cooljoe:

Lets wait and see .

Sentiments dont win matches, sir.

Has David Nalbandian finally gotten his groove?

Three reasons why I believe Nalbandian is the player to beat in 2008:
1).The ferocity and consistency(not necessarily the smoothness or artistry)of his back hand is arguably unparalleled in the circuit for now.

2).His serves are very consistent and dangerous, and

3)He has finally won the battle against mental toughness.Thanks to his new coach,for all these.Even Federer confirmed these facts after his two losses to David at the tail end of 2007

Some say his good run in Madrid and Paris this yr is because he was the freshest player around then,not having played many matches in the yr due to injury.I disagree cos Federer went on thereafter,to win the Masters' cup.So where was his "tiredness',if that excuse was tenable?

Others say he is incapable of maintaining all yr round consistency judging by his previous history.I agree partially to that.He appears to have taken final care of his injuries,for he was away for about 6 months in 2007.

Overall,I think his recent improvements in the above stated departments of the game,coupled with his experience,will stand him in good stead for 2008 major titles.

@poster,
Of course football,not being mathematics.Arsenal will always stand a chance against AC Milan.All Milan needs,for instance,is to have one red card or one vital player injured and the game will be over,won and lost.

However,on paper,AC Milan is not only superior to the gunners but are indeed,the best team in the world,currently.Even before they won the Champions' league 2007 and the world club championships 2007,I had said this to all that cared to listen.Why is that so? They are simply the most balanced team on earth,for now.They have absolutely no weaknesses in any department of the game.They are solid in attack,midfield,and defence.They have so much skill that they allow the ball "run" for them.They just move into position and "kill".

They could lose a match or two here and there(like their recent loss to nemesis and "brother" Inter Milan in the Serie A),but that takes nothing away from them.They still remain hot favourites to retain the champions' league title in 2008.

Londoncool, I 'm not campaigning for CC but I think people should be objective in what they say. Most people only write on hearsay and not on fact. Give a trial and if you are not satisfied then you go elsewhere.



[quote][/quote]

I don't think this is campaign.I think you are saying the simple truth.I use Cashcraft myself and so far,I find them reliable.Also,their website is one of the best in stockbroking.Virtually every information and analyses mentioned on this thread can be found on their website if one is patient enough to search.

However,I believe the trade alert is a good addition to any deal with any stockbroker.I notice,for instance,that when I ask the SB to sell,they sell at the lowest price for that day and when I ask them to buy,they buy at the highest price for the day.This has happened so consistently that I am beginning to raise an eyebrow.Does anyone have same experience with me?

@Balogun,
Thanks for this offer to serve as our in-house doctor.I am sure many of us will gain from your experience.

My questions;
1. In which country do you practice?

2. What's your opinion about the use of Wolfe grafts for re-surfacing releases in post burns dorsal contractures of the hand,as opposed to say the groin flap,seeing that with the flap in place,post op physiotherapy will be near impossible?But with the Wolfe graft and K-wires to hold the releases at the MP joints,physio can still be done.This subject has been controversial amongst my circle of friends.I will appreciate your expert opinion.

Once again,many thanks.

@blablabla,
I beg to disagree with the results of this study for two reasons:

1. The brokerage fees is nothing to write home about when compared with the gains of sound advise from an HONEST stockbroker.Experienced investors will confirm this.

2. Secondly,while "Buy and hold" is OK for some stocks(take the petroleum stocks in Nigeria,most of whom have relatively low share capital) and for younger investors(who have 20 years to wait),it certainly isn't ok for some very unstable stocks.Such stocks you must enter and exit them in a timely/strategic fashion.Make your gains and invest elsewhere or re-enter them when they are bearish.

Having said that,I still re-iterate here the dictum "NEVER INVEST IN THE STOCK MARKET,ANY MONEY YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE".I believe in it.

As always,I stand to be corrected.

@oawale,
I looked at your spreadsheet on RSI and understood nothing.Could you tell me what RSI stands for?

