Welcome to week 19 of this portfolios journey to £10,000.

The updates in this article will see this portfolio reach 25.7% of the goal

Last week change +1.8%

⚠️ Disclaimer ⚠️

I am not a financial adviser, and the information I share is based solely on my personal investment journey as an average individual. Please remember that past performance of the market is not a guarantee of future results. Always do your own research and consider seeking advice from a qualified professional before making any financial decisions. Only invest what you are willing to accept losing.

Last Week’s Portfolio Performance

Last week, we finally enjoyed several days in the green, ending the week with a portfolio 2.9% more valuable than it began.

Over the past month, the British pound has strengthened against the US dollar. On the face of it, this could either be a good thing or a bad thing.

Positives

Companies that import a lot of goods will have stronger buying power

It becomes more cost-effective for UK residents to travel abroad

Investment in UK stocks and businesses may increase
Inflation may decrease due to stronger purchasing power

Negatives

Companies that export a lot of goods will become less competitive abroad
Tourism to the UK may reduce as it becomes more expensive for visitors
GDP growth could slow as export performance declines

Within the parameters of this challenge, this is a positive situation for my portfolio. As I am not yet looking to sell but am looking to increase my holdings, I currently have greater purchasing power in the market I invest in.

That said, my portfolio is also underperforming relative to the underlying stocks it contains, due to the current FX impact. Excluding the Vanguard S&P 500 component, my portfolio would be 2.5% higher in value if the exchange rate were neutral.

The top performer in my portfolio last week was Amazon, which — despite the FX impact — grew by 9.55% over the week.

This Week’s Investments

I feel like a child in a sweet shop at the moment, emotionally wanting to invest in everything but rationally having to manage my budget in line with my strategy.

This week, I will be investing £115 into the following:

Amazon – £50 – see here for more on why I picked Amazon.
Vanguard S&P 500 – £50 – See why this ETF was my first choice at the beginning of this journey here.
Cameco – £15 – I have spoken in detail about Cameco’s position in a few posts. Check out why I invested during the dip here and how it performed during week 17 here.

Next Week…

Keep an eye out next week for a further update on this portfolio as we continue our journey towards £10,000.

If you missed last week’s update, you can find it here.

If you enjoy these articles, you might also like my post “From Blind Bets to Informed Investing: My Journey to a 34% Return”, where I discuss my first steps into the investing world.

Have a great week!