Chocolate and Cola Cake with Cola Float

Suntech Power Holdings - Ready to bounce?

I thought lighting had wiped out my internet connection but a restart sorted the problem.

I am happy to report a second good day despite the pullback in the markets. It is mainly the precious metals that have generated profits today.

But so did those shares that I bought using bottom fishing selection criteria. Today's chart looks at the best performer: STP. I bought it on Friday and lost a little money. Then it surged yesterday. Today it gave me the heebee jeebees by running up and down. It could still fade before the day is out, but at present I am sitting on 16% profit. Since Friday! The others have not done so well and EK is losing me money. But I buy on the principle that you spread your risk across a number of shares and you don't attempt to cherry pick.

STP is a share that came up when looking for shares that had a reasonable fundamental value but had  dramatically fallen in price. In the big August fall, the price had been beaten down to a quarter of its previous value. By the time I bought it on Friday it had already started to recover and had risen by 20% in a fortnight. So it was a reasonable bet as long as it was in amongst other shares with the same sort of characteristics.

I am not kidding myself that this is a one way bet. The tricky bit will be persuading myself to take profits before there is a turn in fortunes. For now its fingers crossed time.

Was taken yesterday to a favourite local pub which has been awarded the Good Pub Guide dining pub of the year award and very well deserved too. It is the Potting Shed in Crudwell. Had beautifully gamy wild boar and plum burgers with triple cooked chips. Followed by a divine chocolate and cola cake. So soft and light it wasn't true. Accompanied by a true blast from the past: a cola float (ice cream floating in CocaCola). This is how to live.