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Smart Investor
How to survive in the investment jungle
The archive of wisdom
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Smart Investor: why I'm a value investor
Although it's currently out of fashion, value investing is incredibly simple and can be used successfully by anyone, argues Smart Investor.
Smart Investor: should you buy your round at Greene King?
Investing can be stressful so time to check out what pub operator Greene King (GNK.L) has to offer.
Smart Investor: ignore the chatter, focus on the facts
Only by focusing on the financial data can you reliably identify good investment targets, says Smart Investor.
Smart Investor: why you should ignore directors' dealings
Directors' dealings won't help you pick winning shares, says Smart Investor.
Smart Investor: how my Travis Perkins tip fared
On 13 July 2011 Smart Investor tipped Travis Perkins. How has the company performed since then, and is it still worthy of investment?
Smart Investor: my biggest mistake
Learning to ignore the herd and focus instead on the facts and figures isn't easy, says Smart Investor, but it's the path to becoming a better investor.
Smart Investor: why you shouldn't give up on shares
With the FTSE 100 well below its mid-2000s highs, these are tough times for investors. However, says Smart Investor, now's not the time to quit.
Smart Investor: 5 shares you need to hold
Over the past quarter only a handful of companies have earned a place on Smart Investor's 'buy' list. Here's his pick of five of the best.
Smart Investor: how my Shell tip has performed
On 11 February 2011 Smart Investor tipped Shell. How has the company performed since then, and is it still worthy of investment?
Smart Investor: are Hargreaves Lansdown shares worth the money?
This week our expert investor takes a steely-eyed look at financial services company Hargreaves Lansdown.
Smart Investor Tip: a bricks-and-mortar winner
Smart Investor reveals another housebuilder he thinks deserves a place in your portfolio.
Smart Investor: does SABMiller pass muster?
Smart Investor casts his discerning eye on brewer SABMiller, one of the world’s largest brewers, with more than 200 beer brands and 70,000 employees.
Smart Investor Tip: a construction giant that's ripe for investment
This construction and engineering major, whose results are due in two weeks' time, gets a thumbs-up from Smart Investor.
Smart Investor: is Admiral seaworthy?
Smart Investor has a weakness for insurers. Will Admiral win the hallowed thumbs-up from our picky value investor?
Smart Investor: why Aviva offers value for money
The insurance giant's performance has been mixed, but Aviva's numbers bode well for the value investor.
Smart Investor: a super addition to your portfolio?
With impressive return on equity and profit figures, fashion house Supergroup looks like a winner. Smart Investor puts the group under his investment microscope.
Smart Investor: is Imperial Tobacco the ideal income stock?
With a yield of 4.2%, Imperial Tobacco (IMT.L) is worth a look as an income stock. Smart Investor gives his expert verdict on this defensive holding.
Smart Investor Tip: the new stock with a home in my portfolio
Smart Investor reveals the housebuilder he thinks is a long-term bargain.
Smart Investor: how I filter out dud investments
A simple filter system can help you find the highest quality and most attractively priced companies.
Smart Investor: why I could go a bundle on Bunzl
Bunzl, the highly profitable distribution company, boasts some impressive vital statistics, but is now the right time to buy?
Smart Investor: you're Baldrick, the financial pros are Blackadder
Just as the sway of the upper classes has faded, amateur investors are gaining the confidence to take on the pros, argues Smart Investor.
Smart Investor: stay calm and investing is simple
Investing is simple. Keep emotions at bay and focus on the facts.
Smart Investor: why the recession isn't all bad
More than half of all Fortune 500 firms were set up in recessions, says Smart Investor, and hard times create opportunities for private investors too.
Smart Investor: how to profit from a shell-shocked market
The prevailing economic gloom creates the ideal hunting ground for value-focused investors, says Smart Investor.
Smart Investor: could Greggs earn you a tasty profit?
Smart Investor puts high-street baker Greggs under his financial microscope.
Smart Investor: does 'past performance' matter?
The cycle of boom and bust presents opportunities to investors who put emotions to one side and invest ‘when blood is running in the streets’, says Smart Investor.
Smart Investor: you don't need to be a genius to beat the market
Intelligence is no barrier to making money from the markets, says Smart Investor, you just need to stay disciplined.
Smart Investor: is Cookson Group a cast-iron winner?
Smart Investor gives his verdict on whether now's the time to buy Cookson Group (CKSN.L), a Citywire Top Stock .
Smart Investor: the market is meritocracy in action
The market operates as a perfect meritocracy with no need for a welfare state, argues Smart Investor.
Smart Investor: are Man Group shares a good buy?
Smart Investor puts former Citywire Top Stock Man Group under his investment microscope.
Smart Investor: what is 'economic goodwill'?
In response to your queries, Smart Investor explains what he means by 'economic goodwill' and how it can help you assess a company.
Smart Investor: how to analyse investment targets
Justifying 'gut-feeling' decisions is all too easy, says Smart Investor, making a consistent approach essential.
