Member Info for Sparks21

Solid update. Seem to have a lot of cash sitting around. I do wonder if they will increase buy backs or up the dividend. Should be a great couple of years ahead. I'd top up but the forward PE of 18 is a little high for me. I'll hang on in case of a re-trace or global tech sell off.

Takes a bow. :)

I think we are holding up OK as NATO is too! Thank you Borderstothemoon for keeping tabs on the predictions. I agree with Senator. When forward looking the update has potential and the SP is already too low for a significant drop. Also no mention of cutting the impressive 8.4% dividend.

Nice rise along with more swift short exits.

Premier Foods no doubt supply B&M. They had a solid update today, up 6.6% as I write: The company, one of the UK's largest food ‍producers supplying to supermarkets and the food services sector, reported a 5.2% rise in branded revenue growth over the ​Christmas period, extending the growth seen in the previous ⁠quarter. Factory input prices appear to be pretty flat so there's opportunity for discounters like B&M, or the producers like Premiere Foods, to recover or increase margin (hopefully!). This, I imagine, is a good sign for B&M when they look forward to the rest of 2026.

Berenberg Bank Reiterate 700p price target. 19/01/26

This Equity Development post, I suspect, is worryingly incorrect. It states "having announced a £20m share buyback last November, we raise our Adj. EPS forecasts by 7%-8%.". This stacks up if the 20m was to reduce the share count but it isn't happening. This is for the birds. I'll hold my shares following a trim a few days ago at 145. I won't be buying more unless this heads south by 10% plus. The RNS has not inspired me.

"During the period a total of £12.9m was spent on shareholder returns, comprising dividend payments of £5.2m, a share buy-back programme of £1.3m together with £6.4m share purchases by the Employee Benefit Trust to prevent future equity dilution on incentive awards."

It looks like they are hoarding most of the buy back shares to give out to employees down the line. Doesn't look like they are focussed too much on reducing the share count unless I'm missing something?

Or maybe sammacleod just took some profit. Nothing wrong with that.

I'll chuck my hat in the ring with 180.00.

Back to Jet2. I've topped up today. It's only really dropped on the lift in oil price it seems. Oil looks to be still in surplus for 2026 which will apply downward pressure to the oil price. I was waiting for 1200 but I'm not sure it will make it back down there. Impatience got the better of me. My target is to sell the top up at 1450 and hold the rest for the ride. Looks great value. Ruling out the trade panic fuelled trade tariff drop in April 2025 we are close to the two year low.

Shorts reducing before results day.

It's a reassuring update although margin for this year is predicted to be lower.

I love that pubs have been barring Labour MP's. Seems to have been effective. Obviously there are a huge number of anti Labour posts across these message boards although it's admirable that they can see errors and make changes. It's happened with the Farmers and hopefully it happens here too. Part of my AI strategy is copper miners and Marstons. AI needs copper and the un-employed need a pint away from the Mrs (or Mr). Cheers.

I feel that the update was priced in especially given the good 6 week share price run. Company-managed shop like-for-like sales rise 2.4%, which is effectively a drop after you take into account inflation. Growth, as usual, is about new stores. The cost of expanding the supply chain is heavy and as this starts to lift in mid 2026, I'm expecting the share price to do the same. The next 18 months should be slow and steady sp growth imo. Gla.

For the last three years it's been between the 21st and 24th Jan.

That's a tricky question but I'd say its fairly safe. Debt is manageable although it has popped due to the Funky purchase. Cash flow is good and I believe additional NI costs etc will be manageable too. Yes, margins may be squeezed and last year was tough for retail but even if they only clear 43m post tax that gives us a PE of under 5. The divi is well covered even at 8.5%. If things get tough then they might trim the divi but I feel it's unlikely. Even if they did it will still be a potentially strong divi. This is a growth company right, but priced like it's distressed. As a value, contrarian investor, I'm really looking for reasons NOT to add more. Director buys add to my conviction. Their demographic probably are less likely to shop lift etc. Shops look good and I agree they looked busy in December. Investor sentiment has soured since the very positive first half for 2025 update was rather positive. If things go well with Funky then this will lift post tax profit in next full year by 4m. A better full year 26/27 could give 50M post tax profit along with share price traction back up to 80 to 110. Can anyone see anything I'm missing?

British inflation looks on course to return to close to its 2% target by April or May next year, about a year earlier than previously expected, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said on Thursday after the central bank cut interest rates to 3.75%.

I feel some landlords have been selling up for reasons based around Labour policy, renters rights, higher taxes on the income etc, which has held back house prices IMO as there were potentially too many homes for sale this year. That may be a slight drag in 2026

More positively in 2026 we have: Mortgage rates dropping (possibly significantly), rents probably rising higher than inflation (especially with Landlords leaving the market) making buying more attractive compared to renting, wage inflation higher than house price growth (for a few years now I imagine) making them more affordable, really healthy numbers of first time buyers entering the market which are the foundations of the house building industry, lower inflation on build costs and surely some pent up demand from so many years of high mortgage rates. If I was a first time buyer, waiting in the wings for the right time to buy, I'd be looking to buy next year. I believe we have the wind on our back now for some good momentum. Certainly can't get any worse!!

Cheer up, it's nearly Christmas! Sells greatly outnumbering buys yet we are looking at closing with a nice 2% rise today. Slowly slowly catch the monkey.

Some good momentum in the last couple of weeks. A PE of just 7.5x and the company suggesting they will simply keep doing buybacks until the Mcap is a more fair reflection of the business sounds good to me. Lowering inflation of goods entering the factories has to be good news for the margin going forward too.

The RNS, as I understand it, says all tendered shares will be bought at the offered price........

153,769,385 Ordinary Shares (representing 38.37 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital and 97.51 per cent. of the maximum aggregate number of Ordinary Shares that can be purchased pursuant to the Share Buyback Offer) were validly tendered by Qualifying Shareholders under the Share Buyback Offer. Shareholders who validly tendered Ordinary Shares equal will have their tender accepted in full. 153,769,385 Ordinary Shares will therefore be purchased under the Share Buyback Offer and subsequently cancelled. The total value which will be returned to Shareholders pursuant to the Share Buyback Offer will be approximately £9.64 million.