STA Blog

The STA’s May monthly meeting was, unfortunately, conducted via webinar because of the Corona-19 virus; a pity as veteran (3rd time) invitee Zaheer Anwari is someone I look forward to catching up with over networking and drinks at our regular events. What I found out in this week’s presentation is that he has had a varied and interesting career, though he claims to be from a rather ordinary background.

Zaheer Anwari

Introduced by our chairman Tom Hicks, we gather he was first a programmer, then taught English as a foreign language, followed by a stint as photographer, which lead on to life as a day trader – yes, really. Somewhere along the way he started investing in 2007, where he likes leverage ‘’if used correctly’’.

Interestingly, he is really scathing about day-trading because ‘’it just does not work…[because of] the promise of riches…[and is] in line with gambling; we’ve all done it’’. While his presentation’s title – and exclamation marks are peppered all over the excellent, clear and colourful visuals – focuses on UK and US stock markets, he says: ‘’I see no point trading indices. It’s a slow approach to making a profit. It’s safer to trade individual stocks’’.

His content and advice are sound and probably of interest to many. Of equal interest to us who are now having to grapple with online contact and presentations, are the visual technicalities – pace, microphone and manner. Broadcasting from home, is like a version of the very old UK TV programme ‘Through the Keyhole’. Think about lighting, background (too busy?), shiny whiteboard behind you not a great idea.

Then we must think how we sit, where we look – try not to look down at notes or the keyboard but at the camera lens – avoid too many body movements (my big weakness) and inappropriate clothes. Above all, dissect how the TV pros do it, and follow good advice.

Zaheer makes excellent use of the polling function the STA uses – in real meetings as well as webinars – and explains in detail his weekend scanning process using Trading View because it’s a browser-based and cheap package. I’m a little confused when later on he says ‘’this is how I do my analysis every single day’’ (monthly, weekly and daily candlestick charts) using E-Signal and Metastock. Also I’m surprised that while insisting on looking across asset classes – stocks, commodities and foreign exchange – he does not look at bonds ‘’because they really don’t add to my personal portfolio’’.

As a dinosaur, I also sigh at his comment: ‘’It’s all automated. This is the beauty of the world we live in’’ [Sergei, I add].