Member Info for Colbats

I suspect they mean 290?!

Just bought in to this. Hope I'm not too late!

I think the key to this lies in the expenses. Current expense ratio v revenue is too high at 28%. Whilst revenue is moving up, it's not yet clear whether costs are moving up as well. Some of the costs will be fixed, so as the revenue increases they form a smaller proportion, but the question is how much they have had to invest to drive the revenue. When we get some clues on that we should see some movement.

n a surprise trading update on Wednesday, British car insurer Admiral Group said that revenues fell in the first half of the year and there was no firm evidence of a return to growth in car insurance premiums. Group turnover in the six months to June was £1bn, down from £1.1bn in the same period a year earlier, with total premiums down 9pc. Group customer numbers increased by 300,000 to 3.9m over the period, while the number of UK cars insured rose to 3.1m, it said in a statement. However, UK car insurance turnover fell to £850m from £920m. The company said it planned to launch its first ever bond offering of up to £200m to diversify its capital base and help it prepare to meet Solvency II regulations in 2016.

Esure Group PLC (LON:ESUR) has earned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the ten analysts that are currently covering the stock, Stock Ratings Network reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 297.63 ($5.05).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/shares-and-stock-tips/10897264/Why-now-is-the-time-to-buy-Esure-shares.html esure, according to the Telegraph, which makes this its mid-cap share tip of the week. Some of the things you say are correct, but following the LASPO changes, PI claims have fallen. Rates, I believe are on the up. I speak as someone who has spent 37 years in the car insurance industry!

This, like other insurance shares will to a large extent be driven by the motor market cycle. The word is that rates have started to move up, which means these will follow suit - once the analysts believe that the change is happening. I'm in Admiral as well, which has a great track record. However, I am into this in a big way because I think it has more potential. GLA.

Also says: Land Acquisitions Mar City has also concluded the acquisition of a further 112 plots across 4 sites in London and the Midlands for an aggregate value of £6.47m. We are continuing to comfortably attain our target intake margins on new land and as a result we will continue to build our land bank and are already well on the way to acquiring our target of at least 3,000 plots this year, which would create a land bank of 3 years by the end of the year. Looks really strong to me!

Anyone think a counter-offer might emerge, from Markerstudy perhaps?

This is exactly the right approach given market conditions right now. A steady as she goes line will leave esure well placed for when the market turns, which everyone in the know believes will be later this year. Even if the brokers turn their noses up, I think you will find that we are at, or close, to the bottom of the cycle. We may not see the share price as low as this for a good 3 years IMHO. GLA.

Peter Wood has a track record second to none, so I am staying in this one. Motor rates have fallen, but esure's profits remain intact. It's a very cyclical business. When rates move up again, this, along with Admiral and Direct Line will fly. In the meantime, enjoy the yield!

Not sure why Trakm8 didn't issue an RNS? Fortunately I picked it up through another route and got in quickly!

Yes. Everything I see suggests that property (especially in London) is 'the new gold'. Prices are heading inexorably up, so I'm hanging in here!

House prices are predicted to rocket 35 per cent by 2020, rising an average of six per cent annually, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has announced. House price boom not crash: House prices across the UK are expected to increase, rising the most at 9.3% in London and the least at 2% in the North, rising to an average of £570,000 and £132,000, respectively. The steep climbs are being attributed to a number of factors, including the government's Help to Buy scheme, the growing population, and record low interest rates. That came as the Council of Mortgage Lenders revealed that mortgages granted to first-time buyers in February leapt 55% year-on-year, with the number rising to 22,200 with a total value of £3.1bn.

Esure Group PLC (LON:ESUR)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by Deutsche Bank in a research note issued on Thursday, AnalystRatings.Net reports. They currently have a GBX 313 ($5.19) price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 28.28% from the company’s current price.

The Israeli technology scene has long been a happy hunting ground for deep-pocketed American companies — and, increasingly, their British peers — seeking new apps and services to plunder. In recent years, there has been a push to tempt more of those high-tech businesses to spurn Nasdaq for a London listing, ignoring the fact that the likes of BATM Advanced Communications and Emblaze joined the LSE more than a decade ago and didn’t exactly set the world alight. The new generation of Israeli businesses to tap London investors has been led by Teddy Sagi, the billionaire owner of Camden Market, who has enjoyed a turbulent but lucrative stint as the head of Playtech. The technology business has been the subject of some concern after buying out other companies owned by Mr Sagi, but investors who held on to the shares since the 2006 flotation have tripled their money. Mr Sagi hopes that lightning can strike twice. SafeCharge, his fraud-screening technology business, started trading on AIM yesterday. It had a decent debut, with the stock rising 5 per cent to 169½p, which valued the business at more than £250 million. JP Morgan Asset Management and Henderson Global Investors bought 6.25 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively. The company is tied to the betting industry, as many of its largest customers use its fraud detection software. The float comes just before the Grand National on Saturday, its biggest day of the year. SafeCharge has raised £75 million to fund expansion into Asia and North America, where it is looking for companies with local knowledge and large numbers of customers into which it can plug its technology. It is pledging to pay half of its adjusted profit, expected to be about £23 million this year, in dividends, which will please Mr Sagi, who retains a majority stake. SafeCharge is profitable, cash-generative and has a proven business model in a market that is not going to cool as long as e-commerce is rife with fraudulent activity. Buying the shares is also a punt on the colourful Mr Sagi.

This is one that could really fly. It's an area of massive potential growth. Also, it was heavily oversubscribed, so I'd expect strong demand.

Mar City (AIM: MAR.L) the London, South East and Midlands housebuilder today announces its final results for the year ended 31 December 2013 will be released on Tuesday 25 March 2014. Looking at the price movement I think there are positive expectations!

Yes, rising interest rates are very good news for insurers. They are heavily regulated and have to adopt a very safe approach to investments - i.e GILTS, Bonds etc. Equities are likely to form only a very small portion of the portfolio.

Insurance business owning price comparison sites is normal. Admiral own Confused.com, BGL own compare the market and esure have around half of Gocompare. I think it's unlikely they will be forced to sell, but if they decide they want to there could be a payment. Yield is strong and with all that cash I'd expect the dividend to continue.