Julian's Story

In principle, I try to find undervalued shares with the potential to outperform the FTSE All-Share over the long term - like the ones highlighted on your Jim Slater “Zulu” Guru Screen. I look to identify companies with a low PEG, higher Returns on Capital Employed and good earnings forecasts.

I use Funds to invest in World Markets, but all my individual shares are only invested on the London Stock Exchange. Within that I try to keep a balanced portfolio: no more than two shares are invested in the same sector/industry and although I consider the whole market, I prefer to have at least 50% of the shares invested in the FTSE 350. I also favour shares with a lower gearing (less than 50%) and a satisfactory dividend yield.

The beauty of Stockopedia is that all the fundamental and technical analysis is so accessible. Previously, I used several “Free” websites, because no single platform provided all the information I needed. This involved a lot of time, effort and long-hand calculations to try and obtain some meaningful data. With Stockopedia I can assess the potential of any share within a few minutes and this is not only for shares I am considering buying, but also (and probably more importantly) for shares in my existing portfolio.

I really value the Screener and Folios which are very intuitive and again save a lot of time and tedious number crunching. Other highlights (so far) are the StockRanks and the Piotroski F-Score, which I had not heard of before joining Stockopedia.

As I have only been a subscriber to Stockopedia less than a year it's difficult to say given the (very) unusual economic situation and short time frame. What I do know, is that I now have a lot more information to assist me in making better decisions. And as an investor you can’t ask for more than that!

If you are happy with a low risk savings account that pays 0.5% interest a year then don’t bother with shares. Otherwise, get started, keep learning and remember: you are the person that is most interested in how your investments perform.