From a $20 Investment to eToro Popular Investor: Meet Sharon Connolly

Sharon (@SharonConnolly) from Australia has been with eToro since late 2013, but only recently joined the Popular Investor Program. She is enthusiastic about investing and sticks to stocks from companies in which she believes. We asked her a few questions about her investment style and strategy:

Check out SharonConnolly’s stats

62% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do for a living? For fun? Family?

During the day, I’m a Change Manager in financial services. What is a Change Manager? When anything is changing in the business, I make sure all of the people involved know what is happening and what they need to do. I’m a contractor, so I work in different companies every 6-12 months.

For fun? I like eating out, theatre, (often at the Sydney Opera House), I enjoy cooking, and most mornings I’m at F45 CrossFit at 6 am.

Where do you do your research on the instruments in which you invest? 

Mostly online on LinkedIn. I look for the interesting financial angle in current affairs rather than explicitly seeking out financial news.

Did you have previous experience with financial investments before joining eToro?

None. In fact, when I started investing in eToro, I was barely scraping by. After six months, I had increased my equity by 46%. I was interested and started investing here and there when I could afford it.

Do you have any specific profit goals for each year? How do you achieve/plan to achieve them?

If an investment makes more than 10% a year, that’s great. I have plenty that are up 300% or more, which is fantastic, but if something makes over 10%, I feel comfortable that I’m doing better than a fund manager would have done managing my money in my Bank. I would be thrilled if I was able to hit 40-50% again this year. My priority is to keep adding funds and as long as they make more than I’d be getting in the bank, then all is good!

How has eToro changed the way you trade?

I didn’t trade before, so I can’t compare. I do have other investment vehicles, but none of them have done as well as the money I manage myself in eToro.

Seeing my portfolio grow has changed my attitude toward money. I love clothes and shoes, but now, sometimes I think: “Would I rather have that dress, or invest $300 in Microsoft?”

What type of trading strategy do you have and on what is it focused?

Invest in companies that I know, understand and support. I have an iPhone, Apple TV and watch and love them. I’m a loyal customer. I use Microsoft products every day at work.The way they are helping companies to collaborate and manage data is impressive. I shop at Amazon, watch Netflix, Google things. I’m not a vegetarian, but I do believe we should eat less meat, so I support companies like Beyond Meat. One must do a little more research and learn how to read a balance sheet. I might take an Uber a few times a week, but their numbers don’t stack up!

What are the benefits of being a Popular Investor? 

I only started participating actively as a Popular Investor recently. In January this year, eToro featured me in a ‘Top Performer’ article and people started to copy me. I saw that most of my copiers were new to eToro, so I began to share a few tips and post articles. My copiers started to increase dramatically  — I had no idea you could get paid as a Popular Investor….I could have been making money for years!

I DO feel a responsibility towards people who copy me. I research more before investing, and your trading needs to be more considered when hundreds of copiers and watchers are inspired by what you do.

Do you have anything to say to your copiers? 

Thank you! And I look forward to helping you to invest for your future.

Check out SharonConnolly’s stats

62% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.