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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Six years after the suspension of the Woodford Equity Income Fund (WEIF) trapped 300,000 investors, and following more than five years of investigation, on 5th August 2025 the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) finally announced its decision to fine Neil Woodford and his firm, Woodford Investment Management (WIM).
The FCA has issued fines of £5.88 million to Neil Woodford and £40 million to WIM. Both have referred the decision to the Upper Tribunal, meaning the fines have no immediate effect and may not ...
SIGnet, a national network of individual investor groups, is excited to announce the launch of two new groups, designed specifically for those in the early stages of their investing journey.
The Beginners’ Group is aimed at those who are new to investing and will cover topics such as Shares, Bonds, ISAs & SIPPs and Portfolio Diversification. No previous experience is required.
The Intermediate Group is for those who are familiar with the basics, and will cover topics such as Ratios, Value & Dividend ...
Anexo Group: Analysis of the 60p Bid and Investor Reaction Following the 22nd July 2025 announcement of a takeover offer for Anexo Group plc, this blog provides an analysis...
Final report is fatally flawed and could lead to shareholders losing their rights
Digitisation Taskforce has failed to address its Terms of Reference
City lobby’s influence outweighed shareholder interests
Move to fully intermediated (nominee) shareholding system fails to protect key shareholder rights
Proposed “Bill of Shareholder Rights” misses the mark
Report is silent on key stewardship issues
“Investor pays” access to rights will further diminish shareholder engagement
Critical checks and balances are at risk
London – 22nd July 2025
ShareSoc, the UK's premier ...
Taskforce proposals miss the mark.
They put shareholder activism at risk and damage corporate governance.
The Digitisation Taskforce, comprising Sir Douglas Flint, Mark Austin and, latterly Chris Horton, has at long last released its long-awaited final report.
The report recommends a staged plan to completely eliminate both paper share certificates and digitised share registers, forcing all UK investors into an intermediated (nominee) system where shares are held on their behalf by financial institutions:
Step 1: Eliminate paper share certificates by 2027 (via a ...
The Alarming Trend of Undervaluation and an Exodus from the London Stock Exchange
The recent takeover of automotive engineering firm Dowlais Group by a US competitor starkly illustrates a worrying trend plaguing the UK stock market. Yet again, a British company has been acquired for what seems to be a bargain price, underscoring a persistent failure by UK investors to recognise the value inherent in their own domestic companies.
This apathy is leaving UK PLC vulnerable to foreign takeovers and contributing to ...
Better financial education, better investment launchpads for life, share ownership for all
Should we be pressing for Starmer Accounts in the UK to rival Trump Accounts?
Every child born in the USA from 31 Dec 2024 receives $1,000 in a Trump Account, a tax-deferred (not exempt) investment which tracks the performance of a broad-based US stock market index. Parents and others can also contribute up to $5,000 a year into the account.
The Trump account will only invest in shares, not cash. The logic ...
SIGnet, a national network of individual investor groups, is excited to announce the launch of a new in-person group based in Cambridge. 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 ...
SIGnet, a national network of individual investor groups, is excited to announce the launch of a new in-person group based in Harpenden. 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 ...
A class action group is being formed to represent former STM shareholders. This development follows a letter from Edmund Truell and Jambo SRC Limited (“Jambo”) to certain former shareholders, which states that no deferred consideration is payable in respect of Jambo’s acquisition of STM.
If you held shares in STM Group plc at the time of the takeover, you will have received a Deferred Consideration Unit (“DCU”), exchangeable into loan notes worth up to seven pence per DCU and redeemable in cash ...
