There are moments in investing when the numbers aren’t the most difficult thing to interpret. We all have access to data, most of us can spot trends, and the market provides a constant barometer of our decision-making. Sometimes, though, the real challenge comes from our conviction softening, not because a single fact has changed, but […]
There are periods in markets when safety feels less like a portfolio strategy and more like a rumour. The start of 2026 feels like one of them. The difficulty isn’t simply that share prices are falling. Markets do that from time to time, and any investor with a little experience understands that drawdowns are part
ISA Season Investing: What Safety Really Means in a Falling Market Read More »
As an investor, I am constantly assessing whether the companies I own align with my financial objectives and investment principles. Although I consider myself a long-term investor, I will consider letting go of an investment if the business begins to face significant headwinds or persistent operational issues. Today, I’d like to share a little about
Time to Let Go: Why I’ve Moved on from S4 Capital and NCC Group Read More »
Anyone with half an eye on financial markets will have seen the headlines about Silicon Valley Bank becoming insolvent over the last few days. The situation is rapidly escalating and with it the entire financial press and half of my financial contacts have become consumed by producing coverage. I am joining them. In this article,
Long-time readers of this site will remember my failed investment in Carillion – a leading international construction businesses that collapsed under the weight of its debts and ended up in bankruptcy back in 2018. At the time, I largely penned up the collapse of Carillion to poor management and a weak balance sheet but recent
A long-standing reader of my blog called me last week asking whether I was going to be writing an annual update on General Electric. For those of you not in the know, I’d recommend reading my original post detailing the history of the company (you can find a link here) and then reading this article
Every year since 1977, Warren Buffett has released a shareholder letter. In recent years, it’s been a highlight of the financial calendar with investors eagerly poring over his words to glean his thoughts on everything from bond valuations to the dangers of debt. I’m a big fan of Warren Buffett – I like his sensible,
Every year since 1977, Warren Buffett has released a shareholder letter. In recent years, it’s been a highlight of the financial calendar with investors eagerly poring over his words to glean his thoughts on everything from bond valuations to the dangers of debt. I’m a big fan of Warren Buffett – I like his sensible,
Unless you’ve been living under a rock recently then you’ll be aware of the problems facing INTU; a giant retail landlord which is facing a catastrophic collapse in the face of declining revenues and a mountain of debt. As a landlord, INTU has been in the business of buying and developing giant shopping centres. These
Around a year ago, I wrote an article on General Electric, the American conglomerate that was once one of the world’s largest and most valuable companies. After slumping revenues and rocketing debts crippled both the company and its share price, the CEO was replaced and the company embarked on an ambitious turnaround plan to pay
Shares in Centrica have fallen nearly 20% after the company slashed its dividend and announced that their CEO, Iain Conn, is to step down from the role next year. The company has made a loss of nearly £500m in the last six months and has seen its shares decline an eye-watering 70% since Iain took
Surprise, surprise, Centrica has just fallen off another cliff… Read More »
Having written about my painful experience of investing with Carillion I have watched with interest as shares of Kier have followed a similar route. From a peak of over £24 in 2007, the shares collapsed to £6.50 during the financial crisis, never recovering their previous height and now having lost over 90% of their value
One of the first companies I bought shares in bought was Centrica. If you’ve ever paid for gas in your home then you’ve probably heard of them. A huge, FTSE250 company with decades of trading history and operating in what is usually considered the ‘defensive’ market of utilities. When I bought the shares, I loved
Earlier this week I was alerted to a story about everyone’s favourite electric car company Tesla and their ‘interesting’ approach to the on-going financial black hole that represents their balance sheet. Despite declared a loss every quarter since they were founded in 2008 (yes, that’s right, ten years ago), this is a stock that has
The house of cards that is the Tesla balance sheet Read More »
I must confess to being absolutely fascinated by the on-going saga of General Electric. Originally founded in 1892 by Thomas Edison, the company employs more than 300,000 people and is structured as a conglomerate, with about 12 divisions including GE Aviation, GE Power and GE Capital. It holds diverse interests including healthcare, transportation and lighted
