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Trading 212 is saying DIGS have now been acquired and trading is suspended.
Anyone know the final price, timescales for shares to liquidate or any final dividends?
MTB….could be good advice to hold out, have had mixed results in the past on takeover shares, some shares stagnant for months only to drop and others benefited from a nice increase. I’m 50/50 at present whether o sell and paddle the canoe somewhere else. As PI’s we are just the fodder to these larger investors. Decision would be easier if other bidders, still nice result……just under 50% up over a few months….HAGWE
Well there we have it - Bid recommended by management at 213p. The question is will others be prepared to come forward? Like you winski, I was here for the long term yield and growth so I'm slightly disappointed, and I don't know whether other bidders will come forward. Still, the price is now underpinned at 213p, so worth holding out for a bit to see what happens I think.
seems to have gone very quiet,I noted (RNS) a few big sales from institutional investors but not the normal chatter on bulletin boards when a bid comes in. it would be nice to see the result of the "material valuation increase". I originally bought these originally with a view to hold longer terms for growth and divs and to compliment and diversify my WJG holding (both doing nicely). Whilst nice to get a quick buck, unless they increase to 2.30 ish I 'd rather the deal didn't happen.
Clearly, the takeover is not welcomed by GCP. First they publicised it without agreeing this with the bidder, then they talked about a 'material increase in valuation' to up the price, presumably they hope, beyond the level which the bidder is prepared to pay. Interesting stuff.
Nice. Empiric up over 4% as well!
Yep. I'd been building my stake back to pre Covid amounts and hoping for an increase back to pre Covid share price i.e. 200p plus. Personally I'd hope any offer is above that but realistically may not be...- to get to pre Covid level bid would have to be around 210 - think that would around 30% on recent price. As for revaluation, strange one...but sounds good news...Guess a bid may follow and be determined by that..
It will be interesting to see where this opens on Monday, especially following the comment also in the rns -
'However, following discussions with the Company's independent valuer, the Board is anticipating a material increase in its property valuation for the period to 30 June 2021'
'GCSEs and A-levels cancelled in England by the pandemic will be replaced by grades decided by teachers, the exams watchdog Ofqual has confirmed.'
Further confirmation that there will be plenty of applicants this year....
Why do people think the students are getting ripped off!
students have choices of where to live and where they go for Uni. If the student moves into a student living property they do pay a little more then if they move into a private property, the reason being is students deface their rooms and communal areas from blocked drains to damaged walls and doors. The rent concessions for 6 weeks is kind, but I think the reason for rent increase in the summer is that the new wave of students move in.
so these guys are giving a rent concession for 6 weeks but will add it back on to the summer term fees. in other words they are not giving the students a rent reduction at all...
Students again being ripped off .....
Expecting plenty of applicants next year following the DfE's recent statement for next years exams which includes-
'more generous grading than usual, in line with results from summer 2020, so that this year's cohort is not disadvantaged'
Hopefully the 35p sp increase this week will have compensated....
What do we think about 0.25p dividend this quarter? DividendMax was forecasting 1.61p
I appreciate the reasons behind this, but personally, I am very disappointed. That said, I’ve not yet read the report.
It is hard to see how this can fail to be a good long term hold. Due to demographic trends, this year has the lowest number of 18 year olds in the country since 2008.
After the low of 700k this year, numbers start to increase by approx. 25k p.a to 860k over next 6 years and then are currently predicted to peak at 970 in 2030.
The combination of fewer jobs, limited travel opportunities and elevated grades have mitigated this years demographic impact. Compared to this point in the cycle last year, UK UG students numbers are up 16k, EU are only down 1.5K and the RoW are up nearly 3k
So the small decline in EU students is more than compensated by an increase in students from RoW which is now also at its highest ever level.
Looking on Scape bookings are going well, although still lagging last year as students wait nearer to the start dates to book. Large and medium sized rooms are nearly all full at all sites and the smaller ones are filling up
Thanks for the updates Monkshood. I bought some GCP and Empiric a few weeks back. Both my offspring will be at uni this autumn, and the accommodation costs are painful. One pays 5.5K the other £7K . So taking note of this, and the post-crash price of the shares, I thought I'd get some of this back by becoming a shareholder. Working OK so far!
Finally others seem to have woken up to the fact that all of the students need to live somewhere...
Totals from UCAS today, 11k more UK UG students than this time last year ,Overseas up 1.5K from last year and 3.5K from 2018. The only category which is down are EU students with a fall of 2.3k from last year. Last year UK and RoW overseas accounted for 87% of the students housed by DIGS so the drop in EU students should not have a significant impact.
UG's make up 66% so it will also depend on how post grad recruitment is going, from what I have been told, both for UK and RoW this has been strong. With a tight jobs market and not many options to travel, it seems that people are choosing to spend the next year gaining some post grad qualifications.
Overseas (nonEU) UG student numbers seem to be holding up well and are at their highest ever level. EU students are down about 3k but this is more than compensated by a 5k increase in UK students, the later will increase further as the mess with grades works through. Accommodation is filling but is bound to be left until nearer the start dates this year.
Re-Overseas, I assume that we are a beneficiary of both their problems of controlling covid in the US plus Trumps visa policy.
From Bloomberg-
'Following efforts by the Trump administration to revoke foreign student visas if those students planned to take all online classes, dozens of schools sued; the executive order was rescinded, but new guidelines from the U.S. immigration department say this rule will still apply to new incoming international students. A July report from the Institute for International Education found that half of U.S. colleges received fewer applications from international students'
BBC
Universities facing 'crazy demand' from students
Of direct relevance to DIGS-
The issue of students withdrawing hasn't affected the University of Brighton either, says Carl Griffiths, head of recruitment at the university, who says there has been less movement than previous years.
Accommodation bookings on Scape going well.
But the sp drops 5%???
Queen Mary's has opened up another 500 places in clearing - will help to fill Mile End accommodation.
Student cap lifted so there will be more heading of to the top uni's in London .
Once tings have settled I can see the accommodation filling quickly. I have been following the bookings (look up Scape) and they are starting to fill nicely.
Sounds fun, I wonder if I am too old to get a place. .....
As you indicate, the biggest risk that I can see is if they open then have to close again. Applications are way ahead for one of the institutions that I know - full with UG's and +40% on at least some MSc's . Good numbers of OS students in the mix.
I don't think that we will see the wholesale closures of the spring, to much money at stake, the uni's have spent months getting ready for mixed mode teaching.
I guess the appeal of the larger studio accommodation is that it is going to be better to isolate in if it is needed.
You have more faith in young people staying isolated than me @Monkshood
Parties, drink, raves, drugs, clubs, fornication. Maybe fit in a few online courses if the wake up without Covid-19.
They are offering a good quarantine package for overseas arrivals which should help.
The top end studio flats in Scape Bloomsbury have sold out already.
Spotted mistake in RoW- (although this years numbers are increasing quickly by the day)
2018 2019 2020
UK 353,960:348,890:358,860
EU 26,400 : 26,440 : 22,430
RoW 31,510 : 33,630 : 34,310
tot 411860 : 408960 : 415600