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At least the covid guidance has always been to only cater for groups up to six. Hopefully avoiding any impact with this new change.
Still think the advent of mass testing has over amplified the infection figures - so many asymptomatics contributing to the figures who were just missed previously.
No more 6 people gathering!
I will repeat what I have been told "keep watching the official company website for the next announcement" they do appear to me to be very relaxed and there is absolutely no panic here, if there was they would have already made one.
As the reply I had was relaxed so should you all be - no panic here. If anything untoward happened then they would be under a duty to notify shareholders as well and so the fact there is no urgent need again relaxes me. Barchild perhaps if you do not believe me or if you want an angle for yourself you need to contact Marstons in person like I did. I have nothing further to add for the time being other than what I have been told and what my own personal opinion is.
I personally believe that very little information will be made public before the 20th Oct. CMA will make their next steps decision on or around this date. If they MARS make announcement before this date they’ll gain no traction as the markets are closely watching CMA’s decision. The key path is CMA decision, fin update then JV concrete signature. Then maybe new update on going forward. IMO that is.
Is there anything concrete that you can share with us?
Or are they just giving you information which they do not wish to disclose publicly?
That sounds most unlikely to me.
We know that October is when they traditionally give shareholders the latest update, are you saying that we will hear before then ?
Please advise as market sentiment changes almost daily on this stock so I personally put little value on that, e.g. today we are down 1.5%, despite what happened yesterday.
Had a response - yes and we should get something very soon. Keep watching out and following the web site. I will let you know if I have anything else untoward happens.
I will be honest and Marstons do not see any problem at all here and the impression I have is that they do not actually need to panic which leaves me with a very confident relaxed feeling myself. The market reaction yesterday also appeared to follow my sentiment.
Any guidance from your contacts yet ?
My contact has been moved to accounts to look at numbers - so must assume something is going on. I have been given another contact who I chased this morning - so no news yet, but I expect something soon.
thank you!
Ok Barchild thanks I have already had one reply and am waiting for some further information. Fingers crossed we will get something positive very soon.
In 2018 they gave a trading update on 10 Oct & in 2019 it was 15 Oct.
Their website says the trading update for 2020 will be in October but does not give a date, this has historically been the timing of their autumn updates
Just to let one and all know I have written in to the Company and asked them if we may get anything more positive coming out from them in support of the govt. scheme or if they intend to extend it due to good business, or if there is any other news. If I receive anything that is Marstons related (if we here nothing in the meantime) I will keep the board posted.
Have the sales figures been released?
Fairdealer
I think our views on Mars are pretty similar, the Wells purchase with the cut price placing to institutions was their "bridge too far" imho.
I was just lucky in my timing to sell Mars in early January & I fully agree re EIS schemes and VCT's too, which for income and capital are permanently tax free.
As I said earlier I'd be happy to pay more for MARS once we have a much clearer idea of direction and debt reduction.
barchid,
Tax Planning is an essential. My Accountant utilises EIS investments to reduce liability. If as rumoured the Chancellor is seeking to raise a minimum of £20billion p/a, CGT is a soft target. The introduction of Tax on individual short term transaction gains would not be difficult to implement. Just a thought, what is certain HM Gov have an enormous financial hole to fill,
I reduced my holding in MARS a short time ago basically on the back of the company's indebtedness and the dependence on Carlsberg. As many I nvested some 4 years ago on income and solid assets. IMO it started to go wrong when the company became Aquistitive especially the Charles Wells deal which created an over-borrowed situation at a time when the speed of Pub closures was accelerating. Marstons were building it's accomodation/motel business, however the development programme hit the buffers in the summer of 2019 when without notice some schemes were pulled even though contracts were in place. Failure of the Pitcher and Piano sale to complete and then what appears a " fire sale" to Admiral, indicated concern within the BOD to reduce debt , possibly due to pressure from Funders! This was all before COVID and the JV agreement ( discussions with Carlsberg had been underway pre Christmas). What occured in March dealt a devastating blow too virtually every trading company in particular those in the hospitality sector where some had the foresight to bolster balance sheets with fund raising, Whitbread for instance and Fullers who have/are in a position to pick up distressed companys.
