McEwen Investment Report

[karen1]

Good morning to all the old salts/pros!

I'm always interested to learn, and would like the opinion of those much more experienced than me on the value of the McEwen Report.

Thanks in advance.

[POSSUM THE CAT]

karen ! Are they paying you to read it? Why are they selling it to you instead of just using it themselves? Or are the using your Buying of their recommendations to push up the value of their own holdings?

[trader-jim]

I had it on a free trial years ago and I remember he claimed that 48% of his recommendations outperformed the market. A monkey with a dart should get 50% so I hope he has improved since then.

[karen1]

Thank you Possum and Trader-Jim, I am duly taught! Had wondered about McEwen, as I had heard he was "among the better". Earlier today I up/downgraded myself from a newbie to a general pleb in another post, now I might add monkey to that! Possum, I really like the idea of someone paying me to read his report, maybe I should email him and offer my services.... I guess nothing counts like experience and research, it's just mighty hard not to get bogged down it it.

[Lizard]

Hi Karen,

I wouldn't like to comment on the McEwen report - I've read quite a lot of his writing over the last 18 years and was better than some, but not enough to make me invest on his advice. Then again, I don't think there is anyone I would follow blindly any more.

You sound like you've been investing for a while, so I am guessing you are more just interested in some more external "thought-starters" on NZ shares? It is pretty hard to find these days. Most brokers only cover a small number of shares on the NZX, making it seem even more constricted than it already is! However, despite the temptation to turn to subscriber advice, most NZ information sources, both pay and free, will still be depressingly thin on content.

[karen1]

Hi Lizard,

Much appreciate your comments, thank you. Yes, I have held a small portfolio for some years now, but never venture too far out of my comfort zone, even when research shows perhaps I should! I "go it alone" these days, although do have great support from some locals far more knowledgeable than me, but don't like to be a pest.

After being rubbed the wrong way with my advisor a couple of years back, I have held my own with the original portfolio, tweaking it only slightly, and started a separate one and am now getting to the stage where I would like to get a bit more bold with it's management. And when I look at being up over 12% currently, I'm becoming more comfortable with the small trades I make, recently dipping a toe in a very small way with some Australian shell companies, finding the exercise a great learning curve and currently very satisfying with a plus of 25%! Which sounds great until I reveal I spent in the hundreds, not thousands! For me, the exercise has definitely given me a better understanding in many areas, without breaking the bank.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, it's very easy to get bogged down in research, but I scan current business news avidly, and file anything that interests me so I can return to it and compare with other notes I have made. I feel quite inadequate when I read the great in depth posts people such as you make, and freely admit to rereading such posts many times - another learning tool for me. I finally seem to developing some sort of a system that works for me, and am keen to see how things pan out over the next year or two.

I look forward to reading many more of your posts.

[CJ]

I am guessing you are more just interested in some more external "thought-starters" on NZ shares? It is pretty hard to find these days. I have considered it for this reason as well. I use a discount broker (ASB) so dont get brokers reports, so other than this forum, I havne't found any other good starting places for research.

I have been a buy and forget investor but the portfolio is now of a size where a bit more active management wont be overly expensive or seen as trading.

Does anyone have any suggestions for free/cheap thought-starters.

I note that ASB does have 'recommendations' but I dont like the fact that they dont have any Avoid or Sell recommendations and only 2 reduce. Maybe they dont cover the dogs but why not - It cant be that time consuming to write 'this company is bad we dont spend any time on it and nothing we have heard in the last 6 months changes our opinion'

[percy]

I have considered it for this reason as well. I use a discount broker (ASB) so dont get brokers reports, so other than this forum, I havne't found any other good starting places for research.

I have been a buy and forget investor but the portfolio is now of a size where a bit more active management wont be overly expensive or seen as trading.

Does anyone have any suggestions for free/cheap thought-starters.

I note that ASB does have 'recommendations' but I dont like the fact that they dont have any Avoid or Sell recommendations and only 2 reduce. Maybe they dont cover the dogs but why not - It cant be that time consuming to write 'this company is bad we dont spend any time on it and nothing we have heard in the last 6 months changes our opinion'

I have a few ideas myself,but I get most new ideas from watching and reading company announcements.I read a lot of the posts on sharetrader,I also read the CHCH Press.Any company that interests me I go to stocknessmonster.com ,where I have a look at the company's chart,then I go to company news and read the latest annual report.Some annual reports I find hard to read online,ie refer note 22 means I lose tract of where I was.I will then contact the company for a printed copy.If I like what I read,I will then purchase.If there is something I do not understand I ring the company and usually speak to the company secretary,or MD or CFO. If company does not return my call I leave.Should the company have a branch/store in CHCH I go and have a look at it.When looking at the annual report I make sure current assets far excede current liabilities ,and look carefully at cashflows.A friend askrd me to read Port of Tauranga annual report.I thought the company was so good I brought some myself.I avoid company's like GPG where there are pages of options for the directors' to get fat on.Charts ; I find you can see very quickly what direction a company is going.Really if spare price is in a down trend no use reading,or doing anymore research.

[Lizard]

I
Does anyone have any suggestions for free/cheap thought-starters.


... start at the A's... :)

Over the years, I've concluded there's no easy way to screen stocks and just randomly picking one at a time to look at is as good as anything. I think IRG have opinions on every NZX stock on their pay database, but the age of the analysis may vary a little, as I imagine it would not be easy to update daily. Maybe worth subscribing to for a while or getting the free trial if it's still going.

