@Ceaser.
I generally consider many factors before buying a share,but thats coz I am mostly a long term buyer. I hardly ever look at the numbers or the analysis,but I do read the financial statements and for this I look at the; a)cash from operations b) gearing c) operating profits
1. The company; The company's standing will determine my decision to buy,example for banks I will go for KCB over NBK/Co-op any day.
2. The economy and markets; I also look at the economic conditions and the markets the company is operating in,this will generally tell me how the company will perform. E.g I will not be buying tourism shares in awhile,
3. Mob psychology; Some companies just seem to have alot of attention,example Equity,I also through my hat with the group and ride the wave.
4. Historical price; I look at the price range over a one year period and use them to decide whether the company is under/over valued. Also the range breeds familiarity i.e,the fact that a share price was once 100 makes it easier to get there for a second time
5. Common sense; An example is Safcom,was valued at 5/= a year ago,now its trading at 3/=,the company if anything has grown since then,why not buy the share at the obvious discount. Same applies to most shares in the NSE that are currently selling at discounts
6. Unit share price; Its generally easier for a share with a unit price of 3/= to creep to 6/= without anyone raising an eyebrow than a share of 300/= rising to 600/=
I guess if you can't win with facts,you can always pen bile-laced,xenophobic rants to distract everyone.
"The purpose of bureaucracy is to compensate for incompetence and lack of discipline." James Collins