And the newbie has more questions

thanks for persevering with my questions.....:D

So I have some more.......

• Is there an 'unofficial' timeframe that people are referring to when someone is a 'buy and hold' type investor. For example if their intention is to hold a share more than 6 months do they get labelled as a 'buy and hold type'. This is purely out of curiosity
• How often do IPO's come up , for example, if averaged out the last 5 years , how many would you say happen each year ?
• Would you say there is a need for any specific software for a beginner ? I'm guessing Excel will become my friend very quickly (we dont get on so well at the moment)
• In terms of FA do many people use a software programme or do basic/freeware software programmes suffice for this purpose ?

thanks

As you listed your Q's here are my A's in order.

1.Buy and hold means buy and forget to sell so no time limit. I dont think it's a good strategy in this market.

2.Dont know.

3.I use scribble pad software it's free.

4.As above

:)

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Originally Posted by toast2success

Is there an 'unofficial' timeframe that people are referring to when someone is a 'buy and hold' type investor. For example if their intention is to hold a share more than 6 months do they get labelled as a 'buy and hold type'. This is purely out of curiosity.

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I guess the only line in the sand answer to your question is that traders who declare themselves as such for tax purposes are not buy and hold investors. Everyone else is just a shade of 'buy and hold' grey.

Since most companies only report every six months, one might argue that if you bought a share and sold the same share in between reporting periods on a regular basis you must be reacting to share price changes only (in the absence of news to expain the share price changes). Therefore you must have bought with the intention of selling, so you can't be a 'buy and hold' investor.

SNOOPY

Quote:

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Originally Posted by toast2success

How often do IPO's come up , for example, if averaged out the last 5 years , how many would you say happen each year ?

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IPOs generally appear in clusters when market conditions are favourable. Speaking for the NZX, in a bad year you might only get one or two. Even in good years I would say a rate of one per month was pretty well unprecedented. 'Norma'l I guess would be somewhere in between. But most years seem to be either 'good' or 'bad', so talking about averages may not be the most useful way to phrase your question.

SNOOPY

Quote:

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Originally Posted by toast2success

Would you say there is a need for any specific software for a beginner ? I'm guessing Excel will become my friend very quickly (we dont get on so well at the moment)
In terms of FA do many people use a software programme or do basic/freeware software programmes suffice for this purpose ?

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In general terms I have found a speadsheet invaluable. I use use Excel, but I would say that using a freeware spreadsheet is certainly also an option. Most FA calculations I do are just simple ratios. So no heavyweight mathematical software program is a requirement for me.

SNOOPY

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Originally Posted by h2so4

1.Buy and hold means buy and forget to sell so no time limit. I don't think it's a good strategy in this market.

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That may be one interpretation of what buy and hold means SSD, but that is not how I think of it. Since I am about the closest thing you get to a buy and hold investor on this forum, I feel qualified to put forward my own interpretation.

The 'buy' piece of any transaction receives great scrutiny from me. I only consider a small selection investments, from the overall market as suitable. Of that small selection, I delve into the last five years of financial reports further reducing my new investment candidates. So the shares I end up buying are bought because I can see a real competitive advantage that will still be there in ten years time.

The fact that I continue to hold them, does not mean that I have just forgotten about them and have no sale plan. It means that the underlying business advantage that I saw when taking up the investment is still there, irrespective of what message a wobbling market price might be sending to the sharemarket traders the day. A no sale means that my investment is performing to plan. Not that I have no plan.

SNOOPY

Quote:

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Originally Posted by toast2success

thanks for persevering with my questions.....:D

So I have some more.......
[LIST][*]Is there an 'unofficial' timeframe that people are referring to when someone is a 'buy and hold' type investor. For example if their intention is to hold a share more than 6 months do they get labelled as a 'buy and hold type'. This is purely out of curiosity

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I'm a buy and hold investor who knows nothing about the share market. I just buy shares in LPTs and keep them forever. I'm not suggesting it's a good strategy, but it gives me a damn good top up to my income, which is from commercial property, especially as they are all PIEs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by toast2success

thanks for persevering with my questions.....:D

So I have some more.......

• Is there an 'unofficial' timeframe that people are referring to when someone is a 'buy and hold' type investor. For example if their intention is to hold a share more than 6 months do they get labelled as a 'buy and hold type'. This is purely out of curiosity
• How often do IPO's come up , for example, if averaged out the last 5 years , how many would you say happen each year ?
• Would you say there is a need for any specific software for a beginner ? I'm guessing Excel will become my friend very quickly (we dont get on so well at the moment)
• In terms of FA do many people use a software programme or do basic/freeware software programmes suffice for this purpose ?

thanks

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1. As i am a "fundamental" styled investor the stocks i am currently looking at, are all with a 2 - 5 year buy & hold focus.

I am talking about stocks on the ASX, whereby i see "value" within current projects as they come into development (as well as meeting a host of different criteria for me).

I certainly wudn't look to sell within 2 years, UNLESS, there was a major change in the companies fundamentals

2. The ASX website has a section on upcoming IPO's but the timing of them is very dependent on "favourable market conditions", as for the NZX, i dont follow this anymore, Snoopy or Belgarion may be able to help you here.

3. Excel should be more than enough for you to record all details for investment purposes, until such time as you are wanting to actively "trade", a software program really isnt necessary. Keep it simple! (Coming from an Accountant, thats rich!)