Ocado shares

Richard1212

I have been praising Ocado , along with virtually all other posters on a current thread elsewhere on Forum , for their great service and value and helpfulness.

It made me ponder on my 1,000 Ocado shares that I have held continuously since 2012, not long after floatation---and not longer after this wonderful company started weekly deliveries to our home.

I bought at about 54p sometime early 2012. I saw them peak at 2292p ( rise of over 4,200% ) around 2020 and I still didn't sell------and it was purely for sentimental reasons ( surely frowned on by all forumites-----but I can assure you I very very rarely do that). They now stand, after a big fall 2020-2022 at 732p ( a rise over 11 years of 1200%).

My point in posting is 

1. To ask for any other Ocado shareholders' stories and particularly what they decided to do at peak in 2020;
2. To ask whether anybody at all would let heart rule head , as I did when the profit margin was at its peak ;
3. To illustrate a good example of the principle of holding shares as a long-term investment and avoid as far as possible looking for a quick buck on the markets------and to ask whether many folk DO look for short -term "flings" and make a lot of money by holding shares for just months or a year or two ?

Not just idle curiosity. I think many forumites would be interested in other members' strategies. TIA.

wmb194

Sell. It's never made any money and it doesn't look like it ever will.

Sometimes I hold shares in a company for a long time, sometimes a short time. It just depends on what happens with its price and prospects. I'm not sentimental.

eskbanker

Richard1212 said:

My point in posting is 

1. To ask for any other Ocado shareholders' stories and particularly what they decided to do at peak in 2020;

There used to be a serial fantasist called @coachman12 who posted on here back then about his love for the company and the runaway success of his shareholding.

I wonder whatever became of him?

Perhaps you should try to get in touch, I have an inkling that you'd get on very well with him....

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/77562300/#Comment_77562300

jimjames

I've owned shares in Eurotunnel for getting on for 30 years. I get regular dividends now of a couple of quid but the shares are worth less than I paid all that time ago. I have however received 30% discount on every trip in the last 30 years which has covered the cost of the shares many times over.

Richard1212

wmb194 said:

Sell. It's never made any money and it doesn't look like it ever will.

Sometimes I hold shares in a company for a long time, sometimes a short time. It just depends on what happens with its price and prospects. I'm not sentimental.

Seems like an incredible remark given that Ocado share prices have rocketed over 11 years and , even after a fall, I am still currently in profit to the tune of 1200% ( a gain of about £7,000, from initial outlay of £540). What do you mean by "Sell.It's never made any money and it looks like it never will?

Are we on the same page here ??????

eskbanker

Richard1212 said:

wmb194 said:

Sell. It's never made any money and it doesn't look like it ever will.

Sometimes I hold shares in a company for a long time, sometimes a short time. It just depends on what happens with its price and prospects. I'm not sentimental.

Seems like an incredible remark given that Ocado share prices have rocketed over 11 years and , even after a fall, I am still currently in profit to the tune of 1200% ( a gain of about £7,000, from initial outlay of £540). What do you mean by "Sell.It's never made any money and it looks like it never will?

Are we on the same page here ??????

Presumably a comment on the fundamental (un)profitability of the business rather than the performance of the share price?

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/will-ocado-ever-be-profitable-again-jtt2jpt9m [behind paywall]

In its 22 years of existence, Ocado has turned a pre-tax profit just three times with the last occurrence in 2016

wmb194

Richard1212 said:

wmb194 said:

Sell. It's never made any money and it doesn't look like it ever will.

Sometimes I hold shares in a company for a long time, sometimes a short time. It just depends on what happens with its price and prospects. I'm not sentimental.

Seems like an incredible remark given that Ocado share prices have rocketed over 11 years and , even after a fall, I am still currently in profit to the tune of 1200% ( a gain of about £7,000, from initial outlay of £540). What do you mean by "Sell.It's never made any money and it looks like it never will?

Are we on the same page here ??????

I thought you were an experienced investor? There can come a point where the good news is in the price, can there not? The question you always have to ask is, 'what's in the price'? It doesn't matter what the price was in the past and its highs related to the Covid bubble. You're lucky that a perennially loss making business that has no clear path to profitability is worth anything much.

https://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/news/2022/07/21/ocado-s-losses-widen/

Oh, sorry, I forgot to play the game; what does your 'portfolio manager' think?

Richard1212

wmb194 said:

Richard1212 said:

wmb194 said:

Sell. It's never made any money and it doesn't look like it ever will.

Sometimes I hold shares in a company for a long time, sometimes a short time. It just depends on what happens with its price and prospects. I'm not sentimental.

Seems like an incredible remark given that Ocado share prices have rocketed over 11 years and , even after a fall, I am still currently in profit to the tune of 1200% ( a gain of about £7,000, from initial outlay of £540). What do you mean by "Sell.It's never made any money and it looks like it never will?

Are we on the same page here ??????

I thought you were an experienced investor? There can come a point where the good news is in the price, can there not? The question you always have to ask is, 'what's in the price'? It doesn't matter what the price was in the past and its highs related to the Covid bubble. You're lucky that a perennially loss making business that has no clear path to profitability is worth anything much.

https://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/news/2022/07/21/ocado-s-losses-widen/

Oh, sorry, I forgot to play the game; what does your 'portfolio manager' think?

It'll take a long time for the bubble to burst sufficiently for my 1200% profit to be endangered  (especially as the massive peak Covid time is well over). Ocado is the future of shopping -----a company which investors who look ahead would not think of selling at this time.
And, as you are playing some sort of game, my portfolio manager has not advised selling at any time since first bought in 2012, even when at 4,000% increase during Covid---and still says "hold".

sevenhills

I had shares in Interserve, which I almost sold when I had made a 30% profit. I didn't sell and they went on to go busy.
I generally sell after a steep increase in share price or a long 30% gain.

grumiofoundation

eskbanker said:

Richard1212 said:

My point in posting is 

1. To ask for any other Ocado shareholders' stories and particularly what they decided to do at peak in 2020;

There used to be a serial fantasist called @coachman12 who posted on here back then about his love for the company and the runaway success of his shareholding.

I wonder whatever became of him?

Perhaps you should try to get in touch, I have an inkling that you'd get on very well with him....

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/77562300/#Comment_77562300

They both agreed on their opinions of other companies too.....

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6080789/medical-health-insurance#latest

Richard1212

I am grateful for any forumite, even from 3 years ago, who agrees with my views. It is inevitable that some people will love Ocado ( as shown in the current thread on "Praise/Vents" Board) and more than likely to own shares in the company----and indeed shares in any good companies.