For The Record

I am very impressed with ASML's performance since being gifted £11.44 worth of the stock when I signed up and made my first deposit on Trading 212. I've asked Gemini if ASML has low a strong debt-to-equity ratio, with positive free cash flow, and a clear competitive advantage e.g. EUV? The answer was nothing short of expectation. I think this company demands a place on my shopping list. I don't even think it's worth waiting for a market crisis. I'd much prefer to DCA weekly into this one. As Leon Boris said "Good companies remain good companies for a long time." Yes, ASML generally exhibits a strong financial profile with a low debt-to-equity ratio, historically positive free cash flow, and a clear, dominant competitive advantage, particularly with its Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology. Financial Health Debt-to-Equity Ratio: ASML's debt-to-equity ratio is low and has been trending downward, indicating a strong balance sheet with rela...

Some words of wisdom from a Stocks and Shares ISA millionaire who achieved multi millionaire status from investing a mere £300,000 between himself and his wife.  "Investing is buying time for yourself." "If you keep doing something, eventually, the luck will come" "Good companies remain good companies for a long time." "The problem with investing is that it's really deferred gratification." "Dogmatic belief combined with an aggressive personality, I think, is the fastest way to get to zero." "You've got to accept that you might be wrong, and a lot of people have various biases in their nature where they don't really want to accept that they could be wrong." "People tend to either suffer from irrational exuberance and get carried away to the upside, or be too depressed about things on the downside." The introduction of machinery allowed for a more efficient economic system that created new opportunities. M...

Ticker ASML, which I initially got by accident, happens to be my top performing stock at the moment.  Around £11 of the stock was gifted to me from the brokerage platform Trading212 when I signed up. I didn't think much of it, didn't investigate the company further, but I did top up my holdings with a couple of pounds here and there. To see that this stock has gone up a great deal compared to my other stocks, I am now curious about this company. A guy said, "a good company is likely to be a good company for a long time" or words to that effect. So why is it about this company that is allowing it's stock price to soar? It appears to have extreme dominance in the semiconductor space with it's EUV lithography machines. I don't know exactly what that is but I do realise a lot of tech companies rely on ASML's products and services in the tech space. I then wonder who ASML's closest competitors are. It seems like there are a few w...

Coach Debodun spoke of Market Beta. But what is it and how does it help when picking stocks? A beta above 1.0 indicates higher volatility and higher risk compared to the benchmark market, meaning the investment is expected to move more than the overall market. A beta below 1.0 indicates lower volatility and less risk, meaning the investment is expected to move less than the overall market. A benchmark market itself has a beta of 1.0.  Beta Above 1.0 Higher Volatility: The asset's price swings more than the market's price, both in upswings and downturns.  Higher Risk: These investments are considered riskier because their greater price movements can lead to larger potential losses. Potential for Higher Returns: In a bull market, high-beta stocks can provide outsized gains, but in a bear market, they can experience sharper declines.  Examples: High-growth tech stocks or companies in cyclical industries often have a high beta.  Beta Below 1.0. Lower Volatility: The as...

Which ETF?  I hear having one in local currency might be preferable. I've considered Japan. The chart generally goes in the right direction. I've considered Emerging Markets. Chart looks a little to flat, but that's not necessarily terrible. FTSE all-world isn't bad at all. It goes in the right direction. The S&P looks real good, maybe the best so far. This is the Distribution whereas below is the Accumulation. Much like my SIPP is like to go with Accumulation in stream of Distribution. This will automate compounding. The S&P seems to have the best chart.  I must explore the tradingview charts for these inext funds to see if they have anymore history. 

Four transfers later within the first month and I've reached £1,000 in cash ISA. It feels like progress. There is growing hope that I will reach my local target. I think it was around £12,500, I can't recall the exact end figure in the plan. I only remember what I need to do each week and stick to it.  My second pension payments coming up and it might coincide with the transfer of a second lost Scottish Widows pension. I won't get tax relief on the transfer as it has already been paid but an £425 one off monthly installment will make a nice different to that plan. I am still in the process of discovering lost pensions. I've missed one and it was an electronics assembler role I had when I was much much younger - a long time ago. I don't think it's great due to the rate I was earning at the time but I do think there should be some hidden cash somewhere as a result if that role for sure.  GILT payments are in schedule. I'm not really making any money at the mom...