Sharechat covers quite a few companies on their website, so can be good for inspiration.

[Aaron]

I may never get around to understanding companies and their values. Does anyone subscribe to an investor newsletter or service that tells you what to buy and sell and when. IRG have a subscriber service but I understand David Mcewen is not part of it anymore. What about the "Intelligent Investor" in Aussie? Does anyone have any recommendations. I guess I would be more inclined to subscribe to the "income Investor" rather than "Diggers and Drillers"
I could just buy an index fund but have concerns that we may be in a situation like Japan has been through with a long slow asset deflation over many years. Mind you I can always think of reasons not to invest. Maybe a newsletter would let someone else do the thinking for me.

[POSSUM THE CAT]

Aaron Do they own the shares they are recommending? If everybody that receives the report buys the price should increase. And they have an opportunity to sell at a profit I like to know what is being touted as it gives false signals as to volume & value as the followers follow the recommendations. You can find out about a lot of what is being recomended by reading around. Also if they are so good at picking shares with their reports why are they not making money out of buying the shares they are recommending rather than selling you their reports to make money.

[ELYOB]

Share the dare ! Even with system aids , one still has to stand back and see what is going on around the place . Are we in a huge correction atm....?

[BIRMANBOY]

There is a daily e-mail service that you can sign up to www.lazeebuoy.com (http://www.lazeebuoy.com) . They provide a real service to all those laid back individuals who are renouncing any strenuous thinking. If you sign up (its $100 per month), they will send info tweets on the colour of your socks and tie and which style of underwear is appropriate for that day. Its a godsend!!
I may never get around to understanding companies and their values. Does anyone subscribe to an investor newsletter or service that tells you what to buy and sell and when. IRG have a subscriber service but I understand David Mcewen is not part of it anymore. What about the "Intelligent Investor" in Aussie? Does anyone have any recommendations. I guess I would be more inclined to subscribe to the "income Investor" rather than "Diggers and Drillers"
I could just buy an index fund but have concerns that we may be in a situation like Japan has been through with a long slow asset deflation over many years. Mind you I can always think of reasons not to invest. Maybe a newsletter would let someone else do the thinking for me.

[percy]

well team we better all wash out our mouths with soap.!!!! possum the cat,you better say 100 hail marys or what ever you do.Maybe write something positive about RYM.!! lol.
WHY ?.Because the new owners of Sharechat are IRG.ie McEwen.

[winner69]

well team we better all wash out our mouths with soap.!!!! possum the cat,you better say 100 hail marys or what ever you do.Maybe write something positive about RYM.!! lol.
WHY ?.Because the new owners of Sharechat are IRG.ie McEwen.

We are safe percy ... sharetrader was not part of the deal

[CJ]

well team we better all wash out our mouths with soap.!!!! possum the cat,you better say 100 hail marys or what ever you do.Maybe write something positive about RYM.!! lol.
WHY ?.Because the new owners of Sharechat are IRG.ie McEwen.McEwen has left IRG and set up his own business.

[percy]

McEwen has left IRG and set up his own business.

He goes with our best wishes.May he go far,and quickly.

[Hoop]

I have considered it for this reason as well. I use a discount broker (ASB) so dont get brokers reports, so other than this forum, I havne't found any other good starting places for research.

I have been a buy and forget investor but the portfolio is now of a size where a bit more active management wont be overly expensive or seen as trading.

Does anyone have any suggestions for free/cheap thought-starters.

I note that ASB does have 'recommendations' but I dont like the fact that they dont have any Avoid or Sell recommendations and only 2 reduce. Maybe they dont cover the dogs but why not - It cant be that time consuming to write 'this company is bad we dont spend any time on it and nothing we have heard in the last 6 months changes our opinion'

Does anyone have any suggestions for free/cheap thought-starters.
Yeah CJ... sort of...
I trade online with DB and I just use their basic $29 brokering function. DB have Thomson Reuters on their website ....this is found on the drop down quote box on the company's quote webpage. You don't get this function unless you're logged in so I guess you have to register to the DB website. Reuters have a basic FA run-down on nearly all the stocks and they have a sell>>>outperform barometer.
If you haven't heard much about a stock and what they do, then Reuters could be a thought starter and then expand outward from there via google etc.

Just remember about these company FA fact sheets.

They are a basic FA snapshot of that company on the day of analysis ...sometimes there is no reference on the fact sheet the date when that analysis was done (some use figures with quoted dates) so always assume the data and recommendations (barometer) could be out of date.

[Felonius]

Hello Karen.
Yes I subscribe to David McEwen's newsletter and I think he is very good. It is full of commonsense viewpoints (and ideas I hadn't thought of).
I have never met him but my impression is that he is a straight-forward chap.

I have been an investor for 40 years and am still getting plenty of decisions wrong. The more you know about investing, the more you know you don't know !!
Some of David's picks do badly. In this fast-changing world that is the nature of 21st Century sharemarket investing.

Even if you are doing well now, TAKE CARE !! you may think you are clever when in fact you have just been lucky.

Have some fun & I hope it works for you !!

[karen1]

Hi Fellonius

Thank you for your thoughts. I was given a couple of Mcewen's reports to read recently and could agree with you that he seems to have some commensense viewpoints.

I could also agree with you - "The more you know about investing, the more you know you don't know !!"

I guess, as is so very often pointed out on this site, the bottom line is DYOR! But always, it is good to know the thoughts of others.