ShareSoc in the News

This page lists references to ShareSoc in the press and broadcast media.

Financial Times, 18 October 2019, Angry investors count the cost of Woodford collapse

David Stredder, a private investor and director of ShareSoc, is quoted in this extensive FT article on the Woodford saga.

FT Lombard column mention of ShareSoc

Lombard 1 Oct 2019  suggested ShareSoc may sue the Thomas Cook auditors. ShareSoc is always pleased to get a mention in the FT. However, the FT were a bit...

Evening Standard, 3 October 2019, Top shareholder body backs Burford’s legal action

...ShareSoc — a body which protects individual investors — said Burford is right to take its own legal action to find out who may have manipulated its stock, claiming the Financial Conduct Authority lacks the firepower and has no track record of prosecutions when it comes to so-called “spoofing and layering”... https://www.standard.co.uk/business/top-shareholder-body-backs-underfire-burfords-legal-action-over-spoofing-a4253096.html

Daily Mail, 24 September 2019, Thomas Cook Small Investors’ Fury

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-7495837/Thomas-Cooks-failed-bosses-face-fury-small-investors-years-mismanagement.html ...Cliff Weight, director of investors group Sharesoc, said it was 'early days' but that the body which represents small investors was looking at the role of auditors EY. He raised concerns in July about assurances the company gave earlier in the year that its cash position was improving and it was in talks with its banks simply as a 'proactive' measure. Speaking after the company collapsed with £1.7billion of debt, Weight said: 'We are concerned at the disconnect between management rhetoric and reality, ...

The Times, 21 Aug 2019, Plumbing and heating group Ferguson mulls move

Cliff Weight, director of ShareSoc, a retail shareholders' group, said that he could not see “any particular concern” with Ferguson moving its listing... See https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/plumbing-and-heating-group-ferguson-mulls-move-to-new-york-listing-wbkf5fx32

Evening Standard, 8 August 2019, Hargreaves Lansdown Chiefs get £200m Dividend

ShareSoc's chairman raises a quizzical eyebrow in this article: https://www.standard.co.uk/business/hargreaves-lansdown-chiefs-get-200m-dividend-despite-woodford-saga-a4208651.html

Daily Mail, 2 August 2019, Aston Martin advisers pocket fees as individual investors lose 75% of their IPO investment

Aston Martin and its financial advisors have come under fire over the disastrous performance of its shares since its £4.3billion float. Sharesoc, the retail investors' champion, accused them of over-pricing the car maker's shares in its stock market debut – and said this was partly to blame for a 74 per cent fall since then... See https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-7311843/Advisers-fire-Aston-Martin-disaster-accused-pricing-shares.html

Investors Chronicle, 18 July 2019, Ventus and Ventus 2 VCTs

The highly respected and influential Investors Chronicle is taking an interest in and writing a balance article on the Ventus funds, see https://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/comment/2019/07/18/limits-of-influence/ The IC seems to think ShareSoc is leading and driving the campaign, whereas the campaign leader is Nick Curtis, but other than this point I think it is a very good article.

Daily Mail, 14 July 2019, Thomas Cook – misleading investors?

Cliff Weight asks if Thomas Cook were misleading investors and if the FCA should investigate. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-7246503/Thomas-Cook-slammed-misleading-investors-lifeline.html The 3 May RNS looks unduly optimistic in the light of today’s announcement. Thomas Cook’s directors need to be held to account for making such positive statements, which may have misled many individual investors. The shares were shorted over 10% before the 12 July announcement. This suggests the directors were slow to act to inform the market. Individual investors have a right to be treated fairly and prima ...

Daily Telegraph, 4 July 2019 – Platforms Letting Investors Down

An excellent article, in which ShareSoc director Mark Bentley is quoted extensively, highlighting the problems faced by investors who wish to take an active ownership interest in the companies they invest in. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/investing/shares/investment-shops-hindering-shareholder-engagement/ The problems described explain why we consider our Shareholder Rights Campaign to be so important.

FT, 22 June 2019 – UK Shareholder Rights Being Eroded

Article in the FT highlighting the issues that our shareholder rights campaign seeks to address. ShareSoc director Cliff Weight and UKSA director Peter Parry are quoted extensively: https://www.ft.com/content/a6815e70-9371-11e9-aea1-2b1d33ac3271

FT, 18 June 2019 – Critics call on Hargreaves to reveal executive’s Woodford stakes

“This is not caught by law, but it is certainly caught by moral imperative,” said Mark Northway, chairman at shareholder rights’ group ShareSoc. “Given [Mr Dampier’s] position in the eye of the storm, transparency is the only policy available to him.... https://www.ft.com/content/fc6cf624-9113-11e9-b7ea-60e35ef678d2