ShareSoc News

Sirius Update #2 28 Jan 2020

As of today, 28 Jan,  274 Sirius shareholders representing at least 150m shares have joined the ShareSoc Sirius Shareholder Group (SSSG) and more are joining at a rapid rate. These figures do not include a backlog of registrations still to process. The more members we have, the more people will have to listen to us. We are merging Paul Anscombe's data into ShareSoc's database thus ensuring that the data is held securely and confidentially. This work is currently underway. I would like ...

Sirius Update #1 24 Jan 2020

As of last night 235 Sirius shareholders have joined the ShareSoc Sirius Shareholder Group (SSSG) and more are joining at a rapid rate. Pressure is mounting from the Daily Mail, with our input, for Anglo to consider options that keep shareholders engaged https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/comment/article-7922163/ALEX-BRUMMER-Sirius-Minerals-backers-shares.html The SSSG committee have sent a letter the Sirius Board of Directors requesting a meeting and further information. To see the 5 page letter go to the ShareSoc Sirius Forum page https://www.sharesoc.org/forums/topic/letter-requesting-disclosure/ – sorry, but you will have to be ...

ShareSoc Sirius Shareholder Group (SSSG)

by Cliff Weight, ShareSoc Director for Policy and Campaigns ShareSoc has agreed to help individual shareholders in Sirius Minerals. We are seeking shareholders to collectively work together to get the best outcome for all shareholders. ShareSoc have launched the ShareSoc Sirius Shareholder Group to provide whatever support we can. This group is being run by Yashmin Ismail, Chris Spencer Phillips, Paul de Gruchy, Cliff Weight, Mark Jones and Ian Martignetti. We are not opining at this stage on the merits of the proposed Anglo ...

RBS Shareholder Committee Campaign – Update 17

ShareSoc and UKSA have now paused this campaign, because RBS are now engaging better with shareholders and have announced a programme of 4 events a year specifically focussed on engagement with individual shareholders. See https://investors.rbs.com/shareholder-centre/shareholder-events.aspx, where you can also access a recording of RBS' successful virtual event on 25 Nov 2019. This has been a successful campaign. Notable achievements: We were able to successfully requisition 3 resolutions at two AGMs. Although we did not get shareholders to vote in favour of a ...

RBS Virtual Shareholder Engagement Meeting 25 Nov 2019 at 7pm

RBS have now announced details of their Virtual Shareholder Engagement Meeting on 25 Nov 2019 at 7.00pm, when you can listen and watch on the internet and ask questions, from the comfort of your home or wherever you may be. I hope many members will attend this meeting. To sign up and register click here You will need to submit your shareholder number. It is on your shareholder certificate. What happens if you hold your shares via a nominee?  I have asked RBS to clarify if ...

ShareSoc-UKSA Response: Law Commission Review of Intermediated Securities – Call for Evidence

ShareSoc-UKSA submitted a joint response on behalf of individual investors, on 5 Nov 2019. The key points we made were: Communication by email rather than by post is now the norm and assumed as the default position. Printing annual reports and shareholder circulars and sending them to shareholders by post is no longer necessary. Postage and printing costs were some of the key drivers of the nominee system. A modern system of intermediated securities should embrace and recognise modern technology and ensure ...

Law Commission Review of Intermediated Securities Consultation

I am writing to ask you to make a personal submission to The Law Commission Call for Evidence on the subject of dematerialisation, intermediated securities, shareholder rights and nominees/platforms. This is the most important issue that ShareSoc-UKSA campaigns on. Your response must be done by 5 November and submitted to By email to int-sec@lawcommission.gov.uk. Commercial and Common Law Team, Law Commission, 1st Floor, Tower, 52 Queen’s Anne Gate, London, SW1H 9AG. I attach a copy of the official ShareSoc-UKSA  response, which runs to 38 pages. A personal ...

ShareSoc – LSE AIM meeting

On 26 Sept 2019, four ShareSoc Directors (Northway, Bentley, Spencer Phillips and Weight) met Marcus Stuttard and 4 other senior executives of LSE AIM to discuss AIM regulation. This was a wide ranging meeting which both sides agreed was very useful. We updated the LSE on the UKSA-ShareSoc merger and the ShareSoc-SIGnet merger; then proceeded to discuss the Law Commission call for evidence re intermediated securities; Auditors, ARGA, Kingman, Brydon, CMA, etc.; Change of Auditors and the need for clear RNS about ...

FRC New UK Stewardship Code and FCA response to DP19/1 Consultation

The UK Stewardship Code 2020 is (according to the FRC) “a substantial and ambitious revision” to the 2012 edition of the Code which takes effect from 1 January 2020. The FRC says “The new Code sets high expectations of those investing money on behalf of UK savers and pensioners. In particular, the new Code establishes a clear benchmark for stewardship as the responsible allocation, management and oversight of capital to create long-term value for clients and beneficiaries leading to sustainable benefits for the economy, ...

Law Commission Review of Intermediated Securities Consultation

I am writing to ask you to: Send me examples and evidence we can use in our submission; Consider making a personal submission yourself; and to Update you on this important issue. Submissions to The Law Commission Call for Evidence on the subject of dematerialisation, intermediated securities, shareholder rights and nominees/platforms must be made by 5 November. The Law Commission “scoping” study will provide an accessible account of the law. It will also identify the corporate governance and other legal issues associated with ...

Albion Venture Capital (AAVC) Update 4, 14 Oct 2019

AAVC Chairman Richard Glover invited ShareSoc to a meeting to discuss our concerns as part of his process to engage with Shareholders, following the 30% vote against the new management agreement voted on at the EGM in August 2019 and the very extensive questioning at the AGM (see the AGM write up by Tim Grattan https://www.sharesoc.org/agm-reports/albion-venture-vct-aavc-agm-2019/  and my own report https://www.sharesoc.org/blog/vcts/albion-venture-capital-vct-aavc-agm-result-and-actions/ . AAVC is engaging with a broad range of shareholders and has written to about 50% of the larger shareholders who ...

Merger Announcement: ShareSoc and SIGnet

Press release 112 - Merger Announcement: ShareSoc and SIGnet The UK Individual Shareholders Society Limited (ShareSoc) and SIGnet have signed a merger agreement. ShareSoc is the UK's largest private investor organisation, providing a broad range of services to its members and defending the interests of individual investors. The SIGnet educational network provides private investors with the opportunity to meet in small groups to discuss investment topics and strategies, with the aim of becoming better investors. SIGnet was founded by the late John Lander in ...