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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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SIGnet Investors Network Launches New West Sussex Group

SIGnet is excited to announce the launch of a new in-person group based in West Sussex. Investors of all levels of experience are welcome to join. The Convener of the new Group will be Leon Boros. Leon is a chartered accountant and former corporate financier. He has been an active investor since his mid-teens. He and his wife set up PEPs in 1993 (a predecessor to the ISA) and they have since achieved annualised returns of over 16.5%. Leon and his wife moved ...

Will The FCA Help or Harm Home REIT Shareholders?

The FCA has finally stepped in, but will this help shareholders or just devalue their investment further? The destruction of shareholder value at Home REIT has been horrendous. Over £853m was raised from shareholders. The latest published valuation of the REIT’s property portfolio is only £413m (as at August 2023) and the trust has net debt of around £144m (as at February 2024), so NAV is now less than £369m. The background to this sorry saga is contained in this article by ShareSoc ...

Woodford Campaign Update 16, 15 February 2024

WOODFORD: LINK JUDGMENT AND NEXT STEPS Mr Justice Richards approved the Link Scheme of Arrangement (subject to appeal) without any conditions. This was expected, given the 93% vote in favour by Scheme Creditors, but it doesn't close the door on the Woodford scandal. In a tight and carefully worded legal judgment, the Judge explained that the “FCA Total Amount” of harm identified (£298 million) relates only to the relative loss of value incurred by those who held the fund at suspension date relative ...

Human Impact of the Hartley Pensions Case and ShareSoc’s Role

The FT reports on the impact of the Hartley Pensions case on Hartley’s clients: https://www.ft.com/content/3e4bbd98-7d99-4dce-93eb-2c747aad1ce5  It’s been a nightmare for clients since Hartley went into Administration in July 2022.  ShareSoc provided heavy support to Hartley clients over the last year and as part of the Administrator’s client committee.  In the comments on the FT article someone asked: "What process is used to ensure that the administrator fees (c.£2k per pension pot released) are reasonable?". In the absence of FSCS support, ShareSoc has been battling ...

What ShareSoc can do for retail investors

Mike Dennis, ShareSoc Director, is interviewed for Hardman Talks Mike Dennis, ShareSoc Director, was recently interviewed by Keith Hiscock of Hardman Talks. In this interview Mike talks about the work of ShareSoc, including its campaigning for retail investors’ interests in particular cases, such as the Woodford catastrophe; how ShareSoc represents retail in submissions to various government enquiries; and other resources that ShareSoc provides, including tutorials for beginner investors, an extensive website and a regional face-to-face meeting network for like-minded investors. Click here to ...

January 2024 Update from the Wellesley Investors Action Group

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc.  Cliff Weight originally highlighted the Wellesley Investors Action Group, in this article.  I still encourage those affected to join Neil Taylor’s group, but I’ve had some requests for an update from affected investors. Neil has kindly provided the following update:  To put you in the picture, Wellesley Finance Ltd, the company that went into a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) on 25 September 2020, has failed to pay back investors’ payments.  ...

How Boards Should Operate

This article reflects the opinions of its author, Cliff Weight, and not necessarily those of ShareSoc.  ShareSoc member Barry Gamble’s letter to the FT  Black Box thinking and bad boards is a theme I return to again and again and which I first highlighted in a blog in March 2018 https://www.sharesoc.org/blog/corporate-governance/black-box-governance-thinking/ .  Woodford and Link are two other boards which failed woefully. Another case is the Post Office, about which the FT published the following letter from ShareSoc Member Barry Gamble (subscription required to ...

ShareSoc response to House of Commons Education Select Committee

On 24 January 2024, ShareSoc submitted its response to the enquiry (click here to read the whole response), where we stressed the importance of educating about savings and investment and the potential role that ShareSoc could play to support teachers, e.g. via the use of ShareSoc Investing Basics videos and the ShareSoc Investor Academy. The House of Commons Education Committee will examine the current state of financial education in England and consider what steps need to be taken to ensure its delivery ...

UKSA and ShareSoc Submission to Labour Party Review of Financial Services

  UKSA and ShareSoc have made the attached submission to the Labour Party’s review, highlighting the issues with the current financial services market that most concern us. 

Woodford Campaign Update 15

An update following the court hearing on 18th and 19th January Justice Richards reserved his judgement on whether to Sanction the Link Scheme at the end of the Hearing on 18/19 January. It is now expected early in February. Initially, he plans to circulate a draft to those who were represented at the Scheme Hearing. Schemes of Arrangement (a mechanism generally used for insolvencies and mergers) are normally relatively straightforward with judgement announced on the day. The delay suggests that, at the very ...
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