.

Have I logged onto an AMERICAN version of nsc?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Have I logged onto an AMERICAN version of nsc?

Canadian, as it happens.

It's a global economy that we're worried about.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Buy Cairn Energy shares if they fall to a tenner. Or even now. They discovered millions of barrels of oil in India, and it comes onstream next year. I mean, they're not suddenly going to UNDISCOVER it. Their shares go up and down more easier than Glenn Murray's stock, but if you buy under 15 quid, you'll be decently placed.

Also, RBS. If they fail, we may all as well go and live in caves, or actually stay in our present abodes. And barricade the doors, cos it'll mean that the whole capitalist shooting match has broken down terminally.

Tried and trusted SCOTTISH companies

 

[Cian]

If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00. With Enron, you would have $16.50 left of the original $1000. With WorldCom, you would have less than $5.00 left. If you had purchased $1000.00 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left. If you had purchased United Airlines, you would have nothing left. But, if you had purchased $1000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, and then turned in the cans for recycling, you would have $214.00. Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle. This is called the 401-Keg Plan.

2001 called....

Theres a version of this going around with modern, Sterling, accurate-ish ones in it. Enron ceased to exist some time ago, though.

 

[aftershavedave]

Canadian, as it happens.

It's a global economy that we're worried about.

well a 401-k plan is US not canadian.....so i suspect that's a US joke, crap as it is!

 

[Titanic]

Pipex shares might be worth a look?

 

[Amsterdam Albion]

If and it is a big if, you time it right and buy big at the bottom you could make a lot. On the other side it just could keep on dropping and you gain nothing.
I keep thinking it wont get any lower and have held my investments, I wish I had sold but I think too late now. If loose it all I have some nice bottles of wine and special beer to keep me happy. Its only money!

 

[Amsterdam Albion]

If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00. With Enron, you would have $16.50 left of the original $1000. With WorldCom, you would have less than $5.00 left. If you had purchased $1000.00 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left. If you had purchased United Airlines, you would have nothing left. But, if you had purchased $1000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, and then turned in the cans for recycling, you would have $214.00. Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle. This is called the 401-Keg Plan.

Worldcom shares are worthless I have the paperwork to prove it :-(
I worked for Worldcom at the time and still do under their reincarnation as Verizon Business.

 

[Bozza]

Man who tries to pick bottom (of the market) gets smelly fingers.

Don't try and catch a falling knife.

etc etc.

 

[Bozza]

Buy Cairn Energy shares if they fall to a tenner. Or even now. They discovered millions of barrels of oil in India, and it comes onstream next year. I mean, they're not suddenly going to UNDISCOVER it. Their shares go up and down more easier than Glenn Murray's stock, but if you buy under 15 quid, you'll be decently placed

...and you don't think all of that is built into the price already? That the pros aren't aware of it but have chosen to ignore it.

Sure the price may double or treble, but "they've discovered oil so their share price must go up in the future" is not quite brilliant technical analysis is it?

 

[Beach Hut]

Pipex shares might be worth a look?

Try and see if you can find a company called Pipex to invest in first though.....

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

...and you don't think all of that is built into the price already? That the pros aren't aware of it but have chosen to ignore it.

Sure the price may double or treble, but "they've discovered oil so their share price must go up in the future" is not quite brilliant technical analysis is it?

Well the share price has gone down by 50% in the past two months. And it goes up or down by 5% or 15% every damn day. So if you buy now as a day trader, you'll probably make 5% one day between now and next Friday. Then sell. Then do the same again next week. Sometimes the volatility makes sense. Like I say, they're not suddenly going to UNDISCOVER the oil. So within the next year, sometime, you'll hit payload. And in the interim, just play the roller-coaster

 

[timco]

With the markets falling significantly at the moment, is it a good time to buy shares or is it still worth holding out for a while longer for them to fall even more and then buy really low ?

Any financial experts out there ??

Not a financial expert just a mug punter

Buying shares as an individual in order to make short-term profits is a bit like backing the winner of the 3.15 at Goodwood! you could back the fav but you have about as much chance of making a success of it. (HBOS were £9 a share 12 months ago)

Individuals should only ever buy shares for the long term and in firms or industries they understand. Or in a wide basket of shares coverering all sectors but always in all cases looking to the long term (but this takes quite a lot of cash and its often better in bonds etc with large financials, even given the current problems). You should spend hours doing the research and studdying the form and then when you have made up your mind think again before investing.

I bought some shares yesterday, they went down today, I don't care, much, because I bought them for the potential growth over the next 5 - 10 years or so. With all potential growth stocks there is a high chance in 5 years they won't be here, gone bust or have been taken over (there was a takeover attempt earlier this year scuppered by the potential new owners not being able to get the finance for it). But this is the risk I bought (small amount) when they went past my trigger point and will sell when they go past my upper trigger point. Till then will hold onto them and not worry about the price unless I get forced to sell by circs.

My next buy trigger point is Sainsbury's if they hit £2.16 per share. At this price I am better cashing in my share save options and investing immediately. (my share save options are at a higher price than this but have to take into account the tax and other benefits that go with investing via a sharesave scheme.)

But never use money you may need in a hurry and never gamble with money you cannot afford to lose.

If you really want to blow some cash on shares at the moment your best bet is probably a tracker ISA which can be opened with lumpsums or for monthly cash.

Some even give cashback (one is giving £85 cashback on wepromiseto.co.uk - Where 100% Cashback Really Means 100% which is a 100% cashback site) for opening an account.

I would point out that clicking the link above and opening an account makes me £1 and then when you make £5 for yourself (and that is easy to do without it costing you a penny) then it makes me a 5'er

But never count the cashback in the decision to buy but use it as a bonus on things that make sense or you were going to buy anyway.