Member Info for courtier

Between April 5th 2012 and April 5th 2013 Amlin returned 34% into my ISA when Share Price increase is added to dividends. My third best share after Inmarsat and Fiberweb.

Of course the heels and suits (I love that phrase) in Brussels are a pain but I am confident that Banco Santander is big and strong enough to throw off the shackles. This really is a buying opportunity in my view. Trouble is I have no spare cash and don't want to sell anything either. I don't think the price will stay under £5 much longer. I remain astounded by the dividends this share has paid me in the last year and worry they cannot keep it up...

From Centaur's last RNS: "Looking ahead, our investment in existing and new products has given us a strong pipeline of new digital platforms and event launches. With print revenues expected to stabilise, digital and events revenues growing well, and deferred revenues of £19m, 32% ahead of the same period last year, we believe that the outlook for the 2014 financial year remains positive." I remain hopeful of steady recovery over the next year.

The market does not like the interim results published Feb 2013 and has punished Centaur with a hefty 27% price fall. There are some good points: Revenue remained good, nominally up 14%. Margins were up 4 percent Interim Dividend up 10%. Digital is now 35% against a target of 50%. EBITDA margin up 4% to 10% Healthy new product pipe line. There are some not so good points: Loss increased to £4.4 million from £1.3 million, including £4million exceptional expenses. Net debt up from £5.4 million to £24.5 million. I have not been following Centaur long enough to comment much but they have been growing strongly through acquisitions which may well account for much of the above. I think that at this new level Centaur is a very good buy indeed. Pity I bought last year...

The following article in “the Independent” is a must read for all RSA share holders. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/simon-english-why-rsas-chief-could-have-a-rebellious-time-8601910.html Makes my blood boil...

After a transformational period for the Group, the business expects to deliver operating profit fully in line with expectations and earnings per share towards the higher end of expectations. With a near doubling in the size of the Group, we expect revenues to be c. £3.7bn, up around 90% on the prior year. Our core Packaging businesses have delivered underlying volume growth in line with our GDP+1% medium term financial target. As in previous announcements, the original DS Smith business has continued to outperform and we are now starting to see an improving trend in the ex-SCA Packaging business. We continue to make strong progress in the early delivery of synergies associated with the integration of SCA Packaging and are on track to deliver cost and cash synergies as previously advised, with around E40 million of cost synergies this year versus original guidance of E25 million. In addition, we expect to deliver a return above our cost of capital in the 10 months to 30 April 2013, a year earlier than originally announced. The business continues to generate strong cash flow and we expect the ratio of net debt to EBITDA to fall to 2.0x or below by 30 April 2013.

I still expect Banco to reach £5.50 this year and continue upwards. The trouble is that every time we see an increase, like today, some news, usually European, knocks us back. Hope this time the price is stronger. I really enjoy reinvesting the dividends four times a year. Is there anyone paying a better dividend (currently 60p)? I make the yield about 11% at current price and even allowing for the dreaded Spanish tax the return is excellent.

Banco returned 15% into my ISA, including dividends and share price increase, between April 5th 2012 1nd April 5th 2013. Not bad but I am banking on better this year.

From The Independent: The electronic components manufacturer E2V published is full-year figures yesterday – and on the face of it, they looked nothing short of spectacular. Adjusted pre-tax profits in the 12 months to end of March stood at £33.6m, against £9.4m last year, while net borrowings, excluding debt issue costs, stood at £28.1m, down from £44.8m last year. The company also had some cheery news for income investors, reinstating its dividend with a 3.6p per share payout, after nothing last year. Beyond that, there was news of strong underlying sales growth and a healthy order book. As the analysts at Seymour Pierce quickly noted, the strong results made E2V look like a growth company. From where we stand, the fact that its share trade on affordable forward earnings multiples of around 12 times also makes it look like one to buy. My own figures for the the year 5th April 2012 to 5th April 2013 were -3% after adding dividends to price change, but I think E2v has real potential.

Gave my ISA 17% profit between April 5th 2012 and April 5th 2013, when dividends are reinvested and adding the price increase.

Between April 5th 2012 and April 5th 2013 Fiberweb gave me a return of +20%, including reinvested dividends, and price increase.

Smith(DS) earned me 25% with dividend reinvestment and price improvement. I'm delighted.

Explained here: http://www.igx.com/

End of each financial year I try to assess the holdings in my ISA. This year Inmarsat is top with a 48% increase when including share price increase and dividends over the year 5th April 2012 to 5th April 2013. I don't always get the beginning and ending prices exactly right, but they are not far wrong.

I am about to increase my holding again as I think the current price is a buying opportunity. I am puzzled by the yield as shown on this page at 4.21%. I am sure I am receiving 11% in four quarterly instalments. Am I misunderstanding something?

This is launching this year, anyone understand the product? I do have some difficulty understanding the success of Inmarsat, but have been delighted with the share price and dividends.

I also topped up on Thursday. No regrets. look at the historic graphs and these shares are still a buy. Risk factors are banking in general, and the Eurozone. Positives are the strong growth in Latin America and the steady pull back into profits. When I have spare cash I shall buy whenever price opportunities arise

For once I was on the ball when Amlin decided on their dividend cut. I was actually in time to sell before the serious fall occurred. Perhaps I was daft but I did buy them to hold and decided the market would be kind to a company still paying about 5%, so held. We will see but so far the fall has been limited and I remain in profit, just. I do think the price drop makes them a good buy for a short while.

This seems to me to be just what I would hope for from Centaur Media, but the market doesn't like it... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/digitalfirst-centaur-media-is-back-on-lookout-for-buys-8504025.html?origin=internalSearch I do think their efforts to change with the digital world are to be encouraged.

URL for the report on the six months to 31st December 2012 http://hsprod.investis.com/ir/cau/ir.jsp?page=newsitem&item=1307102429579867