Food share's peak and trough

This month's Bulls and Bears competition was won by a team of IT workers

It's ironic that in this period of nationwide flooding and rail delays, the winners of this month's Independent Bulls & Bears Investment Club Competition all used to work for British Rail. Three members of the Rolling Stock Investment Club from Crewe work for Railtrack, while the other three work for SEMA.

It's ironic that in this period of nationwide flooding and rail delays, the winners of this month's Independent Bulls & Bears Investment Club Competition all used to work for British Rail. Three members of the Rolling Stock Investment Club from Crewe work for Railtrack, while the other three work for SEMA.

All six of them work in IT in the rail industry, according to member Dave Gaskell, who himself works in Darlington. Getting to club meetings has been hampered recently by the flooding and the rail delays, he says. "Each of us puts in between £25 and £50 per month to the Club, and our portfolio is worth about £13,000. We started off about three years ago, and we usually meet in the Crewe Arms."

In order to win this month's £1,000 prize the Rolling Stock club had to chose a riser and a faller in the Food Retail sector. They picked Sainsbury's as their "Bull" share - it rose 9.16 per cent in the period alloted, 13-31 October. Their "Bear" share was Whittards of Chelsea, which fell 15.19 per cent.

Mr Gaskell says: "We looked at how the shares had moved in the previous three months, and whether there were any news items about them in the last few weeks."

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Enter our July Bulls and Bears competition - and win £1,000

Here's your chance to emulate the success of the Rolling Stock Investment Club and win £1,000 in our Bulls and Bears competition. The competition is run in association with ProShare, the investors organisation, and Charles Schwab, the stockbroker.

Each month we give away a £1,000 cash prize to the investment club that nominates the best performing share in percentage terms ("the Bull") and the worst performer ("the Bear") in a particular stock market sector. The stocks will be drawn from the FTSE All Share Index. Entry is free to all clubs which are members of ProShare Investment Clubs for at least two months.

This month we have chosen the Utilities sector, which you will find listed on the page headed SHARES in the main section of today's Independent.

From Utilities choose the share whose price you think will go up by the greatest percentage between close of business on Friday 17 November and the close of business on Friday 30 November.

You must also pick the share you consider will fall by the greatest percentage in the same period. Shares can be chosen only from those listed in this sector and published in today's Independent.

The club with the highest combined figure when their winner and loser percentages are added together will receive a cheque for £1,000. In the event of a tie the club judged to have offered the best reason for its riser choice will be given the prize.

Judging will be by John Willcock, personal finance editor, and his decision will be final.

Closing date for entries into this month's competition is Friday 17 November.

Your entry should include: The name of your club;

The name of the "Bull" - the biggest percentage riser and the "Bear" - the biggest percentage faller;

The reason for choosing the biggest riser (in no more than 25 words).

Don't forget your name and address, daytime and evening phone numbers.

All entries must be received by e-mail, post or fax at ProShare's offices before 5pm on that day. Entries received after that time will be invalid.

You can send your entries by e-mail to jan@proshare.org

Alternatively, you can send them by fax to 020 72201731

Or send them on a postcard to: ProShare, Centurion House, 24 Monument Street, London EC3R 8AQ

ProShare: 0870 2645484 or www.proshare.org. Charles Schwab on 0870 601888