In the money: how my trading tips fared in 2025

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2025 has been a solid year for both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100, which have risen about 17% each, with the British index edging ahead slightly. My trading tips put in a mixed performance, with some big losses but also some big wins.

Trading tips carried forward in 2026

As usual, all of them were closed during this year, but while it’s normal for some of my ongoing positions to be closed out early in the year, it took a little longer this time. However, in the magazine issue 1252, no fewer than three long positions – those in United Airlines, Marks & Spencer and online ticketing firm Trainline – were closed out. While the United Airlines position made a profit of £819, I lost £196 and £774 on M&S and Trainline, respectively.

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In magazine issue 1260, I closed out my short position in Trump Media & Technology Group, which runs Truth Social (President Donald Trump’s social media network), making profits of £977. In magazine issue 1264, my long positions in Domino’s Pizza Group, which is the UK master franchise of the pizza-delivery chain, and Harworth (a land and property regeneration specialist) were closed at losses of £204 and £280 respectively. Finally, in magazine issue 1270, I closed my long position in food packager Hilton Food Group at a loss of £144. I also covered my short in online supermarket Ocado at 1270p, at a profit of £300.

Overall, five out of my eight tips proved unprofitable. While I made a net income of £498, this was worse than the position at the end of last year when they were making net profits of £2,664.

Trading tips made and closed in 2025

I made 18 tips (or 19, counting the pairs trade in magazine issue 1282 as separate tips) in 2025. Nine were closed during the year. In magazine issue 1243 I suggested shorting buy-now-pay-later company Sezzle. However, shortly afterwards the price surged, and I closed the position in magazine issue 1248 with a loss of £900. Shorting telecoms company Lumen Technologies (magazine issue 1245) proved a slightly better bet. I closed it in magazine issue 1280 at a profit of £66.

Sadly, drone manufacturer Red Cat (magazine issue 1248) was another loser, ending up £600 in the red when I closed the bet in 1282. My long tip on payments firm Corpay (magazine issue 1250) ended £456 in the red when it was closed in 1277. Quantum computing group IonQ (magazine issue 1252) left me £799 in the red when I had to cover it in 1268. African e-commerce company Jumia (magazine issue 1254) proved to be a mistake, too; it was closed in 1268 at a loss of £780. Soft drinks producer AG Barr, the maker of Irn Bru (magazine issue 1258), bucked the trend, as I only lost £40 when it was closed in 1282. But vending-machine maker ME Group (magazine issue 1260) was another misstep, costing £517 when it was closed in 1286.

My advice to go long on computer games company Electronic Arts (magazine issue 1268) proved timely, and I closed it in magazine issue 1280 after it was bought by a consortium, making a profit of £893. Overall, my closed tips produced a net loss of £3,133. While not ideal, this is what you’d expect given that my strategy is to close poorly performing trades quickly.

Ongoing tips

The good news is that my ongoing tips are powering along. Three of the six long bets (Airtel Africa, First Solar and Barclays) are in the black. Telecoms and mobile-payments group Airtel Africa, which we returned to in magazine issue 1264, is the tip of the year, making a profit of £2,160. First Solar (1272), a manufacturer of solar panels, is £804 in the black and Barclays is making a profit of £504. Home-furnishings retailer Dunelm is losing £104, food-service distributor Sysco £132 and bitcoin £413. Nevertheless, the gains far outweigh the losses for a net profit of £2,829.

My four current shorts (Aurora Innovation, Faraday Future Intelligent Electric, Strategy and CoreWeave) are also doing well, with each of them in the black. Self-driving freight truck specialist Aurora Innovation is making me a profit of £362. Electric-vehicle maker Faraday Future Intelligent Electric is £248 in the black. Bitcoin treasury company Strategy is making £168. Data-centre firm CoreWeave is making £396. The short tips are making combined profits of £1,691.

All my ongoing positions are making combined profits of £4,520. I suggest that you raise the stop-losses on Airtel Africa to 255p (from 250p); Dunelm Group to 815p (810p); Sysco to $66 ($65); First Solar to $205 ($200), Barclays to 330p (325p) and bitcoin to $60,000 ($55,000).

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