BARCOMA, Diana Mae C. Oct.

24, 2019
Prof Tenedero, 0679

REFLECTION

First Metro Securities is an example of virtual stock trading platform, where first time
traders can practice buying and selling of stocks without the risk of losing real money. For starter
traders such as myself, it was such a good opportunity to be able to gain knowledge and
experience on how the stock market works. Initially, I did not exactly know what to do and what
to expect. My Metrosec account was blocked and I have to borrow another person’s account just
so I could start trading. Because of that, instead of having Php 100,000.00 as my starting money,
I have to start with what’s left of my friend’s account, which is Php 86, 091.48. With this money,
I bought 5 shares at Php 1,003.00 from SM Investments Corporation (SM), 3,000 shares at Php
2.04 from BDO Leasing and Finance Inc. (BLFI), and 10 shares from Globe Telecom Inc.
(GLO) at Php 1, 902.00. These three stocks were the ones left in my VTrade account. Before
buying shares from GLO, I initially bought stocks from Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI), but for
some reason, my order was cancelled and marked as expired.

As you can see, I only had minimal purchase from SM and BLFI since they were the
most expensive ones. Given their prices, these investments might yield to higher returns.
However, I have a low risk tolerance and I rather want to maintain my losses and gains at
minimal levels, as close to my original investment as possible. After buying, it was noticeable
that most of my investments were a total loss. For BLFI, I incurred a loss of Php 300.62 or -
4.81%, while my investment at SM incurred a loss of Php 289.88 or -5.63%. Meanwhile, my
GLO investment incurred a loss of Php 188.62 or -98%.

For the whole duration of my experience, there was a lot of confusion that had happened.
I do not know where to look for the prices and what buttons to press to buy or sell stocks, and I
do not know where to see if I had gained anything from my venture or incurred a total loss. But
eventually, through experience, I get hold of the process. I then applied the principle of market
timing –buying stocks when prices are low and selling stocks when prices are high. For now, I
would like to wait until one of my investments would have gains high enough to be sold and
utilize my earnings as a capital to buy more profitable stocks. Overall, I enjoyed the mind-
stimulating experience, even though it was short-lived. With my experience in virtual trading,
who knows, I might make an investing firm someday.
BARCOMA, Diana Mae C. Oct. 24, 2019
Prof Tenedero, 0679

SCREENSHOTS