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Investing Unplugged
Secrets from the Inside
Alpesh B. Patel
“Alpesh gives you a rare glimpse into his financial world and explains the key
rules to investment the professionals don’t want you to learn! Very readable and
packed full of good advice for all levels of investor.” – Simon Campbell,
Managing Director, The Information Exchange (International Private Investment
Conference Company)
“With the media playing an increasingly important role in investment decision-
making, find out how one of the UK’s best known traders and broadcasters uses
the wealth of information out there.” – Michael Foulkes, President and Chief
Executive, TD Waterhouse Europe
“Alpesh’s ability to communicate in an entertaining and thought-provoking way
makes this a must-read for anyone interested in the financial markets; from
novice to professional.” – Clem Chambers, CEO, ADVFN.com
“Alpesh’s proven track record speaks for itself. Learning from him will help
ordinary people match the results of market professionals.” – Clive Cooke,
CEO, City Index (part of ICAPone of the world’s largest bond dealers)
“Once again Alpesh Patel produces an outstanding guide that will capture the
attention of beginners and professional investors alike.” – Robin Houldsworth,
CEO, Tradition (one of Europe’s largest brokers)
“Alpesh shares his valuable insight into the financial media industry – what news
really means and how to profit from it. I wish that I had read this book years
ago.” – Paul Basham, MD, Sharescope (major stockmarket data provider)
“Alpesh’s great book from the backstage of the world of investment helps us to
trade on wiser grounds.” – Michele Raris, former Chief Executive Officer
IMIWeb (fastest growing broker in 2001, 2002 & 2003)
“Afascinating, insightful look at improving your investment returns from a
knowledgeable professional.” – David Bearman, CEO, Eden Group Plc
(leading City stockbrokers)
“Afascinating inside view on the secrets of the investment world.” – John
Spooner, CEO, Quester Venture Capital Trusts managing $400m
“Investing Unpluggeddoes a masterful job of blending the theoretical and the
practical. It’s an insight with many implications and it offers a set of useful tools
to make better decisions and thereby create wealth.” – Sonjoy Chatterjee, CEO
ICICI Bank UK Limited
“Patel does it again – condenses and simplifies the world of investing into an
easy-to-understand, indispensable handbook.” – James Bateman, Head of
Marketing, ODLSecurities
“Busy people like me do not get the time to manage investments – so we pay
‘professionals’. Eventually, having got fed up with getting angry every time a
valuation statement arrives, we get around to taking control. If prior to reading
this book you were thinking of taking control of your own finances, by the end
of Chapter 1 you will be convinced of the need to make that move.” – Kevin
Ashby,CEO Patsystems
“Insightful and challenging, Investing Unplugged looks at what’s under the
gloss of financial news and how financial reporting influences the investment
process.” – Max Butti, euronext.LIFFE (world’s second largest derivatives
exchange)
“One of the few books I have seen that genuinely attempts andsucceeds in
giving the tools to convert a private investor in to a professional investor for
today’s ‘Holy Grail’obsessed market.” – Dan Moczulski, IG Index
“Revealing insights are peppered throughout this book, illustrated with real
anecdotes, laced with alarming irony and brought to our attention in a typically
humorous manner … the truth is truly disturbing and you want to read it here!” –
Guy Cohen, CEO, InvestorEasy
“When Alpesh speaks, investors should listen. As both an active investor and
former journalist, I know this book offers a unique experience and view to the
art of trading.” – Andy Yates, Director of leading financial website
DigitalLook.com
“Alpesh’s track record speaks for itself. This book offers incisive, thought-
provoking reading for all active investors, whether they be short or long-term
traders.” – Chris Cole, Technical Editor, Company REFS
“Takes a no-holds-barred approach to uncovering stock market secrets, and
searches for the truth that most financial TVcoverage keeps well hidden … a
brave guide that will help any stock market investor navigate the muddy waters
of financial reporting – a sort of Columbo meets Warren Buffet.” – Polly
Fergusson,Shares Magazine
“Full of useful insights for private investors, particularly on risk, Alpesh blends
his wealth of experience with that of real market experts.” – Neil Jamieson,
condirect
I N V E S T I N G
Unplugged
Secrets from the Inside
ALPESH B. PATEL
© Alpesh Patel Ventures Limited 2005
All rights reserved.No reproduction,copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced,copied or transmitted
save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright,Designs and Patents Act 1988,or under the terms of any licence
permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency,90
Tottenham Court Road,London W1T 4LP.
