Member Info for bald_eagle

I think that is called gossip rather than news.....but I suppose gossip is news to some people.

LoggyLB, I think you are probably correct in your assumptions. Inflation will probably fall and insurers could benefit. Interest rates might remain higher for longer, just to make sure inflation is kept under control. Times of ridiculously cheap money may be over....although historically if they were to drop to 2-4% that would still be seen as cheap!

Travesties, are you asking for financial advice on a forum?.....my fee is extortionate btw and I never admit liability when things go wrong.

Anon, thanks for the link. I don't often read blurb directly from the company....lots of green washing potential!

Ultimately it's all about profitability. Do these projects generate the returns for investors. Part of the problem in the UK has been the lack of a long term economic plan, ideally one that includes environmental issues at the heart. Without long term government support some of these projects might not generate the returns LGEN would have hoped. But they sound/look good on paper. I think the market will be looking at the numbers in the results.

There is an argument that a company should concentrate on what it is good at....which I suppose for LGEN is annuities and associated business.

".....there has been significant progress on tackling inflation"

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Loggy, I think you might be giveing 'someone' too much credit that there was/is a plan to tackle inflation. I expect Rishi made the inflation 'promise' based on advice that it would come down naturally. It hasn't (for whatever reasons) and they are in full on swan mode (calm on the surface, paddling like mad below). I think they are worried that inflation might be stickier in the UK.

Problem politicians have is that election next year at latest and IF mortgages rates remain high more voters are going to be getting higher mortgage bills. Not an election winner. I would expect some big intervention (not that we can afford it_....unless inflation does fall.

I suspect the market is a bit wary of LGEN at the moment because of uncertainties in the housing market. It is a weakness in my knowledge of LGEN that I see it as almost purely an annuities business (probably like the analyst) but recent artciles have highlighted that they have quite a significant exposure to housing in some way. I assume that is part reason for the drag on SP.

Like the captain sailing full steam ahead, across the wide annuities ocean....'those mortgage rate ice bergs are only little & the ocean is vast, they cannot hurt us'

I am always a bit wary of fund managers 'bigging up' a partcular share in their portfolio. I suspect it is often a laggard and they are hoping that advertising it in the likes of AJ Bell Sharemagazine will give it a boost.

Like: 'I own shares in this company, so you should all invest too.....and increase the value of my shareholding'. Almost like politicians selling us a pig in a poke and making money by gaming the system (Moggy springs to mind!)

"It was more about bailing out the hospitality industry rather than feeding middle class people."

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Apparently it was about £849m....easy come, easy go!

It also helped create the illusion that the government will come to the rescue when things get tough. Hence why some people cannot believe that they aren't going to help people who get big increases in their mortgages with direct financial support. I think it was the last hurrah of a spendthrift BoJo government. But now the coffers are empty, no money for any more big projects....reality is hitting the fan and being flushed into the rivers.

Hopefully LGEN will be able to minimise the hit to the consequences of rising mortgage rates and maximise the pension management side of the business. But lots of uncertainty ahead.

Still cannot believe the rationale behind 'Eat out to help out'....giving subsidised meals to middle class people who were awash with cash from lockdown payments. That was a genius idea Rishi....not!

I wonder if this is part of the 'B-thingy' master plan (if there ever was a plan!) That is, to bring UK businesses to their knees so that foreign investors can buy for a song. Seems to be working. Must be like having the keys to the toystore for the hedge funds....what can they grab next?

But will ITV ever get asked for a dance or be forever a wall flower?!

What would happen if the Frenchies ever made an offer for ITV...war!?

"Yet it runs pretty much flawlessly on a 4K firestick......So maybe it's the platform too?"

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Anon, the platform is very important. I expect it is very difficult to make software that runs perfectly on different TV's, set top boxes, mobile phones & all sorts of different platforms. Sometimes it's the operating system version or the service pack that's the problem (firmware).

However I would expect that if you have a new(ish) piece of equipment that the software developers will deveop their software so that works on it (lowest hanging fruit first).

Broadband speed first though.....if you're got a restriction in the pipework then changing the tap isn't going to make much difference. If other taps in the house have good pressure then look at the tap with the low flow...it might need a good clean or a new washer. After that call a plumber....hopefully they will be able to get ITVX working!

Anon, buffering can of course be an ISP issue. Equally it can be a problem with the ITV servers....or even the Russian's!

If lots of people from different locations then most likely a bigger network issue than one single ISP (obviously).

1Mb for streaming seems very low. I suppose it could be possible but you would expect some buffering.

A 50Mb minimum seems excessive....and probably beyond what is available to quite a few people.

One can always test the broadband speed to make sure ISP is delivering speeds they promise.

Anon, good points you make. Viewing habits have changed and they will continue to evolve. ITV has to make itself relevant and ITVX gives them options they didn't have before.

If they make good content they now have a way of getting it to customers.

Unfortunately they are up against some of the best & biggest companies in the world. Question is can ITV survive as a smallish fish in a global media ocean with huge sharks?!....I suppose if ITV is one of those fish that clings to the sharks surface keeping it clean of bugs & dry skin.

"She's a woman. Anyone with negative comments about her is automatically a misogynist."

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One commentator seemed to have a problem with the way she dressed. I'm sure if the CEO was a man they would have said the same thing (yeah right!!)....but sometimes if it walks like a duck.

Legitimate to have concerns about the way the company is being run. But it does seem a hysterical 'effort' to get her to go....as someone succintly put it, 'Dogs barking at the moon!'

"How did it come to this........"

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I expect the Romans said exactly the same thing when they had to leave Britain for the last time!

Big questions remain to be answered:

- Are higher interest rates the new norm or is this a temporary blip.

- Is anyone brave/foolish enough to fix for 10 years at 6-8% interest rates on £300,000 mortgage?

- Is this the end of cheap money?

Answers on a postcard to Sunak, Hunt & Bailey!....3 'wise' men or 3 blind mice?

What's the number of buy-back shares?

I always thought that the BoE's use of base rates was a sledgehammer in terms of controlling inflation. It is almost pointless if the Government of the day has policies that stoke inflation - I'm not saying they do btw - and the BoE is obliged to wield the big hammer to knock it back....better for both Government & BoE to work together to dampen inflation. The Government has much more subtle ways to control demand and possibly tackle supply side inflation too.

That's the other point, the current inflation is/was supply side inflation and to some extent squeezing people's spending power until their eyes pop out of their heads isn't going to solve the problem....it just increases the liklihood of a recession. Or have I musunderstood things?

I'm not sure the people in control of the economy either know what they are doing or they are telling us the truth. I expect their expenditure on 'expert' consultants has increased dramatically....experts in astrology & reading tea leaves!

Personally I just stick my head in a bucket of sand when things get tricky....I have sent an offer via the VIP lane to supply my buckets to ministers & economists, high quality buckets painted a soothing green & printed with the words 'Don't Panic' on them.

ANon, I must admit that I'm interested in IPTV....fed up of poor terrestrial signal in my area.

Just had an offer of 3 months of NOW Entertainment for £1 per month. Tempted. Anything recommended worth watching.

Not a fan of Succession though.

If Dame Carolyn left perhaps Boris would be interested in the job. Just the sort of bloke we need.