Thanks

pumping777:

This is true for a short term trader and sure many folks here including myself try short term trading. If you don't sell today, the spreadsheet money may be lost in a few days. So wether it is 10% or 15% net short term, you cash out and smile to the bank.

However, for someone looking at say 6 months or even well above, this is not really an issue. Even though stock prices go up and down on a daily basis many of them will be heading in a particular direction long term. This is where buying a fundamentally sound stock comes in.

Consider the trader that has done multiple short trades with Zenith Bank in the last 2 years and made a lot of money. Maybe he/she buys today and sells in a month or even a week once a particular net profit is realizable.

On the other hand, consider the investor that bought the same stock 2 years ago and is still holding it today. He/she will also make a lot of money if he/she decides to sell now. So, despite the up and down movement of the stock price short term over the 2 years, the long term trend has been for the stock price to rise to it's current price. A fluctuation in price will not now bring it back to the price 2 years ago except something fundamentally goes wrong with the company or the NSE.

This is where good fundamentals come to play. If you buy a stock with solid fundamentals, over the long term, you are likely to make good returns. The daily or weekly up and down movements are not an issue.

So, depending on if you are a trader or investor or even both, you have to choose your strategy.

N.B. This your name na wa o. I fear you for this thread already

Thanks pumping 777.
I agree with your comments.Actually I wasn't referring to the daily up and down movts of stock prices.I meant the sudden,out of the blues bullish run of a particular equity,often times out of tandem with equities in the same sector.I am referring to the fact that a few big players in the game stir up a politically engineered bullish run in a particular equity designed to make demand oustrip supply.They cash in on the consequent price hike and offload quickly before the hoax is unveiled.

Generally,I think it's best to divide one's portfolio into Speculative stocks and Investing stocks.Keep trading on the speculative stocks and use the proceeds,if any, to fatten the investing long term stocks.I stand to be corrected.But you see,I had bought AP(@N39) as an investing stock,based on fundamentals,but couldn't resist the temptation to sell when it got to N148.I mean, the profit was incredible,if you get me.I think this will far outweigh whatever they plan to give as dividend or bonuses at year end.Besides,who says I cant re-enter the equity when the craze is over.I believe,as it stands now,AP is over priced.Once again,I stand to be corrected.

Much as stock trading is lucrative,I think is basically a game.Better players make more money than others.Unwary ones lose fortunes.That's why I agree with the one who said,never invest any money you cannot afford to lose in the stock market.

Folks,
I cant believe how long I am able to sit up reading your very informative posts on this thread.As the bible teaches us : "Where your treasure is,there will your heart be".I can understand why many responders are dutiful and passionate about this particular thread.

Reading through the pages has helped answer some of the questions that have bogged my mind about this "game" of investing in NSE.I wish to thank,particularly, hispy99 and easimoni for answering my questions.

The many website links attached to the responders' posts have been very educative.I thank you all.Very soon I should be contributing in like manner,as I have the gift of ability to learn fast.

My coments/questions on some of the issues raised:
1. Trade Alert.Knowing that Stock brokers are likely to frown at this ingenius introduction to NSE packages,why have they made it mandatory that one's stockbroker should be privy to it.Afterall,it's supposed to be a means of checking their excesses,if any.

2. I strongly believe that more often than not,stock bullish runs are based on sentiments and propaganda rather than company fundamentals and technicals.Therefore one needs to be very careful in transacting on such stocks.The danger is,if you dont enter and exit early with yor gains,it may all come crahing on you when the bullish run reverses.

3. @easimoni,I couldnt agree more with you on how fast this thread runs! Not too sure I can keep up with the pace.I posted my contribution in the wee hrs of today and I am shocked that less than 24hrs later,5 pages have been added to the thread.I will try though,to stick around.

4. You gurus in the house,expect more questions from me.

Many thanks and you wish you all a great Sallah and Xmas celebrations,as I intend to have.My Xmas joy was assured by my AP "kill".Entered at N39/share and offloaded recently at N148/share.Made cool bread.So I await Xmas with smiles.Wish you all similar fortunes.

@ALL

When is the GTB year end?

