The latest Investing Matters Podcast episode featuring Jeremy Skillington, CEO of Poolbeg Pharma has just been released. Listen here.
Honestly Saluc, filing a report to the FCA would likely be a waste of your time imo. The FCA are totally useless at doing anything about these sort of things and given they don't stop some really aweful CEOs or companies from some of the pretty much criminal actions they take to con and trick there shareholders aka lifestyle companies, its highly unlikely they would spend any resource on a matter like that.
Its all so often opinion based that its not easy to prove beyond reasonable doubt the intent and thus wouldn't get to court.
Of course, feel free to and who knows, you might catch them on one of there better days, afterall they did one do Tom W many moons ago along with his band of shady actors.
More recently in USA a band of twitter users got done who were using social media to convince holders to buy or sell while they did the opposite. They started in covid using a covid grant and made millions from it. Impressive in many ways but equally wrong.
That is a far more elegent set of reasons tomorrow and you might find that method gets you less kick back than when you go for the more outlandish posts.
Investors aren't stupid and don't need someone convincing them of something. Often they just want open discussions whereby if they disagree they aren't hounded out.
Fairdealer,
I'm not yet sold that the funding is fully about the CEO. The graphite market is in oversupply mode and general microcaps have been in a bear market, which has really reduced funding options for many out there.
I'm sure the CEO bit plays apart of course but think its ignoring how hard the markets are right now. I invest in dozens upon dozens of companies and have for many many years and a big thing Ive learnt over that time is that the wider markets carry so much weight.
Often rises and falls mirror wider market movements over actions of an individual company.
Now as stated, I'm not removing blame fully from the CEO either as the buck always stops at the top, no matter what.
In terms of funding, 1-2 years to obtain isn't out of norm with general markets, thats even for great projects.
The amount here required isn't massive, so that should reduce some difficulties.
I can't see this vote getting anywhere myself, but it might as discussed provide a wake up call to the BOD that they need to improve OR it might make them want to go private to safeguard themselves from such future actions.
I'm hoping its the first.
Hi Fairdealer,
Well reasoned and not without many good points may I add, so thank you.
My main point here though is that a poster who is telling others that if the vote works, the SP will go over £1 very quickly is attaching themselves to the group and thus the group appears untrustworthy to me.
That same poster has been running a campaign against TGR for some time, often making multiple posts using same title to push down any other posts and manipulate views. Again, that doesn't sound or appear like someone I would trust.
Thats more infamatory to me than using the word coup, which in effect it is i.e., removing one leadership and replacing with another.
As it stands, that poster has ensured I wouldn't add my shares to any vote (although one may not even happen).
Everything else is not of interest to me tbh. We all know the failings here, but I dont believe this vote has anything to do with that.
Fairdealer,
I do think they, like all have to be held to account when required. Its not that Im a big fan of theirs as such at all or that I think they haven't been poor in some areas.
My issue here is two part.
1: I don't believe the coup will help the share price short to medium term at least
2: Investors who support the coup/seem to be involved in it are making topics with very misleading headlines such as this topics. That removes all trust in the process for me. How can I trust they are any better than what we have when they are happy to try to manipulate/trick you into something as 2000% rise to £1 very quickly isn't factual
Infact if the Poddars had made a statement like that everyone would call them out for it. Whys it okay for the coup group too?
As a note, its not that I wouldn't ever vote in favour if I felt it was needed, but posts stating £1 once done put you off taking it seriously as its pure rampy spin with zero logic too. The idea that removing the board and replacing them is going to give you an instant 2000% SP jump is nothing short of fantasy land and boarderline criminal attempts to manipulate.
If a genuine, not rampy, not state a stupid figure to trick case was made it might get more weight.
As it stands, tomorrows posts have confirmed that voting against the changes (if it ever gets to a vote), is the right move.
Fairdealer, Chinas export ban appears very smart as its reduced the number of purchasers of natural graphite and increased the number buying synthetic, which isnt banned I believe and which, suprise suprise, China sells.
In effect the ban created oversupply of graphite and helps keep prices low, forcing out many non chinese producers from the market.
Not the same, but they used clear stuff with Steel too previously to in effect corner that market by making it uncommercial for western companies.
Poddars have failed in many areas, but the price of a product in oversupply, isn't related to them.
Agreed Harchris that in terms of comms and actions the company has been failing.
And this might give them a nod that they need to improve as unrest is growing.
