Member Info for Bootsox

Unless there's some ad-hoc announcement, we've a bit of a wait until the finals (mid-June 2018). However, reading through last year's finals, there ought to be a few things working their way through the system by now: 1) Integration of K2C 2) Move to OPEX pricing model 3) New contract revenues with larger value contracts 4) Capping of loss-making contract

Well, maybe a couple of years: BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited 0.18 2018-02-08 BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited 1.76 2018-02-06 BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited 1.88 2018-01-31 BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited 1.92 2017-12-13 .... BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited 0.50 2016-05-16

Good Lord, have BlackRock finally unwound their long standing short position (seems to have been around forever)?! https://www.shorttracker.co.uk/company/GB00B4YCDF59/

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to redact my ISA summary sufficiently to hide my �3k loss! Hope they take pity on me?

Re shareholder discount card, Martston's got back to me sharpish, requested evidence of shareholding such as a screenshot of my HL (in my case) ISA summary. Redacted as appropriate

Sometimes, to get inside a company's head, I like to read staff reviews: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Reviews/Marston-s-Reviews-E10278.htm?sort.sortType=RD&sort.ascending=false&filter.employmentStatus=REGULAR&filter.employmentStatus=PART_TIME&filter.employmentStatus=UNKNOWN

cheers Trent700, I'll drop them a line

Actually, just doing a bit of research, my shareholding is with HL and they seem fairly accommodating in terms of facilitating perks: "Eligible shareholders are entitled to a Marston's Inns and Taverns Privilege card which entitles the holder to a 20% discount on food and accommodation at participating Marston's inns and taverns." There's a number to ring: http://www.hl.co.uk/shares/shareholder-perks

Trent700, re the Marston discount card, is it aimed at shareholders and do you have to be a certificated holder? Cheers

Didn't see the prog but, after many years of using Premier Inn, I noticed recently they seem to be taking an unduly hard line with customer complaints (anecdotally and personally). After a recent stay at same, no hot water for a shower in the morning and all I've been offered is a paltry �10 voucher (to share between two).

DT's Questor: realistic but, amidst an ocean of negativity, slightly encouraging article. Part extract below: This column rarely has a beef with firms that invest in their competitive position and accordingly it is inclined to stick with Sir Charles�s plan, especially as the damage to the share price and the dividend has already been done. Questor says: hold http://www.telegraph.co.uk/investing/shares/questormarket-leading-positions-low-debt-strong-growth-share/

A bit of idle speculation on my part but I wonder if one of the (content only) streaming service providers, such as Netflix or Amazon, would welcome a tie-up with Talk? ...with the aim of becoming a content/ISP service like Sky/BT/Virgin and gain control over their bandwidth requirements. Amazon and Netflix are huge (market cap $664Bn and $111Bn respectively) and could possibly take out BT but they might see Talk as more bite-sized with expansion opportunities (also with less of the debt, union and pension's baggage).

A no-holds barred commentary from the DT re Talk's Q3 update (could paste but would probably end up in breach of copyright, I think DT allows one or two free articles) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/02/08/talktalk-shares-tumble-profit-warning-200m-placing-fund-fibre/

Quite a lot of radical developments for what might normally be considered a humble Q3 update. Seems all about good, old fashioned, conservative management = slash the dividend + raise capital = reduce debt (we don't want another Carillon on our hands) Talk should be light and agile enough to take on lumbering behemoths like BT and Vodafone (with their unionisation, debt levels and pension liabilities), assuming the regulator ensures fair network access. Can anyone confirm, going forward, the dividend is likely to be: interim = 1p, final = 1.5p? ...until such time it is restored to 7.5p (hallelujah)

Something doesn't make sense with this share, there has been saturation negativity from the financial commentariat for months. ...but it is being relatively lightly shorted <2.7% (in BlackRock's case, their short position has been in place for a long time, last month it even unwound slightly): https://www.shorttracker.co.uk/company/GB00B4YCDF59/

RNS out this morning: http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/ECK/13520810.html

Are SEY still sans-rudder?

A bit of a weird article in the Telegraph, Talk have now closed the problematic Indian call centre so the complaints relate to a situation that no longer exists. Also, Plusnet, EE and BT are all part of the same company, so not sure why the impression is given of different ownership.

Not fully au-fait with the background (newly acquired shareholding) but although the issue of MARS shares to buy CW would, on its own, have diluted the MARS yield, there must now be a profits contribution from CW. I suppose you would need to do a weighted yield analysis across MARS/CW to see if the immediate deal benefitted existing MARS shareholders or not? Presume there were some "synergy savings" on offer which may take time to materialise?

Gerry557, this is my fear in a way. Duplicitous Corbyn/McDonnell will ensure that the power companies will die the death of a thousand cuts by heavy handed regulation and windfall tax grabs before picking them up on the cheap. UK may not be Zimbabwe but if Corbyn gets his way we will be the next Venezuela (insane, left-wing, doctrine does not care what damage it does to the country/people). We are in unchartered waters, usually state intervention occurs when dealing with basket case companies (Railtrack, British Leyland, the UK coal industry, the old British Steel). Lord knows what will happen when dealing with perfectly healthy and well run companies. Most of the antipathy towards the UK power industry seems to stem from a handful of numb-nuts who either can't use on-line energy comparison sites (or don't have friends/relatives who can) or who just don't care but like to moan (or get other uninvolved people to moan on their behalf). All heavily championed by left-wing organisations like the BBC. People want to try living in countries with rubbish power systems, blackouts, rota-cuts, power-constrained growth and all the rest of it.