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  • Naibu Global International Co PLC (LSE: NBU)

    imagesLast suggested in early January 2014 at about 0.77p. The share immediately dropped to £0.60p followed by a climb to £0.95p. So its not for the faint hearted. Now back at 0.74p and has the beginnings of a buy signal, but it also has every possibility of going back to 0.60p. Okay, confusing, why recommend it? Well, the company provides excellent results (they make sports shoes) but the volatility comes from it being a Chinese company trading on the London Stock Exchange.

    If you can accept the volatility, this is still a good bet longer term.

  • Tracsis PLC (LSE: TRCS)

    tracsisIf you bought TRCS on our last suggestion of 7th March 2014 then congratulations on your 30% increase. This may, however, be a good point to take profits.

    The share is still strong and over the next few years has room to double. I will let you know when another buy opportunity presents itself again.

  • Tesco PLC (LSE: TSCO)

    tescoOver the next couple of months I will suggest companies that you may be interested simply for their dividend payments. It would be nice to also choose companies that are either going to grow or at least remain level after several months or so. Seasonally, the best growth period to purchase shares has been mid to late October through until mid to late April. May to October traditionally has been up and down finishing at about the same price that you bought. The last couple of years have been different with continued growth throughout the whole year. This may be about to change. Purchasing during this period for dividend payments gives a stream of income to your fund while the shares bounce around a bit. My first suggestion for this is Tesco PLC. You can purchase at the moment for just under £3.00. Tesco have taken a sharp drop over the last few weeks but look ready for a sustained move up. Remember, you are primarily buying for the dividend payment over the next few months. Buying now should get you the April and October payment. Some share growth would be nice too!

  • Nichols PLC (LSE: NICL)

    nicholsYou will remember Nichols if I tell you they make Vimto. They have other products in both the still and carbonated range. Still operated and owned by the founders, Nichols is not, what we call, a gold company but meets many of our criteria nonetheless.

    A recent share drop could provide a buy opportunity. Indications are that the share will climb again. Buy at £10.20 or less. A climb back to £11.50 is a good possibility.

  • Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ: CTSH)

    cog1The most consistent company in our gold list for growth over the last ten years.

    An IT and consultancy business. Japan, Australia and Singapore are significant investment areas for CTSH. 166,400 employees and working capital of $4,137 million. However, their top ten customers represent nearly a quarter of their income.

    We have a buy signal. My concern is that to provide a suitable risk reward return the share price would need to clear the all time high of $54. As we go into April, traditionally shares experience a correction at some point in the month. Also, CTSH climbed very nicely between 2009 and 2011. It then went flat for a while before climbing again over the last year. We could be in a period of flatness for a while.

    I might trade the share, however, as an investment consider this an introduction to Cognizant.

     

  • World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLD)

    WRLDA small-loan consumer finance business in twelve USA states and Mexico.

    This has been a gold company of ours for a couple of years. On 13th March 2014, it was announced that WRLD was the target of an investigation by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in connection with the marketing, offering, or extension of credit. Shares fell some 20%.

    An overreaction? maybe. It would seem that other companies were also targeted. The chart now shows a buy opportunity for WRLD. But this is on the market thinking the sell-off was an overreaction and not, that I can find, on any resolve of the investigation. Such results may not come to light for a long time.

    A cautious buy at $75 to $76.

  • Booker Group PLC (LSE: BOK)

    our-brand-banner-v1Booker Group PLC, a food wholesaler, is not one of our gold star companies. However, its chart provides a good buy opportunity. To be considered relatively short term. By this I mean a few weeks. Maybe longer for BOK.

    Buy now at £1.70 or below with a sell at about £1.95

  • Merchants Trust PLC (LSE: MRCH)

    MerchantsThis is a trade only, but you might be interested. If you can buy MRCH for £5.00 you will be looking at selling between £5.20 and £5.25. Its a small gain and you have to decide if its viable after costs; and you would need to be sharp with the buy and the sell. I will only accept a trade that has at least twice the potential reward to risk.

    This share would have been a good investment if bought several months ago because the highs were climbing. However, as with many shares at the moment, the highs are reducing, or are lower than previous highs. If we see this across many shares – as I am at the moment – then it gives us an early indication that the market is levelling.

