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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.

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All FTSE-100 CEO Pay Too High

ShareSoc Director Cliff Weight was interviewed on Bloomberg this morning (prior to the WPP Annual General Meeting). He suggested all FTSE-100 CEO pay was too high and it was damaging shareholder returns. Click on this link to see the video: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2016-06-08/all-ftse-100-ceo-pay-too-high-says-weight ShareSoc previously issued this press release on pay at WPP: https://www.sharesoc.org/pr79-wpp-remuneration.html and advised shareholders to vote against the Remuneration Report at the AGM. We have also recently issued our Guidelines for Remuneration in public companies which suggested pay is generally excessive in ...

ShareSoc Proposes How the AIM Market Should Be Improved

PRESS RELEASE 81 07/06/2016 The AIM market run by the London Stock Exchange (LSE) has been criticised by many people for the quality of companies listed on the market and for the way it operates. ShareSoc and our Members think that some reform is necessary. There is no denying that it is possible to invest in successful AIM companies but as any experienced AIM investor knows, doing so consistently and avoiding those that either never establish a profitable business, get delisted, go bust ...

ShareSoc Proposes How the AIM Market Should Be Improved

ShareSoc has issued the following press release today: The AIM market run by the London Stock Exchange (LSE) has been criticised by many people for the quality of companies listed on the market and for the way it operates. ShareSoc and our Members think that some reform is necessary. There is no denying that it is possible to invest in successful AIM companies but as any experienced AIM investor knows, doing so consistently and avoiding those that either never establish a profitable business, ...

Alliance Versus RIT Capital

Readers will no doubt be aware from the national media and communications with shareholders that RIT Capital have approached Alliance Trust about a possible merger. The press have noted the problems faced by Alliance in the last few years such as the persistently high discount and the attack by Elliot Advisors (supported by ATSAG/ShareSoc of course) that resulted in board changes. RIT shares have traded at a premium to net asset value recently and media comments tend to generally be positive ...

Rolls-Royce and Voting Procedures

I published a report on the Rolls-Royce Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the last ShareSoc newsletter and also here. I wrote to the Chairman after the meeting complaining about...

FT One-Sided on Brexit?

Do you read the Financial Times? If so have you found the repeated articles on Brexit (including many editorials) somewhat one-sided? Well yesterday the Financial Times actually published a letter from Campbell Gordon complaining about it, and it's not often that editors publish letters critical of what they are issuing. But what do we get today? Yet another editorial on the same topic and with the same slant - in this case explaining why scientists are unhappy with Brexit and should not ...

Teathers Financial – Requisition to Remove Directors

Investors in Teathers Financial (TEA) have requisitioned an EGM to remove all the current directors and appoint new ones, which was accepted by the company on the 25th May. Teathers was an AIM listed business called C.A.Sperati that turned itself into an investment company and was then renamed (a common route for those giving up on their original business). However under AIM listing rules it needs to make investments within a year of becoming an investment company which it failed to ...

Alliance Trust and RIT Capital

Several newspapers reported this morning that Alliance Trust (ATST) has been approached by RIT Capital Partners (RCP) about a possible merger. Both companies are listed investment trusts favoured by private investors. Alliance Trust has been going through some difficult times of late after a period of poor relative performance resulting in a high discount to net asset value (currently over 10% according to the AIC despite an active share buy-back programme whereas RCP is on a 6% premium at the time ...

Reaction to ShareSoc Remuneration Guidelines

We are delighted that our guidelines, launched last week have been widely covered and well received. Here is some of the press coverage: Financial Times: FTSE100 CEO pay “too...

ShareSoc Launches New Director Remuneration Guidelines

PRESS RELEASE 80 20/05/2016 ShareSoc (the UK Individual Shareholders Society) has published today its new remuneration guidelines.  In summary:  FTSE100 CEO pay is too high. It should be less than half of current amounts.  FTSE 100 CEO’s maximum bonus should be 100% of salary (currently 200% is common) and the LTIP maximum normal annual award should be 100% of salary (currently 300% is common).   Remuneration creep needs to be reversed.   Share Options have a role to play in Directors’ remuneration.  ShareSoc has specific guidelines for smaller companies. Small ...
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