Want a good share tip? Ask a cat, or a page 3 girl

Once a year City Editors and reporters expose themselves to a ritual humiliation.

They tip a share for the year. And they apologise for why last year’s tips were so comically bad.

The purpose this serves is mostly a) a bit of fun, but it does also demonstrate how difficult it is to pick just one share, as part of b) educating readers outside the City on just how precarious equities can be.

At The Sun a few years back, I ran a share tip competition that pitched readers and City “experts” against the office cat. The cat won.

The following year we did the same but added Page 3 Girl Lacey Banghard (that is truly her real name.) Banghard won.

The egg-on-face this year was particularly acute, I note.

As it happens, my tip of One Savings Bank is up, just.

We shall not spare the embarrassment of the editor type who advised readers to “get your arms around” Ted Baker. Jesus wept.

PR folk don’t seem to get involved in offering up share tips as often as they used to – but perhaps they should. They could hardly do any worse.

A hack trick I learnt years ago if you think a particular company is dodgy. Tell the flak it is your share tip of the year. If they start flapping in panic, you are on to something…

Happy New Year.