Member Info for Zanab

Still around, al?

The results were announced yonks ago?!

Who knows with that charlotean. It's been nice to see uplifts in the rest of my portfolio, but the rises do seem a bit complacent in areas.

It kind of feels like markets have shrugged and sad so what for now. Strange.

If we don't, just allocate accordingly, I'd say. If it drops again, buy another nibble.

Markets are so senseless in the short-term. It kind of feels like the anticipation of the war ending has already taken some of the steam out of any spike that would normally have come.

A nice update, still one for the longer-term, but good to see it's in g.a good position:)

Generally agree but I see the year ahead preventing more buying opportunities. This was up nearly 50% from buy-in within a month, and now it is about where it started. Who knows where it will head next?

It was as already said, which is good. Obviously average energy prices will be higher and weaken the environment, but the business will still be here in 6 months to a year and the environment could look very different in a couple of years. Patience is all that is needed!

"I spoke with Bibi and he's going to low-key it. I just think we have to be sort of a little more low-key," Trump tells NBC News following a phone call with Netanyahu.

Feels like 'Bibi' keeps Donald in his pocket

Shocking, shares go up and down ;)

Bought in yesterday across most hbs. I'd wait for another dip after the rise personally

Any wise, lth or general housebuilder wizards, please impart your wisdom upon me. I picked up a large position, for me, amongst a few. I think I have a grasp of the differentiation, but am always happy to listen.

Nice jump here though. Not often I time things this well! I'm sure it will come around over the years ;) gl all.

It's a sugar rush, but I went deep into housebuilders. There will be effects that the market is ignoring, but things are looking good.

In an ideal worl, BP drops below £5 for a top-up while green can be seen everywhere else.

If it drops below £5, I'll top up, but it will be nice to see some green in shares other than my oils today!

I wonder how sustained the sugar rush will be. At least the madness looks like it's ending.

Absolutely no shortages in any of the garages near me. No queues or anything.

I've seen some rural independents say no to the prices but not actual shortages

Leerex, I agree completely.

The rise of a very religious minority in the country supported by feeble immigration checks and a culture that permits a paradoxical stance of human rights that has destroyed the social contract is most worrying. The people passionately advocating these things are not progressives, there not heroes but the most vocal are cynics and anarchists.

Indeed, I'm all for tough love. Reindustrialization needs to be subsidised for strategic purposes to an extent, and it will create meaningful work for many people, many of whom get a fulfilling purpose and an earning potential they are unlikely to find elsewhere.

20% roughly of people who could work are not working. Britain could go on an economic boom if it got some of those people into productive roles instead of saying 'aw, don't worry about it. We know it's tough, so here, have something for free'. It's patronising and a waste of what these people could do with their lives.

I think Trump is a flash in the pan. He is not popular and he is going to get decimated in the midterms. Maybe he thought he could do a Bibi and endlessly war to stop himself being removed from power and imprisoned.

On NATO spending, The Republicans are correct that other countries didn't bother to spend because they knew America would. On the other hand, NATO is a defensive pact, not a promise to support any war any member decides to start. I seem to remember America being 4h only country to ask if NATO to go to war, and they were not too keen to give assistance during The Falklands war. Now, you could say that was understandable given the difference in the countries' strengths, but does that not apply now?

The average oil price will remain high because Trump got his ego stroked and tricked by Israel into thinking this would be an easy war. It's one thing bullying the small contractors who refurbish your hotels and not paying them, but quite another trying to bully a religiously entrenched state.

*at the time I made my investment, not 2008.

Indeed, I apologise, let things get the better of me.

2008/2009 was the top of a housing bubble, so everything related probably got inflated. I analysed the reports going back to 2005 at the time.

My points are that I believe the market that Topps operates in will continue to exist. It will be served by a hybrid of physical and online retailers. Yes, cost inflation and weak consumer sentiment do have short-term effects on profits, but survivors consolidate and benefit medium-term. In the end, competition enters and they earn average profits margins.

Granted, prior to the Iran war, immediate profit was looking considerably rosier, but the gas inflation was much, much higher after the Ukrain war began. Topps endured, consolidated but suffered margin pressure.

We've seen those margin pressures eased considerably over the last year before the end of Feb, and that drove normalised margins on an upward trend.

Tbh, a lot of what I have invested is in global tracker funds for diversification and I have been fortunate enough to build a significant nest egg that I only need to earn average returns to end up very wealthy, but I don't mind holding Topps for a few years or longer because I don't see how else the tile market can be served, nor do I see sustainable competitive advantages elsewhere.

I've also bought a few companies directly hit by the volatility, but in market-leading positions, sentiment does count if you pay attention to it. Otherwise, it's other things, but in hindsight, yeah, wish I timed things perfectly and sold everything at 50p and bought today. Ironically, my holding is still up nominally when accounting for dividends.

I agree that immediate profit expectations have been dampened, but I emphasise the importance of looking at sustainable profits when buying a business.

No malice intended this time ;)

Ah, been here since 2009, nearing the end likely, I guess. Makes everyone a bit bitter.

So, basically every business is now worth less, excepting commodity sellers?

Average profits over a period are what values a business, not commodity spikes.

Tiles will continue to be bought.

Why are you so malicious? Do you think there won't be a tile market going forward? The last commodity spike caused consolidation, which is typical. Smaller businesses become distressed, well-run ones margins compress, but they pick up share and then margin expansion happens in a recovery on greater share, which eventually causes competition to enter the market.

You come across as a very belligerent person.

They can control costs. I didn't say that means they have no impact.