Member Info for BlahBlahDoh

There is no apparent reason to expect anything except more growth. The Naira is going in the right direction, so that won't be a stumbling block, as it often has been. There are, of course, lot's of potential, unforeseeable factors, but impossible to evaluate any of them, so I'd expect a continuation of very good results, but perhaps a muted impact on the SP because a lot of good news seems already priced in? Expecting rationality from the market is unwise ( :

M&G proactively notifying us, and the market, of a potential hit due to a proposed sudden cap on ground rents before their eventual elimination. This is excellent management, imo: they are forewarning, outlining and minimizing the consequences, but also giving the government and civil servants a polite slap for their unnecessarily sharp way of doing this, when it's obvious it could be done more smoothly.

They also slipped in this reassurance:

"Thanks to the quality of our business model and our disciplined approach to capital management, we today reconfirm the adjusted operating profit growth and capital generation targets announced in March 2025, and our existing progressive dividend policy."

"show me one CEO thats says he's not going to bother if he can't have free shares."

Absolutely. It's not as if this incentive even works - it's just a freebie for all, not a reward for success. It rewards illusory, short term gains, even if they are externally generated, accidental, or pure luck. If personal greed is your incentive, you are probably WRONG for the business anyway, and wrong for society generally.

The only time it's been over £13 is fairly briefly around the beginning of last year, so very well done selling around an ATH! You thought £13 was too high, and the market agreed. It's notoriously hard to time the market, so congrats. The Visma name may be familiar to some through the Tour De France, where they sponsor a team. They have 17500 employees compared to Sage's 11,000 (both in 2024), which suggests they are significantly bigger, unless Sage are just more productive. Sage seem to have moved out of some territories that Visma have expanded into, so maybe they are a bit leaner and more focused? They also seem kind of complementary, so it wouldn't be surprising if M&A rumours started up, yet again. Thanks for the heads up, great spot.

Last year, the Naira (Nigerian currency, AAFs biggest market) appreciated 6.2% against the US dollar, aiding the hike in profitability. It's predicted, by some, to appreciate 10% over the first 6 months of 2026 and then to sustain that level right into 2028. If realized, that's a pretty strong tailwind to boost any growth numbers. Lowering interest rates in the States would probably help. No guarantees, obviously, but fingers crossed.

It's trebled in the past year. It's doubled in the last 6 months. I predict neither of those will happen next year. There is no way of knowing though - SP has only a tenuous connection to reality, and perceptions of this stock are easy to hype because the underlying growth story is so compelling. Bear in mind the tempestuous political conditions in which AAF operates and the dependency on unreliable currency fluctuations. It's likely to continue to be a rollercoaster, but hopefully more ups than downs?

The recent spectacular results were boosted by the comeback of the Nigerian currency. The Naira has a rocky history and it affects AAF's profits significantly. One reason for optimism about the future is the stability of the currency under the current regime. This should be credited in large part to Olayemi Cardoso, the head of the Nigerian bank (CBN).

Fun fact - Cardoso earned his bachelors degree at Aston university in the UK.

It's the fourth biggest riser on the FTSE 100 today. To perceive a "sp drop", you are presumably comparing the sp against it's opening price today, which was a lot higher than yesterday's close. Opening price is set by market makers as a best guess - the real price is what the market decides, so most people compare against that.

"With integration largely complete, a solid cash position, and credible leadership in place, hVIVO looks well set to convert its diversification into sustainable, long-term value": https://www.share-talk.com/hvivo-plc-diversification-in-action-as-2026-growth-beckons/

"the business will consume cash until at least 2028"

2028 is management's latest story, but they've inserted new chapters more than once. Once upon a time, the pandemic was the reason sales didn't soar, but we saw a big bad decline in share price 21-23, then a less dramatic, but still significant, fall down the beanstalk over the last 2 years. The losses have only narrowed slightly, sales numbers have consistently come in like tales of the unexpected. 2028 is far far away, a kind of wishful fantasy where words mean what we want them to mean. The story still has some merit, but the frozen pace of growth dulls hope of a fairytale ending. Too much kissing frogs, not enough magic

Correction: Maas is currently contracted to write 6 more titles (not 7). I got the erroneous number from AI, and the correct one from Richard Beddard, a more reliable source. The point is though, that this is nothing to worry about. Even after those 6, i.e. several years, there is no reason to speculate negatively about a switch away from a publisher who has always been extremely good for the author.

It is also worth celebrating the fact that, despite 2024 being a blockbuster year, partly due to Maas's most recent hardback release, 2025 actually saw an INCREASE in revenue in the consumer division, emphasizing the non-reliance on any particular author. This is contrary to what some here believe. It doesn't necessarily translate into profit, of course, but it demonstrates the broadness of the base of content, old and new, on which consumer volume rests.

Norges Bank copied you: they just notified of a disposal of a whopping 1% of the shares. As the 3rd biggest shareholder, that's quite significant.

Well, yes it's overwhelmingly owned by the Bharti family, through various different vehicles, and has been from the start. Nothing new or worrisome about that - if it was, why invest in the first place? It's structurally a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, where all the tech comes from. So it is Indians who are benefiting most from the success of their business, and a few African governments who levy fees, taxes, and whatever else they can get away with. Airtel seem to be finding more success than many other foreign companies operating on the continent, and it is a remarkable achievement in a difficult environment with established competitors. Bharti's massive Indian resources give them unique advantages - financially, operationally and technically. They have chosen a market with enormous growth opportunities. Who knows what goes on behind the scenes, but you can guarantee it ain't pretty or clean.

btw: Seems a bit silly to pretend we are gambling here to "enable" anything - yes, Africa needs foreign investment, infrastructure and tax revenue, but it's surely obvious we are here primarily driven by the hope of personal profit. Good luck!

"world economy expected to grow significantly in the next few years"

UN and world bank say it isn't. What is the basis of your Great Expectations - expecting something to turn up?

"Does anybody know how many of the contracted 6 books, which she has to write, have now been published?"

Maas is currently contracted to write 7 more titles, in addition to the many already published. You may wish to start obsessing over Katherine Rundell too? Bloomsbury have a long history of discovering and supporting good authors. They also have a history of ambitious, successful diversification.

Seems like market makers are taking a big gamble on the immediate future of ALL software companies, based on a speculative article. Price today reflects what they think will happen over the next 18 months. All we know is that Sage grew by about 10% at the last report. covering 9 months of their year. Can AI do company accounts reliably? Are ANY customers looking at relying on it soon?

Expected losses improved to only "low single digit".

Weird language, why can't they speak normal: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

Still losing 6.9m on revenue of 2.2m, but both moving in the right direction, and faster.

Some positive developments in the States offer jam tomorrow, let's hope it translates.

Haven't seen the IC rationale, but this analysis by Richard Beddard lays out the challenges Bloomsbury is facing:

https://www.ii.co.uk/analysis-commentary/shares-future-company-deserves-more-credit-ii535794

It is amusing that confirmation of a slight fall in revenue and profits triggers a sharp uptick. The market was obviously expecting something much worse, for no apparent reason - weirdos. Interesting that "it is continuing to integrate the Rowman & Littlefield business" bought over a year ago. That emphasizes what a huge move that US acquisition was. Once all their content has been digitized, the non-consumer side will be transformed in strength and depth. Looking good.