Blog

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.

If you would like to be notified about new posts to our blog you can opt-in to our Weekly Wrap-Up Email service. If you are a member of ShareSoc select the “Weekly Wrap-Up Email” option here. If you are not a member select the “Information and Education Services” option here.


SIGnet Investors Network Launches New Taunton Group

SIGnet is excited to announce the launch of a new in-person group based in Taunton.  Investors of all levels of experience are welcome to join. The Convener of the group will be Tom Entwistle. Tom has been an active investor in the stock market and residential and commercial property for over 50 years, and the Convener of the SIGnet Manchester Group for the past 5 years. After 10 years in industry, Tom spent his main career as a lecturer and manager in further ...

Consumer Protection

I was very interested in ShareSoc’s proposals for the Labour Party concerning the review of financial services. My particular focus was the section headed “Consumer Protection”. I have been a tax adviser since 1985 and a financial planner since 1991. I have always considered the client’s understanding of the pros and cons of an investment strategy to be a pre-requisite for any investment advice. However, the constant impact of regulation on the advice process has led to poorer understanding by the client ...

SIGnet Investors Network Launches New Online Technical Analysis Group

SIGnet is excited to announce the launch of a new online Investors group focused on Technical Analysis. All levels of investing experience are welcome to join. The Convenor for the Group will be Christopher Pratt. Christopher is an experienced investor and technical analyst who has been a member of SIGnet from the first meeting in 1998. He convened a Technical Analysis (TA) group from 2000 to 2010, and a London Evening Group from 2012 to 2020. Until a few years ago he ...

Shareholders Stymied by Slow Government Reforms

Ludicrous scaling back of orders for shares in JP Morgan Global Growth and Income Trust JP Morgan Global Growth and Income (JGGI) is a rare example, these days, of an investment trust that consistently trades at a premium to NAV, due to its popularity.  Due to the heavy demand for the company’s shares and its ability to deploy capital easily into some of the world’s largest and most successful businesses, the company announced a placing and retail offer for its shares. The company ...

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.  ...
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