Member Info for Dartron

Thanks, that is interesting and I do agree that this will have dampened enthusiasm here. Possibly why Blackrock then went short. I took a quick look at both companies on SWS (not the best site I know, but its something). I dont quite trust the PE on SWS. I have this quote from Septembers IC mage (where they will have used share pad a far better platform).

"YouGov is guiding for operating profits this year. Priced at 12 times forecast earnings for the next 12 months – a multiple that unprecedentedly puts the stock in line with the FTSE All-Share index"

Here are the stats from SWS:

YOU:

Trading at 66.9% below our estimate of its fair value

Earnings are forecast to grow 29.79% per year

Pays a reliable dividend of 2.17%

IPSO

Trading at 59% below our estimate of its fair value

Earnings are forecast to grow 10.76% per year

Trading at good value compared to peers and industry

Analysts in good agreement that stock price will rise by 50.3%

I dont know Ipsos that well, but I think it is a bit of a dinosaur? from the 70's.

https://simplywall.st/stocks/fr/media/epa-ips/ipsos-shares

https://simplywall.st/stocks/gb/media/aim-you/yougov-shares

Just bought at 87.8. Watched my data feed, seems next few buyers got in cheaper. If it helps. However offer has just ticked up to 88. I am happy with that, I expect at least 10% gain from dividend and short covering, some bounce after budget.

You could buy today and be out before it hit 100p to get over 10% gain, seems a very safe bet to me, despite what the shorts will tell you.

I think Blackrock just upped their short position last week to 0.55%. I suspect they were probably already short under 0.5% for some time, I think their actions explain the price action here. Funny thing is that Blackrock still own 4.93% of Yougov (https://corporate.yougov.com/investors/shareholdings/) [31st July]. It does seem strange to short your own stock. They used to hold 6.79% (https://www.lse.co.uk/rns/YOU/holdings-in-company-z7u2mc7hmy1t5rq.html) But dumped some just before the big drop in May. I actually recall some bearish article from their fund manager as well back in May. I think it was this fund, which according to the last report has Yougov as the 11th largest holding. Even in that article it states "The Citywire Elite Companies plus-rated stock remains a top-10 holding in Whitestone’s BlackRock Throgmorton".

They wouldn't have to report reduction again as over seas and below 5%, so either selling the stock and using a short alongside to recuperate some of the losses, or loading back up with a short for liquidity purposes. Hard to know, but Blackrock are currently share holders according to Yougov.

The purpose of the Share Buyback Programme is to meet obligations arising from debt financial instruments that are exchangeable into equity.

It wont really take any shares off the market, once they have been given back out. I guess it saves a bit of dilution...

I have many down just as much, some real bargains out there now, not just Yougov. I expect a rally after the budget what ever Reeves announces, as shorts have over done most shares. Who would sell now to save a few percent CGT tax, when your down nearly 50% thanks to shorts. Whats the point in anyone selling, just wait for it to go private. Hargreaves Lansdown, Right Move all over again.

Price reaction was disappointing, but this is complete lack of liquidity and buyers, and easy to manipulate. Driven down from the morning auction in about 5 minutes. I still fancy a crack at 90p soon.

Wolverine Asset Management took a 0.5% short. As soon as I saw it, I sold. Managed to shave over 2p off my SREI which I bought back today. They have declared that they have started to reduce, but are now under the reporting limit. Not sure what the plan was. I think most investors are happy with SREI, and if anything I suspect we see some consolidation and even a offer here.

Perhaps hoping for a wobbly due to the budget? I dont care. I like SREI.

A really astute market player could have shorted this down, for one using the general AIM weakness. If they knew that those options were going to be awarded (which I think is available info).

I was pleased to see that the options came from the EBT. The EBT is all but cleared out now, so hopefully Rick decides to replenish it. Quite frankly why there is no buy back here is baffling. Each RNS that lands I am expecting a buy back.

Franchised brands have started one, even with a load of debt due to shares being so undervalued. The least they could do here is to buy some more shares for the EBT.

