NAIVASHA, Kenya (Reuters) - Just hours before east Africa's biggest IPO closed on Wednesday, Kenyans -- including many who lost everything in post-election violence -- thronged brokerage houses to buy Safaricom shares.

NEW YORK - Larry Bellehumeur's investment advice isn't always that exciting, but he attracts curious onlookers - all part of a new wave of investors who have turned away from brokerage houses and mutual funds and rely instead on the Internet to help determine their investment plays.