Member Info for Alas_Smith

But USA is not the only market for copper. There are plenty of ways around the tariffs. The bigger problem is the weakness of the $. I will wager that the whole issue of tariffs will settle with a flat import duty rate, which Americans will lap up once dressed up as the last sausage on the plate.

Mr Trump is a pronoid cretin with a pygmy intelligence commensurate with that from a bully. Fortunately, he is not immortal and although Americans have habit of sprees with firearms, opportunites to date have not been successful. In a few years time, he will be considered a damaging smear on the dignity of presidential office rather than his peferred wish to be remembered for the challenge of political etiquette, rule of law and courtesy to other nations.

Ade - don't fret on the minutiae. Market Makers are there to make a market and that is all. The spread can be eliminated with limit orders. Sometimes the price is lowered to encourage stock onto their book to fulfil an order and on other occasions the price is marked up to dispose of surplus held.

After what seems to be lifetime, AFC appear to have a viable future, which may require some cash. The new managers are clearly invested in future returns and, FWIW, investors re not terribly interested in breaking even on their capital at risk. This remains a company of high risk but the weighting is gradually reducing the risk of collapse.

It will not be long before the company issues regulatory statement detailing breakdown of numbers which, of course should be examined and referred to the notes which accompany them. A fundraising may be needed though it is not known for certain, if, when or how much. Patience is needed.

I am sure a placing would be well received PROVIDED that there was some honesty in the narrative. We have the prospect of revenues in 2027 from the news that disclosed the S&P company and in 2026 with the latest news. Put some qualification and ambition for breakeven etc...

Wise persons learn more from idiots.....

Ade - there is no need to insult those who are at the start of their investing career. If you believe that a BB, such as this, whose contributors are, for the most part are not institutional investors can move a share price, you are deluded and diminish any credibility.

In defence of frogfish, for some, a single bargain of £10,000 or £50,000 or £100,000 may be huge. They are relative to the investor. Me, well, my average bargain is £20,000 these days, but many years ago I thought £500 was heady stuff and seeing something recorded that crossed the £100k mark took my breath away.

Phyl - the spread of risk is, I would have thought, essential. Goodness knows how many of my picks have failed (Marconi, Cenes, Albert Fisher, Claims Direct, Torotrak and dozens more), but investors are optimists and sometimes there is a compelling story..... Risk can be spread across sectors, geographies, individual companies, funds and instrument types.

I am not authorised to give investment advice, and this should not be taken as anything other than a disclosure of MY approach to investment, but discipline should be taken with investments with more care to work on the exit strategy than the entry one. A few "rules" which are not bound in shackles, but are generally followed include not holding cash exceeding 2% portfolio, do not panic where there are periods of volatility, buy at the sound of the cannon and sell at the sound of the trumpets.

More rules include running profits and my best performing holdings have been Nvidia (which has been a 100 bagger), 3i, Halma, Shell, Polar Cap Technology Trust and many others over the decades. I've held during recessions, slumps, chaotic times (Trump tariffs, pandemics, world disruption (11 September Twin Tower), invasions etc) as, with time, markets recover and rise to new peaks.

There is good discipline to take profits by trimming holdings, but poor discipline in not selling my losers early enough. I still have plenty in my portfolio including, but not limited to AFC, Fevertree, Diageo, Utilico, Canadian General Investment. Some are great little "potboilers" in generating dividends and these are used to add to winners or, add weight to a sector.

There is advantage of holdings within and without tax efficient wrapper. Within mean CGT and dividend tax are avoided and without has allowances that can be gradually sheltered while taking advantage of the allowances in place under UK law. Rachel Reeves who does Chancellor of the Exchequer impressions has closed the loophole of SIPPs for IHT planning and slashed other allowances. I've therefore cashed in our SIPPs, taking the hit of tax at marginal rate (20% in my case) to gift the proceeds to a family trust setup 10 years ago. Provided that I live for 7 years it is entirely outside MY estate for IHT purposes and goes towards the £325k that a trust has on death AND if not crystalised is taxed at 6% every 10 years if that £325k threshold is exceeded.

FWIW, if the penalties for wealth are imposed at a figure above £5m, I shall pack bags sell up the illiquid investments in the UK and move to a country which has a lower tax burden without much hesitation.

The long term performance of the FTSE is pedestrian, roughly 6.5% and an additional 2.8% dividends thrown in for good measure. For simplicity, return of 10% that rewards investors with capital doubling every 10 years. LGEN provides about 9% of the average return using the above example so it does not seem unreasonable for expectation to have 1% growth to match FTSE growth.