@ALL
I am relatively new to this thread and I must say I am very impressed with the depth of knowledge most of you have displayed in financial and biz matters.Keep it up.I think I have found a place to gel for a while,if not permanently.This thread is far detached from most other threads in other sectors of this website,where I have seen people post thrash.

Having said that,I want to thank Wendywendy for the DG's speech she attached.I have perused through it also.Looks good and promising.However,I have a few questions to ask,and I welcome answers from all.

1. What does she mean by NSE All-share index?

2. Why is there a disparity between the number of listed COMPANIES and SECURITIES.I thought the two are used interchangeably.

3. Finally,and this is unrelated to her speech,can anyone postulate some reasons for the recent bullish run of AP?.It seems to me to be political rather than based on real, on the ground, solid improvement in the company's services.I stand to be corrected.

@Kattrina,
I live at Ogba myself,on LSDPC Estate,Ijaiye Rd(Ask your man to confirm this place).I can tell you categorically,that married and single women wear trousers and jeans freely in this part of Nigeria.


@Simibrazil,
It is true that some parts of Igboland practice that culture.If he comes from such a place,too bad.You can marry him only out of rebellion and I dont think that's too good as you may wish to relate with your in-laws after marriage.

All the best to you both.

@Kattrina,
Tell me which part of Naija your fiance comes from and I will tell you what obtains there.I have lived in Nigeria for the past four decades.

@Simibrazil,
You too,tell me where your man comes from and I will brief you.However, it is true that some traditions insist the first born male must marry from there kind.That means the man cannot even marry other Nigerian women who dont come from their tribe.

@POSTER

I agree intoto with cool4ny.

A man who loves his wife should be prepared to make excuses for her and DEFEND her,no matter what.At least,until she is comfortable with a particular act.He must never allow her to be embarrassed simply because she doesnt unders tand a custom.And same goes with the wife.Both must be prepared to stick close to one another and defend yourselves from those who might want to cash in on your spouse's ignorance of cultural practices.

So indeed the key thing is to study the individual you want to marry and be sure that he/she is prepare to protect and shield you at all times.That's all you need and all will be fine.You can then quietly study the culture from the practices of other couples you observe and learn at YOUR OWN PACE.

Best wishes.

@kattrina,
I am not aware of any culture in Nigeria where they frown at women wearing trousers.People only frown at it for religious reasons and not cultural.I am not saying your fiance is telling lies please.So dont quote me.All I am saying is,when you come to Nigeria,observe what the other wives do and then ask your fiance relevant questions.If you see other wives freely wearing trousers then ask him why not you?

All the best.

Of course it.s clear that it will be ungentlemanly for Fed to beat Pete 3-0 in the exhibition matches.I guess that's why he took his foot off the pedal a bit inorder to allow Sampras win one out of three.Not bad I suppose.

Sampras has confessed that Fed is a very great player and that he can do things he(Sampras) could not do in his hey days.

Fed will surely get to 15 Grandslams.Except of course,he is injured.

@doyin13,
Someone told me recently that until Federer wins the French,he cant be the GOAT.Another said,even if he wins the French,he still needs to win the SLAM,that is,all 4 majors in one calender yr to become the GOAT.

Interesting.

It would seem the criteria for being the greatest varies from person to person.But people forget that Federer has set so many other breathtaking records that other greats before him never smelt.Even those who won the SLAM,only manage perhaps one grand slam the subsequent year.Personally,if achievements in tennis were to be scored on points,Federer who has won three majors back to back for three years will score far more points than one who has won all 4,but in a scattered fashion.

Everybody knows that Federer is not only good enough to lift the Roland Garros title,but he actually has a better clay court play than some of those who won it in the past.Bad timing has placed a certain Nadal on his path to obstruct him.But I tell you,it's only a matter of time b4 the Nadal challenge on clay collapses.

As for Nalbandian,technically he posseses the skills to win anything.Unfortunately,time/age is not on his side.So even if he starts his majors collection now,he wont collect enough to place anywhere near the GOAT,b4 he bows to mother nature.

