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Bought another £10k at just under £2.91. This may well fall further but I think it’s a good cash generative business for a long term hold. i am still under water by about 13% on this stock after the purchase. Reasonable base dividend and even better if they can keep paying out the special dividend on top. Not sue if it’s getting sold off with the ‘AI will replace everything’ thinking that seems to be pervasive at the moment. As always DYOR.

Adults declaring that have not had alcohol in over a year, jumping from 19% to 24% is quite remarkable. Predominantly younger people as well as those over 50 still mostly drink. That's got to be a concern for drinks companies, especially in spirits which also seem more affected than beers. Having said that its a big world and its not a universal trend, India seems to be increasing consumption and its one of the largest markets. Premiumisation would likely Diagio if people drink less but drink more expensive brands. Time as ever will tell but its fairly clear that the trend is downwards for alcohol for a myriad of reasons and its especially true of the young.

I’ve been a long term holder of NCC shares, disclaimer I previously worked for the company. I had shares from being an employee but all the shares I have now I have purchased since leaving. My average price is now around the £1.27p mark. Be interesting to see what happens when they come to return the proceeds to share holders after the next AGM, assuming the deal progresses as outlined. I’m normally a long term buy and hold investor but I think my time holding this share will potentially come to an end this year. Although it does look like the cyber security division where i previously worked is turning a corner.

Bought another £10k at 49.5p to average down - Appreciate this is a risky trade so lets see what happens. Now sat on a bit over 71k shares with an average cost of 56.5p. Had some nice dividends however to blunt the trauma but still under water overall.

I don’t think we actually know what the percentage will be as they moved to a more dynamic approach to the dividend payout. My assumption was 24p which is 9.56% I think. But anywhere around 9 to 10% is solid for me.

That was meant to save hovering at around 10%

Bought another £10k worth at 251 to average down, hopefully they can maintain the dividend which I think is however it £10% at the moment.

I trimmed my hsbc position a bit locking in a very good profit to buy £25k of card factory. Fundamentals look good to me at this price but the 7.5% dividend is the real draw for me. As long as they can stay profitable and churn out this dividend I’ll be happy. Long term buy and hold for stocks like this that look oversold on the fundamental metrics.

End of day and still no divi from II, think this is the first stock I’ve had not pay out during the day of payout with II.

Picked up £10k worth at 94.5p for my dividend portfolio. Let’s see where it goes from here.

No further news of escode sale.

However cost controls and debt management seem to be paying off.

Decline in cyber security revenue but higher margins seems to point to a steadier trajectory.

Interesting to see escode continuing to grow, I thought this would be the declining bit of the business albeit with amazing margin.

Be interesting to see where the share price goes after the market opens.

How low can it go? clearly a lot further than I had anticipated. Averaged down again with another £10k worth of shares at £16.10. Lets see if it gets into the £15 range next.

Might regret it but bought another £10k worth at 58.6p. Lets see where this is heading. I'm now in at an average of 65p but i'm only down just 3.8% thanks to the dividends so not great but not a disaster either (yet).

Summary from Gemini 2.5 pro.

Overall, the bank reported a strong third quarter, beating market expectations. This performance was primarily driven by higher-than-expected income and well-controlled costs.

Key Financial Highlights

• Profit: Pre-tax operating profit for the quarter was £1.7 billion, a 26% increase compared to the same period last year.

• Income: Total income rose by 7.3% to £3.7 billion. This was supported by good growth in lending and an expansion of the bank's net interest margin.

• Net Interest Margin (NIM): The NIM (a key measure of lending profitability) increased to 2.18%, which was ahead of consensus forecasts.

• Impairments: The bank set aside £245 million for potential bad loans. While this is a 7% increase, default levels are reported to remain low.

• Capital Strength: The bank's Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio, a key measure of financial resilience, remains strong at 13.9%, which is at the top end of its 13-14% target range.

