What is your share selection criteria?

[contrarianinvestor]

Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge. Steve made a valid comment. (Shasta, I don't think that was aimed at you personally). Rule no 1 should be not to take any specific share recommendation on a public forum seriously. I'm sure there many genuine advice although it is almost impossible to tell whether it is ramping or not.

.

[Steve]

Personally, I find that the level of ramping on Sharetrader is a good criteria for selection...

This comment wasn't directed at anyone in particular, more a vague reference that I try to avoid shares that are too enthusiastically discussed here on Sharetrader.

With the sharemarket out of popularity, there is not much in the way of ramping these days, but they will be back...

Perhaps I should have added a to my comment?!

[Lizard]

From a fundamental point of view, I like to see a consistent and progressing strategy for a business upheld by consistent management. Some of the best opportunities from a share price perspective are in businesses that have experienced a "glitch" or are in the early stages of a growth strategy.

I start with presentations - start back about three years and read forward. If there are less than two presentations per year, I look at results commentary. I want to end up with a clear picture in my head of the company - if it doesn't "gel" I stop reading and move on to another company.

Once I've found stocks that "read well", I follow them for as long as it takes - sometimes years, sometimes taking small "trial" positions. Many of my best trades and opportunities have been in stocks I have followed for years and therefore know very well. While following them, I usually stick a bit of data in a spreadsheet so I can see key ratio's at a glance and pick the best looking. After that, it's a case of trying to time trades.

I probably put far too much work into fundamentals and not enough into timing trades.

[contrarianinvestor]

Here is a good article on 'trading' vs 'investing'.
http://au.pfinance.yahoo.com/b/marcu...lwhich-is-best

[shasta]

This comment wasn't directed at anyone in particular, more a vague reference that I try to avoid shares that are too enthusiastically discussed here on Sharetrader.

With the sharemarket out of popularity, there is not much in the way of ramping these days, but they will be back...

Perhaps I should have added a to my comment?!

Sweet as, i can get a tad sensitive especially when i'm only trying to help, not push my own barrow :o