French investment game -- Oops, I mixed up the game URLs. Sorry, I'm reposting a correct version here.
This Quantel warrant was one of my picks in a French stock picking contest. I am "alatan," recently placing 10th to 15th here (in the list in the right-hand column, showing choices and 2006 performance):
| jmpacquet.free.fr
This contest could be interesting for those looking for investment ideas in France. Here is a list of the participants' choices, with year-to-date performance and popularity of each stock:
| jmpacquet.free.fr
Interestingly enough, past contest results indicate that the most popular choices are not the best ones. Most participants come from a couple of French discussion forums on small caps.
Among my choices in this game, I would still recommend Completel (CPT, NL0000262822, CLTLF.pk). Completel is not cheap. But it is developing a large fiber optic network in France and selling IP and phone services to businesses. Completel should benefit from the transition to VOIP, as well as being able to undersell France Telecom. Soitec (SOI, FR0004025062, SOTTF.pk) may still be a good buy, although it has doubled this year. It manuctures the special silicon wafers used by AMD (among others). Quantel and Soitec represent the best of French high tech and R&D.
I would also strongly recommend Orco (ORC, LU0122624777, ORPGF.pk) or one of the two Orco warrants. The best warrant is probably ORCBR(LU0234878881) -- it runs to 2012, with a "clause de forçage" that could apply after nov 2007. Orco is a very dynamic property developer in Eastern Europe. It is well rounded, dealing in office space, residential development, shopping centers, and vacation resorts. Here are a few articles about Orco in English:
| boursorama.fr
| cbw.cz
| boursorama.com
| praguepost.com
All the above articles are indeed in English (even if the forum postings begin in French). The fourth is about Orco's founder's wife, and helps explain the family links with Eastern Europe. Here is the French presentation of Orco's latest results (and NO the pdf.pdf not a typo ... at least, not until the company corrects the name):
| orcogroup.com
Despite the above discussion, I should say that probably 75-80% of my investments are in raw materials and energy: uranium, base metals and "would-be miners," some silver, revolutionary energy technologies, O&G ... mainly Canadian companies. I have somewhere between 50 and 100 companies in my portfolio.
Alan |