Marston's SP is sticking at it current level becuase Major Investors have comfort from NAV and the uncertain future which effects many Businesses. Marstons with the brewery business going, needs to diversify, almost re-invent itself , the hospitality sector is in danger of over-supply, it is critical we find niche and innovative outlets. This all cost money and it is difficult to see how Marstons , given the present state of play, will be able to fund without going into the market. Current borrowings must reduce, the JV ties the company's hands in respect of asset disposals. Until obscurity of the future is cleared, many investors will sit on their hands.
Do wonder if we need a more dynamic team at the top as they could be stale and lacking ideas.??
Jim, and others, understand your comments regarding " squabbling" unfortuneately some of these boards have become "bear-pits" since lockdown. That said I am not prepared to sit idly by reading nonsense and abuse from uninformed posters who have an agenda. My agenda is to see Marstons succeed and build shareholder value, long term value not short terms gains for Traders.
The mission is set, destination is what we need to know.
.
Agreed. Concentrate on Marstons issues.
@supercharger
I fear you are confused, I never said anything about an accountant, HMRC yes, but not an accountant.
Long term for me is years, have had gold shares for many years, as I mentioned I held Mars for 6 years in varying sizes, just like shares in SE Asia which I started investing in many years ago.
Enough is enough, you all have interesting points to make but can you please stop this thread now.
I am confused by your posts when you refer to long time holder of share I suspect a couple of weeks? When you refer to you have been lucky settling an HMRC Capital gain - you then insult me for needing an accountant? You are right on one thing from what you have said I am perhaps a lot younger than you, and was lucky to have made my own mint early to retire when most of my peers were told by St. james place to invest in GBP related investments and I only gave that 5% with the rest in USA and the Far Eastern economies - so maybe i was lucky too? Good luck with your own choices.
@supercharger
Having been a long term holder of gold shares I am happy to take my own advice thanks very much.
I became interested in them having spent a morning down Kloof mine, then the richest seam & second deepest in the world in 1985, on the then Transvaal,but you probably don't remember that ?
Yes so desperate I feel time to top up again.
However remember I do not just hold one of two shares I have a broad spread across the whole market at the moment particularly the precious metals one. You should try it sometime, or buy a tracker.
Errh what with the USD falling what will happen to previous metals prices? You may need to ring your accountant but I am doing very well there.
@supercharger
Now you are starting to sound desperate, who cares if your prediction on price movements is correct or not, most of us here are looking for reasons whyit might go better, sales figures could well be a reason, but let's see them then make predictions ?
We all know that a broken clock tells the correct time twice a day.....
Hardly Marstons related, but entertaining all the same.
Lets get the sales figures for the last qtr through and then see where we are and if my choice of buying and even topping up Marstons has been a good idea.
Why is this? Shell like everyone else can only survive if they find an alternative to the natural resources that no one wants anymore. The price of oil should tell anyone with an ounce of intelligence this. Shell are very late to the Renewables market and their windmills should stick to producing grain. In ten years time we will all most likely be driving electric cars and no one will need Shell and they know it.
For Marstons I have a feeling everyone still be drinking beer - and the entry point for many will bring results. Nothing like your energy Companies at all.
@fairdealer
I am sure you are delighted to have received this months complimentary tax advice from the MARS board's personal IFA ?
Most people who were attracted to Mars pre-covid probably had 2 reasons to buy, a good yield and a potential take over target.
People who looked for the former could thus be assumed to likely hold it in their ISA or SIPP. Oddly enough our boards IFA appears to have overlooked that rather obvious fact !
Given the speculation this weekend of CGT being increased to taxpayers top income tax rate buying purely for capital gain will not be nearly so attractive as it is at present.
I have traded MARS quite happily for about 6 years in and out, in my SIPP and it was largely due to an unwelcome tax bill due in January that I sold the bulk of mine and took the cash out through drawdown to pay HMRC so that I now have just a token holding. I wasn't clever, I was just lucky, but I'm still following this plc in hope but am happy to sit & wait to see how the uncertainties pan out, and that is a subjective judgement which we will all have different views on. I would be happy to buy them again higher up once the fog has cleared, certainly not on the advice of someone who wasn't aware of the size of their pub estate !