Member Info for janebolacha

From Seeking Alpha:

"Ryanair (RYAAY) CEO Michael O’Leary said he's become less concerned about potential jet fuel shortages in Europe due to the U.S.-Iran conflict.

“The oil companies are less concerned,” O'Leary said at the Norges Bank Investment Management conference in Norway, according to Bloomberg. “They’re now saying there’s no risk to supply disruption up to the start or middle of June.”

O'Leary noted that increased oil production from such areas as Norway, the U.S., and North Africa appears to be compensating for the disruption of shipments from the Persian Gulf. He added, however, that airline ticket prices may still increase this summer due to continued uncertainty about the ongoing conflict, Bloomberg said."

40% of sales are in the US. DKS there, now including Foot Locker, are on a PER of close to 16. JD seem to be on a PER of 6. Pentland own 54%. This seems tailor-made for a US private-equity bid.

Elon Musk’s space exploration company SpaceX (SPACE) has sought U.S. approval for a constellation of a million satellites that could function as orbital data centers without the environmental impact typically associated with ground-based data centers.

In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission late Friday, the company described the proposal as a “constellation of satellites with unprecedented computing capacity to power advanced artificial intelligence (‘AI’) models and the applications that rely on them.”

“By directly harnessing near-constant solar power with little operating or maintenance cost, these satellites will achieve transformative cost and energy efficiency while significantly reducing the environmental impact associated with terrestrial data centers,” the eight-page filing read.

“Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step toward becoming a Kardashev Type II civilization—one that can harness the sun’s full power—while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity’s multiplanetary future among the stars,” SpaceX (SPACE) said.

The project eclipses the company’s Starlink constellation, which comprises more than 9,600 satellites circling Earth’s orbit.

It comes weeks after China sought to build two constellations totaling roughly 200,000 satellites, according to paperwork filed with the International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations body that allocates spectrum in space.

Satellite industry analyst Tim Farrar told PCMag that SpaceX’s (SPACE) plans look “quite rushed and to be very early stage." However, according to Farrar, the move justifies SpaceX’s (SPACE) purported plans to merge with Elon Musk’s AI firm, xAI, ahead of a potential IPO this year that could raise as much as $50B.

"SpaceX can't spend the $50B that the IPO is supposed to raise on its existing Starlink and Starship efforts, whereas xAI sorely needs as much money as possible to keep up with rivals,” Farrar said.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/4545073-spacex-build-orbital-data-center-comprising-1m-satellites

Https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260122348492/en/Hibbett-Launches-on-DoorDash-Bringing-On-Demand-Access-to-Footwear-and-Apparel-Nationwide

"SAN FRANCISCO & BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DoorDash (NASDAQ: DASH), a global leader in local commerce, and Hibbett, Inc., a leading athletic-inspired fashion retailer, today announced a new partnership to bring on-demand access of footwear, apparel, and accessories to consumers across the United States. With approximately 1,000 stores nationwide, Hibbett’s availability on DoorDash expands convenient retail access, particularly in the Southeast and Southwest.

"By connecting with DoorDash’s delivery network, we’re simplifying the path from checkout to doorstep"

Share

“Bringing Hibbett to the DoorDash marketplace expands convenient, on-demand access to the apparel and footwear consumers rely on, especially in communities where Hibbett has a strong local presence,” said Fuad Hannon, VP of New Verticals at DoorDash. “This partnership reflects our continued focus on building meaningful retail relationships that give consumers greater choice and speed, whether they are gearing up for a game, refreshing everyday essentials, or shopping for last minute accessories and beyond.”

Through DoorDash, consumers can shop a wide range of athletic essentials from Hibbett, including footwear, apparel, and accessories from popular brands like Nike, Jordan, adidas, and New Balance, and have items delivered directly to their door.

"DoorDash is a natural partner for us with our shared focus on making everyday shopping easier and faster for our customers," said Bill Quinn, CIO, Hibbett. "By connecting with DoorDash’s delivery network, we’re simplifying the path from checkout to doorstep, so shoppers can get their footwear and apparel shopping done quickly and seamlessly. This new partnership is yet another way for us to provide efficiency and continue to improve our customer experience."