  • Immunodiagnostic Systems Holdings PLC (LSE: IDH)

    downloadAs with the last post, IDH are showing a weak buy signal. IDH, however, have performed well over the last year. Anything at or below £5.20 would be good.

  • Globo PLC (LSE: GBO)

    imagesBuy a small amount of Globo PLC. The share has averaged 60 pence since November and more recently 50 pence. So not great. It is presently showing a weak buy signal. But worthy of consideration.

  • Hargreaves Landsdown PLC (LSE: HL.)

    downloadThe FTSE 100 as a whole is indicating readiness for an upwards turn. We can take advantage of this.

    Consider taking some more HL. shares if you are able.

    A reminder that although I only look at the company, and not the wider economic picture, it is worth noting that traditionally shares have gone down considerably at some point in many Aprils. This did not happen until May last year. However, last year was very bullish – which of course means the market was climbing. This year, it is considered, is different.

  • Short term buy watch list

    boviscoflcroda

    • Here’s three FTSE 250 shares on my buy watch list
    • These companies are not part of our gold list
    • They have not had all their numbers considered
    • This is simply from the charts
    • They could go up over the next few weeks

    Bovis Holmes Group Plc – BVS

    City of London Investment Trust – CTY

    Croda International PLC – CRDA

  • Ansys Inc (NASDAQ: ANSS)

    ansysAnsys Inc is an engineering software company. They employ some 2,600 people and have over 75 positions worldwide for sales. They provide software engineering simulation solutions for just about anything, from Ferrari to biomedical.

    Price/Earnings is high at 41, which means their share sells at 41 times earnings. For an engineering company this is high but for a software company it is not unusual.

    Everything else about the companies numbers looks good, indeed their last report was above expectations.

    A slightly early call, but they have a good buy position developing at about $76.

  • Aggreko PLC (LSE: AGK)

    downloadIf you didn’t get any Aggreko shares last month you now have a slightly better window to buy. Aggreko plc provides power and temperature control solutions to customers who need them either very quickly, or for a short or indeterminate length of time.

    Rupert Soames is to step down as Group Chief Executive of Aggreko, after 11 years, to be CEO of Serco Group plc. This announcement had an effect on the share price sending it unexpectedly, and possibly unreasonably, down a pound in share value. 

    Aggreko have a strong management team and a capable interim CEO in the Chef Finance Officer until a replacement for Mr Soames is found.

    Mr Soames said: “I have loved every minute of my time with Aggreko. Our customers, the essential nature of our services and above all our people make it an outstanding company and I am proud to have played a part in its successful growth over the past 11 years. But there comes a time when all CEOs need to move on and now, with a new five year strategy in place and an exceptionally strong executive team running the business, that time has come. Aggreko is a great company with great people and I wish Angus and the team every success.”

    The recent final report for Aggreko was steady and they have made a good start to 2014. They have a probable contract in Libya but, because of volatility in that country, they have not included, for now, any benefit in their order book. Aggreko are taking the view that a libyan contract is ‘icing on the cake’.

    We have an early, and tentative, buy signal for Aggreko.

  • How is the market doing?

    imagesOn 24th February I said the market would drop. I was about two weeks too early and, it would seem, the correction down is to be lighter than I first thought.

    Many shares have corrected down and are about to bottom out, others are in the process of dropping. Some shares have stayed strong with the occasional one climbing.

    You may wonder, if you’re buying for the longer term, why should you be concerned about buying a share at the right price. What does it matter after several years if you bought a few pence higher. And you would be right, over the longer term. A wonderful company is a wonderful company.

    However, in the short term, until we get established with the share, a correct buy can be essential for not loosing money. If we get it wrong, but we have bought at the right price (or more importantly at the right phase of the share), then we can more easily limit the damage to our fund. Also, if the market as a whole takes a drop then having bought in the correct phase we again can more easily reduce our potential looses.

    This doesn’t always hold true, but at least we will have done our best to minimise our risk. Buying in small chunks (the size of the chunks depends on you and your fund) gives you the chance to get to know the share and possibly leave you with some cash to buy more if and when a share takes an unexpected drop but remains a wonderful company.

    Warren Buffett said…..”some things just take time: you can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant”.