ShareSoc Blog

The ShareSoc blog provides news and informal commentary from directors, members and other contributors. Entries reflect the personal views of the authors, which do not necessarily reflect ShareSoc’s formal position. Contributors may hold shares in the companies mentioned. Nothing in this blog should be viewed as financial advice. You may submit comments on blog posts, but ShareSoc reserves the right to remove or edit inappropriate or defamatory submissions.

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 Launches East Midlands Group

Post Date: May 12, 2026

SIGnet, the national network of individual investor groups, is excited to announce the launch of a new in-person group based in the East Midlands area. The group will meet in the evening, most likely on a weekday. Investors of all levels of experience are welcome to join. SIGnet groups typically meet monthly, to give individual investors the opportunity to socialise, discuss investments, and learn from each other. The primary goal is to improve members' knowledge and investment decision-making processes through open discussion and mutual education. You are invited to an initial online launch meeting to hear more about the group, meet other investors, and confirm the details of future group meetings. The launch meeting will be held on Zoom at 5pm on 22nd June ...

Chris Spencer-Phillips (1945-2026)

Post Date: May 12, 2026

In Memoriam ShareSoc is sad to announce the death of Chris Spencer‑Phillips. Chris was a valued Non‑Executive Director of the organisation from 2012 to 2022 and remained an active member of the West Sussex SIGnet group. Chris brought to ShareSoc a wealth of experience from his work with boards and businesses, including his leadership at First Flight Non‑Executive Directors. He was widely respected for his insights into board effectiveness, remuneration, and corporate accountability - areas in which he consistently emphasised the importance of aligning management with shareholder interests. He was also a former director of Rye Golf Club and a council member of the Racehorse Owners’ Association. Chris’s passing is a loss to ShareSoc and to the ...

ShareSoc Director Spotlight – Bozena Howells

Post Date: May 10, 2026

What inspired you to join ShareSoc’s board and what motivates you to represent INDIVIDUAL investors? My professional career has been spent acting on behalf of claimants, consumers, shareholders and investors in large-scale group litigation. I have seen first-hand the imbalance of power between individuals and institutions, and the very real financial and personal impact when protections fail. I first worked with ShareSoc on the Woodford Equity Income Fund campaign and was impressed by its commitment to promoting shareholder rights, supporting investors in ...

Press Release: Two new directors join ShareSoc’s Board

Post Date: April 28, 2026

ShareSoc, the UK’s premier membership organisation for individual investors, is delighted to announce the appointment of Sam Bell and Matthew Gray as Non-Executive Directors. Sam Bell (appointed March 2026) is founder and CEO of Copia, a communications agency specialising in investor engagement for listed companies and asset managers. He has over 20 years’ experience working across communications, content, events and media within the capital markets. Sam is founder of Ticker, a platform that makes listed company regulatory news and disclosures more accessible and structured for individual investors. He is also co-organiser of the Investor Summit, a major conference that connects companies with individual,and professional investors. Sam ...

RTC Group – A Case Study in Shareholder Activism

Post Date: April 24, 2026

RTC faces two shareholder resolutions at its AGM on 27th May. Key Takeaways for Investors: The Resolutions (10 and 11): to appointment two independent NEDs to provide oversight and separate the CEO/Chair roles. The Financials: RTC is debt-free with a £3.9m cash pile, yet trades at a significant P/E discount to its peers. The Activist Group: led by David Stredder (acting in a personal capacity, but he is also a director of ShareSoc), representing 24% of the register. The Goal: to unlock an estimated 50% valuation gap through better governance and cost control. The AGM will be held at The Derby Conference Centre, DE24 8UX on 27 May at ...

SIGnet Launches New Group in Central London During the Daytime

Post Date: April 24, 2026

SIGnet, a national network of individual investor groups, is excited to announce the launch of a new in-person group based in London. The group will meet on Thursdays in central London (exact location TBC following launch meeting) and investors of all levels of experience are welcome to join. SIGnet groups meet on a regular basis, typically monthly, to give individual investors the opportunity to socialise, discuss, and learn from each other. The main goal is to improve members' knowledge and investment decision-making processes through free discussion and mutual education. You are invited: to an initial online launch meeting to hear more about the group, meet other ...

ShareSoc partners with Ticker

Post Date: April 20, 2026

Ticker and ShareSoc have today announced a joint initiative to support and strengthen investor participation in the UK public markets. Ticker, a platform dedicated to democratising access to stock market data and insights, joins forces with ShareSoc, the UK’s leading membership organisation for individual investors. The partnership will see Ticker support ShareSoc in its ongoing work to empower individual investors by collaborating on initiatives aimed at improving access to information and engagement between companies and their shareholders. ShareSoc has long campaigned for stronger shareholder rights and better communication between listed ...

L&G AGM Directors not afraid of shareholders

Post Date: April 17, 2026

Legal & General’s directors are a beacon of hope and hopefully a bellwether for others. L&G is facilitating shareholder engagement in person and on line. This is...

ShareSoc Director Spotlight – Heather Benjamin

Post Date: April 10, 2026

Reflecting on the First 18 Months It has now been 18 months since I joined ShareSoc, and it has definitely proved to be everything I hoped it would be when I first came on board. Why I Took the Role When asked if I was interested in being considered for the role of Chair, I was drawn to ShareSoc for several reasons: I met experienced people - both board members and the team led by Amanda - focused on providing great service ...

Aviva AGM – Companies should engage positively with shareholders!

Post Date: April 8, 2026

Don’t hide in York! Don’t use hybrid AGMs to hide from difficult questions. The announcement that Aviva plc will hold its 2026 Annual General Meeting at its regional office in York (Wellington Row) on 6 May is, on the surface, framed as an act...

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