Member Info for AllAtSea

Depends:

Powell fired or not fired?

Tariffs up or Tariffs down?

The US trade war must be quite a large factor in the the future of TTG. I seriously do not want a UK/US trade deal right now because even in good times they get the better of us and these are very bad times.

Trump's business ventures have only succeeded where there is someone smart doing the legwork. When there is not that someone then things go pear-shaped. His strength is that he is a confidence trickster who uses people's greed to get them to fall for his scams.

Tariffs are just another scam. China holds better cards than USA because they provide stuff the USA does not produce and cannot produce in a short enough time-scale. What the USA gives China is more in the nature of agricultural produce that can be sourced elsewhere. Xi knows what leverage he has and that the best thing the Chinese did was not to let Fakebook into China else he'd be toast. Trump needs Zuckerberg and Musk to keep him in power that's why he wants cheap electronics available to all.

The worst thing the world can do is cave in to Trump although he will do his utmost to get the more powerful economies to do so. Any threat will do. Like a mobster running a protection racket and relying on fear.

Of course he is not fit to be POTUS, they didn't want any one in charge who WAS fit to be POTUS!

Considering Trump's age and probable health, these are a steal at the current price. Realistically Trump will back down. I read in the FT that China has many advantages over the USA in the current trade war. Whilst unrest in China might be a problem for Xi it seems that public opinion is backing him and blaming Trump.

"we don't stock anything worth stealing anyway"

Oh no, I am sure that is not true! Anyway, our local store has a Boots next door. They have good stuff, the word on the street has it.

People will still need insurance even if Morons Are Governing America.

Que?

mushrooms, do you share my feeling of being kept in the dark and fed on bull****?

"The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, including big pharma companies AstraZeneca, Roche and Pfizer, said in a joint statement that the five-year agreement reached with the government in late 2023 needed to be fixed because companies cannot afford the record rebates they are paying to the National Health Service (NHS) England.

British drugmakers GSK and AstraZeneca have for years criticised the UK business investment climate. AstraZeneca in January scrapped plans to invest 450 million pounds ($584.96 million) in its vaccine manufacturing plant in northern England, citing a cut in government support. "

https://www.lse.co.uk/news/GSK/pharma-industry-says-uk-pricing-revenue-unsustainable-blocking-investments-do1kt8flm812huf.html

Given the relative strengths of stocks in portfolio, I am pretty sure the UK market is benefitting from trouble across the Atlantic.

Thank you for your good wishes.

I must admit I did think of jumping ship but I could not bring myself to simply realise losses without a plan B. If I had an alternative maybe I'd have done as you have.

The problem is that Trump's modus operandi has been successful for him. He leaves behind a growing trail of broken lives which pay for his success. His last presidency was marked by chaos and he got re-elected; chaos doesn't seem to damage him.

Having defeated the exhausted Tory party, Starmer has got Trump's buddies, Reform, on his back. And of course after we cut loose from the EU we find ourselves in no man's land with no sign of a way back to safety.

Oh for the days when we had the maxim gun and they did not!

Getting out too soon has cost me more than staying in.

“GSK proposes raising chief’s pay to as much as £21.6mn a year “

https://archive.ph/2025.02.27-131611/https://www.ft.com/content/002da8e8-b874-478b-9dae-a75f4f2f9947

It’s the going rate over there, apparently.

Locally it seems that it is hard to get staff for low pay grade retail workers. Even when staff apply many don't want to work long hours and then you get people with frequent days off sick. I've noticed the big Lidl does not want self-scan, but they do have very fast checkouts and the staff who can whiz the stuff through. A friend who is a LIDL manager is paid a lot more than B&M would offer, but they expect a the same in return. He had to step down to deputy manager on medical advice as he couldn't take the stress .

Heron employ 'profit saving' staff. They are like detectives going round finding out where and how stock 'goes missing'. Self-scan is a weak link, people who sneak items into their shopping bag without scanning. The local Tesco at certain times has pairs of security guards, not old codgers but physically fit young guys with stab vests under their high-vis. The shop is on the fast route out of town.

Seems to have helped the share price.

"Spanish influenza from WW1 believed to have originated from bird flu."

I'd believed it was pigs, but reading what appear to be reliable sources it seems I was wrong and you are right. e.g.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6269246/#:~:text=Overall%2C%20the%20most%20parsimonious%20explanation,pandemic%20(24%2C%2029).

Best not tell the POTUS about these people.

No dividend in HL for me yet.

I know a manager in a Heron Foods shop, part of B&M. They have no news that would explain the poor performance, everything running as normal, staff moral very good, etc.

Nothing in my HL account. Not that I have a huge stake in BME any more. It seems to have evaporated.

Must admit I also bought a few more recently. I am here for the duration.