Enjy El-Naggar asks why professionals give up cosy careers for the risks of the bourse An engineer and father of two, at the age of 47 Ibrahim Khalil gave up a perfectly lucrative private office and devoted all his time and money to the stock market. Every day, laptop in hand, he finds his way to Boursa Street, downtown, at 10.30am, in time for the start of the sessions. The atmosphere is Wall Street-ish albeit far more relaxed, giving Khalil time for a humane cup of coffee with friends before the frenzied watching of stock fluctuations on the big outdoor screens. In fact, it is the exchange of jokes in the course of chatting with fellow bidders, dispelling the overwhelming tension, that frequently makes Khalil's day. He is but one of a large number of successful professionals who left their jobs to trade in shares; and he doesn't regret it. "That way I have a better income. If you want to invest your money, there are obstacles you have to go through. You can deposit your money in a bank and make a very small profit at the end of the year -- never enough these days. And in private projects, there is just no end of red tape." Stock trading has its own problems, he says, but the benefits -- down to the excitement of the process itself -- are far greater. Perceptive observation and a background in market dynamics are essential prerequisites for the job, he says: "it was not easy at first. It calls for a brave heart and good decision-making because even buying or selling a single share is a complicated process." This must be why newcomers often seek the advice of experienced brokers, a tendency exacerbated by last year's Black Tuesday, when the overall value of shares fell by 11.8 per cent and traders, registering immense losses, rushed to brokerage firms to sell their holdings. Khalil too often seeks the advice of the much younger broker Ahmed Samir, 24, who agrees that the stock exchange is driven by greed: "once you enter there is no way out, because you just want more and more money." Indeed it is so compulsive it is described as an addiction. Samir doesn't have to spend his time before the large screen at the headquarters, however: he can follow everything on a small screen at his own company, where he caters to the needs of investors, many of whom he says are young men. Some deal in a very small number of shares, which is safer; businessmen with huge investments spend their entire time before the screen. Yet young people make only a small portion of stock traders, most of whom are pensioners with a lot of time on their hands. According to Samir, "there is a large number of doctors and engineers who have left their professions for the stock market." One young instructor at the Institute of Technology and Information Hala Andrawes, had followed the market for many years before she decided to put her own money in the field: "it's much better than depositing it in a bank because it generates far more profit that way. The trick is to be aware of business and choose the right time to make your move." The important thing, Andrawes added, is to consult brokers and fellow traders on the analysis of the target company; she herself spends five hours a day following the stock on her laptop and mobile phone with help from analysts and brokers. "What's noticeable is that investors can't go back on their decision to be in the stock market -- it's a no-way-back situation, because if you make money you want to make more, and if you lose you want to make up for that loss." Speculation remains a very risky business, she emphasised. One should always be careful.
