White Van Man sees rivals in rear mirror
Apr 1 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal
IT LOOKS as though it will take some exceptional wheeling and dealing to oust the White Van Man from top spot in our fantasy stocks and shares game.
Last week he became the first player to pass the £200,000 mark and now, with the finish in sight, he is bearing down on the £300,000 milestone.
With nearest rival Firefox having slipped more than £30,000 behind, a gap has emerged at the top of the league big enough to drive a whole fleet of Ford Transits through.
However, with the current volatility of the banking sector – which White Van Man is known to favour – this could change at any time.
The league leader refuses to let the grass grow underfoot and has admitted he will continue to take risks in his attempt to prove himself the best trader in the North East when we dish out the prizes at the end of our first competition.
He said: “Every trade is a risk, you just need to stack the odds in your favour and pray.
“It’s not easy at the top of this league, there are some very good traders snapping at my heels, keeping the pressure on, but they will need to work harder to catch White Van Man.
“It’s good to see more traders running a profit than a loss.”
Those propping up the bottom of the league, who have seen their portfolio all but disappear, would do well to heed his tactics. “My strategy remains more or less the same. Financials, loads of volatility. Buy early, sell the next day, bank the profit. But I may have to change my strategy to buy and hold, soon.”
More organisations have created their own mini-league and the league of leagues is topped by Zebrahosts, with ncjMedia, Trading Places and Scott Logic all in the chasing pack.
One group calling itself alongwayup has asked The Journal not to name the company it represents, possibly for fear senior management will outlaw the game, which can be played only in trading hours. Topping the league is GAP_Plan, who admits the game is addictive. “I’ve only been top for the last couple of days because everyone else did very poorly,” he said.
“My strategy has been to find something I’ve got a good feeling about and go for that. Banking has been quite favourable and at the moment I’ve got all my money in RBS.”
Go to nebusiness.co.uk to take part in our free fantasy stocks and shares game Taking Stock.
