I can honestly say this has been my finest week as a trader so far. Not so much for the money I've made but for the fun I've had, watching the e-mail alerts flying in, the stop-loss and sell orders execute with automated precision and, when required, making some swift and decisive decisions of my own. It's been quite a rush.
It started like this: last week, I pulled out of all insurance stocks bar two - Prudential and Aviva. The Pru had not exactly been a star, but it had held its own and, under my new policy, any stock earning its keep gets to stay on board provided it doesn't fall below a pre-determined level.
The level I set for the Pru was 620 pence, which it hit mid-week and, courtesy of my robotic Share Centre executioner, it was out the door, with not so much as a by-your-leave.
Admittedly, this was not exactly a triumph on my part. I had bought in at 623p, so I took a fractional loss, but the stop-loss had done what it says on the tin: it stopped any further loss. That said, within a few days I noticed that the price had risen again, to 624p, but I guess that's life in the stop-loss trenches.
The next order of business was Aviva, now my one remaining insurance stock. This was a fumble on a larger scale, although my excuse is that the price was sinking while I was still coming to grips with the whole stop-loss business.
About two weeks ago, Aviva cost me 424p; when I finally woke up to the fact that not only was it leaking gas like a cheap party balloon but I had also failed to deploy a safety net, it had deflated to 402.9p, whereupon I got rid of it.
These two sell-offs had left me with more than £8,000 (Dh47,225) cash in hand and the first order of business had to be planting that seed corn back in the ground - and it was clear where. BG, the former British Gas, has been the best performer among my new stocks, rising steadily from my buy-in point of 1,197.5p. Amid a flurry of trading in the real world - trackable via my Share Centre practice account - and a chorus of aggregated brokers shouting "Buy!", I piled in a further £8,200 at 1,246.5p a share.
And then, when another of my stop-losses was suddenly triggered, I unexpectedly found myself with yet more loose cash on my hands. A week ago, I had taken a handful of British Land at 510p; this time I had set the trap ruthlessly at the same price. If it touched it within my trading week, it was gone. And so it came to pass; no gain, but no loss: a perfectly executed strategy, in other words. I think this means I am learning.
I ploughed the £1,990 I harvested from the sale straight into BG.
This had left me with just three stocks, all of which were now fenced about with various sell orders. For BG - now a considerable holding of 984 shares, worth in the region of £12,240 - I set the line at 1,238p, profitably above the 1,197.5p I had first paid.
But, as the price rose, I raised the sell floor to 1,240p. To give the price room to grow, without prematurely bailing and potentially missing out on bigger profits, it also made sense to raise the ceiling, too: now a sale would not be triggered until the price hit 1,255p.
I was about to tell you what precautions I had taken with First Quantum Minerals but, even as I write, the market has moved and - voom; it's gone from my portfolio, launched by a draconian stop-loss sell. And before I look at the whys and wherefores, I must do something with the extra £1,900 I now have to play with.
I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable now I am down to just two stocks again, so I go looking for a third. Out of habit, I glance at the Pru - and guess what? Since I sold, it's continued to rise, improving from the 620p at which I had sold to 628p. Shares aren't like relationships. Pride doesn't come into it. When it's all over between you, you can start again whenever you feel like it, and so I do, at 628p a share.
So back to First Quantum. The bottom line is that I bought for 5,443p and sold on an automated stop-loss at 5,421p. Dumb. Why? Looking back to when I knew less - as far back as last week - I realise that in my caution I was setting the sell point too low, settling for the risk of slight losses in the hope that any minor slump would immediately be followed by a gain.
It could be - the Pru proved that - but the key to this whole business is not to take any chances and always, always, always to set stop-loss sells at a level that makes you some money, no matter how little. Selling at a loss - and especially teeing yourself up to guarantee you will sell at a loss - is a mug's game.
And talking of mug's games, I take a minute out to fix a new safety net under the Pru: it has already crept up a fraction, to 628.5p, and so I tighten the net to 628p - and if the price shifts higher I will raise the sell line higher as well. Currently, a sell will be triggered if the price hits a high of 640p.
Which brings my to my final holding, the minerals multinational BHP Billiton, which I bought into at 2,237.5p. This has been doing solidly, making its way steadily upwards to 2,275p. And, as the price rises, so it is necessary to adjust the defences upwards as well - it will now sell if it reaches (an admittedly ambitious) 2,300p, or if it slumps back to 2,270p - in either case, a profit of more than 30p a share.
Now that's the way to do it. I think I'm getting the hang of this. Have I made any money? Well, yes, kind of. It was a lot of running about for £56.28, granted, but I have some valuable lessons - chief among them is that a day trader has to have the time to keep his eye on the ball.
jgornall@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.4-litre%2C%20twin-turbo%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeight-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E617hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E750Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh630%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
RESULTS
Men – semi-finals
57kg – Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) beat Phuong Xuan Nguyen (VIE) 29-28; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) by points 30-27.
67kg – Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Huong The Nguyen (VIE) by points 30-27; Narin Wonglakhon (THA) v Mojtaba Taravati Aram (IRI) by points 29-28.
60kg – Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Amir Hosein Kaviani (IRI) 30-27; Long Doan Nguyen (VIE) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 29-28
63.5kg – Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Truong Cao Phat (VIE) 30-27; Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Norapat Khundam (THA) RSC round 3.
71kg – Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ) beat Fawzi Baltagi (LBN) 30-27; Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Man Kongsib (THA) 29-28
81kg – Ilyass Hbibali (UAE) beat Alexandr Tsarikov (KAZ) 29-28; Khaled Tarraf (LBN) beat Mustafa Al Tekreeti (IRQ) 30-27
86kg – Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Mohammed Al Qahtani (KSA) RSC round 1; Emil Umayev (KAZ) beat Ahmad Bahman (UAE) TKO round
The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
