Member Info for BlahBlahDoh

Hi Nige_W, at the end of January RG was buying at 13p, and yesterday he was buying at over 20p. His brief short was probably just taking advantage of unusual conditions, but he obviously wasn't expecting the price to hold at over 30p, at least not in the short term. His long term view may well be different. He isn't infallible, and we don't know his actual valuation, just grasping at interesting clues. He is better informed than the average investor though, as his short demonstrates, and his gradual increase is obviously a positive indicator. He now owns 14.21%.

Most experts are dismissing the rumours Longlad, but the proximity of the lab to the centre of the outbreak seems like a remarkable coincidence. Researchers have been jailed in China for selling lab animals, and if they had done so in this case, I'm not sure the "experts" would know anything about it.

Hope ORPH's virology lab is better than the one in Wuhan:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dont-buy-chinas-story-the-coronavirus-may-have-leaked-from-a-lab-2020-02-22
https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/24/us-warned-virus-escape-lab-near-coronavirus-epicentre-12114591/
https://www.google.co.uk/search?hs=9vi&q=Wuhan+Institute+of+Virology&tbm=isch&source=univ&client=opera&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi8w4yM3O_nAhXbREEAHaYYDxEQsAR6BAgMEAE&biw=1880&bih=939

NelsontheDog, looks like others agree it is credible that China caused the upcoming pandemic through incompetence: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dont-buy-chinas-story-the-coronavirus-may-have-leaked-from-a-lab-2020-02-22
https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/24/us-warned-virus-escape-lab-near-coronavirus-epicentre-12114591/
https://www.google.co.uk/search?hs=9vi&q=Wuhan+Institute+of+Virology&tbm=isch&source=univ&client=opera&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi8w4yM3O_nAhXbREEAHaYYDxEQsAR6BAgMEAE&biw=1880&bih=939

Hawi, the short was insignificant compared to his overall, and increasing, long position. He closed at 23.88591 having 'borrowed' at 30.0465 just 2 days before, so it does make absolute sense as a very profitable short term trade, but again, it was a very small amount for him - I calculated it as £17K. We don't know his SP target for sure, but it's worth keeping an eye on available clues.

It's a bleak, if profitable, prospect the Loeb-otomy offers for traditional long term holders: dividends slashed, no London listing, historic headquarters gone forever, two foreign holdings, and hedge funds directing policy.

Interesting that Griffiths is a buyer at that price, albeit just a nibble. It's a couple of pence higher than his previous buy. As he shorted at just over 30p, and closed at about 24p, It seems to confirm that he values the stock at about 25p.

Well it seems Loeb is demanding the Pru get out of London altogether now, on the basis that we have no business in the UK. Cheeky blighter, he's only loebbed in a couple of billion. Responding, Prudential said it will provide an update on its performance and strategy in its 2019 results, scheduled to be published on March 11.

A researcher in Taiwan thinks it's likely the virus escaped from the Wuhan Institute of virology:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/02/23/2003731479

There may be a very slight bias against the Chinese government in the comments section, but you can hardly notice it.

Outlook from Taipei is scorching, first highlighting the inhumanity of Xi's dictatorship, described as a "Controlocracy": http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2020/02/15/2003731007
then suggesting the virus may have escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/02/23/2003731479

"Researchers have set a world record for the conversion of solar energy to electricity via the use of tiny nanoparticles called 'quantum dots'. The technology has a huge range of potential applications, including the possibility to use it as a flexible, transparent skin to power cars, planes, homes and wearable technology."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200218182208.htm

More detail on the rationale in this one:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200224005747/en
"The Case for Action
Using appropriate trading multiples on embedded value and earnings, we think a standalone PruAsia would be worth well in excess of Prudential plc’s current market capitalization, implying that the market is assigning a deeply negative value for Jackson. Both PruAsia and Jackson have incredible strategic value, but not while combined."

"Hedge fund Third Point LLC amassed a more than $2 billion stake in Prudential and called on the British insurer on Monday to split into two companies.

Third Point, which specializes in shareholder activism and is run by Daniel Loeb, wrote to the 332-year old London-based company on Monday to ask it to separate its Asian and U.S. businesses.

The New York-based hedge fund said Prudential’s stock would benefit if it stopped running its crown jewel Asia business and its U.S. business, Jackson National Life, out of one holding company in Britain."

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-prudential-thirdpoint/hedge-fund-third-point-calls-on-britains-prudential-to-break-up-idUSKCN20I1WZ?rpc=401&

Stake building probably explains why the price has been holding up so well, until today.

Samsung have one of their largest overseas investments in facilities in Austin, Texas, and it may be the biggest foreign investment in the state of any kind. Just recently they have closed down a CPU division and laid off staff, apparently beaten by Cambridge-based ARM, who patently have superior designs.

With Samsung's chairman at deaths door, his son, the disgraced acting chairman, in court facing renewed corruption charges, and his older sister, the owner of Hansol, dying last month, are they in any fit state to face the wrath of tiny nanoco?

https://news.samsung.com/us/samsung-in-texas/
https://www.thelayoff.com/t/11f1v9w8

Griffiths made about £17K on the two day short, a curious little trade!
(his total Nanoco holdings are worth about £8.8M at current bid price).

Over on the ADVFN board they have been discussing the level of corruption at Samsung, and it's completely shocking, going right to the top of the company. I wasn't aware of just how bad it is. The chairman is the founders son, and he's served jail time, being pardoned twice. The vice chairman and heir apparent is the founders grandson, and he's served jail time, got out on appeal, and currently facing another trial. The chairman of the Electronics board resigned after being sentenced to 18 months in December for violating labour laws. That's just after a few minutes googling - what a cesspit!

I see where you're going with that t, but I would have picked Maxwell Smart and Ironside.

Nanoco claim in the Factual Background (point 19) "the unique capability to scale up from lab to volume production".
I suppose they are essentially challenging Samsung to demonstrate in court that it is not unique. If Samsung are actually able to prove that, there would be no reason for delay?

It seems counter-intuitive that a defendant should be given the onerous task of proving a negative, but as you point out, IP-man, "Patents are negative rights." Takes a while to get your mind around that one. ( :

Ah, I see IP_man, so what you're saying is that transferring the burden of proof is actually normal practise in a patent dispute, and the "substantial likelihood" is normal too, because, they have no way of knowing for certain? Thanks, that makes things much clearer.