Member Info for Richox

Time to get out of both NG and SSE. The only people the directors are looking after are themselves.

Time to get out of both NG and SSE. The only people the directors are looking after are themselves.

If you really want to know what a dismal company this is take a look at the 30 year share price history (going right back to when it was known as Commercial Union) then compare it with the FT over the same period.

Analysts throw all the hype they pick up from company directors into a hat, throw in meaningless historical data that tells you nothing about the future, throw in their guesses about whatever what ifs they can think of, and pull out a number. Why do you think these overpaid geniuses come up with wildly differing figures.? The system requires that someone does the job, and maybe Mystic Meg's rates are just too high.

Could well be right. With both profit and basic earnings per share dropping significantly each year since 2013 and a PE ratio of 32.5, AV. looks expensive. Don't be fooled by Mark Wilson's spin.

Quite right about the directors. Ms Greene's only interest in RMG is her own pay packet. She might care more if she were made to feel the same pain as shareholders. She will not lose a single penny of her own money no matter how badly Royal Mail might perform. You've got to feel sorry for her though. Even though she gets far more every year than the average postie does in a lifetime, she still can't afford to pay her own fare to get back home. Perhaps the posties will be good enough to donate some of their pension pot to her.

Barclays Capital 11/09 Retains Equal weight Equal weight 509.00p

You can't blame the rank and file for feeling hard done by when Ms Green is being paid around £2 million pounds for working part time, and when they see her pay going up and up along with all the perks she is getting. Most earn half of this in their entire lifetimes, are under increasing pressure to deliver more and more, and are seeing their jobs under threat and their pensions cut. The privileged few are determinedly maintaining a system which is feathering their own nests at the expense of everyone else. Shareholders are the only ones who can do anything about this sad state of affairs but the majors are on the gravy train so are happy to see it roll on. If there was evidence that RMG management really was worth its pay and they too were seen to be sharing any pain, then things might be different. Things do not look good.

Presumably DBC thinks Brexit is good for Lloyds otherwise he would have sold and disappeared. Deacon Blue has my vote provided his salary is nothing like the ridiculous £5.5 million being paid to Horta-Osorio. His primary function is to protect and grow shareholder investment. His performance over the last 3 years has not been good. It's time to vote down these absurd pay packets.

Mist maybe, but more like impenetrable fog. Sounds similar to what Chris Wei, executive chairman, Aviva Asia, said when they recently lost £130 million on the sale of Friends Provident. I wonder how much they lost on this venture.

Dear Anth, Aviva is a consistent underperformer. 10 years ago just before the 2007 crash it was trading at about 850p. The FTSE then stood at around 6000. 10 years before that, when it was known as Commercial Union, it was trading at £7-£8 per share. The FTSE was then around 3500. As far as I am concerned I bought an annuity with unpredictable payouts that wastes money on pointless name changes, on drastically overpaid executives, on sponsoring equally overpaid football and rugby players, and on glossy 360 page annual reports full of self congratulatory tosh.

Bearing in mind we were in the 480s 2 years ago, in the 260s 1 year ago and 414 today I'm not sure what's hard to believe. Share prices move in mysterious ways, often defying rational thinking.

Bearing in mind we were in the 480s 2 years ago, in the 260s 1 year ago and 414 today I'm not sure what's hard to believe. Share prices move in mysterious ways, often defying rational thinking.

The only reason to hold this share is for the dividend. You can forget any capital growth. If the dividend is cut it will be a disaster for everyone. Assuming you are looking for income, you've got to decide whether you could get a better and safer income elsewhere. If you are looking for growth follow your instinct and sell.

So why is the share price lower than it was 2 years ago Mr Wilson?

Looks as if we might break out of your trading range - but through the bottom.

The SP is where it was 10 years ago, but it pays a better divi than the building societies. Although privatised, it is still in effect in the hands of the politicians, so their political games could hit it at any time. Also, the no1 priority of the BOD is their own interests rather than shareholders interests, and the shareholders are letting them get away with it. It's as good as any other share for day traders, OK for income seekers, but pretty hopeless for anyone else.

The SP is where it was 10 years ago, but it pays a better divi than the building societies. Although privatised, it is still in effect in the hands of the politicians, so their political games could hit it at any time. Also, the no1 priority of the BOD is their own interests rather than shareholders interests, and the shareholders are letting them get away with it. It's as good as any other share for day traders, OK for income seekers, but pretty hopeless for anyone else.

If you want to make money out of Aviva try playing peaks and troughs, or maybe shorting. This share was over £12 in 1998, £8 before the crash in 2007 and is struggling to stay over £4 today. Compare it with FTSE or any other insurance company. If you really want to stay in Aviva just get used to it. Far as I'm concerned it's just an annuity. I've traded in my cash for whatever income the board decide to give me. The problem is that they are primarily working for themselves.

Thanks for your detailed and measured response Pokerchips. I've been in Aviva since way back in its Commercial Union days. Although it's probably been the most frustrating share in my portfolio, always seeming to show promise but somehow never fulfilling it, I doubt that I will ever sell though. You are right that whatever you think of the system it works the way it does for a reason. I'm not going to change it, but when you feel something is just not right it makes you feel better to wave a flag. Any way. good luck to all of us, both with Aviva and Brexit.