Upgraded Guidance

As a result of this strong performance, NatWest has upgraded its full-year guidance for 2025. It now expects net interest income to be approximately £14.4 billion, an increase from its previous forecast.

Dividends and Share Buybacks

While the Q3 update did not include any new announcements for dividends or share buybacks (which is standard, as these are typically detailed with half-year and full-year results), here is the current status:

• Dividends: No new dividend was declared. The most recent was the 9.5p interim dividend paid in September 2025. The bank's policy remains to pay out around 50% of attributable profit.

• Share Buybacks: No new program was announced. However, the large £750 million share buyback program that was announced with the half-year results in July 2025 is still actively in progress. The bank has been regularly repurchasing its own shares from the market throughout the third quarter.

From google gemini, I have scanned the report and I think this is fair analysis.

Summary of Interim Results

Bytes Technology Group has reported a resilient performance in its interim results, characterized by strong revenue growth offset by pressure on profitability. However, the company's outlook remains confident, supported by strong operational execution, a healthy balance sheet, and shareholder-friendly capital returns. 

Key Financials:

• Revenue Growth: Gross Invoiced Income grew by a solid 9.1%, driven by increases in both software (up 8.9%) and services (up 15.1%).

• Profitability Pressure: Despite higher revenues, Gross Profit saw a marginal increase of 0.4%, while Operating Profit declined by 7.0%, indicating rising costs or shifts in product mix are impacting margins. 

• Strong Balance Sheet: The company maintains a robust financial position with a closing cash balance of £82.3 million. 

Shareholder Returns & Confidence:

• Dividend Increase: The interim dividend was raised by 3.2% to 3.2p per share. 

• Share Buyback Program: A significant £25 million share repurchase program was announced. 

Together, the dividend increase and the share buyback signal strong confidence from the management in the company's future prospects and suggest they believe the shares are currently undervalued.

Operational Highlights & Outlook:

• Resilience and Retention: The company demonstrated resilience in a challenging economic climate, maintaining very high customer and staff retention rates. 

• Strategic Adaptation: They have successfully transitioned customers to Microsoft's higher-margin Cloud Solution Provider program and are increasing their focus on services to drive future growth. 

• Positive Outlook: Management is confident in achieving full-year results that align with market expectations. The company is well-positioned to benefit from long-term demand in high-growth areas like cloud computing, cybersecurity, and AI, although it faces tough comparisons against a very strong performance in the prior year. 

In conclusion, the results show a company successfully growing its top line and maintaining a strong market position. While the decline in operating profit is a key concern, the confident outlook, strong cash position, and commitment to shareholder returns through both dividends and a substantial buyback present a positive picture for the future.

Will I be proven wrong once gain. Bought another £10k worth at £17.69. I’m down 19% since my first o-ending position, not counting dividends. Amazing to see the downfall of this once superstar company. Will hold for the long run and see where we end up. 4.4% dividend is attractive albeit not stellar.

I’ve topped up my holding by another 18000 shares over the last couple of days. I think it’s oversold but the dividend is looking really enticing as part of my retirement income holdings. Time as ever will tell where it goes next.

They did a special payout last December so it looks like they are signalling the intention to do it again this year.

Ithaca Energy’s H1 2025 results reflect a transformed, efficient, and growth-ready business:

• Production doubled, opex per barrel down 36%

• EBITDAX and operating cash flow soared

• Net loss was tax-driven, while adjusted income remained solid

• Balance sheet strengthened with low leverage and high liquidity

• Dividend policy intact—with acceleration of payouts

• Robust organic and inorganic investment supporting upside

• Upgraded guidance and an exciting exit trajectory point to continued momentum

They’re clearly delivering on their strategy of efficiency, disciplined investment, and shareholder value—while positioning for significant production growth and value capture in the coming years.

Bought another 226 shares at £43.89, another hold for the long term. I’m underwater by about 4% on RIO with dividends included. Hoping to see a lift over the coming years and more importantly good dividends.