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.

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Soukup Soaks Up More Voting Power at Thalassa

Post Date: October 5, 2018

There was an interesting RNS out yesterday for Thalassa (THAL). Following an amendment to the Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, and without a shareholder vote, each shareholder was issued with one Preference Share for each Ordinary Share held. Each Preference Share carries 10 votes, and given that they were given out on a one for one basis to Ord holders, it seems fair and simply multiplies the total voting rights by 11. (1 plus the 10 new votes per old ...

Unilever abandons its plans. ANOTHER VICTORY FOR INDIVIDUAL SHAREHOLDERS

Post Date: October 5, 2018

This morning 5 October Unilever announced it had abandoned its plans, so there is no longer any need to vote. What good news this is. It is a triumph for all those involved in engaging with the company, who have belatedly listened to our arguments. We were very concerned about the disenfranchisement of individual investors in the Unilever vote on 26 October. Members may wish to know that as part of our campaign, ShareSoc on 4 October, sent the following OPEN LETTER TO PLATFORMS AND NOMINEE COMPANIES. 4 October 2018 UNILEVER PLC ...

Joint UKSA-ShareSoc Letter in the FT re Unilever Vote and UK Shareholder Disenfranchisement

Post Date: October 1, 2018

The letter, headed Complacency on Unilever vote may rebound on UK, said Sir, Neil Collins highlighted the importance of small investors in Unilever’s coming votes (Inside London, FT Weekend, September 22-23). A scheme of arrangement requires approval by at least 75 per cent in value of each class of the members or creditors who vote on the scheme, being also at least a majority in number of each class. The court’s permission is needed to convene the meetings of members and creditors to ...

ShareSoc and UKSA respond to the Interim Report of the FCA’s Investment Platforms Market Study

Post Date: September 28, 2018

ShareSoc and UKSA respond to the Interim Report of the FCA’s Investment Platforms Market Study. See our joint press release

Response to FCA on Platforms Study Sep 2018

Post Date: September 28, 2018

Press Release 106 - Joint Press Release from UKSA and ShareSoc on behalf of individual investors about the FCA Investment Platforms Market Study Interim Report In a hard-hitting response to the Financial Conduct Authority, UKSA-ShareSoc demand a more fundamental review of how investment ownership is recorded (i.e. share and fund registration systems) needs to be undertaken and legislation put in place to reform it. The present systems appear to have been devised for the primary benefit of the platform operators and not their clients, ...

Time to open an account with AJ Bell?

Post Date: September 23, 2018

Please note that ShareSoc does not recommend particular platforms, but aims to keep members aware of their relative merits. The Daily Mail reports today https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/comment/article-6196807/JEFF-PRESTRIDGE-Investing-platform-sends-message-clear-Bell.html the good news that: "AJ Bell has decided that its customers should not be left out of the impending stock market party. Anyone who has an account with the platform when October 15 comes around will be eligible to apply for shares(minimum of £1,000). While AJ Bell is dwarfed by Hargreaves Lansdown – and probably always will be – the ...

UKSA and ShareSoc Joint Recommendations for Voting re Unilever Resolutions

Post Date: September 21, 2018

Unilever’s proposal to rationalise its share structure and move its HQ to the Netherlands Many members will be aware that Unilever is planning to simplify its share structure by scrapping its dual UK / Dutch structure and moving its headquarters to the Netherlands. UKSA and ShareSoc are very doubtful whether these changes will be in the best interests of most private shareholders. Unilever's plans will result in their plc shares being taken over by NV shares, which will be listed in Holland and ...

BHP Billiton Retail Shareholder Event 18 Sept 2018

Post Date: September 21, 2018

BHP Chairman Ken MacKenzie presented to 60+ retail shareholders in a highly successful event organised by BHP, UKSA and ShareSoc. After a 20 minute presentation, Ken answered questions for...

Individual Investor access to Conference Calls and Research

Post Date: September 17, 2018

ShareSoc had a very useful meeting with Allenby Capital on 13 September, who are interested in individual investors and understand the need for a balanced shareholder register. Allenby publish all their research on their website and if you register, input your email address and self certificate you can access their research for free. see http://www.allenbycapital.com/research.html I wish all firms undertaking research were so enlightened. We also talked about making open days and conference calls open to all investors. I note that today Tern have announced ...

ShareSoc Remuneration Guidelines to be publicised more widely

Post Date: August 31, 2018

Remuneration continues to be a key issue for investors and the ShareSoc Remuneration Guidelines, first published in June 2016, are proving to be helpful. ShareSoc strongly encourages members to send copies of our guidelines to companies where they are unhappy with the current remuneration arrangements. We have now split the guidelines into separate documents which focus on (i) smaller companies (<£200m market cap) and (ii) larger companies. Click below to download the guidelines: Smaller Companies Remuneration Guidelines (14 pages) Larger Companies Remuneration Guidelines (12 pages) We ...

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