What about a new board for shares/company research?

[richfool]

That board exists - Share Ideas. Or Investment Strategies. Or you could use Portfolio Review. There are also 'sector' boards where you can post about the shares in that sector.

The fact that people don't post much on other boards doesn't mean they are not there. Topics have to be initiated - HYP has some dedicated people who do that, so the board gets busy. Make another board the place where YOU dedicate yourself to starting topics.

Yes, "Share Ideas" is a valid point. I had previously seen it more as a board for more specialised stock suggestions - e.g. small caps etc, but you are quite right, there's no reason why one shouldn't post/discuss Non-HYP FTSE 100 stocks there.

I had ruled out the Portfolio Review board, as I was thinking of single stocks. Similarly I didn't see Investment Strategies as appropriate.

I recollect on the Motley Fool boards, whilst stocks were actively discussed on the HYP Practical board, their alternative for Non-HYP stocks seemed to be their Stocks A-Z board, but on the odd occasion I posted on that, the post seemed to be "lost in hyperspace", rarely receiving a reply, or if it did, it was many weeks later, when someone happened to stumble on it..
The Lemon Fool "Share Ideas" does seem to be used a lot more.

A key point I should have included in my above reply was: IF one posts on the "Share Ideas" board, would it be read by many people? I suggest that a large proportion of the true HYP'ers would not read it.

I think this is one of the reasons why topics on the HYP Practical board so often get pulled off topic, -- because "Non-HYP" interested readers want to discuss broader non-hyp issues relating to the many stocks that are the subject of threads on that board.

[IanTHughes]

A key point I should have included in my above reply was: IF one posts on the "Share Ideas" board, would it be read by many people? I suggest that a large proportion of the true HYP'ers would not read it.

Only answering for myself, you are probably right, I doubt I would visit the "Shares Ideas" board. Not often that is for sure. But if it is a High Yield share that you wish to discuss, but not within the context of a HYP, why not post on the "High Yield Shares & Strategies - General" board? Many HYPers do check that board out, I certainly do

But I have to ask, why is it important to you to get the opinion of HYPers anyway? Especially if the share in question is not high yield.


Ian

[tjh290633]

What I do is, after I have gone through the posts in Investors' Roundtable, I click on "Unread Posts", top left under "Other" or the three bars on a mobile. If anything there catches my eye, I click on it. Then, when I have finished "Mark all read" clears the list until I return.

TJH

[melonfool]

I'm at a loss as to why you would specifically want people who follow a different strategy to you to read your posts.

But, even so, TLF is not responsible for who reads what. Users need to create the content.

Mel

[tjh290633]

I'm at a loss as to why you would specifically want people who follow a different strategy to you to read your posts.

But, even so, TLF is not responsible for who reads what. Users need to create the content.

Mel

Who is "you", Mel?

TJH

[melonfool]

I'm at a loss as to why you would specifically want people who follow a different strategy to you to read your posts.

But, even so, TLF is not responsible for who reads what. Users need to create the content.

Mel

Who is "you", Mel?

TJH

Rich

Mel

[Lootman]

What I do is, after I have gone through the posts in Investors' Roundtable, I click on "Unread Posts", top left under "Other" or the three bars on a mobile. If anything there catches my eye, I click on it. Then, when I have finished "Mark all read" clears the list until I return.

Have you tried using the "New Posts" list rather than he "Unread Posts" list? I mention that because the "New Posts" list is automatically cleared when you sign off.

[tjh290633]

What I do is, after I have gone through the posts in Investors' Roundtable, I click on "Unread Posts", top left under "Other" or the three bars on a mobile. If anything there catches my eye, I click on it. Then, when I have finished "Mark all read" clears the list until I return.

Have you tried using the "New Posts" list rather than he "Unread Posts" list? I mention that because the "New Posts" list is automatically cleared when you sign off.

I haven't tried that route, but I don't usually sign off.

TJH

[Gengulphus]

That board exists - Share Ideas. Or Investment Strategies. Or you could use Portfolio Review. There are also 'sector' boards where you can post about the shares in that sector.

