If you'd invested in: Ferrexpo and Fairpoint

published 13 January 2017

If only...

Ferrexpo (LSE: FXPO) is a London-listed, Swiss-headquartered Ukrainian iron-ore producer and a constituent of the FTSE 250. Its fortunes are very much bound up with the commodities cycle. After peaking in mid-2011, the share price slumped by more than 70% as commodity prices plunged. Since the beginning of last year, however, the shares have tracked the price of iron ore back up while the firm has upped production and cut costs. Investors who bought in back then have seen a return of more than 470%.

Be glad you didn't

Fairpoint (Aim: FRP) provides financial and legal services to consumers to help them manage their debts and pursue claims. It operates under several brands, including Debt Free Direct, MoneyExtra.com and Simpsons Millar. The company has recently issued a profits warning concerning its legal division, and its chief executive stepped down "by mutual agreement" at the end of December. The shares have been in decline since late 2015, and have fallen by 88% in the last 12 months.

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Ben studied modern languages at London University's Queen Mary College. After dabbling unhappily in local government finance for a while, he went to work for The Scotsman newspaper in Edinburgh. The launch of the paper's website, scotsman.com, in the early years of the dotcom craze, saw Ben move online to manage the Business and Motors channels before becoming deputy editor with responsibility for all aspects of online production for The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Edinburgh Evening News websites, along with the papers' Edinburgh Festivals website.

Ben joined MoneyWeek as website editor in 2008, just as the Great Financial Crisis was brewing. He has written extensively for the website and magazine, with a particular emphasis on alternative finance and fintech, including blockchain and bitcoin.

As an early adopter of bitcoin, Ben bought when the price was under $200, but went on to spend it all on foolish fripperies.