Portfolio Management

Last updated: January 10, 2026 · Investment Clubs · 10 min read

Your investment club's portfolio contains all the assets the club owns. This guide explains how to view, manage, and track your portfolio's performance.

What's in Your Portfolio

Asset Types

• Stocks – JSE-listed shares (e.g., Shoprite, MTN)
• ETFs – Exchange-traded funds (e.g., Satrix Top 40)
• Bonds – Government or corporate bonds
• Cash – Bank and broker account balances
• Other – Alternative investments

Portfolio Structure

Total Portfolio Value: R250 000 Assets: Stocks:    R150 000 (60%) ETFs:      R60 000  (24%) Cash:      R40 000  (16%) Total:       R250 000 (100%)

Viewing Your Portfolio

Assets Page

1. Navigate to Assets
   Click "Assets" or "Portfolio" tab on dashboard
2. View Summary Cards
   See total value, cash balance, return %
3. Asset Allocation Chart
   Pie chart showing portfolio breakdown
4. Holdings List
   Detailed list of all assets with current values

What You'll See

For each asset:

• Ticker/Name – Asset identifier (e.g., SHP for Shoprite)
• Quantity – Number of shares/units owned
• Cost Basis – What the club paid
• Current Value – Latest market value
• Gain/Loss – Profit or loss (R and %)

Recording Asset Purchases

Buying Stocks or ETFs

1. Click "Buy Investment"
   Opens purchase form
2. Enter Ticker Symbol
   JSE ticker (e.g., SHP, MTN, STX40)
3. Enter Quantity
   Number of shares/units purchased
4. Enter Purchase Price
   Price per share/unit paid
5. Enter Brokerage Fee
   Transaction fee charged by broker
6. Set Purchase Date
   Date transaction was executed
7. Save Asset
   Asset added to portfolio

Purchase Example

Ticker: SHP (Shoprite) Quantity: 100 shares Price per Share: R150.00 Brokerage Fee: R100.00 Total Cost: Shares: 100 × R150.00 = R15 000 Fee: R100.00 Total: R15 100.00 This amount is deducted from club's cash balance.

Asset Valuation

Updating Market Values

Asset values need to be updated regularly to reflect current market prices:

1. Check Current Price
   Look up latest price on JSE or broker platform
2. Click "Update Value"
   Opens valuation form for asset
3. Enter Current Price
   Current market price per share/unit
4. Save Valuation
   System calculates new total value
5. NAV Recalculates
   Unit price updates automatically

Valuation Example

Asset: SHP (100 shares) Purchase Price: R150.00 Current Price: R165.00 Old Value: 100 × R150.00 = R15 000 New Value: 100 × R165.00 = R16 500 Gain: R1 500 (10%)

Valuation Frequency

• Monthly – Recommended for most clubs
• Quarterly – Minimum for accurate NAV
• Before Contributions – Ensures fair unit pricing
• Before Withdrawals – Accurate redemption value

Portfolio Metrics

Total Portfolio Value

Total Value = Cash + Assets - Liabilities Example: Cash: R40 000 Stocks: R150 000 ETFs: R60 000 Total Assets: R250 000 Liabilities: R0 Portfolio Value: R250 000

Return Percentage

Total Invested: R200 000 Current Value: R250 000 Gain: R50 000 Return: (R50 000 ÷ R200 000) × 100 = 25%

Asset Allocation

Breakdown of portfolio by asset type:

• Stocks: 60%
• ETFs: 24%
• Cash: 16%

Dividends and Income

Recording Dividends

When your holdings pay dividends:

1. Dividend Received
   Cash appears in broker or bank account
2. Record as Distribution
   Navigate to Distributions → Record Distribution
3. Select "Dividend Income"
   Choose distribution type
4. Enter Amount
   Total dividend received
5. Allocate to Members
   System allocates based on unit ownership

Dividend Allocation Example

Dividend Received: R5 000 Total Club Units: 10 000 Member A: 600 units (6%) Allocation: R5 000 × 6% = R300 Member B: 400 units (4%) Allocation: R5 000 × 4% = R200 And so on for all members...

Selling Assets

When to Sell

• Rebalancing portfolio allocation
• Taking profits on winners
• Cutting losses on underperformers
• Raising cash for withdrawals
• Exiting positions before fees increase

Recording a Sale

1. Execute Sale
   Sell shares through broker
2. Find Asset
   Locate in portfolio holdings list
3. Click "Record Sale"
   Opens sale form
4. Enter Sale Details
   Quantity sold, price per share, fees
5. Save Transaction
   Asset quantity reduced, cash increased

Sale Example

Asset: SHP (100 shares held) Sale: 50 shares @ R165.00 Brokerage Fee: R75.00 Proceeds: Shares: 50 × R165.00 = R8 250 Less Fee: R75.00 Net: R8 175.00 Remaining: 50 shares @ R165.00 = R8 250

Cash Management

Cash Accounts

Investment clubs typically have two cash accounts:

• Bank Account – Operating cash, receives contributions
• Broker Account – Trading cash, holds sale proceeds

Cash Flow

Bank Account: + Member contributions - Transfers to broker - Operating expenses - Withdrawals to members Broker Account: + Transfers from bank + Sale proceeds + Dividends - Asset purchases - Brokerage fees

Performance Tracking

Individual Asset Performance

For each holding:

• Purchase price vs current price
• Gain/loss in rands
• Return percentage
• Contribution to total return

Portfolio Performance

• Total Return – Overall gain/loss
• Annualized Return – Return per year
• Benchmark Comparison – vs JSE Top 40 or similar
• Risk Metrics – Volatility, drawdown

Best Practices

• Diversify – Don't put all money in one stock
• Revalue monthly – Keep NAV accurate
• Track fees – Brokerage costs add up
• Document decisions – Record why you bought/sold
• Review quarterly – Assess performance and rebalance
• Keep cash buffer – For withdrawals and opportunities
• Use JSE tickers – Standard format for South African stocks

Common Issues

Asset Value Not Updating

Cause: Valuation not recorded

Fix: Admin must manually update current price

Unit Price Seems Wrong

Cause: Stale asset valuations

Fix: Update all asset values to current market prices

Can't Record Purchase

Cause: Insufficient cash in broker account

Fix: Transfer cash from bank to broker first