The Price of Shoes and Ships, of Sealing Wax and Paraffin

[Wage Slave]

So paraffin is down to 67 Yen a litre today and looking set to stay or even drop further. Time to recalculate whether to use aircons or not. Those who bought lots just a few weeks ago must be fuming - that's market capitalism for you - whether you like it or not you are in a casino with some pretty opaque games being played. Diversification, debt avoidance and not being locked into things for too long, say 12 months max, is about all I can think of to minimise the impact.

Of course sometimes, eg buying a property, you just have to accept a lot of debt but at least property is reasonably liquid and can generate a cash flow via rent if needed.

But also you have to have a little flutter now and again or you aren't really playing. So, is it a good idea to buy BP shares betting that Shell or someone will launch an opportunistic takeover the way things are going?

[kurogane]

I wax my skiis with canning paraffin, so I am going to go ahead and assume this is one of those quaint Anglicisms, like petrol, and driving on THE WRONG FUCKING SIDE..........

Anyways, I was always a kerosene guy anyways; do the natural gas/propane heaters work well? Electric heat is just too dry and lame. I never got an ambient heat from hydro.

I never touch my own stocks anymore and am happy to plug along at single digits % or so but that BP idea could actually be a nice little bet; how is Shell doing over, say, the last 5 years, are they cash flush and is BP really that lame or listing? Surely there is a gulf between what they did and what it cost them for doing it? This is capitalism, after all, as you noted.

I would look back through the Economist and Financial Times for articles on Shell to get an idea of their trends and tendencies. I don't know how you can do that online, but Tokyo University..........oh.. ............Kyoto and Kobe and Osaka University libraries should have them in hard copy in the archives, as should any national archival arrangement. Which means you get to use the periodicals index. On paper. Like a real man...................

BTW, I'll owe you one if I buy and they go.

[Wage Slave]

Well it turned out to be a good bet without Shell or A N Other oil company making a move to date. Up by a healthy 12% in a matter of 3 weeks. So, there's a nice little one to tuck away for a while methinks. They are still paying decent dividends.

More generally - What are people having a little flutter on? For me, I bought recently ....

1. A supermarket because it has a decent strategy for taking on the discounters and the price had been dragged down by another supermarket's antics. It's up 15% in a month but who knows .....Meanwhile good dividends ...6% or so
2. A cheesemaker because blessed are ...And I really like the cheese. Also makes a popular drinking yoghurt. Dividends respectable and likely to continue as has solid products.

And then the really speculative little flutters

1. A group of boffins at CERN who say they can make a much cheaper, smaller proton beam machine for treating certain cancers
2. A company that has planted a massive cacao plantation in Peru because as soon as those Chinese girls making Apple products get paid they buy chocolate. Also is an ethical producer unlike the West African system.
3.A company that supplies elec and gas to households, makes compressed air/scroll generator batteries for electric distribution networks and has just launched a household boiler that also generates electricity.
4. A company set up by ex RAF people that specialises in training/consulting for militaries, companies and pilots to operate drones safely. Also has training contracts and facilities in the US esp for the US Air Force.

Wondering about miners in general and copper miners in particular. Cheap at the moment ........any thoughts? I wonder if copper may be good because no matter what else so many people will want more and more electricity connected and distributed.

[Wage Slave]

Nobody interested in a bit of capitalist piggery? I never was but since interest rates are vanishingly small and since I have a bit of money I can afford to lose ......

So, the miner turned out to be a smart move, in the short term anyway. Bought first thing on Monday morning and it closed up 8% on Friday. Just dumb luck but nice. Anyhow I intend to hold for a couple of years - in the meantime paying about 4% dividends.

Now wondering about a posh but not ridiculous wallpaper and paint manufacturer and an investment trust focussed on the financial sector esp banks. Global but excluding Japan. And thinking of more or another tracker as cheap way to spread risk and get pretty good results. Market willing of course.

Also a bombed out airline share that I reckon is past the worst, is actually pretty good and actually has a sound business proposition in view of the horrors at Frankfurt am Main and CDG.

[Coligny]

Who do you use for trading ?
I'm still baffled by interactive brokers interface...

[Wage Slave]

I know what you mean. I'm not sure the one I use is any easier, but I have more or less got my head around it now. I'll send the name via PM if that's OK.

Edit: I can't PM you - It's blocked.

[Coligny]

I know what you mean. I'm not sure the one I use is any easier, but I have more or less got my head around it now. I'll send the name via PM if that's OK.

Edit: I can't PM you - It's blocked.

Sorry... Pm function was disabled, should be good now...

[Wage Slave]

Oooh. Maybe there is method in my madness. The cancer treating proton beam company is up over 100% and the cacao plantation 50%.

Aloha Snackbar!

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[Coligny]

Aloha snackbar

Aloha snackbar

Aloha snackbar

Meanwhile mah french bank account internet acces is locked after they made me change the password and I can't be bothered to call them to fix this crap.

[Coligny]

Interactive brokers seems to have improved their acces policy, full interface acces with 15 min data delay for free for training purpose.

[Wage Slave]

Have fun. You were right (so far) by the way about buying at the bottom of that little China crisis. Up by almost 15%.

Aloha Snackbar!

But UK shares still down quite a bit. I'm no active trader anyway - Long and steady is best as the actress said to the bishop.