DO YOU TAKE THIS CRAP SHARE....

To have and to hold from this day till death do us part... "etc is what many of you might have said at one point.

 

And many of you have also probably broken that promise, You held someone else didn't you, you broke that vow, didn't you...you mean son of a ...

 

Anyhow..... where is this somewhat cumbersome and possibly irritating start to this column leading me? (It's already irritated me and I'm the one writing it, time to visit the therapist).

 

Well. The now laboursome point I want to make is: you're not marrying your stocks and falling in and out of love with them all the time.

 

I've met so many traders who marry a share. They nearly always own it, moan about it, love it, hate it. Bitch about it to their mates. Definitely bitch about it on the bulletin boards. Told you. Just like a marriage.

 

They watch it all the time, try to play it, usually maintain a holding. It's usually bad news. Best to get divorced, have done with it, move right along.

 

Shares in the end aren't there to be held till death do you part. However, confusingly, I am also going to argue you might want to marry the odd one for quite some time before cruelly ditching them for a younger sexy IPO.

 

So here are some shares I am currently involved with, either married to, having a fling with, or even just starting out on the road to potential happiness.

 

One share I am married to is Telecom Plus (TEP), happily married for many years. Since it was 18p actually and it's now 11 quid.

 

We had our ups and downs but I have stayed mainly faithful and boy has it paid off. It's made me around £500,000. Then the dividends too over the years. probably £50,000 on those.

 

And it just gradually goes up over time. We get along well. I never moan about it. I'm staying in the marriage till it does something really bad to upset me. But I can't see a major row on the horizon and possibly at least another 5 years of our union to run.

 

I've also been married for some time (since 2009) to Dialight (DIA). From 150 to a tenner. Again, nothing there yet to make me think of a divorce. But if it comes up with anything bad, I am so out.

 

Potential new marriage: Porvair (PRV) - one I've held for some time and keep adding as it goes up. Lovely trading statement this month. I am beginning to think I'll be with this one for some time to come.

 

An in and out thing: Kentz - A great buy around 360s/70s, a great take profit around 430s/40s. What's not to like about a predicable trading range? And perfect for a nice rolling spreadbet - it does take its time to do it though, the lazy thing.

 

A new affair: London Capital Group (LCG) has new management and I've bought some in the low 30s. Directors have been buying and it trades under its net cash. If the new boys and girls can change things around it wouldn't take too much to see it into profit could be a nice tasty fling for me. Bid prospects too further down the line. Probably will only end up as a quick fling though you never know.

 

Shiny and New: (Touched for the very first time) Filtronic. (FTC) Really sexy one. 4G. See told you... 4G !!! Wow!! Yeah I haven't a clue what 4G is either but who cares? Great trading statement - in at 16p, and the 30s, I was out around 69 and back in at 53.

 

Ps. A final tip: the one song you should never ever consider as your first dance at your wedding: "What's the sense in sharing this one and only life, ending up just another lost and lonely wife, you'll count up the years and they will be full of tears...."

 

PPS. I have not had a row with the wife. (Well a minor one but we made up)