Morning Mumble: High Frequency Trading (HFT) & E E E E Eeeeeeeeeeeeee-nterprise

There's only so much one can bare in terms of HFT. Yes I am involved with it for trading Forex mainly the dollar but believe it or not, its not as profitable as physically trading. Computers are great as long as their variables are right. Admittedly they can trade faster than humans etc...but when it comes to common-sense a computer may predict a trend but having used such software its not for me. I prefer my gut and actions, perhaps I'm a control freak. Anyway, what's likely to happen is "until such time as the invesigation means its regulated" we're going to be bombarded with the negatives how it creates false markets. A market is false when there is only one offering? Did the world miss that offering from my GCSE class of 1987?

One thing I have noticed is the RNS list is the UK Investor Show RNS's. From a trading perspective I won't be going, I do not need personalities involved with a sales process/promotion to make decisions. I acknowledge that the Investor Show multifaceted  and is also about learning and its a positive to have events within the event comprising for discussions and the like (read as caveat emptor warnings) about the risks and also the dogs of the market. Something most would be prudent to take advantage of. The opportunity to meet companies was something I used to relish, but sadly I'm easy to be sold to face to face, so don't do it often. I'm now a Hermit of Traders, I no longer help lost causes save for Ian, but mainly refrain from meeting company because it means there's an Agenda a) for me to make money b) them to make money or be funded or c) Me not make money and them pay their bills. For myself it's a weekend I'm permitted 1hr stocks coverage as I don't work weekends much and am allowed the Weekender to read. I say allowed it's my own rules! That excludes the shorters meet-ups/booze ups, it is afterall a legitimate event where the negatives can exchange views. 

Yes its good to promote your wares as such, but the last thing I read is often the company presentation. There's a lot to get to before that and perhaps this is what investors and funds are missing. Those funds got caught wrong footed on ABM, GKP, TALV...and shall we say it, Connaught, Mouchel, Serco? G4S...to cover some in the FTSE. The logical items one needs to cover are being missed by the analysis, which has got so far away from bottom line and the like that the dross is even rising. Its an issue of mine, having had to take over my own pension due to the incompetence of a company whom had been told by me I wanted high risk, but when put to strict proof would not present the information. Long story, but suffice to say said company decide it was "in their interests" to pay up rather than deal with the logical consequences.

So we have a market, with Just Eat et al on forward earnings that are just stupid (for the moment). The reality is that utilising one platform may be well and good till companies click on "after exposure" that they will be known and can go it alone. Really, does one need to know what takeaway is available further than what they already do? Perhaps in the short-term when you can a half kicked around pizza from another merchandiser instead of Dominoes. What Dominoes is acknowledging though is the rapid expansion of it's E-business. Yes this in part validates Just Eat, Delivery Hero, there's actually more than you realise, with "onlinepizza" and HungryHorse. My concern is, in the e-cash society we are becoming is one not getting so far away from the actions that who's going to tip the delivery guy? Will he start taking contactless payments for his 5-20% prompt delivery. 

The positives are well known, and I concur that Just Eat will be akin to RightMove.Co.uk and is quite possibly going to be more successful than rightmove on the basis that there are no sufficiently large enough takeaway groups to start their own network. Something a lot of Real Estate and Lettings Agents are concerned with regarding RightMove & Zoopla they're doing their own networks. Will it work, I suspect not as individuals now think of their 'search agent' over the estate agent. Likewise, selling your own property with the web is not that hard either, do parties, save for the high end $60M residences (Leggie's) specifically use one agency/broker? No most either search via Zoopla, Rightmove, Primelocation (the very poor sister), and one I haven't often used is Nuroa.

So Cars have had the "nationalisation of pricing", Property, Food, Energy, the next step is children's kit. Something where there is a significant lack of a leader. The Savvy minded will be taking Kiddicare off Morrison's hands whilst its cheap and reorganising it. There's a number of changes needed at Morrisons that the current management clearly have missed in promoting brand awareness and 'the everyday essential demand' that is required nowadays. Such as Rightmove, OnlinePizza, Autotrader, webuyanycar.com/any house...There's massive opportunity for Kiddicare, perhaps being with Morrisons has limited that as their e-offering has been notably week. Will cover the news in due course!

Atb Fraser (needing a proof-reader)