"Well I have been in the stocks trade for quite a while now and seems like am still learning the hard way." Incorrect statement as NIC only recently came to the 40s - I'm doing positive 75% on it, first investment in 2006/7 in the 20s, coupled with the bonuses!!!

Well dont get it- but i bought NIC @ 50 and av been trying to average down

Your portfolio looks good apart from of course scom @ 6.50/- which I'm sure you bought immediately after the IPO nevertheless it's a very small part of your portfolio and the rest of it will raise for sure. I would hold and set a percentage gain sell and stick to it - say if one gets to like +20% you sell.

@Querry for one you can restructure your portfolio by reducing the number of counters you own because it will help to avoid splitting your research resources among many...

Then when you speculate you should adopt a stop loss system of 10%-20% depending on the circumstance(eg political instability relative to poor operations of the company)

mii hupenda watu kama wewe Gordon, got on K.Q at 47 na sasa we all know wea its @. lakini back then I was a novice na siuzi hata kamwe. let it serve as a reminder.

1. Never fall in love with a share. Did it once and i regreted it.
2. Always have a stop loss.
3. You are in to make money period. As one American trader nicely put it 'if you care too much on how much you are going to make and how, someone else is actually making the cash and he doesn't care about who is losing it'
Always ensure that you have the cost factor in your mind when investing or trading. For example bought Kq at 33 (real price-33.693) sold the same batch at 37.5 (real price-36.7125) gain 14% (real gain 9%). While others i bought with are still holding i'll get back in at 34 ( real price 34.714). As opposed to one who waited i made an extra 2 bob and i still believe on Kq's fundamentals as a long term investment.
All in all always understand what you are investing in.

Amen to that. i will watch and wait

1. What is the ideal number of counters to hold.

well Lesson no.2; Stop loss system.

Well in my short life span at Wazua i have learnt quite a lot on trading in the stock market. Previously i was just investing(stocking up money in the SE)

Well this is my lay man understanding so far:
1.Choose a stock with a high dividend yield and a low p/e ratio. (thats all av managed to learn so far on stock analysis)
2. in a bear market; buy in portions as the market is going down
3. you can never predict the bottom out /top of the market
4. people will tend to buy when the market is going up and sell when its going down
5.In a bear market; emotions reign high @ Wazua