Latest articles by Tom Bulford
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To make profits, break out of the herd
Tutorials The instinct to follow the herd is hard-wired into our brains, but it doesn't make for profitable investing. Striking out on your own may be daunting, but, as Tom Bulford explains, it can lead to much higher gains.
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A share tip to beat the recession?
Features Whilst many professional services firms are suffering in the downturn, Tom Bulford has uncovered one small-cap architect that could weather the storm - and has actually raised its annual dividend payment.
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A building company with grand designs for the future
Features Construction is the last sector that most investors want to buy into right now. But Tom Bulford reckons he’s found one builder that can ride out the storm.
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Golden opportunities in China if you know where to look
Features One company has been drilling for gold in some of China's remotest mountains - and the prospects of success are looking good for Central China Goldfields.
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Matica: how a small company is to take on a giant
Features Matica, an AIM-listed producer of credit card making machines, is preparing to do battle with American giant DataCard in its own backyard.
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One Chinese investment to resist
Features China’s seemingly unstoppable momentum certainly gets investors’ pulses racing, but, says Tom Bulford, not every company operating in China is worth a punt – and one especially is worth avoiding.
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Why this small technology company is definitely one to watch
Features As a major player in producing multi-lingual audio and multimedia content for the tourism industry, Tom Bulford believes this company's shares are an attractive proposition right now.
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Why the City bonus culture is here to stay
Features Bankers are under attack on all sides – from the Bank of England, the economics profession and now by the Church. But despite this, nothing much is likely to change, writes Tom Bulford.
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Vitamins are big business: here's one share to watch
Features Despite recent scare stories, the vitamins sector is growing fast. Tom Bulford looks beyond the headlines at one UK company doing its best to ride the trend.
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Does the pub industry have a future?
Features The British pub industry is struggling because there are too many of them, writes Tom Bulford. Like bingo halls and bowler hats, will they also soon belong to a lost age?
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Why you should buy this UK manufacturer
Features Tom Bulford profiles a UK firm that makes most of its products here, and generates 70% of its sales abroad. What’s more, it comes with a tasty-looking dividend yield…
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The big shock that could hit the US
Features Full of good intentions, the US is trying to go green. But if it is serious about climate change, it will need a revolution in town-planning, and in lifestyles, writes Tom Bulford.
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Should you buy a timeshare?
Features Tom Bulford decides to take the plunge and investigate buying a timeshare. Although wary of perma-tanned estate agents, he does think it would be nice to stay somewhere with clean carpet…
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A new investment system with 169% return over seven years
Tutorials Tom Bulford investigates an investment system based on directors’ dealings, which would have returned 169% over the past seven years. Can it really keep working?
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Why you can’t believe a word our leaders say
Features Politicans and business people are rarely known for their honesty. But recent attempts by Gordon Brown and others to boost confidence in our economy and financial system have really taken the biscuit, says Tom Bulford.
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Does growing your own food make economic sense?
Features Worried about the rising price of food? Tom Bulford investigates the economics of growing your own. Allotments have long been popular and now only cost around £20 a year. So, should we start ‘Digging for Victory’ again?
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Would a short-selling ban prevent another HBOS-style panic?
Tutorials A letter to The Times last week suggested that the best way to avoid another rumour-fuelled run on a bank such as HBOS is to ban short-selling. Tom Bulford puts the practice under the microscope.
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Northern Rock: a lesson in how shares go down as well as up
Features The private investors calling for compensation for Northern Rock shares are behaving like children who have dropped their ice-cream on the pavement. They have to accept that this is how the market works.
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Bad name, poor returns?
Tutorials Venture Capital firm NewMediaSPARX has managed returns of just 1.5% a year. Ridiculous names can be a good way to spot poor investments - or just keep an eye on 'administration costs'.
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Why it's time for France to get real
Features Tom Bulford looks at why demands for early pensions and a belief in the right to cheap camembert are holding back the French economy - and why he hopes Sarkozy will prove to be the French Thatcher.
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The self-serving financial 'services' industry
Features The £160m pay-off to failed Merrill Lynch chief Stan O'Neal (left) has higlighted the obscene sums pocketed by individuals working at investment banks.
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Why the government shouldn't help people on to the property ladder
Features Whatever the arguments for changing the IHT rules, helping first-time buyers shouldn't be one of them, says Tom Bulford.
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How much sympathy do Northern Rock savers really deserve?
Tutorials It's easy to feel sorry for those frantic savers who queued up to rescue their life savings. But how well-informed was their investment? And what about some sympathy for the shareholders?
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How Northern Rock set a dangerous precedent
Tutorials Whilst everyone agrees that Northern Rock depositors must be protected, dividend payments to shareholders have been cancelled at the behest of the FSA. It sends a clear message to investors: beware banks.
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