The S&P has a better long term growth, at 13.5% but much lower return from dividends. Share buybacks benefit shareholders when first announced and gradually over the following years. Icommon with Fatherjack99, Trump has had huge effect on my portfolio with the announcement of his lunatic tariff policy in March and April. The falls have recovered so that the effect (for me) is to have just reached the same point that I began the year. My forecast of growth of 17% this year has been torn up and reduced to 9%.

Whether next year will be an improvement rather depends on geopolitics. My reading of the tealeaves is for weighting a portfolio for growth (healthcare, IT, financials), with US, Asia, Europe and UK markets and gradually evolve portfolio to new generation holdings that will most benefit from machine learning or artificial intelligence. But, ballast is needed for stability in troubled timesand LGEN is an excellent ballast company.

Plenty have explained the difficulty that insurers have for growth and the main way to return cash to investors is as dividends. Share buybacks are discretionary and applauded, dividend cuts tend to be badly received in the short term

Have trimmed holding in Ramsdens to buy a few shares in RMV today for elder son in his ISA. Time will determine the wisdom or folly

There is not many ways that LGEN can achieve capital growth except through buybacks. Disposal of non-core business or poorly performing businesses does help to improve margins. Acquisitions can fall foul of monopoly investigation. I'm happy to have stability in a portfolio with one or two holdings that pay handsome dividends once or twice annually and where the market cap is in a small range. Cash generated from dividends received can be used to by shares in (usually) smaller companies with the potential for substantial growth - high growth comes with increased risk.

Part of the problem is caused by the strength of the £ relative to the $ and the weakness of the £ relative to the €

I trimmed the holding recently for elder sons ISA to put profit to work elsewhere. Most often, I've found the months of June through to late August to be stable with a slight dip in markets in September as a reminder that the Autumn and Winter months tend to be favourable for investors.

FWIW, I’ve added a few shares both yesterday and today in different accounts that I manage. One is to benefit grandchildren, the other ISA for younger son. Former portfolio built from keel up, the latter to stabilise portfolio in advance of inclement waters

FWIW, yesterday I banked some profits in RFX to sit on some cash for a few days, perhaps weeks as geopolitical influences play out. The shares have had a decent, sustained and steady rise and markets seem directionless at the moment. I am turning more bullish, though wish to remain vigilant to the staccato policy edicts from the orange pronoid cretin in the White House.

My hunch is to invest in wearable technology or telemedicine but markets are keeping options open and have weak or no definition for investors.

i'm all in favour of the most turgid, dull, and mind-numbingly tedius board managers and don't give a hoot on their salary. lgen is basically concerned only with actuarial outcome and has a short term view of 20 years, medium of 40 and long of 60 years. for this, the noise and razzamataz of a sparkling presentation would raise alarm bells for investors.

sorry to **** on any enthusiasm. this is a ballast holding that is needed for mature portfolios that provides stability in volatile times,

I've added a small tranche for elder son in his ISA today. Seems a good entry point. Time will tell.

So that you understand the ACTUAL points that Helikon have used to sell short, these are the dates that were notified to the FCA in 2024 and is publically available information. The dates will show the trigger points and it would be simple enough to work out what of their bargains remain in profit and which are underwater.

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 3.11 12/11/2024

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 3.00 11/28/2024

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 2.91 11/26/2024

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 2.71 11/25/2024

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 2.61 11/18/2024

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 2.53 11/13/2024

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 2.42 11/8/2024

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 2.36 11/7/2024

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 2.21 11/5/2024

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 2.10 11/4/2024

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 2.01 6/13/2024

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 2.21 7/25/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 2.13 7/24/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 2.01 7/21/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 1.96 7/20/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 1.89 7/19/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 1.75 7/18/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 1.58 7/17/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 1.30 7/13/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 1.14 7/12/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 0.97 7/11/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 0.81 7/10/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 0.78 7/7/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 0.60 7/6/2023

Helikon Investments Limited AFC Energy GB00B18S7B29 0.51 7/4/2023

I have added another tranche to elder son's SIPP. Have a feeling that Helikon have begun to close their short position and the price is moving northwards with the additional volume and forced buying

The site which monitors shares www.shorttracker.co.uk that have been sold short does not monitor holdings below 0.5%. Notes on the site make this clear. it is not helpful to speculate.

More important to note any changes to the remaining short position.

The last few weeks have seen the greadual emergence of A trades both in the sell and buy side when interpreted by the algorithims. I hope that it will not be long before there is a change in the %age of shares sold short.

At 23p, I break even!

Iwantmorecoffee - if shares are contained in a pension wrapper or an ISA, there is neither CGT nor dividend tax. The distribution of dividends is not subject to CGT.

CGT is a UK tax which is paid by individuals, businesses, partnerships and trusts on gains that exceed any permitted allowance on holdings that are outside any tax efficient wrapper.