AGMs

FT, 22 Oct 2021, Getting heard on climate: small investors take on big companies

Click here to read the article Alice Ross, FT Deputy Editor, has written a major article about how "Retail shareholders can get organised and can push for change if they band together". The article focusses on the successes of the pressure group ShareAction who have successfully used their AGM Army to ask questions at AGMs and lobby for change. However, Cliff Weight and ShareSoc are also quoted at some length.   One problem for retail investor engagement, however, is that the vast majority remain uninvolved. ...

FCA AGM questions – Response to ShareSoc question on financial education

Asking a question at an AGM is often a good way to get access to the Board and force them to engage on a key issue.  This approach worked well with the FCA, where I submitted three questions and one of which, on financial education, was answered in the live part of the meeting. Page 18 of the written record of the meeting records that I asked FCA Chair Charles Randell: Will the FCA support greater financial education in schools and in the wider world, ...

Policy and Campaigns – Progress Update to 12 October 2021

Since June 14 (see https://www.sharesoc.org/sharesoc-news/policy-and-campaigns-progress-update-14-june-2021/  for previous update), ShareSoc's Policy and Campaigns' team have worked on:   Woodford Campaign: Leigh Day have submitted their claim. They now have 11,000 claimants and another 3,000 registered, but yet to sign their Leigh Day agreement. We held a very successful webinar on 30 Sept with 942 registrants. ShareSoc’s Woodford Campaign now has over 1,500 members, which enables us to lobby strongly for regulatory change and to hold to account those who have done wrong.  ...

BHP – Company Information and Vote Guidance 2021

by Cliff Weight, Director, ShareSoc. These are my personal views and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. I own shares in BHP and have recently bought some more.  With sales of c.£50bn, their EV (Enterprise Value = market cap plus debt) of £100 bn is 2 times turnover and this looks much more reasonable than the Diageo shares I recently reviewed and sold. The BHP p/e (forecast) ratio is a very modest 7. For over 15 years BHP have met annually with shareholders ...

DGE : Diageo – Company Information and Vote Guidance

by Cliff Weight, Director, ShareSoc. These are my personal views and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. I do not own shares in Diageo, but my wife does, in her ISA. She bought in 1998 at £7.16 and they are now £35. With sales of £12.7bn, their EV (Enterprise Value = market cap plus debt) of £95 bn is > six  times turnover and I don't see great barriers to entry at the global level or from supermarkets going direct to wine ...

TSCO – TESCO Company Information and Vote Guidance

by Cliff Weight, Director, ShareSoc. These are my personal views and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. I am not qualified to give financial advice and nothing in this blog should be construed as such. I own shares in TESCO. It is one of my largest holdings and I have owned Tesco shares since the 1980's. Tesco performed very well in the 1980's and 1990's gaining market share and growing fast and its out of/ edge of town superstores were a winning formula. ...

Policy and Campaigns – Progress Update 14 June 2021

ShareSoc News Item by Director Cliff Weight In May and early June, we worked on: Woodford Campaign: Leigh Day received their response from Clifford Chance to their LBA (Letter Before Action). It looks like the case will go to court but it could take 3 more years. Leigh Day remain the only claim with insurance and funding in place. Harcus Parker have funding but do not have ATE insurance. RGL have neither insurance nor funding (other than funding for an initial ...

RKT : Reckitt Benckiser – Company Information and Vote Guidance

by Cliff Weight, Director, ShareSoc. These are my personal views and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. I do not own shares in Reckitt, because their EV (Enterprise Value) is four times turnover and I don't see great barriers to entry. Summary of voting issues The AGM is on May 28th, 2021. The share price over 20 years is wonderful, as the Stockopedia data shows. I have attended several of the company's AGMs, because (i) DSW, the German equivalent of ShareSoc asked me to ...

HSBA – HSBC Holdings Company Information and Vote Guidance

by Cliff Weight, Director, ShareSoc. These are my personal views and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. I own shares in HSBC. HSBC summary of voting issues The AGM is on May 28th, 2021. HSBC has gone back to its roots and now focuses on the Far East. The Stockopedia graph shows the lack of long term growth over the past 20 years and the volatility of the share price which lost two thirds in the Covid Bear Market. It has now recovered to ...

Laggard Unanswered Questions at Eleco

I received an unhelpful response to a question today (19th May) from Eleco (ELCO). I have been a shareholder for some time in this construction software company. The company announced on the 26th of April that it had received a requisition notice that covered resolutions to reappoint two directors, that all directors stand for re-election at future AGMs and that the remuneration committee report be approved. It was certainly unusual that such resolutions were not on the AGM agenda on the 6th ...