Member Info for OracleofOldham

Given China is short on coal and won't buy it (currently) from Australia should be good for an org like Evraz with Russian coal.

Yes looks like we will all be in tier 4 soon.
However if they want to the cafes can stay open as they are a food outlet.
It will depend obviously on if the company feel the footfall is there.
I do note most stores seem closed this week, but I think this is a decision either to give workers a break or because they expect there to be no custom.
If you go to the hotel chocolat website for eg and store finder, a few of the stores (at least in London) have 'temporary closed' by them but the majority do not. I also note that Starbucks are still open in my tier 4 area so if they are allowed then H C certainly can too, just depends, as I mentioned, if they feel the footfall is there to make it worthwhile.
Will check next week to see if stores have open times by them again (some do one or two days this week still (eg Brent Cross was open Tuesday, Marlybone station open Thursday) though as only one day in the week I am not sure if this is just to facilitate online orders that day and they figure they might as well open up as workers are in.
Whatever the situation I think you are right that the next trading update will be red too but this has to be the worst possible think that can happen to a retail company so getting through this and coming out the other side gives me confidence in the long term, especially as there seems no more closures of food/drink shops including cafes.

Puretech personally I would leave as rules on the gambling sector will hit it, Keywords studio is on my watch list as a preference.
Tullow are all over the shop, and don't feel I have to go out the risk curve in oil when BP and RDSB are so low and much safer options but again like gambling industry oil and gas have a lot of things outside their control that will affect their price, maybe see if OPEC+ increase oil levels next month (4th Jan likely they will increase by 500,000 barrels per day).

A part from that damn fine advice :)
Just kidding everyone is different that's why it's important to do your own research and understand the sector you are looking to invest in, and the company. Less likely to get shook out if price goes down (eg this dropped from 390 to 250 but it you know there is no debt and that it was more about bad press than fundamentals you would have held on (and maybe bought more) to improve your position.

I agree on your commodity statement, Everyone is shouting Gold and Silver but I would much prefer a copper, Iron, etc minor that also pays me a dividend.
Most countries seem to be planning to build there way out of recessions which is great news as added to inflation to assets from money printing there will also be a sharp increase in demand.

I have an eye on THG too, and a nice rise today, BUT one thing I've taken from Boohoo (and Asos and AO and Ocado) is wait till the trading update as whatever they have done never seems to be what the market expects and it gets sold off.
Will keep an eye for mid Jan, but do prefer the companies I own to be making a profit in the main(though I know there are exceptions to any rule).

sames

Certainly true and I think H Choc are in the red currently.
However 6 months from now how many small or stand alone coffeshops that were previously competitors have been taken out?
The reason the stock markets are not matching the current world is that small and family run shops, cafes, etc are going to the wall, it means more of the market for the bigger companies who do survive to take advantage of.

won't money from selling part of Vantage Towers cover that in the interim?
I don't see them cutting again in the near future but always the chance.

Latpulldown it may not matter too much now but just so you know an Australia deal IS a no-deal. They only kept calling it an Australia style to try and pretend it wasn't so bad. Australia are trying hard to get a deal with Europe.
All in all it's not as bad as it could be, however there is zero in here about services (which is 80% of UK GDP) so still not sure if that will affect Micro Focus.
I expect (and hope) that everything gets pulled up as at least we have this deal don't think there won't be a lot more issues for UK firms from Jan 1st compared to Dec 31st and it depends how much the deal was baked into expectations.

Yep the market should move next week on the deal.
I feel that's what has been holding FTSE back for years the uncertainty about Brexit.
Ftse no where year the mid 7000s it was in early 2020 whilst almost all other indexes are near or above their start of year.
We'll see but agree that COSTAINonly may have been a bit quick (though a profit is a profit and everyone's situation is different). I was not planning any big moves as have money coming in January to buy up if no-deal happened but with the US stimulus, brexit near end and maybe AZ vaccine getting approved in next week or so there were too many macro things that could move everything for me to make any big sells across my portfolio.

it's going up too quick! I didn't get my money to put in yet :(
More seriously this looks like a great growth company, especially the way they have been able to flip to online sales and do so well in what must be the most challenging possible environment for a coffee (hot chocolate) shop.

Bodes very well for they future and am looking to start adding a position here. TBH expected this to drop over next few weeks with increase in virus over the Xmas period causing severe lockdowns so have been putting money more into mining stocks of late. I won't say this is the next Starbucks as "The next" of anything never is, but they do have a good niche in the market currently and even if other chocolate shops spring up it's hard to overtake the leader (hence SBucks is way bigger than Nero, Costa, etc). Plus they seem to have loyal customers and the ecommece side shows in any market they can do well.

DYOR as always but I see short term volatility but long term very bullish on here and will certainly be building a position early next year.

well definitely a correlations on volatility of a share and number of posts

I guess it depends what interest they are getting on the debt.
Interest rates are rock bottom so expect there will be a few M&As in the next year or two.
On the plus side at least they are adding assets rather than just using it to buy back shares or similar.

Price o this government

"The UK will fail to achieve a target of offering gigabit-capable broadband to 85% of the UK by 2025, MPs have warned.

Initially, the government had aimed for nationwide coverage within five years.
But targets were scaled back when it emerged that only 25% of the promised £5bn funding would be available."

Hopefully BT did not assume the promise of funding was real, like with everything surrounding this joke cabinet they overpromise to get the headlines then underdeliver. The saddest thing is how many people keep allowing them to get away with it.

the FTSE Xmas sales are here.
Lots of companies over 5% down who do barely if any business in the UK, that's where I'd advise looking for some discounts.
Boohoo and THG not dropping or i'd be going in there. Stay away from hospitality and travel stocks as too much of their business depends on decisions out of their hands and now are all carrying uncomfortable levels of debt.

Enough good companies at great prices so IMO no need to go up the risk curve to gamble on heavily indebted companies who may fold (or in RR case get nationalised).

good day to have some extra cash lying around.
Plenty of companies down 5%-6% plus who do hardly any business in the UK.
Hopefully down again tomorrow when I'll have some to go shopping in the FTSE Xmas sale

ooh I knew this was crazy oversold on news that won't really affect it.
Under 400 was very reasonable if anyone got in. Alas I couldn't be bothered to get out of bed until now.

Nevermind, we'll see if a lack of Brexit deal or any other bad news brings it down again.
I have a few thousand here and long term bullish, but happy to go shopping in any Xmas sales

cheeky rise

Hopefully not too quick!
I've got my bonus at the end of the month so a quick drop for me to get in followed by immediate return would be good :)
Going well though, I would expect commodity companies like O&G and miners to do well next year as inflation goes up.

Just bought some more today, wish I'd put in more earlier, already 60% up there, got to let your winners run as they say.
UK lockdowns and even Brexit won't have much affect here but might pull the price down if everything drops so @lucklu you might get a lower entry, but then you might not :)