Let junk mail be your guide

After many years when my junk mail regularly included invitations to invest in property and become a property millionaire (strange how property millionaires are so willing take time out to give seminar talks to those who've not yet managed it?), these have now ceased, but been replaced by exhortations to invest in various commodity funds. Apparently retail investors have gone heavily into commodities/resources in the winter months of 2007/8. Well, I've reduced my allocations to these sectors because .....

A Turbulent Month

June 2007, never to be forgotten for its wet and stormy weather here in Birmingham. Rather a lot of stock market volatility, but because of a decision to do quite a bit of decorating - for the first time in 20 years - I've been too busy to clock up my ups and downs. But 30 June marked the half-way stage of the year and, although my June performance was lack-lustre, the half-year outcome is OK: up 10.4% whilst FTSE100 up 7.2% and FTSESmall up 4.2%.

Lately, I've been buying into mortgage bank, Northern Rock, builder, Bellway, and property agents/consultancy, DTZ as property-related stocks have fallen sharply. Also picked up fallers, Tate&Lyle and AstraZeneca. Have sold off quite a lot of oil explorers, Soco, some Dana, and some BP. Oils and mining stocks, where I'm over-represented have been doing well.