"He's not just number one, he's the best in history," Ferrer said of Federer before flying off for a well-deserved holiday. "He has 12 Grand Slams and I'm sure he'll get the record (14). I was never comfortable on the court. I don't return badly but when Federer serves on line, I can't do anything. He can do it all. He serves very well, he has a very good forehand and backhand. He has no weak points."

He who feels, it knows it.Having dispatched the very world's best at the just concluded Masters' cup,David Ferrer is,perhaps,in the best position to prophesy on Fed's future!!

Once again,the tennis season has basically come to an end."Federer express" has dominated it again,this time,in bigger style.He has broken his own record of highest total yr earnings ever,From 7.2m USD in 2006 to over 10m in 2007.

"Shhhhh.Genius at work" banner carried by the Swiss fans at Shanghai summarizes it all.As they say,Federer is a great king just waiting to be crowned.For those doubting Thomases about Fed's chances of being the GOAT in tennis,they should begin to soft pedal now,cos there is nothing on ground to suggest that Fed's foot will be off the pedal in 2008.Except of course he marries and begins to raise kids.Early marriage seems not to go very well with ATP tennis(Remember Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt who were torn down from their exalted positions by the distractions of matrimony.

I see nothing stopping Fed from getting 2 more grand slams next yr to match Pete's records of having the highest num of grand slams.If luck is on his side,he may even pick up the French,who knows.

I always salute excellence when I see it.Fed deserves salutaion.WELL DONE.

@doyin 13,
If his girlfriend is fineeeee,need you ask again why he has been such an under achiever? Remember Agassi and Brooke Shields? Perhaps he has dumped her now to face tennis.Who knows.

I also just read your comments on Berdych's superiority over David.Well I guess they are your opinion.But I hope you read my recent post on Fed's opinion about Nalbandian's backhand.He who feels it,knows it!!

@davidylan,
Good observation,but I can tell you,even on clay,Nalbandian will beat Nadal unless he does something about his serves and of course tries playing deep and mixing the shots to de-stabilize David.But's its going to be pretty tough.These South Americans are never say dies.

@doyin 13,
Re: "Berdych I still think, given more mental strength, is no 1 material. Has all the tools anyway,
more than Nalbandian as Octopus thinks"

Since Tomas Berdych autographed my Slazenger tennis ball at the Wimbledon this year,he has been my man(I watched him (life )destroy Lee,the Asian Number 1).I love the way he plays and how relaxed he seems to be in the court.Sometimes,he is caught actually smiling and enjoying the game.He is a great player.He is young and I hope he makes top 3 in the ATP.Despite my love for him,I beg to disagree with you that he has more tools than Nalbandian.Nothing can be further than the truth.If I may ask,in what department does he have more tools than David? I cant think of any.

Well,well,well.Ha,ha,ha.

Dear friends,
I have been away for a while.Just got back to read all your comments.Interesting.

Hear the masters themselves comment on Nalbandian:

Fed,after his loss to David in the Paris masters: "It's not easy being aggressive against him when you're 3 meters (10 feet) behind the baseline.He's got a phenomenal backhand and can dictate play from both sides"

Nadal,after his loss today to David:"He played better than me," Nadal said. "You have to congratulate him. I could not play at my best."

Every time a player is beaten and he makes statements like "I could not play at my best", I laugh. The reason I laugh is that you do not need a soothsayer to tell you that when the opposition is tough,no one plays at his best!!

David Nalbandian has a game that Nadal is unlikely to be able to decode,at least for now.Nadal can never beat Nalbandian(in good shape)if he does not drastically change his game.He should forget about topspins with Nalbandian because its mince meat for David's backhand.Goodness!! He lashes out at Nadal's topspins(including serves) with so much ease and ferocity,that poor Nadal cant help but be embarrased.His topspins dont hurt David at all,because of the way he(David) plays.