The fact that people don't post much on other boards doesn't mean they are not there. Topics have to be initiated - HYP has some dedicated people who do that, so the board gets busy. Make another board the place where YOU dedicate yourself to starting topics.

Yes, "Share Ideas" is a valid point. I had previously seen it more as a board for more specialised stock suggestions - e.g. small caps etc, but you are quite right, there's no reason why one shouldn't post/discuss Non-HYP FTSE 100 stocks there.

Just in case there's a misunderstanding, I don't think there's any reason why one shouldn't post/discuss any share that's traded on the markets on "Share Ideas". The HYP Practical board doesn't have monopoly rights over discussions of BATS, GSK, RDSB, etc, and doesn't (or at least shouldn't) even want them!

Gengulphus

[TheMotorcycleBoy]

I think that what I describe was something a little more analytical than "share ideas". It's really pitched at analysing either a company or a couple of companies by use of the ratios and KPIs derived by data collation from the firm's financial statements; and at the analysis of the ratios themselves (P/E, P/S, P/NAV, ROCE, ROE ... blah) and their calculation and applicability.

I'm not sure that TLF really has a home for such a board, without the risk of interesting discussing into these valuation concepts being splattered around several boards.

And it's not necessarily only for applicability to ORD shares, since risk of bankruptcy in a firm would spell trouble for bond holders too.

Matt and Mel

[Gengulphus]

I think that what I describe was something a little more analytical than "share ideas". It's really pitched at analysing either a company or a couple of companies by use of the ratios and KPIs derived by data collation from the firm's financial statements; and at the analysis of the ratios themselves (P/E, P/S, P/NAV, ROCE, ROE ... blah) and their calculation and applicability.

I'm not sure that TLF really has a home for such a board, without the risk of interesting discussing into these valuation concepts being splattered around several boards.

And it's not necessarily only for applicability to ORD shares, since risk of bankruptcy in a firm would spell trouble for bond holders too.

Just to be clear, when Melonfool said "That board exists - Share Ideas", it was in reply to richfool having said "I would very much favour a board in which one could discuss stocks regardless of their suitability for a HYP" (one has to look back through the thread to see that, as the board software does cut out too deeply-nested quotes). I.e. she wasn't replying to your suggestion, which I at least agree is quite different: a thread would typically be about one (or a few) 'fundamental analysis' techniques for analysing companies, rather than general discussion of one (or a few) shares.

I'm afraid threads do have a tendency to drift, especially when people have covered all or most of the main points of their original topic!

Gengulphus

[TheMotorcycleBoy]

I think that what I describe was something a little more analytical than "share ideas". It's really pitched at analysing either a company or a couple of companies by use of the ratios and KPIs derived by data collation from the firm's financial statements; and at the analysis of the ratios themselves (P/E, P/S, P/NAV, ROCE, ROE ... blah) and their calculation and applicability.

I'm not sure that TLF really has a home for such a board, without the risk of interesting discussing into these valuation concepts being splattered around several boards.

And it's not necessarily only for applicability to ORD shares, since risk of bankruptcy in a firm would spell trouble for bond holders too.

Just to be clear, when Melonfool said "That board exists - Share Ideas", it was in reply to richfool having said "I would very much favour a board in which one could discuss stocks regardless of their suitability for a HYP" (one has to look back through the thread to see that, as the board software does cut out too deeply-nested quotes). I.e. she wasn't replying to your suggestion, which I at least agree is quite different: a thread would typically be about one (or a few) 'fundamental analysis' techniques for analysing companies, rather than general discussion of one (or a few) shares.

Yeah, I know.

I was kinda replying, to all those after my last - just keeping things vaguely in line with my OP. But regardless, all the discussions going on here seem to be worthwhile.

Matt

[richfool]

I think that what I describe was something a little more analytical than "share ideas". It's really pitched at analysing either a company or a couple of companies by use of the ratios and KPIs derived by data collation from the firm's financial statements; and at the analysis of the ratios themselves (P/E, P/S, P/NAV, ROCE, ROE ... blah) and their calculation and applicability.

I'm not sure that TLF really has a home for such a board, without the risk of interesting discussing into these valuation concepts being splattered around several boards.

And it's not necessarily only for applicability to ORD shares, since risk of bankruptcy in a firm would spell trouble for bond holders too.