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work
in accordance with the Copyright,Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published 2005 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
Houndmills,Basingstoke,Hampshire RG21 6XS and
175 Fifth Avenue,New York,N.Y.10010
Companies and representatives throughout the world
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave
Macmillan division of St.Martin’s Press,LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States,United Kingdom
and other countries.Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European
Union and other countries.
ISBN 13:978 1–4039–4620–1
ISBN 10:1–4039–4620–5
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully
managed and sustained forest sources.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
14 13 12 01 10 09 08 07 06 05
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
Creative Print & Design (Wales),Ebbw Vale
For my niece Chandni,
born the year I completed this book
From your “favorite uncle”!
Because thou art dearly loved by Me,
I will relate what is beneficial to thee.
Bhagavad Gita:Chapter XVIII, Verse 64
For a complimentary multi-media audio-visual “Investing Better” CD-ROM
for all purchasers of this book please email [email protected] with
your name and address and quoting Investing Unplugged.
The CD-ROM educates readers about top investment mistakes, investment
strategies, money and risk management techniques and much more. It is
narrated by Alpesh Patel and leads you step-by-step through his trading
techniques.
The book’s website is located at www.investingunplugged.com
C
ONTENTS
List of figures xi
List of tables xii
About the author xiii
Acknowledgements xiv
Introduction 1
Why? 2
Subject 3
Market 4
Chapter 1 Why we can’t tell you what Buffett and Soros
know and what will make you money 5
Fund managers can’t keep it up 5
Some useful quotes about fund managers 7
Consistencyof performance – what consistency? 9
It’s not about the stocks you pick 13
But I didn’t say that … 15
The Bloomberg way – “What’s your buy and sell?” 21
What the presenter does not know 22
Don’t shoot the messenger … or the message 23
When the tables are turned 23
So what are you supposed to do? 24
General news 25
Types of news 26
Where to look 26
Should I listen to the commentary? 27
Starting with news to research individual companies 27
The story 28
How to scan newsflow 29
Are they all bad on TV? 32
But do we report share price moves or make them? 32
Conclusion:what you don’t know about great investing 35
Notes 36
Chapter 2 Why the programs for private investors are kept
different to programs for the professional viewer 37
This is why the media stops you investing like a professional 37
Profiting from profits warnings 42
Asking directors the right questions 43
Enter the analyst 45
Psychological investment biases (or why your mind messes
up your investments) 47
vii
Contents
viii
Bernard Oppetit and risk aversion 47
Risk advice from Pat Arbor 51
Risk aversion:risk not thine whole wad 53
Perceptions of trading risks 54
The equation using other people’s funds 56
Common investor problems 61
Active trader tools 63
Value stock engines 63
Portfolio tools 64
Finding stock pickers 64
Mechanical buy and sell signals 65
Other investing problems and solutions you will not find in the
financial press 68
Too many stocks 70
It’s a business 73
Can private investors do it? 74
Trading around earnings:profits and protection 76
Is the rally for real? 78
Weare always telling you to buy 80
Notes 82
Chapter 3 Shhh … We produce programming and papers which get
sponsors and advertisers – Oops! 84
The media is stock crazy 84
The media is stock crazy – but the journalists are just crazy! 88
What kind of a trader am I? 89
Reactive not predictive 90
Trading plan – what you never learn on TV or in the press 90
DIY trading strategy 93
Journal keeping 96
Seven traders 97
How much risk can you tolerate? 97
A questionnaire onrisk tolerance 98
How to manage risk 101
How good financial products get no exposure 102
Stock futures 103
Comparison to other financial products 107
Exchange traded funds 107
Note 110
Chapter 4 What does not sell advertising so you will not see it:
money management 111
Risk and money management (what risk really means and
how professionals reduce it) 111
Why manage risks 112
Definition of risk 115
Risk and time 115
What is money management? 116
How much should I place on any one trade? 123
How much money to place on any one trade II 124
Kelly’s formula for bet size 125
