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Its Thursday and so far this week three takeovers, Virgin Money today's morsel.

At least its a UK takeover.

Its a start, does show at least UK gov has noticed something is up.

Potato prices continue to climb, shortages reported in Netherlands:

On 27th February 2024, the Mintec Benchmark Price (MBP) for Dutch processing potatoes reached €37.5/100kg, the highest price for February since the price series began in 2014.

https://www.mintecglobal.com/top-stories/dutch-processing-potatoes-reach-their-highest-ever-february-price

Matt started this topic what 2 years ago, now its gone viral at least with UK media.

Overall, its a good idea to move listing but THG imo need another player to justify the cost and help with capital needed for Ingenuity, it can happen as it did with Softbank - no reason someone else can't take their place.

Budget, generally good for UK businesses and stocks, at least we got something with the UK ISA, its a start - increase on tax for vaping, gonna help Zyn sales no doubt.

Regular posters have been pushed out with noise, very little actual THG related content.

Https://www.cityam.com/spring-budget-2024-british-isa-unveiled-to-push-uk-retail-investment/

Not sure if PM break out non US regions but based on these numbers looks favourable

"The fourth quarter also marked the first anniversary of our combination with Swedish Match, which delivered very strong results in 2023 driven by the stellar U.S. performance of ZYN."

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240207811391/en/Philip-Morris-International-Reports-2023-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-Results-Delivers-2023-Full-Year-Reported-Diluted-EPS-of-5.02-and-Adjusted-Diluted-EPS-of-6.01-Representing-Currency-Neutral-Growth-of-11.0-Provides-2024-EPS-Forecast

Welcome to the smokefree generation: Soon it could be illegal to ever sell tobacco to anyone turning 15 this year or younger. Here's why...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13077725/Welcome-smokefree-generation-Soon-illegal-sell-tobacco-turning-15-year-younger-Heres-why.html

Spring Budget 2024: Will Jeremy Hunt cut share tax for investors?

https://www.cityam.com/

(scroll to bottom)

"The market is growing for greenhouses since farmers are now noticing that biostimulants are becoming a must. In my opinion, it's quite impossible to produce high-quality, healthy, and safe food in a greenhouse without dealing with crop stress as a critical issue that needs to be managed.

In the Spanish market, we already see that biostimulants are as important for greenhouse growers as irrigation or nutrition is. The stress will always be there; nothing can change that; you have to reduce and manage it."

https://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---49407.htm

Crazy mon, UK Plc up for sale, on the plus side Spirent did have a few few UK funds invested.

The three catalysts in my playbook are:

- Ingenuity, strategic investor (symbiotic)

- Interest rates/inflation down followed by trackers

- Merging of Premium and Standard listing followed by more trackers

Goliath iShares fund, consumer desc still at 3rd place

https://www.ishares.com/uk/professional/en/products/244049/ishares-core-msci-eafe-etf

Still working on the principal all other listed companies get bought, leaving only THG - we then have a captive audience lol

Renalytix (RENX)

..another one on the all American take away menu

Short positions in China stocks shrink after regulatory crackdown

PUBLISHED SAT, MAR 2 20248:58 PM EST

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/03/short-positions-in-china-stocks-shrink-after-regulatory-crackdown.html

Https://www.westhost.com/

Not only is THG listed on an exchange where UK institutions cannot invest, but the actual exchange itself is going down the pan..

Apart from that all is well.

End of Feb seems a bit odd, triple witching usually on a Friday - futures pointing to a blue open (insert thumb emoji)

Its hindsight now of course, but perhaps if the board had rejected the previous bids but left the door ajar we may have seen further suitors courting THG, instead everyone knows its not for sale so no point trying, hence (in part) low valuation.

Hutchmed is a good comparison as its share structure is very similar, large institutional (c70%) base backing current management, this makes any bids difficult to get through.

Its feeding on itself now, UK fund managers ditching UK stocks due to poor performance favouring US tech instead, its now become self fulfilling.

One or two quotes worth reading;

Britain For Sale: The country's biggest firms are being picked off 'one by one' as foreign predators pounce

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-13142677/Britain-Sale-countrys-biggest-firms-picked-one-one-foreign-predators-pounce.html

Is this why UK media have stopped picking on UK business, whoops what have we done..

Just over 2% of the issued share capital, probably a hedge fund closing out a long/short position hence no impact on share price.

Lumpy jumpy UT trade

ICL Accelerating Biologicals Portfolio Growth in Brazil with Strategic Acquisition

Company adding meaningful manufacturing capabilities and expanding product portfolio with acquisition of Nitro 1000

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240227911936/en/ICL-Accelerating-Biologicals-Portfolio-Growth-in-Brazil-with-Strategic-Acquisition