John Phelps’s portfolio

OUR shares tips passed a significant milestone last week when the latest 2017 portfolio recorded its first double-digit percentage gain.

A further 2.8 per cent upsurge over the week meant that its total valuation hit a record £6,767 when we carried out our usual audit on Wednesday – a 12.7 per cent increase on the notional £6,000 invested at its launch on January 8. That compares with a 2.03 per cent rise in the FTSE 100 share index.

The outperformance is largely down to just one share tip with scents and essences group Treatt showing a 56 per cent increase since directors told stockbrokers to hoist profit expectations last month.

But others have played their part, with the giant Micro Focus adding more than five per cent last week on encouraging news of its planned acquisition of a chunk of Hewlett Packard, and Clydesdale Bank owner CYBG and Aggreko both recovering more lost ground.

The other portfolios have lagged well behind the 2017 list over the past three months although both the 2016 and 2014 selections have outperformed the FTSE 100 share index with rises of 2.7 per cent and 3.3 per cent respectively.

The 2015 portfolio has seen total profits slip by 0.8 per cent with Unilever, SSE and Lloyds Banking all recording losses in recent weeks.

Plastics group RPC, owner of Glasgow’s British Polythene Industries, was last week’s biggest disappointment and was ejected from the 2016 portfolio after the share price triggered a sell signal under our stop-loss system.

We were reluctant sellers as directors say the group is trading well but there are concerns that investors could be asked for more cash to fund acquisitions.

Others to go into reverse included supermarkets J Sainsbury and Morrisons which have both suffered from worries that inflation is eating into household disposable income.

Those to gain ground included entertainments group Merlin.