Standard Life Shares

baby_boomer

Buying shares with no initial charges - if the shares are OK - is a great way of cutting costs and participating in stock market performance.

And reinvested dividends is the proven way to win in the stockmarket.

The main danger here is that the vast majority of us will be overweight in this one stock already.

Which carries more risks than most current Standard shareholders are used to.

carter2901

Hi all,
New to this thread (and to shares in general), found it when looking for discussion on SL shares - really useful. I'm hanging on too at the mo, but debating whether the extra shares on my allocation (230 to start with, so only about 11 extra I worked out) is worth the gamble of what the market does when they're released. In terms of numbers, I figure the price would have to drop by about 15p / share for me to lose out by waiting. Any advice on how likely this is, or how (in)accurate my maths is?

Bennifred

mleonard79 wrote: »

Thanks everyone - It might just be that they're staggering sending them out and haven't got around to me yet then I'll keep an eye out for it.

Regards

Michelle

Hi Michelle!
Any sign of your letter yet? I haven't received one yet - getting twitchy as the divi date is only a couple of weeks away!:o Friend locally received hers a couple of weeks ago...........

Bennifred

gt94sss2

Bennifred wrote: »

Hi Michelle!
Any sign of your letter yet? I haven't received one yet - getting twitchy as the divi date is only a couple of weeks away!:o Friend locally received hers a couple of weeks ago...........

You are right to be twitchy - as you only have until this Tuesday to let Computershare know if you want to take part in the Standard Life Dividend Reinvestment plan, rather than take this dividend in cash (the default option).

As such, all I can think of is that either your letter is either lost in the post or you are one of the 400,000 who asked to receive such documents electronically to save on paper etc..

As for the letter, it contained a copy of Standard Life's Annual review and AGM Guide, both of which can be viewed online or downloaded here

Details of the dividend reinvestment plan are on page 15 onwards of the AGM guide and its possible to sign up online to the DRIP scheme here if you haven't received the paper form - just remember you have until the 15th May!

Regards
Sunil

gt94sss2

carter2901 wrote: »

Hi all,
New to this thread (and to shares in general), found it when looking for discussion on SL shares - really useful. I'm hanging on too at the mo, but debating whether the extra shares on my allocation (230 to start with, so only about 11 extra I worked out) is worth the gamble of what the market does when they're released. In terms of numbers, I figure the price would have to drop by about 15p / share for me to lose out by waiting. Any advice on how likely this is, or how (in)accurate my maths is?

The share price is currently £3.33 and the bonus shares are currently worth 5% so 16.65p/share.

On 230 shares, you are correct in thinking you would get 11. I'm not sure what happens to 'fractional shares' if anything..

As for what will happen to the share price, noone can say.

If you need the money or plan to sell the shares than you could sell now or wait until July.. if you plan to hold on, the impact of the bonus shares being issued on the share price should be (I think) relatively short lived - part of it would be built in to the price already but it all depends on how many shareholders decide to sell immediately/soon after receiving their bonus shares.

Regardless of what you decide, you will receive the 5.4p dividend per share at the end of the month.

Regards
Sunil

catz1ct

gt94sss2 wrote: »

Details of the dividend reinvestment plan are on page 15 onwards of the AGM guide and its possible to sign up online to the DRIP scheme here if you haven't received the paper form - just remember you have until the 15th May!

I think it will be too late for that now as well if you haven't already signed up to the computershare site because they send you a pin in the post when you regisiter on the site. Just to make you aware!

Just think it's not the end of the world if you miss out on it. :P

carter2901

gt94sss2 wrote:

If you need the money or plan to sell the shares than you could sell now or wait until July.. if you plan to hold on, the impact of the bonus shares being issued on the share price should be (I think) relatively short lived - part of it would be built in to the price already but it all depends on how many shareholders decide to sell immediately/soon after receiving their bonus shares.

Regardless of what you decide, you will receive the 5.4p dividend per share at the end of the month.

Thanks Sunil, just the sort of advice I needed. I might possibly not worry too much about the bonus shares and sell on a high. NOW, how best to invest the £12 dividend payout...

mleonard79

Bennifred wrote: »

Hi Michelle!
Any sign of your letter yet? I haven't received one yet - getting twitchy as the divi date is only a couple of weeks away!:o Friend locally received hers a couple of weeks ago...........

Bennifred

Hi Bennifred,

Argh!! I forgot all about the letter and no I haven't received it :mad:

You are right to be twitchy - as you only have until this Tuesday to let Computershare know if you want to take part in the Standard Life Dividend Reinvestment plan, rather than take this dividend in cash (the default option).

As such, all I can think of is that either your letter is either lost in the post or you are one of the 400,000 who asked to receive such documents electronically to save on paper etc..

Hi Sunil,

I guess in my case it must have got lost in the post as I don't remember signing up for electronic mail and certainly haven't been sent anything by email . I took my shares in paper certificate form and deposited them with selftrade - would this have affected my getting the letter about the dividend scheme? I suppose it's too late for me to do anything about it now though :mad: Oh well the dividend is only for £37 odd so I suppose it's not a big deal really - bit strange I didn't get the letter though.

Regards

Michelle

gt94sss2

catz1ct wrote: »

Just think it's not the end of the world if you miss out on it. :P

True, I've finally decided not to bother myself with the DRIP scheme..

Regards
Sunil

gt94sss2

mleonard79 wrote: »

I guess in my case it must have got lost in the post as I don't remember signing up for electronic mail and certainly haven't been sent anything by email . I took my shares in paper certificate form and deposited them with selftrade - would this have affected my getting the letter about the dividend scheme?

Ah - your shares are with Selftrade - thats why you would not have received a letter.

Generally speaking (with very few exceptions), if you do not hold the share certificate yourself or via a company registrar's own special 'shareholder account' your details won't appear on a companies share register and so you won't get any communications at all directly from the company.

Normally, this doesn't make any real difference - as most communications are online anyway (annual reports etc).. and your broker will always tell you if there is a 'corporate action' happening (takeover bid etc). However, you do miss out on dividend reinvestment schemes etc, run by the company (though some brokers have their own versions to reinvest dividends etc.) & usually also on any 'share perks' if you are investing in one of the handful of companies which offer those..

Standard Life is a bit unusual re: the bonus shares, though as long as you filled in the 'Special Declaration' when moving your shares to Selftrade, you will be ok in that respect and will be able to claim the in July..

Regards
Sunil