I'm not a fan of the action, but equally, they are still shareholders themselves, so not like non-related to the company.
Indeed, all yoi have done for ages Tomorrow is attempt to destroy the reputation of this company, often with unfounded "truths", such as the take private one. That has likely caused harm.
The bit I am unsure on right now is if you just genuinely feel the bod has let the company down and just want it run better, or if this was all part of the broader plan by a group of you to pull off a coup so to speak.
With such a small stake (5.8%) I can't see it being pulled off unless you get a aweful lot more holders onboard, but given you have banged on for ages that the Poddars hold so much they could go private at any minute, are you then expecting them to turn on each other and join you in the vote?
OR
Are you going to try to say everything you can to convince the rest of us to vote with you, lieing like a politican to gain votes.
100% Saluc.
From my side it feels like unexperienced, impatient investors throwing their toys out of the pram with this move.
1: If they succeed, Poddars likely sell stake and that would create so much selling pressure SP would likely drop another 50% from here, if not more maybe.
2: If they succeed, Poddars experience (which is actually very good) is lost and gone and those suggested to replace don't look as experienced with Graphite.
3: If they succeed, two previous directors would be back on the board, yet ironically were board members during the large SP drop, yet didnt have the abilities to stop it, so why are they suddenly going to be better.
4: The whole process eats us time and money distracting the company from getting on with other, more vital work.
5: The coup group so far has only succeeded in lowering the SP for everyone else.
6: With only 5.8% extremely unlikely they could ever win, so again, a waste of time and company money.
JC, I'm not sure people where asking for a blow by blow account, but what are we talking now, 4 months, 5 months maybe since last company official interview. Just one or two to give a brief update would have likely sufficed mosts wants.
I would imagine the reason of late for not mentioning was because the auditors had to some effect gone awol and not done any work 5 weeks on the file. That as I'm sure you would agree, wouldn't sound good in print/press so I do understand that they have kept away from the press/responding until they felt things were going again.
I'd argue though that a strength is having a leadership which stands tall when things are bad, not hides away.
@Sparky, who was the email from? We are assuming it was Robbie but it might have been the chairman?
They don't at this point have to hold a meeting. First, it has to be proved that the request is legit and those stakeholders actually do own that much.
I still find some of the details odd. Isabel (again) was on the board and is from a PR company. That PR company can takes shares for work carried out. I'm not convinced that is a look the PR company (st brides partners) would want? I.e., being part of a internal takeover of a company your staff member was on the board of as that could lose trust with your other companies on your books.
So many details are still so vague at this point its hard to tell the aim of the group i.e., do they really think they pull it off or is there aim just a shot across the bow?
Big thanks for sharing that email. It read very positively which bodes well.
Like so many small caps it seems comms are there biggest weakness.
What was written in that email all makes sense, if it had been portrayed to holders then a lot of anger might not have existed.
Heres to hoping what is written comes true.
Certaintly been one heck of a journey here for us all thats for sure.
Davey, this move by a group of holders would tank most companies in even a bull market imo.
The market hates uncertainty and nothing screams it more than a companies own holders trying to remove its ceo and largest shareholders, which I'd be certain they will fail at doing.
As another point. There has been a lot of talk about could/would the Poddars take private, to which I think its all been nonsense, however, moves like this surely would make them want to more.
Its been a mad tough market for small caps for 18 months now, but trying to do a coup on the company, surely that will only do more harm than good?
100% the Poddars have failed in several areas, but equally there knowledge has assisted too.
Just poor at comms imo, thats prob there main downside.
In addition the list of names proposed was interesting. Isabel for example only resigned recently. You would imagine all the names have been spoken to prior and confirmed their interest in coming onboard, but at this stage who knows.
I personally can't imagine it doing much good at all to the SP in the short term.
Longer term it might give the Podders a kick up the behind and make them more aware that they need to improve comms with shareholders which would be good.
Id ignore almost everything from there. TW is a well known shorter and scare mongerer.
Anyone with any business or stock market sense even in the slightest would know that sacking your full board, who own a decent percentage of company shares without an amazing plan ready and waiting is prob the quickest way to destroy whatever is left of a share price.
Then, once the dust has settled on the news the company has no leadership or direction and most operations will experience long delays, those old owners start selling out there shares, applying an absurd amount of selling pressure and taking out any chance of an upswing for months upon months.