I guess reading todays RNS, can we infer that Rick wants the price low, so that he can realise shares at a low tax rate and plonk them in his SIPP. He is 59 years old according to Google, so perhaps soon the low price wont suit him.

I bet the employees getting the options were a big gutted.

Yougov does have quite a bit of debt. I added today, and bought several other AIM stocks. Feeling bullish on AIM post budget.

So it used to be Deutsche Numis (NOMAD and Joint Broker) and Berenberg (Joint Broker).

Now it is JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley and still Berenberg. (3 joint brokers).

Interesting that JP Morgan were one of the publicly declared shorts here.

I think it represents a golden opportunity to buy these stocks.. IF you pick wisely. I am buying for take overs, as that is the only likely hood of a decent exit. I expect PE to swoop in once the budget has been digested, on the right stocks. The rest will just fester. I would not put BEG in the group I am talking about, I doubt PE would want this. It is just a group of small businesses bolted together, serving a failing economy. The founder holds 17% so has final say over matters, the earnings are hard to fathom, no appetite for buy back, instead has issued so many shares to keep his staff happy (who wont be happy now!) and still talking of more empire building. I would include Knights in this category - though I did well on them in the past.

I do hold BEG, not selling down here but maybe this is just a 4% income stock now. Dont forget coorp tax will go up, employee taxes will go up. Maybe no to bank on the dividend growing. While it may seem an obvious macro call to buy a administrator, BEG has diversified into many counter cyclical areas like conveyancing. Its a people business, with no special moat. At the extreme, look at the rise and fall RBGP.

This is a poor stock from an income perspective, when others offer 6 to 7% and have better growth prospects. Utter turd I am afraid. My only hope is that Rick does a buy back, I guess he has motivation having lost half his paper fortune.

Https://news.sky.com/story/scores-of-companies-take-aim-at-reeves-over-tax-threat-13231445

Includes Yougov. I guess their hands a little tied at the moment being closed period too.

During the chaos, on my holdings I have had large director buys in AMS and AGFX. Worth following the money..

Well done to Grahame Cook, NED. £98k purchase, made yesterday. He timed that well. Hopefully that soaks up the stock a bit from any panic selling. I would hope the price might recover somewhat now, but its hard to tell given the chaos Reeves has caused. Media articles about people wanting to withdraw their 25% from their pensions (AJ Bell 'inundated'), people selling due to IHT, CGT. Hopefully those that ride out such storms, will reap the benefit. AMS is a quality company.

If they make any changes, they should disallow short selling while the dust settles. I doubt Reeves understands capital markets though.

I went to Card factory this week to buy for my Mrs. In the store I went in to, Christmas was about 30% of the store, which for me is a little irritating as its only October. The store was fairly busy (for a weekday morning) and I pleased to see only 2 staff. If you are worrying about what is in the store, I would focus on the customers and staff not the cards.

If labour do touch AIM shares, they should suspend shorting on AIM for 12 months or so.

Looks like the short is closing, easy 10% if you buy today. I got 198p yesterday.

Other than he would be wasting his money.

Took some more today, around 207. Not bad I thought.

One wonders whether the constant shorting of this stock, will make it an easier decision to accept a take over.

There was a RNS late last night for a resignation of Tania MacLeod, Executive Director, has resigned from the Board with immediate effect.

https://www.lse.co.uk/rns/RBGP/directorate-change-63ptxpi9ry2g868.html

Its about to implode, and Rosenblatt is going to lose what little shirt he has left.

Https://news.sky.com/story/law-firm-founder-rosenblatt-demands-ceo-ousting-13225748

Ian Rosenblatt has told the chair of RBG Holdings that he will requisition an EGM to remove Jon Divers unless the company does so first, Sky News learns.

Mr Rosenblatt took his eponymous firm public in 2018, raising £43m at a price of 95p-a-share.

The stock was trading at around 3.43p on Tuesday morning, giving the group a market valuation of just £4.5m.

I guess that solves any IHT issues he might soon have.