Heather's Story

A variety of methods - shares in companies where I or my friends worked, plus shares I got in demutualisations. I then added shares mentioned on bulletin boards, in newspaper tips, plus tips from friends.

I have now got a number of long-term held shares that have performed well for me. Several of those have come from shares highlighted by contributors to Stockopedia, including Sylvania Platinum from the StockSlam and Impax from Graham Neary's time on the Small Cap Value Report. Without Stockopedia, I would not have picked up on those so early - therefore my profit has been much greater due to Stockopedia's involvement.

I also use Stockopedia to sanity-check ideas that come from anywhere else, using the StockRanks to do a quick analysis followed by more in-depth analysis if needed. I also find the movement in StockRanks very useful, especially in assessing whether to sell a share (which is often difficult). For example, this solidified my decision to sell Marstons in December 2019 which was an excellent call. Stockopedia has also helped me through the wide variety of Guru Screens which I find very useful. I like using some of them to find ideas - like James O'Shaughnessy's Tiny Titans. I also find the ability to compare stocks useful.

I really like the Small Cap Value Report (SCVR) and other features which analyse the balance sheets and company accounts in detail. The analysts pick up details which I would have missed and I find them invaluable. They have warned me off several purchases which I might otherwise have made - for example Paul Scott recently warned about the dilution of Jet", which I had not realised would have an effect on the valuation of the whole company. I have also found some of the tips given in the SCVR invaluable for thinking about how companies are run and how to assess this. The SCVR is an essential read for me each day.

My quality of life has been improved because I have more confidence in the investing decisions that I make. My investment results have been positively impacted - Stockopedia's involvement has helped me find some of my big winners which have such a transformative effect on one's portfolio.

My advice is to run a dummy portfolio or a 10% portfolio (10% of what you have available) for a while to get used to it. Read some good books like The Naked Trader. When you have been going for a short while read 'The Art of Execution' by Lee Freeman-Shor, which is the book which has had the most impact on my investment style currently. The price of a Stockopedia subscription is easily repaid by the positive effects on your portfolio.