I am surprised davidylan is asking who Nalbandian is.I told you before,he is the best player,currently in the ATP, never to have won a grand slam.I have followed him for long.He has always had the requisite skills,but he has always lost big games because of lack of mental toughness.Every player who's been long enough in the circuit knows this fact.Now,Nalbandian,after six months of nursing back injuries this year,has changed his coach and things are happening.First,his serves have become incredible,even for Fed.Second,his backhand has become so sharp,fast and deadly that even Nadal chases after them like a pregnant woman.(Many times he is forced to stop short in his tracks because he ajudges the balls unreachable).Having been thoroughly thrashed two times in a space of weeks,Nadal knows he has a huge challenge in David Nalbandian!!.Thirdly,and most importantly,his mental toughness has increased.

Now,all the 8 players for Shanghai have qualified.Interestingly,David Nalbandian is again the first alternate player,just as he was when he won the masters in 2005.Is history about to repeat itself? If Andy is unable to recover and Nalbandian takes his place,your guess is as good as mine who wins the masters cup 2007.

If Nalbandian is unable to sustain his form in the coming season it will be either because of recurring injuries or of course because he maybe up against much younger talents,especially as someone pointed out, when he probably has to do 5 setters in the slams, I believe every player has his time.And this is Nalbandian's time.He's got the skills and experience to pick up a few grand slams b4 he calls it quits.Again,I wish him all the best.

@spoilt,
Does she have to ask for our opinion on whther she is right or wrong b4 u can counsel her out of her confusion?

Your comment is simplistic and reminds me of the madman from one Igbo village who said to a crowd gathered nearby "I know what I am doing,its what is doing me that I cant understand" If you are not Igbo,ask any Igbo friend to interprete this statement literallily for u,in Igbo language.Does the fact that the madman says he knows what he is doing confirm that it is so? Of course,the answer is capital NO!! So u can extrapolate this e.g to the case on ground.

Mark u,I havent said the poser is mad pls.I am only saying that help should be rendered where necessary,whether solicited for or not.

Here comes Nigerians again and their hypocrisy.90%(CONSERVATIVE FIGURE) of those ladies calling this woman a home wrecker,husband snatcher etc,have slept with married men at one time or the other, in their lives.I can swear to that.

Rather than calling names I think people should just give their honest advise to help a troubled lady out of her troubles.The things of love and lust are not planned.If you are experienced enough,u will agree with me.So, I think this woman needs prayers and constructive counsel to deliver her.

@PDF,
I have been away myself for sometime.Just came back to town.

Its a confidence booster for Fed to win at Basel.He needs it for Paris and Shangai.This is is 7th title of the season.

Also Andy Murray beat Verdasco today to win the St Petersberg in Russia,brightening his chances of qualifying for Shangai.Talking about Shanghai,below is a an excerpt from a website on how thwy stand to date:

"Murray is 11th in the Champions Race with 326 points, three behind No. 8 Tommy Haas, who is followed by Tommy Robredo (328 points) and James Blake (327).

Fernando Gonzalez has 380 points to be seventh. Four more players are still in contention -- Tomas Berdych (322), Richard Gasquet (321), Carlos Moya (316) and Ivan Ljubicic (315).

Six players have already qualified for the event. The two spots left will be decided at the Paris Masters."

I think winning a masters event like the Paris masters confers a player with 100 points.So,if any of the players in contention wins in Paris,he automatically qualifies.Actually,how well they do in Paris determines who goes.It is pretty open.

I am referring to the Lyon tournament where Andy Roddick is seeded num 1.

Also Roddick(Num 1 seed) losing to an aged player like Fabrice Santoro in the first round suggests he has not recovered fully from his knee injuries.I think he needs to lay off completely and hope he will recover well enough not to be the whipping boy at Shangai.

@PDF,
I should have accepted ur excuse for Nalbandian but for the fact that he is career 0-4 against Wawrinka,the player who beat him in Basel! Here again, is another interesting phenomenom in tennis.Great guys with too many lesser guys who have their numbers.I think this can be the undoing of many potential achievers.

Honestly,Nalbandian does not need this loss,considering that he is struggling to make Shangai.It's obviously a huge disappointment and a shame for him.

