Blog

ShareSoc Blog

This blog gives you the latest topical news plus some informal comments on them from ShareSoc’s directors and other contributors. These are the personal comments of the authors and not necessarily the considered views of ShareSoc. The writers may hold shares in the companies mentioned. You can add your own comments on the blog posts, but note that ShareSoc reserves the right to remove or edit comments where they are inappropriate or defamatory.

There is more news given in the News page of our web site and more analysis of news is provided in our monthly newsletter for members – see the Newsletters page.

If you would like to be notified about new posts to our blog you can opt-in to our Weekly Wrap-Up Email service. If you are a member of ShareSoc select the “Weekly Wrap-Up Email” option here. If you are not a member select the “Information and Education Services” option here.


Bonds

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. Is it time to buy bonds? I have personally been a huge sceptic of bonds and hence a sceptic of the 60/40 model of equities to bonds put forward by many financial advisers as a model for many investors with medium risk appetite. Bonds have had a 40-year bull market, but all that came to an end when interest rates went up from 0.25% to around 5% as QE was ...

SIGnet Investors Network Launches New Worcestershire Group 

  SIGnet is excited to announce the launch of a new in-person group based in Worcestershire. Investors of all levels of experience are welcome to join. The Convener for the Group will be Mike Kearney. Mike is a qualified and experienced Chartered Surveyor. After 25 years spent exclusively in property, he and his wife set up a consultancy in the Health/Social Care sector which they sold to a private-equity-backed concern 10 years later. For several years Mike has managed both a small family ...

Lord Lee Podcasts – Episode 2

  The second podcast for Lee and the IC  is now live -  "You can’t get selling right every time."  ShareSoc Patron Lord Lee has teamed up with the Investors Chronicle to produce a monthly podcast - "Lee and the IC".  The first episode, in September, focused upon dividends - particularly M&G, Aviva, Legal & General etc., and also touched on a number of Small Caps including Concurrent Technologies and Goodwin. As always, John Lee is a pleasure to listen to and he explains more about investing in ...

IBP Special Administration and Thames Ventures VCT 1

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. I have a very small holding in Thames Ventures VCT 1 (TV1). This is the remnant of holdings in other VCTs originally invested from 1997 onwards and which have generated a total return of minus 58% to date according to Sharescope, although I doubt that is accurate due to multiple consolidations and name changes. I would have sold the holding long ago if it were not for the roll-back ...

SJP and Hargreaves Shares Crash as FCA Consumer Duty begins to bite

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. Shares in the FTSE 100 group SJP (St. James’s Place LSE: STJ) have shed more than 35 per cent since July, when SJP announced modest changes to fees in response to the rules. The shares were down 8 per cent in early trading on Friday. Investors’ concerns over its business model have intensified since the Financial Conduct Authority introduced its Consumer Duty in July, which forces financial services ...

M&S Shareholder Rights Petition: A Postmortem

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. With 4,292 signatures, the M&S petition failed to meet the threshold The M&S Shareholder Rights Petition, led by Archie Norman and supported by ShareSoc, UKSA, The QCA and Equiniti, has closed after failing to meet the threshold of 10,000 signatures for a government review and 100,000 signatures for a parliamentary debate. The petition aimed to help more investors engage with UK plcs by modernising the Companies Act, specifically: Giving beneficial ...

Lord Lee Podcasts

  We thought you might be interested to know that ShareSoc Patron Lord Lee has teamed up with the Investors Chronicle to produce a monthly podcast - "Lee and the IC".  The first episode, which has just gone live, focuses upon dividends - particularly M&G, Aviva, Legal & General etc., and also touches on a number of Small Caps including Concurrent Technologies and Goodwin. You can find it on the IC's website here, (free to listen) but here are a few other ways to listen: Apple podcasts link here  ...

Burford and Woodford compared

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. Different approaches from SEC and FCA The Burford and Woodford cases highlight different US and UK practices. In the US, the Judge explains the role of the litigation funder, justifies its role and why it should not affect his judgement. In the UK, the FCA, in the case of Woodford and Link, is attempting to work with Link to allow the plaintiff to settle all its compensation claims for what has ...

ShareSoc Rings the Bell for Financial Literacy

  On Tuesday 3rd October at the London Stock Exchange in Paternoster Square, ShareSoc Director Mark Northway signs the visitor book to record his visit to the Stock Exchange ceremony to Ring the Bell for Financial Literacy, and mark World Investor Week. ShareSoc was represented by director Mark Northway, who is also Chair of the World Federation of Investors, and former director Cliff Weight. We were invited because of ShareSoc’s contributions to financial education such as our Investor Academy and our recent series of 10 succinct free ...

Musings on Audits

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. This is the first post from a new contributor to ShareSoc’s blog: “The Secret Auditor”. We hope that we can coax them to contribute more of their wisdom in the future. Why Problems With Audits Arise Repeatedly The fundamental problem of audit quality remains, the work is carried out by bright individuals fresh from university, they haven't been in industry for decades and seen what goes on, they haven't had ...
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