Day 1 of ADR training. I'm half hour early. Being early is my thing. I want a good seat. I also want to eat my fruity breakfast to set the tone for the day. I was going to do this in the building, and still might. Thankfully, they have their own car park and I'm not having to pay and display. I am troubled because a have mislaid a small bag that I keep my wheel locking nut and some loose change in. I hope I've not actually lost the thing. I cannot recall when I last had it. It mismust have been when I took car for oil change. I'd definitely have had it then. But since then I have no idea where it has ended up. The usual place, the front of my work bag doesn't have it. It's a bit annoying. Ibtwnd to do quite well when it comes to not losing things and this issue could b a costly mistake I could do without. I don't think removing locking nuts without the key is straight forward. If it were it would be pointless having them. Ford might be able to remove it for ...

It has happened again for the second time this year.  The first time, June 12th 2025 at around 2pm give or take, the other driver cut a red light. I exited the M42 J10 at the Tamworth Interchange heading northbound and positioned my vehicle to take the 4th exit to A5. Once on the slip exiting the motorway I had to stop at the traffic lights which had changed to red so I couldn't enter the roundabout right away. When I got a green light I was then stopped by the next set of traffic lights on the roundabout. Traffic flowed into the round about from my left. When my traffic signal changed I began to advance forward and before I knew it I had ploughed into a vehicle and I T-boned him on the roundabout. He didn't have right of way and in that instance and he was at fault. The truck camera proves that he took a chance and went through a red light. Poor lad. Looked like a brand new car. But crying wasn't going to have his insurer take pity on him. By the time I got to his car to e...

Happy Friday I am pleased to report that I am now about to recall at least 6 UN Numbers. 0336 Fireworks 1965 LPG 1072 Oxygen 1017 Chlorine 1203 Petrol Gasoline 1202 Diesel And as I am aiming to remember them in the Class order this should help in an exam; for instance, if the first thing I do is write down the numbers in order I should be able to match the Class. The Class should be quite easy to match though. Some of the substances are clearly gas, solid or liquid. There are still quite a few to remember but doing a couple each day seems to be working. I've seen petrol and diesel so many times, even out on the road, it has kinda stuck 

I read an email from Vanguard and it spoke about "lost pensions." This peaked curiosity and got me wondering about all of my previous jobs and where those pension contributions have gotten to. The gov.uk pension tracing service is shit. All it does is tell me which pension provider a previous employer may have used them provides a phone number. I'd have thought I could key in my personal details and be given a bunch of policy numbers associated with my details. I suppose data protection is pretty big these days and allowing that information to be easily accessible could post some risk. I've been able to see which companies, mostly agencies, used National Employment Savings Trust. I can also see who used Standard Life, Scottish Widows, and The People's Pension Scheme. There is a small amount still with Scottish Widows and I will be contacting them during the week with my policy number for that old fund. I will be seeking to transfer that to my new SIPP. As for Stan...

 Honestly, I am struggling with retaining some of the ADR material. Reason 1 is because the questions ChatGPT has crafted for me are on difficulty level 100. It has been made clear that under normal exam conditions I will be doing multiple choice questions. The questions being thrown at me through ChatGPT's quizlets require of me to remember the exact answer. I am constructing answers in sentences as opposed to checking boxes after he nngg given a choice. It is helping to burn in what I need to remember but there are areas I am clearly struggling with. Reason 2 is because remembering the common UN Numbers has no easy route. It's either remember the UN Numbers and their associated substance or not. There is no in between. If I get a digit wrong, the UN Number no longer corresponds to that substance. Luckily, I don't think the exam will be this taxing, and if I can remember ten of the most common UN Numbers and substances and the Class along with the hazard diamond then I am ...