Feadaerer will be naive not to expect that Nalbandian could beat him,even though he is currently ranked 25 in the world.Afterall they are now 8-7 head to head.Dont forget Nalbandian was at one time 5-0 against Fed!!

As I said before,Nalbandian's position now is deceptive.Its only a reflection of his mental frustration at not winning the majors and not a reflection of his tennis skills.Tell me what strategy Nadal can ever adopt to lick David.Its going to be pretty tough for him to do that.So with Djoko too.They will have to improve well beyond their game now to thrash Nalbandian in top form.For starters,Nadal will have to come up with a better serve,fast and away from the reach of David's backhand.Well it promises to be interesting.I think David has just joined the party bw Fed,Nadal and Djoko.The more,the merrier.

As for the female tennis,Henin is just enjoying herself cos the opposition is weak for now.The WTA is littered with very young but inexperienced talents.For instance Golovin lost to Henin at the Zurich finals due to share inexperience.But pretty soon Henin will be dethroned,never to rise again,cos she is not getting any younger.Despite her sweet backhand prowress and quick feet,she's never ever going to approach records set by Steffi and Navatilova.But I give her kudos for giving it her best,albeit,sometimes,on the altar of cheating-remember her insincerety in her match against Serena at the French open,I think 2 or 3 yrs ago?

@PDF,
Actually I dont see anything "miraculous" about David's comeback.He is just claiming his rightful place.

After the finals,Fed confessed that he wanted to play aggressively against David but couldn't.He claimed he 'did not play his best'.This expression always comes up whenever there is an upset,I notice.The truth is that he played his best,but was just up against a player who gave him no room to express himself.

I wish David all the best.I hope he goes into the coming season playing as good as he had displayed this last one week.And I hope he picks up at least one grand slam next yr.He deserves it.

Federer should compensate himself by working hard to pick up the Master's cup in Shanghai.As for the Paris masters,I wont be surprised if David picks wins it.You never can tell.

@Dvidylan,
No way! Even though I believe Fed will win tomorrow's final,it wont be an easy task.Even Fed knows it.Nalbandian has beaten him many times before,so he knows who he is up against.He has to be at his very best to escape a defeat from a rejuvenated Nalbandian.

Talking about rejuvenation.Nalbandian,actually has no biz being ranked outside the top 4 players in the circuit.To me,he is the best player never to have won a grand slam.I have always admired him over the years for his solid game.His status was confirmed when he won the Masters' cup in 2005,even though he has never won a grand slam(A confirmation of his real ability).

Friday's thrashing of Nadal was actually the first time in their careers that the two players were going to play each other.I have always looked forward to this encounter over the years.Why? because I felt Nadal's high bouncing shots to his opponents' backhand(a strategy which remains a nightmare for Fed who plays one fisted backhand) will be sweet cake for Nalbandian,who in my opinion,arguably has the strongest and most effective backhand in the circuit.Friday's trouncing of Nadal confirmed it.By the time Nadal learnt to avoid Nalbandian's backhand it was too late.Secondly,Nalbandian,who is also arguably the best returner of serves since Agassi,enjoyed punishing Nadal with his own serves.He so confidently stepped into the baseline to ruthlessly attack poor Nadal's serves.Indeed,Rafa was a sorry sight.He had no clue at all,how to solve the Nalbandian puzzle.Little wonder he and his coach Toni,constantly shook their heads through out the 2nd set.

As for Djoko's loss to Nalbandian,he knows his experience is little,compared with David's.He needs to play a bit more b4 he can consistently beat David.

Actually,Nalbandian's problem has always been having the mental toughness to win at the big occasions,just like Fed had for a while in his career.I believe David's poor showing this year is due to his frustration at not winning the big ones.I guess,he has now received the needed Psychotherapy.Thats why he showed Rafa no respects at all.

Really,I wish him the best.

Watch out for DAVID NALBANDIAN!! I think he is ready to take his rightful position.

Difficult to tell.Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

@shaunscot,
What do u mean by "talent in dissing people" and who tells u my name is meant to be Octopus? I chose my site name,just as u chose urs.Only God knows what shaunscot means.