The latest Investing Matters Podcast episode featuring financial educator and author Jared Dillian has been released. Listen here.
Happyzone, if you really believe that this is going to arbitration, why are you still invested here ? What do you think will happen to the share price if the Slovenian response is 'take us to court' ? Probably halve or worse , yet you claim to have 50k invested and you're prepared to watch probably more than half your investment disappear ...........Really ?
For what it's worth , I think there will be a favourable settlement but the offer will be the bare minimum (15m + all permits) , they think they can get away with, as they will gamble on the fact that Ascent, will not want lengthy court proceedings.
Ongold, I think there will be many thinking as you do. I personally will wait to see the terms of any deal , should it be a favourable outcome. I am quietly confident that some sort of deal will be agreed , it just depends on how good the terms are.
Anyway good luck to you as well.
Hi Steve, Regarding the political turmoil, this is partly what I was meaning when I said 'cast iron guarantees' If AST were awarded all permits to recommence then they would have to be legally binding under european law for 'x' amount of years, regardless of changes in the government, with a clause that should they be terminated for any reason, then AST would be entitled to 'x' amount of compensation for the remaining term of the contract. I would have thought that if they do get the go ahead to recommence then , they will certainly have something similar to the above in place for sure.
I would definitely want AST to stay in Slovenia ( with decent compensation) and resume extraction, providing of course there are cast iron guarantees that no further obstacles are placed in their way. Better to have at least one known revenue stream for the future , as although Cuba sounds promising it is still an unknown quantity.
Ongold , my situation and sentiments are virtually identical to your's (probably a lot of others as well) only I am still about 50% down . Took a big chance and took 75% out of my best stock even though there was good news due at anytime ( a decision I agonized over for 3 days) , to reinvest here, on the basis that the percentage returns should be better here if good news lands. So far a very good decision - but I am far from getting carried away ! GLA
Tango1 thanks for your reply. The knowledge of the discussions in Slovenia are obviously in the public domain but the content of those discussions is not. JP will have direct knowledge or indirect through the lawyers on how the discussions are progressing. Surely this would be classed as inside info ?
Am I right in thinking that now Parsons has bought more shares, that the very earliest any news of the result of the discussions in Slovenia will now not be likely before the middle of January ? (i.e. rules regarding director dealings)
This is my first post . I have been invested in AST for several years now and as such have considerable losses. I have recently increased my holding based on the view that new personnel are involved on both sides and it would be in neither sides interest for this to go to court. Re: my heading, I was browsing Align's site last week and came across a report in the 'Blog' section, of the RNS dated 22/10/20 regarding the 'Notice of Dispute' I have pasted the relevant section below,
At the back end of July 2020, Ascent submitted a Notice of Dispute which got the legal ball rolling. In this morning’s announcement, the company notes the recent press speculation in Slovenia and can confirm that it is now entering into direct negotiations with the Republic of Slovenia. Ascent goes on to point out that the view is to potentially settle the claim in an amicable manner before the end of 2020. Apparently, all these negotiations will be carried out on a strictly confidential, without prejudice and privileged basis.
As you can see the words 'short term' from the actual RNS have been replaced with 'before the end of 2020' (potentially).
I sent an email to Align earlier last week asking them to clarify if this was just their interpretation of the meaning of 'short term' based on previous experience of similar cases. To date I have not received a reply. The way it is written in their blog it appears to be a direct quote i.e. ' Ascent goes on to point out ' . Whoever wrote the blog (just attributed to 'Admin') must have read 'before the end of 2020' somewhere ? The fact it is on Align's site ,to me gives it more credence.
Anybody have any views ?
Thanks by the way for all the input from the regular posters on here.