Standard Life Shares

mad

ReportInvestor wrote:

I'm sure that there are others, like me, whose Standard Life share holding is the biggest single block of shares that they have held in their life for any length of time, and that does tend to concentrate the mind.

That's me.... Keep up the good work RI

When to sell? How strong is SL? I find the thread more useful than anything I can pick up from the press but really am struggling with regard to when it is time to get out. The dividend and the extra 5% shares next year mean even if they hold were they are mean they are probably worth keeping. I am starting to think that £3 might be a good bail out price for me as I don't need to cash them in at the moment. Also the original estimates gave the shares a top price of £2.90 and it makes you wonder the way things have been going if the actual float price was fair, especially to those who got out straight away

Any thoughts on the long term?

ReportInvestor

Thanks for all the credits, guys. Just bear in mind that no-one has a monopoly of market wisdom, and I'm learning along with the rest of you. Although I still hold a substantial chunk of shares, I did sell some @ 248p and 258p (bought at 218.5p) to lock in gains.

But like mad, I'm thinking that £3 could be possible.

Subject, of course, to general market stability and to Standard continuing to show - in particular on 27 September, results day - that its turnaround story from sleepy, complacent mutual is on track.

This investment thing is part science, part art, part gut, part luck as far as I can work out.

ReportInvestor

Yahoo

Standard falls to 263.75p at 9.50 a.m. Thursday as world markets show weakness.

People might be interested in some comments by "InsurerAnalysis" on

This thread on The Money Bag site

I've not worked him out totally, but he seems very knowledgeable. Perhaps a former Standard Life insider? He was against demutualisation. His own value for Standard - based around its embedded value compared to other insurers - was 260p-290p and he made this suggestion very soon after flotation.

On the Investors' Association site - Standard Life section

I find Peter Lockie to be very well informed.

Thursday p.m.
Yahoo chart
At 266p, holding up better than the FTSE100 towards the end of the day.

At least interest rates were kept on hold.

Scotsman - FTSE slides again amid edginess throughout world markets

Gorgeous_George

Not a great day today but the FTSE lost twice as much %age-wise - so at least SL continue to outperform the FTSE-100.

I'm confident that there are better days ahead. I'm still looking for a staedy £2.70 ish before jumping ship but may review my position if that is not met over the next week or two.



GG

epninety

Hope I get out long before it drops to £1.70 :eek:

Think you prob'ly meant £2.70 :rolleyes:

Gorgeous_George

Don't know what you mean after quick edit!



GG

gt94sss2

One thing to note is that quite often when shares go into the FTSE they do 'poorly' for a while.

Its said that this is to do with the fact that tracker and other investment funds start buying a share before it enters the FTSE 100 to ensure they have enough for what ever strategy they are following and then stop once they have enough- leading to a period of relative underperformance.

Of course, there are bound to be exceptions and SL may be one of them - especially is retail investors still hold such a high % of the shares but I thought I would mention it.

Regards
Sunil
PS: I am still holding unti at least until the extra 5% shares are issued.

ReportInvestor

I don't quite know what to make of these (new?) Yahoo features - but it's not the best news.

Yahoo's analyst survey on Standard Life (incomplete as yet, nevertheless it does not make for positive reading ).

Analyst earnings and revenue estimates for 2006/2007
Useful for comparisons when the figures come out on September 27th.

Clearly our Roman is not alone in his pessimism, but nor have all brokers yet submitted their assessments to Yahoo - so its an incomplete picture.

Meanwhile a steady Friday a.m. performance - up to 267p

ReportInvestor

Standard Life cancels 2006 AGM :eek:

This contradicts earlier statements by the Chairman that demutualisation and the May SGM would mean that the AGM would be postponed until later in the year. [No business except demutualisation was allowed to be discussed at the SGM.]

It also means that no-one will have voted through the accounts, or approved the directors, for nearly 24 months - which goes against best corporate governance and accountability practice.

There is comment in the link from Peter Lockie [see above], who was the first to note that Standard were apparently not planning to meet their members / shareholders until 2007.

I guess that the Standard team feels too busy getting the City's approval to cope with putting on an AGM, but this is highly unusual.

ReportInvestor

Sunday Times Scotland

Standard admits that retail investors now only own 67% of the company & financial institutions have 33%

That's still a significantly high retail investor base - and most will now have their eye on collecting their bonus shares in July 2007.

The effect of that on the share price before & after July will be difficult to judge.

If we see a few more sales by July 2007 (down to 60% retail investors) & the share price was about £3 (I wish ) then the bonus shares would be worth 15p for each share we hold.

But issuing those extra shares could dilute our holding by 10p per share - and June/July/August is also likely to see volatility caused by retail investor sales.

At what stage does the market factor the issue of those extra shares into the Standard Life share price. From the outset? From now? From the New Year? In June 2007?