To make on-demand delivery even more convenient, Hibbett will be available on DashPass, the most affordable way to order on DoorDash. DoorDash’s DashPass membership program offers $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders from thousands of restaurants, grocery, and convenience stores nationwide.*

From an article in today's Telegraph:

"Following an explosive fallout with the president in June, the tech billionaire appears to have recently been brought back into the fold.

On Monday, he met with Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, at the headquarters of SpaceX in Texas as part of a tour to boost the US defence industrial base.

The visit comes just days after the US Space Force awarded SpaceX $700m for missile warning service and the Federal Communications Commission granted the company approval to launch an additional 7,500 Starlink satellites."

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/01/13/ofcom-x-ban-us-uk-grok/

Https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/bernstein-names-its-best-stocks-for-2026-as-european-retail-winners-emerge-93CH-4441746

"3i (Outperform, 62% upside)"

"3i is Bernstein’s highest-conviction idea, driven by its majority exposure to Action, Europe’s leading discount variety retailer. Action continues to deliver best-in-class growth, with strong like-for-like sales, rapid store rollout, and consistent margin expansion underpinned by a simple, low-cost operating model.

The business is growing sales at roughly twice the pace of any company in Bernstein’s coverage universe, yet trades at a material discount to slower-growing peers on an implied EV/EBITDA basis.

With significant runway for geographic expansion and operating leverage, 3i offers a rare combination of growth, quality, and valuation support."

Comment in Seeking Alpha article on Academy Sports & Outdoors (ASO) Reference to early sales of World Cup sporting gear in the US being "very, very good."

"Analyst Jonathan Matuszewski highlighted that the World Cup has had a measurable impact on demand for soccer-related merchandise historically. He noted that in prior cycles, Academy Sports (ASO), Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS), SportChek, and others across North American sporting goods saw meaningful lifts from World Cup-related demand, which in some cases added as much as 200 basis points to quarterly comparable sales marks. "And early reads ahead of '26 are compelling, with ASO referring to initial sales of World Cup jerseys and soccer balls as very, very good," he advised."

https://seekingalpha.com/news/4536230-academy-sports-outdoors-is-forecast-to-see-a-significant-world-cup-boost

Comment here:

"Filtronic — Despite a strong year, this chart still has room. Holding above recent broken resistance at 150p supports a move toward the top of the channel around 210p by the end of February."

I`m no chartist but there you go!

"Traders Cafe with Zak Mir: Bulletin Board Heroes, Monday 29th December 2025"

https://www.share-talk.com/traders-cafe-with-zak-mir-bulletin-board-heroes-monday-29th-december-2025/

Https://www.thetimes.com/business/companies-markets/article/our-writers-share-tips-2026-how-they-did-2025-rj6gkp525

Filtronic — Oliver Gill

“Lunatic,” I hear you say. Why would you back a stock that almost doubled in value last year? To which I would respond: can you name me a company that does something so much better than SpaceX that Elon Musk’s gang threw in the towel and contracted them to manufacture instead? Yes: Filtronic, based near Sedgefield, Sir Tony Blair’s old constituency in Co Durham, is so good at making a certain type of computer chip that it has an exclusive contract with SpaceX.

So good are these chips that SpaceX has even taken a stake in the company. To be sure, much of this is now priced into the stock. But the company is now diversifying into the defence sector. And given how defence spending is on the rise, it seems only a matter of time before this division is as large as Filtronic’s chip arm. Shares in Filtronic, quoted onAim, are floating at just under 150p a pop. Some brokers have a target price of 200p. I’d venture that Filtronic shares could double again in 2026.

Thank you. Paul Scott, in his daily podcast, said:

"The one in Bournemouth, I'm going to go and visit and have a look round. But the Google reviews, customers were saying it's so popular because they spent big on making it look good on all the equipment and it's a reasonable price. No contract type thing.

It's kind of a little bit higher up the value scale than Gym Group, but better, I think. And... Apparently it was so busy, management were on the door doing one in, one out a few days ago. So that has really hit the ground running. And I think they could, well, be eating into the gym group's lunch."

Interesting.

That was on 3500 shares.

https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/JDSPY

Is JD Sports involved in gyms or does it have plans to develop a gyms chain? I heaRNS.rd talk of this but see no mention at all in the last Interim Results RNS.