Smart Investor: cost average to survive eurozone chaos
As the crisis in the eurozone drags on, Smart Investor explains why cost averaging is a vital weapon in the investor's arsenal.
Smart Investor: do Diageo shares hit the spot?
Smart Investor gives his verdict on global alcoholic drinks giant Diageo.
Smart Investor: reach for the low-hanging fruit
Accepting your limitations as a market analyst will allow you to focus on underlying value, says Smart Investor.
Smart Investor: do Sage Group's shares compute?
Smart Investor steps out of his comfort zone and weighs up the investment potential of Newcastle-based software firm Sage Group.
Smart Investor: how to survive a market in crisis
As shell-shocked investors retreat into government bonds, Smart Investor says now's the time to pick up well-priced, quality stocks.
Smart Investor: don't follow the crowd
Although making investment decisions can be intimidating, blindly following the experts is a strategy doomed to fail, says Smart Investor.
Smart Investor: are Berkeley's foundations solid?
With the homebuilding sector having taken a battering, Smart Investor considers whether now's the time to buy into Berkeley Group (BKGH.L).
Smart Investor: do Sainsbury's shares check out?
Do shares in Sainsbury's (SBRY.L) offer good value in austerity-hit Britain? Smart Investor takes an expert look at the financials.
Smart Investor: you're no Buffett, so ignore company management
The performance of a company tells you all you need to know about the quality of its management, says Smart Investor.
Smart Investor: don't let predictions cloud investment decisions
Predictions about the future of a company should always take a back seat to the hard facts of past performance.
Smart Investor: how to spot debt danger signs
Taking on debt can improve a company’s returns, but the cost is less flexibility during recessionary periods and a higher risk of default.
Smart Investor: filter out market noise to focus on value
Developing a plan limits the influence of market rumours, leading to better investment decisions.
Smart Investor: Morrisons offers home-grown value
UK focused Wm Morrison Supermarkets (MRW.L) makes for a steady if not spectacular longer term investment.
Smart Investor: Kingfisher is quality – and shares are cheap
It may take time for Kingfisher's share price to improve significantly, but if your aim is to buy quality companies when they are cheap, you have one here.
Smart Investor: speculation's fine but it ain't investment
Just four years after Northern Rock asked the Bank of England for emergency help, we still appear to have a public with an insatiable demand for speculation.
Smart Investor: British American Tobacco and illogical markets
The price of shares in British American Tobacco (BATS.L) is just one example of how sometimes stock markets just don't make any sense.
Smart Investor: Thomas Cook shares – cheap or a value trap?
Will Thomas Cook (TCG.L) turn around its poor performance? You're taking a big risk if you put your money on this happening.
Smart Investor: United Utilities is high yielding but pricey
United Utilities (UU.L) offers a yield of 5.2%. But is now a good time to be buying a slice of the water services company?
Smart Investor: why I buy into steady Royal Sun Alliance
The insurance sector is often overlooked as lacking excitement or growth potential, but RSA is one stock to buy and never sell, whatever age you might be.
Smart Investor: why I'm flying in the face of fashion
We all have a tendency to follow the fashions of the day, but investors would do well to filter potential purchases using indicators that assess real-time value rather than relying on technical analysis alone.
Smart Investor: learn to ignore the market noise
It's easy to join the herd and react to market movements and short term news. But that makes you a trader, not an investor.
Smart Investor: no loyalty to over-priced Burberry
The share price would need to continue its meteoric decline for a good while yet before Burberry (BRBY.L) could appear on the radars of value investors.
Smart Investor: why I don't invest in gold
As the gold price hovers near an all-time high its allure for investors has never been greater – but there are always two sides to a story.
Smart Investor: how to beat your fear of the FTSE
It's difficult to implement an investment strategy at a time of turbulence on the global stock markets, but a few simple steps will ensure you keep the wolves from you door.
Smart Investor: Can we beat the market? Yes we can
Matching the performance of a professional investor need not be time consuming, all it requires is a basic understanding of the market and belief in your own abilities.
Smart Investor: the rational approach to falling markets
Beware, when markets are turbulent the emotions of fear and greed can soon start to influence your decision making.
Smart Investor: crunching the numbers on Rexam
Beverage can and rigid plastic packaging manufacturer Rexam (REX.L) may sound dull, but can it make you money?
Smart Investor: WPP attractive, but why such a lousy dividend?
Shares in advertising giant WPP (WPP.L) look attractive, although income investors will want to see a more generous dividend payout before investing their cash.
Smart Investor: Drax keeps the coal fires burning
There are risks with Drax (DRX.L), but at the current share price the power company makes for an attractive investment.
Can you make money on the stock market?
Or is buying shares a mug's game where only the luckiest survive?
There's no denying the market is a risky place. But learn where the traps are and how to avoid them, and the chances are much better that you'll come out ahead.
Smart Investor will show you how to invest with your head instead of your heart.
Visit Smart Investor on Facebook and follow @smartinvestoruk on Twitter
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What the readers say
From Why cheap Vodafone doesn't tick all the boxes:
very good article, informative, to the point and short. More articles like this please
Graham Hacker