Member Info for BlahBlahDoh

Thanks Fishinggardener. I didn't appreciate the devaluation was that severe - on your figures it's almost 70%, truly shocking over such a short period. I think you are right that devaluation is a feature of investing in Africa which has to be taken into account by investors, but the severity of the current situation is unusual - probably a symptom of worldwide economic malaise (apart from the US which seems to be doing fine, further worsening currency issues for AAF)

Bloomsbury have just continued outperforming since the last TU and it's likely to continue, because SJM is just one of many success stories here. HP will soon have a new lease of life as a VERY long running TV adaptation for a new generation. Katharine Rundell's new series has huge potential too. There might well be a further lift in May if they announce a significant acquisition. The digital academic division is now balancing the outstanding fiction operation beautifully and building a really solid and growing business.

The unanticipated R&D tax credit reduction actually amounted to "over £2m". Pretty "unfortunate" if the CFO is not monitoring relevant government tax changes, especially ones this significant?

The market was clearly hoping for even faster growth, but when you take the tax issue into account, the figures are satisfactory and all moving in the right direction. With breakeven now only about a year away, and clearly visible, I can't see a need for further fundraising - the trajectory seems firmly upwards over the coming months. Assuming no further similar tax hits (CFO?) then the next results should look comparatively enhanced.

Suddenly past £15 Bongo - squeaky bum time for your prediction!

Did you see that story about a British guy living in China who disappeared in 2018, then just last week the "communists" admitted they've been detaining him for all this time, on something amounting to espionage charges. They are supposed to be a superpower yet act like a criminal banana republic - viciously backward: no respect for rights or law whatsoever, just mafia rule stamping on people mercilessly

Moany Man = Moniman, a regular contributer to these boards. He moans a lot. He didn't invest here directly, but in another company who got taken over by this one, in other words "accidentally". But he did it a lot earlier than J P Morgan. A carpetbagger is a derogatory name for someone who comes late to take advantage. An "institution" could be an institutional investor, but it could also be a mental institution. A kind of joke, do you see? The "if" in the post was a typo, which is admittedly confusing, but LSE has no editing. HTH (that's an acronym for Hope That Helps, often used in social media).

"Well, you can't get much better than JP Morgan as an institutional investor! "

Moany Man got in a lot earlier than carpetbaggers JPM, albeit accidentally, and if he's an institution on these boards, in fact many believe he belongs in one?

They haven't "sacked" Olusegun Ogunsanya , he is retiring in July and becoming the head of their charity organisation. His replacement, Sunil Taldar, has already worked for the parent company for 15 years, so no real reason to expect a radical change in direction based on his appointment. The family have always owned most of the company, which is really a spinoff from their main Indian operation. They started with 100% before deciding to launch it on the London market - recent purchases may seem like a large amount of money to you, but to them it's just a small additional percentage. It's probable that they just see the SP as good value at current levels. Unless you expect the Naira to be devalued every year, the growth here remains spectacular. We should, unfortunately, expect devaluation from time to time though (-:

The significant thing is the start of regulatory approval in a potentially massive market. The Hong Kong doctors response is hilariously sober and restrained, but highly complimentary

Thanks Poker, just came here from reading that - the Chinese housing market lurches from bad to desperate, threatening the entire economy, and the useless government offers no credible solutions. Problem with the corrupt "Communist" mafia is that there is no alternative, or at least no peaceful, civilized one.

You seem to be conflating three different choices into two, SIDO. The cash can be used to pay down debt from lenders, buy back shares and cancel them, or pay out dividends to shareholders. Any combination of the three is possible, assuming cash is available. There are benefits and drawbacks to each, certainly, but they have the same intrinsic value.

Retaining a high debt ratio merely to maintain dividend rates doesn't seem like a sustainable policy, so debt reduction probably ought to be the priority. The dividend policy is worth protecting, but buy backs seem less important?

" the pure financial play is to gear up and buy back more shares"

Surely the pure financial play is to simply pay off debt instead?

I wouldn't rely on Xi for anything, he's been making poor decisions for years and cannot be trusted. Economically, he's been weak and lost, bullying and ruining Hong Kong for zero benefit to China, and disastrously mismanaging the Covid crisis. He also presides over a deceitful economy, where companies pretend to be independent when in reality they are just part of the communist mafia, with company structures even more opaque than Enron. Economic data coming out of China still has to be "interpreted" because they still lie for political reasons - it's pathetic and juvenile. Anyone investing here should be mindful of the hoops Pru have to jump through just to operate in the region, and suspicious about what extra burdens might be suddenly introduced if they ever actually started thriving.

Having said that, long term this is an exciting growth market, and there is always the possibility that new generations in China will eventually change direction and recognize the value of fair dealing and legality, and the worldwide respect and opportunities it could open up for them.

Revenue in North America increased by 13%

High quality, sustained growth

Pretty downbeat update - the patient is still in recovery

Robots are nice

Terribly precise

But much more efficient

Not doing things thrice

Take 3 instruments into the oesophagus? Smart robots use Speedboat F-poem, you know it makes sense!

This is a game changer, a revolution, a coup - "We were thrilled to witness the successful execution of the F-Poem procedure using solely the Speedboat device, a task that traditionally requires three separate instruments. This not only showcases the device's efficiency but also enhances the cost-effectiveness of the procedure, underscoring the economic advantages Creo's technology can deliver"

I don't see training as an issue - they invested heavily in that a while ago, and now it is well established and widespread. The multiple recent use cases are an example of the large number of practitioners already familiar with the tech. The emergence of the mature product, probably close to the final version, makes the case even stronger for hospitals around the world to get on board and reap the substantial benefits. The robotics companies may also have more incentive to invest in integrating the tool into their systems, because they are now dealing with a standardized, mainstream product form. Target for break-even was sometime in 2025 when they last spoke about it. I'm hoping this year will see a constant drip of positive newsflow, including confirmation that that target is visible and static.

I'd say the chances of a bid here are approximately zero. It's basically a family business executing a long-term growth strategy. Far more likely to be acquiring than divesting, imo

The Sunday Times (summarized in The Week):

This “home-grown tech giant” provides accounting, HR and payroll software to small- and medium-sized businesses. Not cheap, but integrating AI into products will put “new boosters” under shares. Buy.