Ian's Story

Before using Stockopedia, I would get share tips from magazines, newspapers, newswires, unsolicited emails, listening to friends, colleagues and chats in the pub. None were qualified or researched. Everyone seemed to be doing well, making money and sounding so well-informed. I sometime got wrapped up in the hype or chat and often bought shares at their peak or decline and some just never got off the ground, despite all the hype.

So after a few disasters (and wins!), I realised I had no idea why I actually bought or sold a stock. It was worse than betting on the horses, which I also have no knowledge! At least I had the fun of watch a horse race and being a loser with other people in the crowd! So it was time to stop this nonsense and apply some logic, research and discipline into my investments. But how to start? Books and YouTube left me confused a dizzy with ideas. I could not see the whole picture, track a stocks history, understand a balance sheet, see an opportunity or pending disaster. I had no idea why the stock went up or down. I soon realised I was not equipped, trained or clever enough to gather all this information or analyse it - I went into paralysis by analysis!

Stockopedia now does all that heavy analysis and information gathering for me. I now totally ignore the chat and hype and have a strict set of rules, based on Stockopedia’s “Holy Trinity” of Quality, Value and Momentum. It has served me well and given me discipline in selecting shares. I can now better understand and articulate why I bought a stock and better still, understand what is driving its price movement.

This approach has brought me excellent steady returns, a better-structured balanced portfolio and a great learning platform. It is still early days, but I am progressing into deeper research, learning the jargon and understand the opportunities and warning signs better.

I am sure many people starting out have done some of the things I have done above. However, unless you are informed and have some rigour and discipline in your investment selection, it is gambling with your eyes closed! Stockopedia is like having a Training Coach by your side. It helps you make better informed selection. It provides a disciplined framework to adhere to, it helps you reflect and compare your choices. You can read the reports and see the rationale from a professional or experienced investor's point of view. It’s an excellent way of analysing, seeing and comparing how they approach an investment, compared to your approach. I have found it amazingly informative and even humbling the amount of research they do. I am not up to that level yet but, I am getting there slowly and becoming better informed every day and with every trade. So my advice, would be to start with “The Screens” create a “Virtual Portfolio” monitor it and see how it differs from your thinking or actions and when ready put this knowledge into practice.