TAn extract from the Osborne article:

"DBay started this bid with a 16.5 per cent holding, topping up to a blocking stake last month at prices between 140.3p and 149p. So, even if it bought much of its initial slug at below £1, it’s well down on its recent purchases. And, though it may want to drive down TT’s shares before returning with its own bid, it can’t come back for six months (except in circumstances out of its control). For up to 12 months, too, its recent share buying could set a minimum price of 149p for any bid. The result? It faces a long wait to make a low-ball offer for a group that has just warned trading is “challenging”.

Hence, one theory that was knocking around. That DBay’s real intention with last Tuesday’s bid considerations update was “bumpitrage” — an attempt to force a bit extra out of Cicor by releasing its offer from its “final” status. What DBay didn’t know, though, was that only hours later Cicor would have a profits warning, taking 28 per cent off its shares, so leaving both the Swiss group and its shareholders loath to bump the price.

In short, did DBay’s M&A tactics backfire? Neither it nor Paiusco are saying anything. But TT’s banking advisers and other big investors — Fidelity, Aberforth, Artemis and Slater, together with a third of the group — could yet try to persuade DBay to change its mind, accept Cicor’s bid by the vote on December 22 and bank a nice profit. They could even throw in a few threats never to work with DBay.

Still, even then, would the Takeover Panel let DBay go back on a statement it has made three times about not accepting Cicor’s bid? Well, possibly. Having ditched its plans for its own offer, DBay is now just a shareholder. And the rules over market statements are less strict for them than bidders. All the same, the panel would have to weigh up the competing interests of shareholders holding TT against those who sold on the strength of DBay’s statements. So, a fine call.

Advertisement

Besides, it’s all probably academic. To judge by TT’s share price, the market has already got DBay’s Paiusco down as a right Christmas grinch."

I hold stock in Chewy Inc, one of the companies mentioned in the FT article. Its sp is up 114% in the past 12 months. its PER is now close to 29. They have a good presence in e-commerce and an autoship scheme for regular automatic monthly despatches of orders to customers.

https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CHWY

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4751779-chewy-momentum-in-autoship-vet-clinics-and-mobile-engagement

They have expanded into Canada. I wonder whether they might be considering UK as well.

Do you have a link to the Cavendish Research, please. Thank you.

"Inaction on litigation funding is pushing firms to look elsewhere

Ministers have been slow to act on a Supreme Court ruling from 2023, which has hit legal services"

........................

"My own business — which is listed in London with a group-wide portfolio worth $7.5 billion (£6 billion) — is reconsidering whether London is a preferred dispute resolution centre. Burford must make careful decisions for stakeholders, including UK investors and clients, and regretfully the lingering uncertainty and the government’s silence has caused the company to begin migrating some dispute resolution activity away from London.

Declining investment and stronger competition from abroad should be warning lights on the government’s growth dashboard. London is moving backwards in the queue. The UK has historically been the leading jurisdiction for business disputes and has an enviable reputation as a reliable and fair place to do business. We want to invest in the UK, its workforce and economy, but the government’s inaction is making it difficult to do so.

Chris Bogart is the co-founder and chief executive of Burford Capital, a litigation funding company"

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/inaction-on-litigation-funding-is-pushing-firms-to-look-elsewhere-ts03m8t2q

Entain owns 50% of BetMGM.

"MGM Resorts targets $2.4B-$2.5B revenue for BetMGM in 2025 amid digital expansion"

MGM stock "NYSE | $USD | Post-Market: $37.69 +3.32 (+9.66%) 7:59 PM"

"At BetMGM, our business is stronger in virtually every aspect compared to a year ago, and it drove over $2 billion in top-line growth in net revenue from operations, accelerating from 6% in the first half of the year to 19% in the second half of the year. As we look to 2025, BetMGM expects the momentum to continue with net revenues from operating rolling to a range of $2.4 billion to $2.5 billion and EBITDA inflecting positive, which represents an increase of approximately $250 million year-over-year." (from transcript of earnings call)

hTTps://seekingalpha.com/article/4757688-mgm-resorts-international-mgm-q4-2024-earnings-call-transcript

hTTps://seekingalpha.com/news/4407403-mgm-resorts-targets-2_4b-2_5b-revenue-for-betmgm-in-2025-amid-digital-expansion