Member Info for AllAtSea

"Polar Capital revealed on Tuesday that non-executive director Brian Ashford-Russel had disposed of 25,000 ordinary shares in the AIM-listed asset manager."

Halifax research news 13 July

His timing was good anyway. Any comments?

at 1736p. Seemed a bargain at the time.

Should be a good time to buy, no?

Am also in AHT. XPP and SGRO done me well also. I don't think British companies are the main problem, it's bleedin' politicians that screw us up.

1993 I was just starting to buy shares. General Accident. It was a car crash all right. I am in AHT now, just 60% up but not complaining.

Jeff Bezos neatly summed up the market leader trap. He said Amazon had always to be a 'day one company' operating like it was a start-up to stay fresh and welcome new thinking. Market leaders can easily become 'day two companies': the heavy lifting stops, they sit back, new ideas aren't easy to entertain.

Ocado is a day one company all the way. Tesco is a day two company; it's not easy getting back to day one if you move on.

"Wetherspoons boss warns its pub food prices will rise if VAT goes up

The tax was slashed on food sold in pubs and restaurants from 20 per cent to 5 per cent during the pandemic to help struggling businesses. But VAT returns to 12.5 per cent in September and then to normal levels in stages over next year.

Wetherspoons will increase meal prices by at least 40p. But Martin wants to see Chancellor Rishi Sunak keep the tax at 5pc indefinitely, adding that the rise will hurt pubs just as the industry is recovering from the pandemic.

He believes the VAT tax is unfair as supermarkets, which made huge profits during the crisis, pay no VAT on food.

He said: ‘This will hurt. I’ve been arguing for tax equality with the supermarkets for the past ten years. Putting the levy back up is like robbing the poor to give to the rich.’"
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/wetherspoons-boss-warns-its-pub-food-prices-will-rise-if-vat-goes-up/ar-AALTuTr
Hargreaves Lansdown
"Analyst Susannah Streeter said the company ‘is in need of the dose of tonic which “freedom day” will present, given that punters will be able to pack in shoulder to shoulder once more’.

‘Its business model relies on filling its vast venues and selling large quantities of cheap alcohol and social distancing restrictions wreaked havoc with this,’ she said.

However, Streeter said a lack of staff could be a problem and chairman Tim Martin has already called for a fast-track visa for European workers. ‘To fill vacancies wages may have to rise, which could eat into margins,’ she said. "

He wants to have his cake and eat it. VAT-free.

Interims.

"Ocado gets foot in a ‘very important door’, says AJ Bell

Mould said Ocado is a ‘multi-decade growth story’ and the ‘spend-money-to-make-money phase is going to be around for some time’."

https://citywire.co.uk/funds-insider/news/expert-view-ocado-frasers-group-crest-nicholson-u-i-and-devro/a1527580?ref=citywire-money-latest-news-list#i=2

"Keith Bowman, equity analyst at Interactive Investor, said: "These latest results follow what has been a meteoric rise in AO’s share price since pandemic market lows. Despite falling significantly in 2021, AO shares are still up by more than 400% since March 2020 compared to a gain of just over 70% for the broader FTSE 250 index. Shares for fellow electrical retailers Carphone Dixons and Amazon are by 89% and 81% respectively over that time.

"In all, uncertainties relating to both the pandemic and the economic outlook cannot be forgotten. Unlike rival Dixons, AO is also yet to pay a dividend, while the significant rise in AO’s share price compared to current estimated future earnings leaves its valuation comfortably above that of Dixons Carphone.

"But a move to break even for its German business is clearly good news. The tailwind from the pandemic is strong, and potential to expand further overseas still beckons, with an additional three European countries now in management’s sights over the next five years. In all, and while the shares are not obviously cheap compared to rivals, ongoing long-term growth potential continues to steer analyst consensus opinion towards a buy."
"

Hanging on to pick up a Friday bargain later today.

Pre-covid mine were worth £12. But that was last century.

Got into SGRO when it was 880. No one seemed to know it was there. Hope AO. will be the same.

“On Monday, the Guardian revealed that a number of emails were copied into Bethell’s private email account. His address was copied into at least four official exchanges relating to a businessman who was attempting to get government contracts during the pandemic.

In April 2020, the businessman had approached his MP, Oliver Dowden, as he believed his firm’s testing kits were cheaper than those being bought by the government.”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jun/29/uk-health-minister-used-private-emails-for-government-business-no-10-admits

I’d suggest that the only way for this stock continues to be up. The demand for more and better warehousing can only increase.

The new health secretary has said he wants a return to normal ASAP. Clearly the best available testing methods would play a vital role towards meeting that objective.

Han**** has done the right thing at last. Now let's see what the new incumbent gets up to.

On both sides of the bed linen?

I wonder if the removal of the current health secretary would change the assessment of testing methods, i.e. whether their selection would be more merit-based as opposed to the financial rewards the selection offers?

Denby, you need a new keyboard. Your punctuation keys don't transmit.

The PRU split was a nice little earner. The general view was that PRU had offloaded the liabilities into MNG but as it has turned out they weren't bad 'liabilities'. No Siree. It's likely much of GSK's dismal performance has been due to the lack of certainty over its future rather than the quality of the company.