Would the Technical Analysis board suit Melanie's purposes, or is that aimed more at trends? I note there have been discussions of individual stocks on that board - e.g Tesco and further back VOD.

[Gengulphus]

Would the Technical Analysis board suit Melanie's purposes, or is that aimed more at trends? I note there have been discussions of individual stocks on that board - e.g Tesco and further back VOD.

Very much more aimed at trends - as I said early in this thread, Melanie's board "... would fit in well as a "Fundamental Analysis" board in the Investors' Roundtable, to go alongside the existing "Technical Analysis" board and with a subtitle like "Analysing companies' finances and value from their accounts"." If you look at the entry for the "Technical Analysis" board on this site's home page, you'll find its subtitle is "Reading price charts which may give you direction in the market using established TA methodology", so they're definitely about trying to use very different things to guide investment decisions: company accounts for one, price charts for the other.

And while it is possible to use both company accounts and price charts when looking at investments like shares and corporate bonds, there is a well-established conflict between many adherents of technical analysis and many adherents of fundamental analysis (they're standard terms in the wider investment world, not just TLF or TMF), with the latter quite often sneering at the former in terms like "reading the tea-leaves" and the former at the latter in terms like "wasting their efforts trying to see through accountants' obfuscations". If both end up being well-discussed on TLF, putting them on the same board would be a recipe for creating lots of work for the moderators!

Gengulphus

[TheMotorcycleBoy]

Yes, I think Geng sums things up pretty well in his last post, i.e. different boards, one with price trends, as opposed to the other with more formulaic analysis of company figures (and the formulae themselves).

Matt (and Mel)

[Clariman]

Thanks for the suggestion and discussion. I have created a poll regarding this and one other suggested board ...

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=13388

[TheMotorcycleBoy]

As an attempt to reach a consensus on the requirement, name, definition and scope of this proposed board, I still think that a title of:

"Fundamental Company Analysis" or maybe just "Company analysis" with a subtitle of "Analysing companies' finances and value from their accounts" is fine.

"Reading financial statements and their analysis" seems another, maybe slightly more down to earth description.

The requirement: to give a home for posts/questions/discussions relating to analysis of companies as investment opportunities by using figures extracted from the Financial statements from company period ends and an application of formulae/ratios.

The scope: this can be quite broad, since it can include accounting practices, validity/interpreting of the figures, the value of formulae (e.g. sector/company size specific where are P/E, P/sales, P/NAV appropriate or otherwise). The ratios can be discussed against one, zero, or several companies......against one year...or against each AR of a firm over a period of years, e.g. how capital/equity structure is changing, whether this makes the company more or less desirable. In addition to discussion of profitability (ROCE, ROE), cash flow, indebtedness, also valuation techniques (Price multiples, DCF variants etc.) can be discussed.

I imagine there will be overlaps to other boards. Maybe the poster will consider a company's shares great in a HYP, as a value share, or whatever, but wants to do a full read up and review of the firms figures first, and is curious about what they are saying, and hence posts here. But so be it, I guess as long the original post relates to either the ratio/metric or the firms statements then it seems appropriate to place the post in this proposed area. If the thread is subsequently derailed, the OP can either choose to pull it back, go with the flow or ignore...

Matt

[melonfool]

maybe just "Company analysis" with a subtitle of "Analysing companies' finances and value from their accounts" is fine.


Matt

I like this one, it's simple and does not overlap with any pre-conceived hangovers from TMF!

Mel

[TheMotorcycleBoy]

maybe just "Company analysis" with a subtitle of "Analysing companies' finances and value from their accounts" is fine.


Matt

I like this one, it's simple and does not overlap with any pre-conceived hangovers from TMF!

Mel

Yes, the simplest terminology is usually the best.

I personally think that adding the word "fundamental" just muddies the description. Whilst I'm fully aware that the term "fundamental analysis", does have some sort of precedent in the investment world i.e. Fundamental Analysis, I think the addition of that extra adjective clouds an already succinct title.

EDIT: But for a "consensus" I'm obviously prepared to be flexible!

Matt

[TUK020]

"Company analysis" works for me